Being handed responsibility for AI strategy without being an AI expert is increasingly common. The instinct is to rush out a strategy document to show progress. Resist it. Your first 30 days should be about listening, using the tools yourself, putting basic safety rules in place and finding one quick, visible win. A credible strategy comes after that, not before.
Week 1: Listen and map
Have short conversations with leaders and a few frontline staff in each main area. Ask:
- Are you or your team already using AI tools? Which, and for what?
- Which recurring tasks waste the most time?
- What worries you about AI?
- What would make AI genuinely useful for you?
You will learn more in these conversations than from any report. Note where enthusiasm, risks and pain points cluster.
Week 2: Use the tools yourself
Spend real time using mainstream AI assistants on your own work: drafting, summarising, research, analysis, planning. Notice where they help and where they fail. You cannot lead credibly on something you have not experienced. Even a week of daily use transforms how you talk about AI.
Week 3: Put basic rules in place
If people are already using AI without guidance, this is urgent. Agree a one-page interim guide:
- Which tools are approved for work.
- What information must never go into AI tools.
- That people check AI output before using it.
- Who to ask with questions (you).
Work with your data protection lead. It does not need to be perfect; it needs to exist.
Week 4: Find one quick win
From your listening, pick one team with a frequent, low-risk, painful task and an enthusiastic leader. Help them try AI on that task with a simple before-and-after measure. Even early results give you something concrete to share.
End of month: Report back
Give leadership a short update:
- What you found (current use, opportunities, risks).
- What you put in place (interim rules, quick-win pilot).
- What you propose next (a 90-day plan, then a fuller strategy).
This positions you as someone in control and grounded in reality, which is far more credible than a rushed strategy.
Mistakes to avoid in your first month
- Writing a strategy before using the tools.
- Promising dramatic results.
- Buying technology before understanding needs.
- Trying to cover every department at once.
- Ignoring the fact that staff are already using AI.
Getting up to speed yourself
Many people in your position benefit from structured training early, so they are not learning entirely by trial and error. Our Leading AI Innovation & Organisational Transformation course is designed for managers in exactly this situation: hands-on with everyday AI tools, then the skills to lead adoption, finishing with a 90-day plan you can present.
Once you are past the first month, our guides on how to build an AI strategy for your company and what an AI strategy looks like on one page will help with the next phase.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a consultant straight away?
Usually not in the first month. Learn enough yourself to know what help you actually need, then buy it carefully.
What if leadership expects a strategy immediately?
Offer a 30-day findings report and a 90-day plan instead. Explain that a strategy grounded in your organisation's reality will be far more useful.
How technical do I need to become?
Not very. You need practical fluency with AI tools and a clear understanding of their limits and risks, not programming skills.