Happy Friday. Time for #TheLabPromptFriday - your weekly AI prompt to try before Monday. This week’s prompt is for any leader about to launch, assess or rescue an AI initiative. Copy it. Paste it. Use it.

The prompt:
“I am a [your role] preparing to [describe the AI initiative or challenge you are facing]. My organization is approximately [size] in the [industry] industry. Before I ask for your analysis, I want you to ask me 5 diagnostic questions - one at a time - about our current cultural conditions, leadership behaviors, employee capability, communication approach and governance structure around AI. After I answer all five, give me: (1) a readiness assessment across those five areas using a simple Low / Developing / Strong rating, (2) our top 3 readiness gaps, and (3) one specific action I can take in the next two weeks for each gap.”

Why this works
Most people ask AI to give them the answer. This prompt makes AI ask YOU the right questions first. That shift matters. It forces you to articulate what you usually assume. And the diagnostic structure mirrors what a seasoned change consultant would actually do in a discovery conversation - which means the output is far more targeted and useful than a generic readiness checklist.

Try it before your next AI kickoff meeting. Screenshot your results and share - I want to see what surfaces.

And if you want a structured offline version of this same diagnostic, the AI Readiness Pulse Check is free at https://lnkd.in/eGdB_UmM (#07). Save this for later. You will need it.