Right now, the 26 AI employees I employ work fully automatically without me giving them instructions.
At 7:00 AM, my secretary sends me a "Priority Task List for Today," my research assistant has already finished stocking industry news, and drafts for social media posts have been prepared. They are already working before I even start my day.
I have previously written about employing "26 AI employees" within Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM).
https://x.com/ai_jitan/status/2070615064831545515
I gave them knowledge and personality, made them memorize manuals, and finally had them deliver finished Excel and Word files. Those 26 are still my right-hand assistants today.
But, to be honest, those 26 had one final weakness remaining.
They were all waiting for instructions.
They could make meeting minutes. They could deliver approval documents. But unless I said, "Make the minutes," no one would move.
Even though I employed 26 people, I was the one giving the call to start work every time. It was less like a company with 26 excellent employees and more like a company where the CEO had to go around punching 26 time cards.
That final weakness has disappeared. With the advent of Google's AI agent "Gemini Spark," those 26 have become able to "clock in on their own and deliver results without being told."
In this article, I will write about the entire system to make your 26 employees (even starting from one is fine) work fully automatically. The notebooks, prompt collections, and format libraries created in previous series will not go to waste. In fact, they all return as the main stars.
And this time, there are giveaways. I will provide the "Skill Registration Set" to port your employees to Spark and the "Shift Table" designed for who should clock in automatically and when, in a copy-pasteable format.
Chapter 1: The Final Piece Missing for the 26 Was "Attendance"
First, let me recap where this series has come in three lines.
They became "Employees you can consult with." Excellent sounding boards with knowledge and personality.
https://x.com/ai_jitan/status/2083672205221912773
Then, they became "Employees who perform tasks." They memorized manuals (task prompt collections) and did work at the usual quality with just one word.
https://x.com/ai_jitan/status/2077162233113829561
Furthermore, they became "Employees who deliver." They bring finished Excel, Word, and PDF files.
https://x.com/ai_jitan/status/2086969518648381889
Consultation, tasks, delivery. Almost everything you want from a human employee was there. Yet, the final piece that remained unfilled was attendance.
Human employees come to work in the morning even if you don't instruct them. They do weekly routine tasks before being asked.
However, our AI employees, no matter how excellent they became, slept inside the notebook until spoken to. There was a wall called "clocking in" between "being able to work" and "actually working."
That's where Gemini Spark appeared.
Spark is an AI agent that runs within the Gemini app. When you give it an instruction, it continues working in the cloud even if you close the screen. Currently, it is being rolled out for users on Google AI Pro (2,900 yen/month) or higher plans, making it a feature within reach for many.
Spark's structure consists of three elements: Task (What), Schedule (When), and Skill (How). — Translating these into our company language looks like this:
Task is the Work Request. Skill is the Business Manual. Schedule is the Shift Table.
Did you notice? We already have the tasks and manuals. The task prompt collections we created in the series become the content of the skills. The 26 notebooks become the brains.
The only truly new element Spark brought is the "Shift Table," the concept of attendance.
So, what we do in this article is not building from scratch. We give a shift table to the employees we already have. That's it. From here, we enter that procedure.
Chapter 2: Connecting the Brains—The Moment You Connect the Notebook, Spark Becomes "Our Employee"
Spark alone is like an excellent temporary worker who arrived today. They are smart, but since they don't know your company's style or policies, what they return is just general "plausible work." When you connect the 26 notebooks, they return work in your company's style, with an acceptable tone, and in line with your policies. The temporary worker turns into an employee with several years of tenure.
Connecting them is surprisingly easy. Just write "Refer to the General Affairs notebook" in the instruction. No menu operations required. This is why naming notebooks after departments works. You can't call "Memo 2," but "General Affairs" works instantly.
And the core of this time: This notebook reference is maintained even in automatic schedule execution.
"Every morning at 7:00 AM, refer to the Secretary's notebook and create a briefing" works. This means the "automatic clock-in" of an employee with a brain is established. I have verified this in my environment.
There is only one tip. Put the personality and policy text not just in the settings (custom instructions) but also in the source. Since it becomes the content of the notebook itself, the employee won't waver no matter where they are called from. Those who have built according to past articles don't need to do anything.
Spark is execution power, and the notebook is memory. Once you remember this, let's connect the remaining two lines.
Chapter 3: Skills and Attendance—Porting Skills and Setting the Shift
Once the brains are connected, there are two lines left: Skills and Attendance (Schedule). Since this is about procedures, let's go through it at a good pace.
Skills: Porting Manuals to Skills
Port the task prompt collections to Spark's skills. Skills are a mechanism to save procedures and rules, which are automatically applied according to the context of the task, can be named with "/", and can be combined. An employee with a manual in their head moving with one word—this is the official version of the system created in the second work.
This "/" calling is also effective for daily use. Even for work not in the shift (automatic execution), pressing "/" in the task input field brings up a list of skills, allowing you to trigger a technique by name. Think of it as the official version of the "trigger word" system mentioned in the skill ledger article.
There are two entry points for porting. I'll introduce them in order of ease.
Entry A: "Turn this into a skill" after execution
After executing a task once, just ask, "Turn this method into a skill." Spark will automatically generate the name, description, and procedure. Get a feel for it with your first one this way.
Entry B: Create manually
From the skill management screen, enter the three items: Name, Description, and Custom Instructions. Skill names can be in Japanese (you can register it as "Minutes Creation").
In Chapter 4, I will distribute the skill registration set—name, description, and custom instructions—for employees entering the shift. You just paste them. Handing over manuals for training turns into copy-pasting.
Note that the skill screen also has an entry for "Upload Skill" for bulk file registration. However, it requires a specific file called SKILL.md and a folder structure, which is more trouble than it's worth for beginners. In this article, we will proceed with reliable and simple manual registration.
Attendance: Setting the Shift with Schedules
Finally, the main star of this time: the shift table. Spark's schedule is a trigger to automatically execute tasks, and there are two ways to set it up.
- Scheduled Clock-in (Time Trigger): "Every morning at 7:00 AM," "Every Friday at 5:00 PM." Routine work goes here.
- Call-out Clock-in (Event Trigger): A setup that moves based on an event, like "When an email about XX arrives."
To set it up, just ask in a task thread, "Do this every morning at 7:00 AM." You can also create it manually from the schedule screen. Now, the employee clocks in even while you are sleeping.
Chapter 4: The "Shift Table" for 26 People—Who, When, and How to Clock In Automatically
Once the mechanism is connected, it's finally time to set the shift. This is the giveaway part of this article.
First, one philosophy for shift design: Do not put all 26 people on the shift. Only employees with "routine work" should be automated. For employees like counselors or advisors whom you call "when you need them," the correct answer is not to put them on the shift.
If you automate everything, unread deliverables will pile up every morning, and you won't be able to keep up with checking them. Automation isn't better just because there's more of it; the right size that keeps things moving is what matters.
With that philosophy, I've selected the first five shift members. I'll provide each with a "Skill Registration Set (Name, Description, Custom Instructions)" and a "Schedule Instruction." Just open a new skill on the screen, paste the three items, and save.
Shift ①: Secretary—Clocking in at 7:00 AM with the CEO's Schedule
The lead-off is the secretary. They check Gmail and the calendar, and based on your policies, deliver today's priorities.
Skill Name: Secretary - Schedule Report (7:00)
Description:
A skill to create a priority task list every morning.
Checks email, calendar, and notebooks to organize what needs to be done today.
Custom Instructions:
``text
【Procedure】
1. Refer to the "Secretary/Knowledge Management" notebook to understand my goals, values, and ongoing projects.
2. Extract only items requiring action from unread Gmail.
3. Organize today's calendar appointments.
4. Narrow down today's top 3 priorities in light of my goals.
【Rules】
- Save deliverables as Google Docs.
- Judge email importance based on my policies in the notebook.
- Do not invent appointments or requests based on speculation.
- Do not send or reply to emails; limit to suggesting draft proposals if necessary.
``
The schedule instruction is just this:
Every morning at 7:00 AM, use the "Secretary - Schedule Report (7:00)" skill to create a priority task list for today.
Shift ②: Researcher—Clocking in at 6:00 AM to Grow the Notebook Independently
This is the shift I want you to see most. It doesn't just collect news. It makes the results be appended to a stock document on Drive.
If you set that document as a source for the notebook, the notebook's knowledge will increase every morning through Drive synchronization. This is the trick to automate the "stocking" work I've been talking about throughout the series.
Only one preparation is needed: Create a document called "Industry News Stock" on Drive and add it as a source to the researcher's notebook.
Skill Name: Researcher - News Report
Description:
A skill to collect industry news every morning and append it to a stock document to accumulate knowledge.
Custom Instructions:
``text
【Procedure】
1. Research important news in the assigned field since yesterday.
2. Organize in the format of "Date, Headline, 3-line Summary, Source URL."
3. Append to the end of the specified stock document.
【Rules】
- Prioritize reliable sources and always include source URLs.
- Do not create new files; only append to the specified document.
- Clearly state if information distinguishes between facts and observations.
Every morning at 6:00 AM, use the "News Stock" skill to collect news about the generative AI industry and append it to the end of the following document.
(Paste the URL of the stock document)
``
The key is specifying the append destination by URL. A document name works, but a URL prevents mix-ups. A week later, try asking the researcher's notebook, "What are this week's industry trends?" It will answer with a week's worth of knowledge that you didn't spend a single second collecting.
Shift ③: General Affairs—Checking the Recording Folder at 6:00 PM for Minutes
For the General Affairs employee, who was the star of the third work, we assign routine patrol duties. The operation rule is simple: just drop meeting recordings or transcripts into a specific folder on Drive.
Skill Name: General Affairs - Routine Minutes Creation
Description:
A skill to check the meeting recording folder on Drive and create minutes if there are new files.
Custom Instructions:
``text
【Procedure】
1. Check the specified Drive folder and identify files added today.
2. Refer to the "General Affairs" notebook to check the format and tone for minutes.
3. Create minutes with the structure: Meeting Name/Date/Attendees, Purpose, Discussion Points, Decisions, Pending Items, and TODO List.
4. Deliver as a Google Doc.
【Rules】
- Never confuse decisions with pending items.
- Break down TODOs into "Who, What, By When" and write deadlines in date format.
- Do not write content not based on statements.
- If there are no new files, do not create anything.
Every day at 6:00 PM, use the "Routine Minutes Creation" skill to check the following folder and create minutes if there are new recordings.
(Paste the URL of the recording folder)
``
When the meeting ends, put the recording in the folder. Your job ends there. By evening, the minutes are delivered.
Shift ④: Marketing—Clocking in Every Monday at 8:00 AM to Deliver Post Drafts
Prevent "running out of stock" for your posts with a shift. Using the idea stock notebook as a brain, have them deliver a batch of drafts at the start of the week.
Skill Name: Marketing - Weekly Post Draft Creation
Description:
A skill to refer to the idea stock notebook and create SNS post drafts for the week.
Custom Instructions:
``text
【Procedure】
1. Refer to the "Content/SNS" notebook to check unused ideas and past winning patterns.
2. Create 5 post drafts for this week.
3. Add a brief note on the "intended reaction" for each draft.
4. Deliver as a Google Doc.
【Rules】
- Reproduce the writing style, line break rhythm, and first-person pronouns of past posts.
- Use only facts found in the notebook's sources and do not exaggerate.
- Do not execute the posting; limit to delivering drafts.
Every Monday at 8:00 AM, use the "Weekly Post Draft Creation" skill to create post drafts for this week.
``
I'll draw a line here too. The one who posts is you. The employee's job is only up to the draft. The employer holds the final judgment on what goes out.
Shift ⑤: Sales—Clocking in Only on Days with Meetings
This is an advanced version of the shift. Instead of producing results every day, it's a setup to work only when conditions are met.
Skill Name: Sales - Meeting Prep
Description:
A skill to create a meeting prep briefing only when there are meeting appointments on today's calendar.
Custom Instructions:
``text
【Procedure】
1. Check today's calendar and identify meeting/appointment schedules.
2. Only if there are appointments, check information about the counterpart from the "Sales" notebook.
3. Organize the background, previous homework, expected concerns, proposed content, and expected questions and answers.
4. Deliver as a Google Doc.
【Rules】
- If there are no meeting appointments, do not create anything.
- Ensure product specifications and prices match the latest materials in the notebook.
- Clearly mark outdated information as "To be confirmed."
Every morning at 7:30 AM, use the "Meeting Prep" skill to perform today's meeting preparation.
``
The trick is to write "Do nothing if there are no appointments" in the rules. Don't let them create meaningless deliverables on days they strike out. This is also wisdom for creating a shift that works.
Manage the Shift Table with a Single Spreadsheet
Once the five shifts are ready, visualize the whole thing on one sheet. Create these six columns in a spreadsheet:
- Employee Name (e.g., Secretary)
- Shift (e.g., Every morning at 7:00 AM)
- Job Content (e.g., Priority Briefing)
- Skill Name (e.g., Morning Briefing)
- Reference Notebook (e.g., Secretary/Knowledge Management)
- Delivery Destination (e.g., New Doc / Append to Stock Doc)
If you've read the skill ledger article, this should click. This is the attendance version of the ledger. Who, when, with what skill, and where they deliver. This one sheet becomes your company's employment regulations.
And unlike a human company, shift changes require no coordination or apologies. Just change the time on the schedule screen.
Chapter 5: Demonstration—A Day Where I Gave No Instructions
That's it for the mechanism. Let me show you my day as it runs under this system.
6:00 AM. I am sleeping. The researcher clocks in and appends industry news to the stock document. The notebook's knowledge increases a little more today.
7:00 AM. I am still sleeping. The secretary clocks in. They check email and the calendar and deliver a briefing based on my goals. When I wake up and open my phone, "These are the top 3 priorities for today" is waiting. This few minutes spent reading while brewing coffee is the most CEO-like time.
7:30 AM. The sales employee checks today's calendar. On days with meetings, an additional briefing organizing the counterpart's background and expected Q&A arrives. On days without, it's quiet.
6:00 PM. Since I put the day's meeting recordings in the folder, General Affairs turns them into minutes and delivers them. All I did was spend a few seconds dragging the recording files.
And Friday at 5:00 PM. A draft of the weekly report arrives. Monday morning, five post drafts from Marketing.
Looking at this, I want you to notice something. Throughout this day, the words I spoke to my employees were zero. Yet, deliverables to be checked arrive every day. We, who were moved by "moving with one word" in the second work, are now in the scenery of "moving with zero words."
Of course, it's not magic. There are "To be confirmed" parts in the deliverables, and I fill them in, check the numbers, and press the post button.
But "work that creates" has disappeared from my day, and only "work that checks and judges" remains. This scenery is probably what I dreamed of on the day I started employing 26 people.
Chapter 6: Renewal of Employment Contract—Precautions for the Fully Automated Era
Finally, the usual employer's duties. Since it's fully automated, please read the contract terms more seriously than usual.
① Spark is for personal accounts only.
At this time, it cannot be used with Workspace organization accounts managed by companies or schools. If you handle business information, be more thorough than ever with anonymization. Company names as "Company A," personal names as "Mr. B." If your organization has internal rules, those take top priority.
② Integration permission is a "bundle."
When you permit Workspace integration, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, etc., are all targeted together. Decide what to entrust on the premise that you cannot narrow it down by service.
③ Fees and limits.
Google AI Pro (2,900 yen/month) or higher is required; it cannot be used with the free plan. Since the rollout to Pro is gradual, some accounts may not see it yet. Also, there is a limit to the number of tasks that can run simultaneously, so be careful not to overstuff the shift.
④ Things that go outside must stop at the draft stage. Do not let employees complete email sending or SNS posting. Clearly state "Do not send" or "Up to draft" in the shift rules. This one line separates accidents from trust.
⑤ Always perform final checks on numbers.
Because Spark-mediated answers also mix in web information, there is more room for speculation than with the notebook alone. For numbers that cannot be wrong, like amounts or specifications, open the employee's notebook directly and check the basis with the citation feature.
And the first step. You don't need to set up shifts for 26 people today. First, put just the secretary on the shift for 7:00 AM tomorrow morning.
The feeling of "Our company is moving" the moment an unrequested briefing arrives tomorrow morning. Once you taste that, you'll want to set up the second person's shift on your own.
Summary: The CEO's Job Changes from Instruction to Approval
I'll close with one line for each stage of evolution across the four works in the series.
I employed employees I could consult with. I taught them tasks. I made them learn delivery. And today, I gave them a shift table.
The 26 are no longer waiting for instructions. When morning comes, they clock in, stock news, organize minutes, pile up drafts, and wait for your check. Your job has changed from giving instructions to approving what has arrived. That means the worker has become a real CEO.
The notebooks, prompts, and format libraries created in this series were all assets for this day. For those who have been accumulating them, the company will start moving. Please give a shift table to your 26 employees as well.
The world of AI evolves truly fast. Rather than trying to keep up with the latest information alone, following someone who practices and shares every day is the most certain and fastest way.
▼ Follow me on X (Twitter) here. On my account, I share know-how to accelerate business efficiency and time-saving with AI every day. I share the most detailed information on how to use NotebookLM, so if you want to master the latest AI, please follow me! @ai_jitan
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