Centaur Transition Plan: Empowering Shadstone Ninjas with AI

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Mike

The Centaur Model redefines work by uniting human creativity with AI efficiency, inspired by chess where human-AI teams outperform supercomputers alone. As detailed in The Centaur Model, Centaur Rising, and Standards and Principles for SBU Leaders, Shadstone is transforming into a network of ninja-led Strategic Business Units (SBUs) powered by tools like the RegardingWork Tasks Engine and RegardingWork Game. Our Future Work Commitment Agreement sets the goal: by December 31, 2025, every ninja commits to embracing change, supporting teammates, staying accountable, valuing collaboration, aiming for improvement, and recognizing the long-term importance of this shift.

Incorporating our HR manager’s Transition Management & Monitoring Plan, we’ve crafted a 3-month plan with milestones for October, November, and December 2025, supported by a robust Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework starting in October and continuing into 2026. This ensures a smooth transition to the Centaur Model, aligning with our SLOT values (self-learning, online work, teamwork) and our workflow ecosystem.

“Together, we commit to building a stronger, smarter, and more future-ready company.” — Future Work Commitment Agreement

3-Month Centaur Transition Plan

• October 2025: Discovery, Tool Assignment, and Pilot Monitoring

  Kick off the transition with foundational learning, tool assignments, and the start of our M&E framework. This month establishes awareness and initiates weekly audits to track progress.

  • Learn the Centaur Model: Attend virtual sessions at training.shadstone.com/ninja to study Centaur Rising and SBU Standards. Participate in initial training sessions led by HR to understand human-AI synergy.
  • Tool Assignment: Receive personalized AI tool assignments (e.g., Tasks Engine for project management, RegardingWork Game for POF tracking) based on your SBU role (e.g., Easy Pro Design, Para Living).
  • Initial Setup and Pilot Audits: Set up accounts on platforms like client.easyprodesign.com or onboard.regardingwork.com, log initial tasks, and participate in weekly audits by Team Leads to verify training attendance and tool adoption.

• November 2025: Training, Adoption, and Scaling Audits

  Deepen skills through hands-on training and increase AI tool integration. Weekly audits scale up, and monthly consolidated reports begin to identify blockers and recognize early adopters.

  • Structured and Refresher Training: Join demos at the Cross Border Summit (Nov 3-5, 2025) or virtual sessions to master tools like AI drafting in the Tasks Engine. Attend refresher sessions to address issues identified in October audits.
  • Proactive Learning: Explore resources (e.g., tutorials, MikesBlogdesign posts, Slack channels) to experiment with AI tools, focusing on augmenting strengths (e.g., curating AI-generated podcast assets).
  • Task Integration and Monitoring: Apply AI tools to 50% of tasks, track progress via POF scores on RegardingWork Game, and engage in weekly audits. HR compiles monthly reports to track adoption and highlight support needs.

• December 2025: Refinement, Commitment, and Full Adoption

  Optimize tool usage, provide critical feedback, and formalize commitment. By year-end, AI tools are integral, with ongoing audits ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.

  • Feedback Loop: Submit bugs, feature requests, and questions via Tasks Engine or Slack to refine tools like the upcoming Focus Agent, shaping them for SBU needs.
  • Full Adoption: Achieve 80% AI-assisted tasks (per SBU Standards), with humans focusing on high-value curation (e.g., refining AI-drafted SOPs). Weekly and monthly audits confirm consistent tool use.
  • Commitment: Sign the Future Work Commitment Agreement by December 31, 2025, via Shadstone Temple, affirming your role as a ninja-Centaur leader.

Monitoring & Evaluation Framework (Ongoing from October 2025)

Our HR-driven M&E framework ensures accountability and continuous improvement, as outlined in the Transition Management & Monitoring Plan:

• Weekly Audits (Team Leads & HR): Starting October 2025, verify training attendance, tool adoption (via work diaries and portal tasks), and identify blockers. Team Leads provide coaching and submit updates to HR.
• Monthly Audits (HR): Compile weekly data to track adoption rates, training completion, and support needs. Recognize strong performers and report to management.
• Quarterly/Annual Evaluations (2026 onwards): Review adoption progress, training effectiveness, and align with company goals. Adjust tools or training as needed.
• Roles: HR leads M&E and training; Team Leads coach and monitor; Management (Mike, Christian) reviews reports; Ninjas attend training and cooperate with audits.

This plan empowers ninjas to lead SBUs like Easy Pro Design and Para Living within our Community Ecosystem. Ninjas, share progress in Slack. Curious explorers, join us at jobs.shadstone.com or ventureseed.com/incubator. Let’s ride the Centaur and shape the future!