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The method

The Enterprise Agentic System

A plain, repeatable way to decide where your business is going with AI, who does what, and how to keep it worth the money and under control.

Start with the Prologue The Health Check

The system in three steps

Three steps, and one thread through them all

Software is starting to take actions, not just answer questions. This is how to bring it in sensibly.

  1. 1

    Agree where you are going

    Where is the business heading with AI? What is it for, and not for? Who does what, and where must a person have the final say?

    • Northstar
    • Purpose
    • Roles
  2. 2

    Pick the right helper for each job

    For each job, choose a simple bot or a more capable agent. Always the simplest that works. Keep a list of every one, with a named owner.

    • Bots
    • Agents
    • Bots or agents
  3. 3

    Keep it worth it, safe and human

    Check it is worth the money, safe and really working. Look after the people who work alongside it. Review it on a regular beat.

    • Cost Effectiveness
    • People
    • Rhythm
Running through it all: the Chief Agentic Officer as communicator
EmpathyCommunicationCommunity

Bot or agent?

A simple way to tell them apart

A bot

Does the same steps every time, like following a recipe. Good for simple jobs that repeat.

An agent

Works out how to get a job done, like a capable helper. Good for jobs that need some planning.

The rule of thumb: always pick the simplest one that does the job.

Seven parts

The plain question behind each part

Foundation
  • Northstar. Where is this business heading with AI agents?
  • Purpose. What are agents for here, and what are they not for?
  • Roles. Who does what, person or machine, and who has the final say?
Agents
  • Bots. Which jobs can a simple rule do?
  • Agents. Which jobs need something that can plan and act?
  • Bots or agents. For each job, which is the simplest that works?
Value
  • Cost Effectiveness. Is it worth it, is it safe, and can we show it works?
Around it all
  • People. Can our people carry this, and do they want to?
  • Rhythm. How do we keep running, reviewing and improving it?

Gates

Four kinds of permission

Every job an AI helper does gets one of these. A named person owns it.

  • Act freely

    Go ahead

    Small, safe tasks it can simply do.

  • Act and tell

    Go ahead, then tell us

    It can act, but must report what it did.

  • Propose and wait

    Ask first, then wait

    It suggests. A person says yes or no.

  • Never

    Never

    Things it must never do, whatever it is asked.

How it runs

A regular beat

  • WeeklyOwners of bots and agents30 minutes
  • MonthlyLeadership team with us60 to 90 minutes
  • QuarterlyLeadership team and usHalf a day
  • YearlyThe boardA refresh

The first 90 days

  1. 1

    Days 1 to 30

    Agree direction and purpose. Start the list of bots and agents. Set the gates. Take the starting measures.

  2. 2

    Days 31 to 60

    The first bots and agents go to work, with gates in place. The scorecard goes live. The weekly beat starts.

  3. 3

    Days 61 to 90

    The first quarterly review. Score again. Grow it, hold it or stop it. Name a person in your team to own it.

Six steps

From curious to agentic

Where are you today? Step 3 is the one most firms skip.

  1. 0CuriousInterested, not using it yet.
  2. 1ExperimentingPeople try tools on their own.
  3. 2AssistedAI helps with everyday tasks.
  4. 3GovernedClear owners, rules and checks.The step most firms skip
  5. 4EmbeddedPart of how work gets done.
  6. 5AgenticPeople and agents work together, safely.

Simple tools you keep

Northstar sheetPurpose cardRole and gate cardsA list of every agentBot or agent testValue and safety scorecardRole change cardOne-page weekly reviewCommunication plan on a page

Start anywhere. None of the ways in needs the one before it. See the ways to work.

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