A Playbook to Use AI Consistently as a Team Today

"Nothing happens by itself."

I love that quote. It sums up the sheer amount of invisible work it takes to run a company. Business is a team sport. You win together, or you lose together.

But lately, in client meetings, I have noticed a funny pattern.

When I ask leadership how their studio is handling Artificial Intelligence, the room gets quiet. They usually pause, look at the ceiling tiles for help, and admit:

"Yeah, I think the team uses it? I’m not sure exactly what they do with it. I mean, it seems cool. I should probably ask them."

I get it. You are busy. You have clients to manage and fires to put out.

But let’s be honest for a second.

Imagine sending client proposals via the postal service. You write it out, lick the stamp, walk to the mailbox, and wait three days. Sure, the proposal eventually gets there, but we have email now. Why choose the hardest possible way to do it?

That is what "sitting it out" on AI looks like right now. You don't need to be a tech wizard. You just need to stop tolerating the friction.

The "Frankenstein" Effect

Here is the reality:

If you aren't leading the charge, your team is improvising.

Right now, someone on your team is likely using ChatGPT to write emails. Another is generating mood board images with a random tool. A project manager pasting sensitive meeting notes into a website you have never heard of.

This leads to what I call "Frankenstein" documents.

The fonts are different. The tone is weird. The quality is all over the place. And because it is happening in secret, nobody is learning from it.

You are not building your business for future. You are just hoping for the best.

The Mindset Shift: The Eager Intern 💡

You do not need to hire a "Head of AI." You certainly do not need to pay a consultant to explain algorithms to you.

You just need a better metaphor.

Treat AI like a bright, eager, but slightly green Junior Assistant.

Think about how you handle a new hire fresh out of design school:

• They have tons of energy.

• They work incredibly fast.

• But if you don't check their work, they might confidently make a massive mistake.

You wouldn't hire an assistant and then ignore them for six months. You would train them. You would check their drafts. You would say, "Great start, but change the tone here."

That is exactly how to treat AI.

It is an eager and capable assistant you can easily afford to provide each one of your team members today. How? You already have it and are paying for it!

• If you use Google Workspace, you have Gemini.

• If you use Microsoft 365, you have Copilot.

No new credit card needed. No new passwords to remember.

Your 4-Step Playbook

You don't need a revolution. You just need to get everyone on the same page. Here is how to do it without losing your mind.

1. The "AI Check-in" (15 Minutes) 🎯

Stop guessing. Just ask.

In your next team meeting, set aside 15 minutes. Go around the table and ask:

• "What did you try with AI this week?"

• "What worked well?"

• "Did anyone get a result that was total garbage?"

Make it safe to talk about the failures. You will be surprised. Usually, the quietest person on your team has figured out a way to save three hours of work, and they are just waiting to tell you.

2. One Thing at a Time

Do not try to change everything overnight. That is a recipe for burnout.

Pick one tiny task.

• The Challenge: "For the next two weeks, I want everyone to use AI to draft their difficult client emails. Do not hit send. just use it to get the first draft on the screen."

Make it a game. Compare the results. See who got the best draft. What prompt did they use?

3. The "Cheat Sheet" 🧩

Knowledge that isn't shared is wasted.

Start a simple shared document called "Prompts That Work." When someone figures out the magic words to get a perfect meeting summary out of a brain dump, have them paste it there.

Suddenly, you aren't relying on luck. You are building a studio playbook.

4. The Golden Rule ✅

Establish one rule today: AI drafts. Humans decide.

There is always oversight. No one is allowed to copy and paste AI text directly to a client without reading it first.

Your clients pay for your approach, your eye, and your expertise. AI gets you to the starting line faster, but you are the one who crosses the finish line.

Planting the Seed

This isn't about chasing the latest shiny object. It is about getting your time back.

Think of it like planting a garden in incredibly rich soil.

Yes, you have to plant the seed. You have to water it occasionally. You have to make sure the weeds don't take over.

But the harvest comes quickly. A tiny bit of attention now turns into a team that works faster, communicates better, and stresses less.

You don't have to be an expert. You just have to start the conversation.

But do it together, and do it as a team.

If you are ready to get your team started on the right track but aren't sure where to begin, I am always happy to chat about your studio's unique challenges.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes that captures exactly why this matters:

"Eventually everything connects: people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se." - Charles Eames