Tool 04, from chapter 4
AI Culture Council Starter Kit
Co-Create: Design Together, Adopt Faster
Design together, adopt faster. Build the team that will drive your AI culture.
What it is for
You leave with a diverse council roster representing all perspectives, an AI Champion chosen against clear criteria, a meeting structure, and the ground rules the council will run by.
The question this chapter asks your team
Who outside the leadership team has a real say in how AI shows up here?
How to run it
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Fill the roster. Write a name against each of the eight roles. One person can fill more than one role, but you need at least five different people.
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Pick your AI Champion against the four criteria, and give them a title.
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Set the meeting rhythm: frequency, duration, day, time and format. Start more frequent, then adjust.
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Agree the ground rules. Keep the six core rules unless you have a reason not to, and add any optional rules you need. Three is the minimum.
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Run the first meeting with the agenda on this sheet. Use the ongoing structure from the second meeting on.
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Work through the launch checklist, then the ready-for-chapter-5 checklist.
The worksheet
Laid out to be printed and written on. The squares are for ticking, the rules for writing.
Who is filling this in
Name
Organization
Your role
Date
Council roster
Enter names for each role. One person can fill multiple roles. You need at least five unique members. Some people may naturally fill multiple roles, and that's okay.
Senior leader
Frontline worker
Veteran employee (5+ years)
Newer employee (under 2 years)
Tech-savvy person
Tech-hesitant person
AI enthusiast
AI skeptic
Your AI Champion
Choose the person who will lead your AI culture transformation.
Ideal champion criteria
- Excellent communicator who can translate between technical and non-technical audiences
- Respected by peers across departments and levels
- Genuinely excited about AI's potential (not just the technology)
- Has availability to dedicate real time to this role
Champion name
Champion title
Choose one.
- Chief AI Officer
- AI Champion
- AI Enabler
- AI Culture Lead
- Other
Meeting structure
Establish a consistent meeting rhythm for your council. Regular meetings are crucial. Start with more frequent meetings during the first few months, then adjust as needed.
- Meeting frequency
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- Weekly
- Every 2 weeks
- Monthly
- Meeting duration
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- 30 minutes
- 45 minutes
- 60 minutes
- Preferred day
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- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Preferred time
-
- Morning (9-11 AM)
- Midday (11 AM-1 PM)
- Afternoon (2-4 PM)
- Meeting format
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- In-person
- Virtual
- Hybrid
Ground rules
Select the ground rules that will govern your council meetings. Clear ground rules create psychological safety and ensure productive discussions. Three is the minimum.
Core rules (recommended)
- Start and end on time
- Can't cancel without 24-hour notice
- Send a substitute if you can't attend
- Decisions made here matter and will be implemented
- What's shared here stays here (confidential)
- All perspectives are equally valued
Optional rules, based on your team's needs
- AI transcription for meeting notes
- Rotate meeting facilitation
- Minimum 6-month commitment
Our own rules
First meeting agenda
Times are from the start of the meeting.
- 0:00
Welcome and Introductions
Each member shares their role and what they hope to contribute
- 0:10
Council Purpose and Charter Review
Review the mission, scope, and ground rules
- 0:20
Current State of AI in Our Organization
Brief overview of existing AI initiatives and challenges
- 0:35
Hopes and Concerns
Open discussion about AI adoption expectations
- 0:50
Next Steps and Action Items
Assign ownership and set expectations for next meeting
Ongoing meeting structure
Forty-five minutes, from the second meeting on.
- 5 min
Check-in
Quick wins and highlights since last meeting
- 10 min
Action Item Review
Status updates on assigned tasks
- 25 min
Main Topic Discussion
Deep dive into the meeting's focus area
- 5 min
Decisions and Next Steps
Summarize decisions and assign action items
Launch checklist
- Send calendar invites to all council members
- Share the Council Charter with all members
- Prepare the first meeting agenda
- Set up a shared folder for council documents
- Schedule a 15-minute pre-meeting with your AI Champion
Ready for chapter 5 checklist
Complete these before moving on to Coach, chapter 5 of The AI Culture Blueprint:
- Council roster is complete with diverse perspectives
- AI Champion has been identified and briefed
- Meeting structure is established
- Ground rules have been agreed upon
Do this week
- Write the roster and ask each person. Five yeses is a council.
- Name your AI Champion and schedule a 15-minute pre-meeting with them.
- Send the calendar invite for the first meeting with this agenda attached.