Session Preparation

You don't need to know anything about AI. That's what we're here for.

You've been invited to a TIP session. It's normal to feel a bit uncertain. This page will walk you through exactly what to expect, what to bring, and how to prepare in just 20 minutes. By the end of your session, you'll have concrete workflows saving you real time.

Preparation Checklist Resources What happens AI Fluency Journey FAQ

30 minutes of preparation. That's all we ask.

Optional, but recommended. Leaders who prepare get noticeably more from their session.

  • Watch two short videos (23 minutes total)
  • Read what to bring and what to expect (5 minutes)
  • Think about two or three daily tasks you'd like to streamline (2 minutes)

Your preparation checklist

PERSONAL Session (2 hours, 1:1)

  • Bring your laptop, fully charged, and a notebook for jotting down ideas
  • Have ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini accessible. If you don't have an account, your TIP leader will help you set one up during the session
  • Think about 2–3 tasks that consume most of your week. Bring these in mind to the session
  • No prior AI experience needed. You'll start from exactly where you are
  • Everything discussed is confidential. Nothing leaves the room

TEAM Session (3 hours, up to 10 leaders)

  • Bring your laptop (fully charged), your phone (for Mentimeter polling), and a notebook
  • Have ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini accessible on your laptop. If you don't have access, your TIP leader will help you get set up
  • Your leader will co-lead the session with TIP. This is "lead from within", not something your team is sent to without you
  • You'll work on real, pre-set functional challenges agreed with your leader beforehand. Not generic exercises
  • The session follows a Simulate, Solve, Reflect structure. You'll use GenAI to tackle strategic problems together and leave with 3 reusable solutions
  • No prior AI experience needed. Come with curiosity. People who were sceptical three hours earlier leave building solutions together

Pre-Session Resources

What do you hire a milkshake to do?

Clayton Christensen's milkshake story teaches a powerful lesson: before you solve a problem, you must understand what job people are actually trying to do. At TIP, we use this same thinking with generative AI. We help you uncover the real work underneath your daily tasks, then reshape it. Watch this classic 5-minute clip to grasp the mindset.

Einstein in Your Basement

An 18-minute primer on how generative AI is reshaping knowledge work. It explains why your ability to ask the right questions is now a core leadership skill. Henrik Kniberg makes it approachable, even if AI feels foreign to you right now.

AI Tool Quick-Start Guide

If you're new to generative AI, here's what you need to know about the three main tools:

ChatGPT

Free version available at openai.com. Paid ($20/month) gives faster responses and advanced features.

Microsoft Copilot

Free at copilot.microsoft.com. If you use Microsoft 365, Copilot is often included in paid plans.

Google Gemini

Free at gemini.google.com. Works seamlessly if you use Google Workspace.

Don't worry about which one is "best". Pick one and get comfortable with it. Your TIP leader can help you switch tools during the session if needed.

5 Starter Conversations: Get Comfortable Before Your Session

Try one of these with ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini before your session. Think of it as a conversation, not a command. You talk to AI the same way you'd brief a sharp colleague. None of these require special knowledge or long setup.

Try this: "Summarise this email thread and list the three most important decisions I need to make." (Paste in a real email chain.)

Try this: "I have a meeting with [your team] about [topic]. Create an agenda that covers the key issues in 30 minutes."

Try this: "Review this document and tell me what's missing or unclear." (Paste in a draft, proposal, or plan.)

Try this: "I need to explain [complex topic] to a non-technical audience. Help me simplify it."

Try this: "What questions should I be asking about [topic] that I'm probably not thinking of?"

Trying these now builds your confidence and gives you real examples to discuss in the session. Notice how the AI responds and asks follow-up questions. It's a conversation, not a one-way instruction.

What happens in the session

You won't sit through slides. You'll build real workflows for your actual daily tasks with an executive practitioner guiding you. Most leaders leave with ≈20% of their weekly time back.

Hands-on, not theoretical

  • You'll work on your own tasks, not hypothetical examples
  • AI fluency starts with curiosity. There are no wrong answers
  • Your TIP leader creates an environment where experimentation is the entire point

Measured from the start

  • We use Mentimeter before and after to measure your confidence shift
  • This feeds the Evidence Ledger, so your organisation can track real progress
  • You'll walk away with workflows you can use from day one

What others say

Session Overview Guides

Download detailed guides for your session type. These PDFs outline what we'll cover, what you'll walk away with, and how your session fits into the broader TIP programme.

Recommended reading before your session

One short book that captures exactly how TIP thinks about solving problems. It is not about AI. It will sharpen how you think about your daily challenges.

What's Your Problem?

By Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg. To solve the right problem, you have to know what the right problem is. Most organisations jump to solutions before understanding the real issue. This book teaches you to reframe problems before solving them, exactly the mindset your TIP session builds on.

If you want to understand why TIP starts with the struggling moment and not the technology, this is the book.

Amazon UK · Audible

Practical details

Where this session fits

Your AI Fluency Journey

Your PERSONAL or TEAM session is the first step in a proven progression. TIP measures fluency on five levels. Most leaders arrive at L0 or L1 and leave their first session at L2. Here's the full picture.

L0 Unaware

Not yet explored AI. Unsure where to start.

L1 Curious

Aware of AI but not using it in daily work.

L2 Practising

Using AI regularly. Building daily habits.

YOUR FIRST SESSION TARGET
L3 Integrating

AI embedded in workflows. Coaching others.

L4 Transforming

AI reshaping strategy and operating model.

Your first session builds Mindset: the belief that AI is relevant to you, personally. From here, the Method follows. ACCELERATE, FUNCTION, and STEP 2 sessions turn that mindset into measurable Money and lasting Momentum.

Your session is the bridge from L0/L1 to L2. From there, FUNCTION and STEP 2 sessions take you further. Explore the full AI Fluency Model.

Frequently asked questions