Small Business AI 101 lesson
Lesson 6: Set a small team rule before habits spread
A short working agreement gives people a safe default while the business learns.
Start with the current reality
Name which tools the business currently allows, which roles may use them, and which low-risk tasks are in scope. A useful rule is specific enough for a person to follow on a busy day.
Avoid pretending that a one-page note answers every privacy, security, employment, client, contract, or legal question. It should point people to the right owner when the task exceeds the basic rule.
Write the human review rule
State who checks an output before it is sent to a customer, published, used for a decision, or placed in a record. Explain what the reviewer should look for: factual accuracy, fit, confidentiality, commitments, and appropriate tone.
Make the rule simple enough that the team does not invent its own answer under pressure. If a person does not know whether a use is allowed, the default should be to pause and ask.
Review the rule after a short trial
Set a check-in date. Collect examples of what worked, what caused confusion, and what the team avoided because the rule was unclear. Update the agreement based on actual work, not a generic wish list.
A living rule should remain easy to find, explain, and revise. The purpose is not surveillance. It is a shared way to use a new capability without losing responsibility for the work.