How to train employees to use AI at work

Start with one sentence, not a tool

Write what should be different after the session. For example: “The person who answers the phone can draft a follow-up from notes we approve, and a manager checks it before it is sent.” “Learn AI” is not a goal you can see.

Find out what people already do

Ask, without names if that helps people be honest, which tools they use, what they paste in, and where they get stuck. That tells you the real lesson.

• Tools and whether the account is personal or the company's
• Tasks they already try
• Information they are unsure about
• Output they do not trust
• Who will reinforce this next month

Teach four habits

Features change. These do not.

• Pick the task before you open the tool
• Give context, a source, and the format you want
• Keep sensitive information out of tools you have not approved
• Check facts, tone, and judgment before anyone uses the output

Practise one full workflow

Use a made-up example that still feels like the job. Show a weak first try, add better context, compare the outputs, and decide what a person must still do. One complete path beats a list of prompt tricks.

Give the manager 30 days

Week 1: train and write down questions. Week 2: use one approved workflow. Week 3: look at what broke. Week 4: keep it, change it, or stop. Attendance is not the result. Better work is.