How much of your LinkedIn feed these days is filled with LinkedIn posts that fall into one of these extremes: 1)“I managed to do XYZ with AI” (usually highlighting very fast results) and 2) people who are fed up with AI content?
To me, it all seems to go one way or the other. It’s very human to struggle to find the middle ground in these situations, especially when there is clear pressure to use something.
Now, I won’t be telling you which road to take, but I would like to shine a light on something that is close to my heart and at the centre of what I do: human systems, as well as the need for human-centric leadership that can connect with the implementation of AI on a reasonable level, without forgetting what is important.
“We need to implement AI”
I am going to tell you a story that someone close to me, who works in a software development company, shared with me. The story took place not so long ago, and I do believe it is something many of you have experienced over the past couple of years.
As the AI wave was starting to show its potential, one day, without any plan or strategy for how the company would work from then on, my friend’s CEO announced that AI should be at the centre of everyone’s attention. Everyone should use it in their work and get to know what was new in their field and what could be automated with AI. It was like mandatory homework.
There was no clear plan like: these are the areas where we will start implementing AI, these are our goals and why we are doing it, and every fresh idea is welcomed. Instead, the message was: we are using AI everywhere we can, and it is your job to tell me where that is.
This is leadership without a compass. It has nothing to do with human systems and everything to do with playing with a new shiny toy.
I will tell you how I define the opposite. The modern leader shows the way and builds the strategy. They are aware of the potential of emerging technologies and act on it in a way that creates value and improves things, because making things faster doesn’t necessarily mean winning. Sometimes, it just means doing things faster.
If that is the only end goal, I don’t think we understand the usability of this or any other emerging technology or trend, nor have we learned how to develop human-centric organisations. Everything we create is for people. If that isn’t understood as a core value, problems will arise at higher levels. Organisations can lose their way in many ways, one of them being failing to deliver what customers need because they are too busy figuring out what to do with AI.
The example above ended badly. Many people were fired, and many others left voluntarily. The reason? No one understood what the leader wanted from them. They didn’t understand it either.
What is successful implementation?
As an Agilist, I can tell you that speed can become the dominant measure of success while missing the whole point of success. An approach that prioritises pace over outcomes can cost companies their business. It is pure logic: just because you can do something faster doesn’t mean it brings any value. It might, but you shouldn’t chase speed for the sake of it.
The ACE model I designed can be applied in these situations, helping leaders decide where to go with AI implementation. In short, I would put the most important questions into three categories: Awareness, Communication and Engagement.
- Awareness: What needs improving, for whom, and what assumptions are we making?
- Communication: Have we discussed the purpose, possibilities and concerns openly?
- Engagement: Are the people affected helping to shape, test and improve the approach?
Speed is the first thing people usually associate with AI, but what if we started using what it can make better as a guideline for success?
To everyone in leadership, I would suggest asking this question when thinking about what AI can be used for. A better product? More features? Automation where it’s needed? Find the pain points. Now, that is strategy!
When you identify the pain points and where improvement is needed, the pieces will start to fall into place. And not only that, when this type of thinking guides you, you’ll make better decisions about your organisation, people’s development and growth.
Grasp the evolution
AI and technology will keep evolving, bringing opportunities and challenges along the way. There isn’t one tool that brings 100% peace, they all have flaws and usability that needs exploring. In this context, I am in no way telling you to ignore progress, or to resist the changes, what I would suggest is for leaders to stop and think about the organisational strategy: what needs to happen, why and what will improve?
If you need help in deciding that, I would be more than happy to meet you and show you how ACE can solve even the hardest decisions such as AI strategy.