I’ve recently written about using structured AI culture programs to accelerate your AI strategy. One of the 3 tips were about behaviours. Today, let’s dive deeper into the behaviors and work practices you’re targeting.
Many firms are still at one of the first steps in implementing AI: defining an AI policy. According to KPMG (2025), only 30% of employees say their organisation has one. That means that hidden AI use or “Shadow AI” is happening in most workplaces.
Even if you aren’t yet ready to introduce a formal policy, you can still define what’s behaviour you want. You can consider these to be usage guidelines or AI work practices rather than a formal governance policy.
If instead you’re already a more advanced AI organization, behavioural clarity is even more essential, as your best people are probably going out on a limb with experimentation, they’ve found a goldmine of opportunity, but not sharing it because Ai usage are not clearly communicated.
There should always be some parameters, else you land up with the embarrassment that fell upon Deloittes Australia (see here). So today let’s get some ideas on how to define the behaviors you want to encourage.
Human and AI co-design builds innovation
3 tips to identify the right AI-First behaviours
1. Start with your strategy
Tie AI behaviours directly to your strategic outcomes: For example, is your firm a product leader? Prides itself in client-service? Focused on efficiency? Ensure the behaviours you are targeting are the ones that fast-track your strategy. (Members of The Turbochargers Hub, see how to construct behavioural maps in Playbook 16: Turbocharge with a Skills Map).
2. Look outside your firm
Observe how leaders in your industry communicate about AI. Several CEOs are publicly sharing internal AI guidelines that encourage transparency and experimentation. (Members, I’ve included some of these in Playbook 23: Planning Your AI Strategy Execution).
3. Co-design with Gen AI
Ask your best people what they are doing. Co-design, iterating with Generative AI. It is faster, and more effective. It helps people learn to innovate and think for themselves. A Tech client of mine shared an example here. We iterated a team solution with AI-augmented ideas, leading to high-energy original thinking.
Using an iterative co-design approach, you will come up with some amazing ideas.
Keep repeating your behavioural messages, which may be as simple as: “We think AI-First.” When you replace fear of sharing ideas with a structured change process, Shadow AI becomes a source of advantage. Innovation flourishes. Your strategy is accelerated. When you take an open-strategy, co-designed approach, your people’s energy multiplies. Momentum increases. Culture is the glue that holds it all together.
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If you’d like to discuss this further, and join practical conversations with peers who are working on strategic projects in complex environments, please join us in The Turbochargers Hub. Stay Ahead. Execute Faster. Stay Relevant. If we aren’t learning, we’re going backwards.
Our next LIVE session is next week: “Get your Sponsors and Steering Committees Onside” on December 1st/2nd. We will look at Culture Intelligence frameworks for influence, and using Generative AI to reduce stakeholder friction. Members, see you there. Readers, it’s not too late to join us inside the membership. No long commitment needed: you can sign-up to attend one session for some inspiration on your current initiatives, and then cancel anytime.
“Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify. …. Frankly, I don’t think it’s feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft.”
Toby Ludke, Shopify CEO, setting behavioral expectations to staff
PS More Ways to Accelerate your Strategy
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About Lisa Carlin
Lisa Carlin is a Strategy Execution Specialist. She works with business leaders to go from strategy to plan to result with culture intelligence and AI.
Lisa is author of the globally acclaimed newsletter, Turbocharge Weekly, read by 8,000 business leaders.
Lisa’s career includes roles at McKinsey and Accenture, then running her own business since 1999. Over this time she has delivered over 50 implementations with a 96% success rate.