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Welcome

Week 3

Self Checkout

We've all been there. Unexpected item in the bagging area. You didn't put anything there. The machine is certain you did. A light is flashing, six people are behind you, and the attendant is in absolutely no hurry.

The machine isn't broken. It just hit something it didn't understand and instead of saying so, it froze.

Most of us do the same thing with AI.

This week is about finding your voice when things don't make sense.

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This Week's Concept Drop

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Your Weekly Experiment

This week, you're going to share something messy. Not a polished insight. Not a success story. A moment where you got stuck, tried something that didn't work, or felt genuinely confused.

The goal isn't to get advice or solutions. The goal is to practice making your learning process visible to another human being.

Choose your track:

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Hands-On Track

Step 1: Identify Your Messy Moment

Pick one specific moment from your AI experiments this week (or any recent work) where:

  • You got stuck
  • You tried something that didn't work
  • You're genuinely confused
  • You asked a bad question and got a weird answer

Write it down in 2-3 sentences. Don't clean it up yet. Example:

Example

"I tried to get AI to help me draft a project proposal, but my prompt was so vague that it gave me generic garbage. I still don't know how to explain what I actually need."

Step 2: Decide Who to Share With

Use the Decision Tree below to pick the right person.

Step 3: Share It (Without Cleaning It Up)

Send it in a message, bring it up in a conversation, or raise it in a meeting. Use one of these frames:

  • "I'm trying to figure this out. Here's where I got stuck: [your messy moment]. Have you run into this?"
  • "I'm learning [AI/this new thing], and honestly, I'm confused about [specific thing]. Does this make sense to you?"
  • "I tried [thing] and it didn't work. Here's what happened: [describe]. What am I missing?"

Other ways to share your work-in-progress:

  • Sharing an idea for improving a process in a team meeting
  • Asking about a tool or system you haven't used before
  • Raising a question in a toolbox talk or handover
  • Telling your supervisor about a prompt that worked well
  • Mentioning a mistake you made and what you learned from it

The rule: No disclaimers. Don't say "I know I should have done this better" or "This is probably obvious but..." Just share the mess.

Step 4: Notice What Happens

  • How did the other person respond?
  • What did it feel like to be visible while uncertain?
  • What did you learn (about them, about you, about the problem)?
If you're not ready to share with another person: Share with Eko. That still counts. You're practicing narrating confusion out loud.
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Team Lead Track

Step 1: Identify Your Genuine Uncertainty

Pick one thing about AI (or any new tool/practice) that you actually don't know. Not something you're pretending not to know, something you're genuinely figuring out. Examples:

  • "I'm not sure how to tell when AI is giving me good advice vs. plausible-sounding nonsense."
  • "I've been trying to use AI for [task], and I can't figure out if it's saving me time or just adding steps."
  • "I don't know if we should be using AI for [team process] or if it's overkill."

Write it down as a question (not a statement). Example:

Example

"How do you all know when AI is actually being useful vs. just sounding smart?"

Step 2: Share It in a Team Context

Choose your venue:

  • In your next team meeting (5 minutes at the start or end)
  • In a 1:1 with someone you're mentoring
  • In a Slack post to your team channel

Use this frame:

Frame

"I'm trying to figure out [thing], and honestly, I don't have the answer yet. Here's what I'm noticing: [describe your uncertainty]. What are you all seeing?"

The rule: Don't perform uncertainty. Share actual uncertainty. If you already know the answer, pick a different question.

Step 3: Notice What Happens

  • Did anyone else share their own uncertainty?
  • Did the conversation shift (from "leader has answers" to "we're figuring this out together")?
  • What did it feel like to not be the expert in the room?
If your team environment feels too risky: Start smaller. Share with one trusted team member in a 1:1. Or share with a peer leader outside your team. You're still practicing visible learning.
💡 Psst, need help?

🌳 Who Should I Share With?

👥 Someone also learning about AI?
Start there. You're learning together. Low risk, high relevance.
🧐 Someone generally curious (not judgmental)?
That's your person. They don't need to know about AI. They just need to be curious.
🤝 Someone who's shared their own mistakes?
They've modeled vulnerability. They're safe.
🌐 A peer outside your immediate team?
Sometimes it's safer to share with someone who isn't evaluating your performance.
🤖 None of the above?
Start with Eko. Seriously. Practicing narrating confusion out loud (even to an AI) builds the muscle.

🔧 What If They React Badly?

🙄 They dismiss you or act like it's obvious
That's data about them, not about you. Some people aren't safe to learn out loud with. That's okay. Pick a different person next time.
🔨 They try to immediately fix your problem
Redirect: "I appreciate that, but I'm not looking for a solution right now. I'm just trying to think through it out loud."
🦗 No one responds
That's also data. It might mean people didn't see it, don't know how to respond, or the environment isn't set up for visible learning yet. You still practiced. That's the muscle.
😰 You feel exposed or regret sharing
Talk to Eko about it. That discomfort is real and worth processing. Ask yourself: "What was I afraid would happen? Did it happen?" Sometimes the anticipation is worse than the experience.
✨ Someone shares their own messy moment back
This is the best-case scenario. You just made it safe to speak up. Notice what that feels like. This is how cultures shift, one visible learning moment at a time.

⚡ Quick tips

Pick someone curious, not critical. No disclaimers. Don't clean it up. The rule: share the mess, not the lesson.

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Time to Reflect with Eko

After you complete your experiment, it's time to unpack what happened. This is where you process the discomfort and extract the learning.

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Chat with Eko

Your AI reflection coach

💡 Pro tip: Start your reflection with this prompt:

"Eko, I just completed my Week 3 experiment for the AI Starter Sprint. I practiced learning out loud by sharing a messy moment with another person. Can you help me reflect on what I noticed?"

Important: Eko isn't here to tell you what to think. Eko is here to help you think. If a question doesn't land, say so. If you need to go deeper on something, ask.
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The Deep Dive

Not required, for those who want to go deeper.

1

What Is Psychological Safety by McKinsey

Article

Making it safe to speak up isn't about being nice. It's about creating environments where people can take risks without fear of punishment. McKinsey breaks down why it's the single biggest predictor of high-performing teams, and what it actually looks like in practice.

📄 Read the Article →
2

Dare to Lead with Brené Brown

Podcast

Brené Brown's research on vulnerability and courage is the backbone of modern thinking on what it means to speak up safely at work. This podcast goes deep on what it takes to lead (and work) in environments where people can actually be honest with each other.

Spotify Apple Podcasts
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