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Reference revision: 0f226b30c0662379f4d8e5350f0cfa84f542fb272f6cac47a9cd83ebf677104c

# Preparing for AI Disruption

Teams map external industry shifts and internal workflow changes driven by artificial intelligence, evaluate capability gaps, and produce an owned readiness action plan.

**Time:** 120 minutes. Matches the 120-minute source workshop framework.
**People:** 8 to 16. Small groups of 3 to 4, regrouping for full-room alignment and accountability pairs (or one triad if the total count is odd).

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Map specific operational risks and capability gaps introduced by artificial intelligence and assign immediate mitigation owners.
**Use it when:** Use when an intact department or cross-functional team needs to move beyond abstract discussion and establish concrete operational steps for artificial intelligence adoption.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the team has no defined scope of work or when technical feasibility analysis is required before business impact can be evaluated.

## Materials and tools

- Printed AI Readiness Worksheets (1 per participant)
- Sticky notes (2 pads per table)
- Felt markers (1 per participant)
- Wall space or flip chart stands with paper (1 chart per small group)
- Timer
- Digital whiteboard with mirrored quadrant templates for remote or hybrid attendees

## Before participants arrive

1. Arrange tables for subgroups of 3 to 4 people.
2. Post four wall sections or flip charts labeled: Market Shifts, Internal Workflows, Capability Gaps, and Action Commitments.
3. Distribute worksheets, sticky notes, and markers to all tables.

## Say this to open

Today we examine how artificial intelligence affects our specific work, our competitors, and our client expectations. We are not predicting the distant future. We are identifying shifts happening now, finding where our skills and workflows fall short, and assigning clear actions to prepare. Please open your worksheet to section one.

## How to run it

### 1. Set context and discuss current disruption (15 minutes)

Deliver the opening script. Ask participants to write down one artificial intelligence tool or shift they have noticed in their field over the past six months. Go around the room and collect one quick example per table without debate.

### 2. Review disruption patterns (15 minutes)

Introduce three common industry patterns: workflow automation, predictive decision support, and generative content creation. Give a neutral example: automating routine triage in customer support versus using machine learning to forecast inventory demands. Participants spend five minutes noting how these patterns appear in their sector.

### 3. Map external industry disruption (20 minutes)

Divide participants into small groups of 3 or 4. Each group brainstorms external threats and changes on sticky notes: competitor moves, new market entrants, and changing customer expectations. Groups post their top three external items on the Market Shifts wall section.

### 4. Map internal workflow disruption (20 minutes)

Working in the same small groups, participants list daily internal tasks, processes, and service offerings most vulnerable to automation or requiring redesign. Each group posts their top three internal risks on the Internal Workflows wall section.

### 5. Assess capability gaps (20 minutes)

Prompt each participant to compare the external and internal risks against current team skills. Individuals write down two critical skills or operational tools the team currently lacks. Groups cluster identical gaps on the Capability Gaps board and select the two most urgent gaps to report back.

### 6. Draft the readiness plan (20 minutes)

Each person selects one capability gap or process risk and fills out Section 2 of their worksheet, detailing an actionable mitigation step, a 30-day milestone, and clear personal ownership. Participants share their draft actions in their small groups for feedback.

### 7. Commit and close (10 minutes)

Form pairs across different tables. If an odd number of people are present, form exactly one triad. Each person states their primary 30-day action commitment and agrees with their partner or triad members on a specific check-in date within the next month to verify progress. Ask four volunteers to read their action commitment aloud to the entire room.


## Debrief questions

- Which identified risk represents the most immediate threat to our current operating model?
- What is one routine process we can adapt within the next month using existing resources?
- Where do our capability gaps require outside training versus internal process adjustments?

**Finished output:** A completed team gap inventory and individual readiness action sheets with named owners and 30-day deadlines.

## Remote

Use a shared digital whiteboard with four quadrants matching the wall sections. Run small group mapping in breakout rooms of 3 to 4. For step 7, use breakout pairs (and one triad if numbers are odd) for 5 minutes before returning to the main room for the final four volunteer shares.

## Hybrid

All small groups use a shared digital whiteboard on laptops or tablets so remote and in-person members see and move the same sticky notes. When hybrid subgroups collaborate, designate an in-person member as scribe to capture verbal input from remote attendees if needed. Project the shared digital board to the main room display. For step 7, remote participants join virtual breakout pairs or a hybrid audio pair at their assigned table station.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may submit notes in writing to the facilitator or digital board rather than speaking aloud.
- Individuals may choose to focus their readiness plan on internal personal skill development rather than operational changes if they do not manage workflows directly.
- Anyone may opt out of sharing their action commitment during the whole-room volunteer phase.

## If the session gets stuck

**Discussions veer into speculative science fiction or philosophical debates about artificial intelligence.**

Refocus the room on immediate practical tasks by asking: What software or customer demand is changing your schedule this calendar quarter?

**Participants propose vague actions such as learn artificial intelligence.**

Require that all actions name a concrete tool, an exact workflow, and a measurable 30-day deliverable, such as pilot automated meeting transcription for client summaries.


## Terms used here

- Capability Gap: The difference between the technical competencies a team currently possesses and the competencies required to execute future work.

## Participant material: AI Readiness Worksheet

SECTION 1: DISRUPTION ASSESSMENT
1. External Market Shifts (competitor actions, client demands):
- 
- 

2. Internal Workflow Risks (tasks vulnerable to automation or redesign):
- 
- 

3. Team Capability Gaps (missing tools, processes, or skills):
- 
- 

SECTION 2: READINESS ACTION PLAN
Target Risk or Gap:
Specific Action Step:
Owner:
30-Day Deliverable:
Accountability Partner Name:
Check-in Date:

## Sources and adaptation

Observed on WorkshopBank under the title 'How Should Our Team Prepare for AI Disruption in Our Industry?'. WorkshopBank attributes the design to former KPMG and McKinsey consultants.

Retained the seven-step architecture, 120-minute run time, and target scale (8-16 people) from the WorkshopBank framework. Concrete prompts, subgroup timing rules, facilitation scripts, a printable worksheet, odd-number triad handling for pair accountability, and hybrid digital board workflows were designed to turn the high-level outline into an actionable agenda.

[WorkshopBank](https://workshopbank.com/workshops/how-should-our-team-prepare-for-ai-disruption-in-our-industry)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/how-should-our-team-prepare-for-ai-disruption-in-our-industry-workshop-workshopbank/