Insights & Perspective
Before You Ask What AI Can Do, Ask What Your Business Is Ready For
What if the biggest obstacle to getting ROI from AI isn't the technology?
It may be the business itself.
Data. Processes. People. Leadership. Adoption.
Before asking “What can AI do?” perhaps the better question is:
“Are we ready to use it well?”
What About Bob?
Every business has a “Bob,” the person everyone calls when something goes sideways because they simply know how things work.
What happens when Bob retires and decades of experience walks out the door with him?
Maybe one of the most practical uses of AI isn’t replacing people but capturing and extending the knowledge of the people we can’t afford to lose.
Are you capturing what your Bobs know before they walk out the door?
The Businesses That Win with AI Will Have One Thing in Common
The old ERP saying, "Garbage in. Garbage out." may be more relevant today than ever before.
AI won't replace weak leadership, inconsistent processes, or poor data. But it can help great businesses become even better.
Before asking how to implement AI, it may be worth asking whether your business is truly ready to benefit from it.
Part 2: The Opportunity Profit of Your Time
In my last blog, I challenged leaders to think about the opportunity cost of their time.
Today, I'd like to explore the other side of that equation.
As AI creates more capacity across our organizations, the real opportunity isn't just saving time, t's deciding how to invest it.
What is the opportunity profit of your time?
Come on… This Isn't Rocket Science!
One sentence I used for years almost immediately backfired when I joined a technology company.
"Come on...this isn't rocket science."
The problem?
Three people in the room had literally written software for rocket engines.
That experience taught me one of the most valuable leadership lessons of my career, one that feels even more relevant today in the age of AI.
Your Bottleneck Isn’t People. It’s Coordination
Most teams aren’t underperforming; they’re constantly compensating for things that don’t quite come together.
Everyone is focused on speeding up the work.
Almost no one is fixing what happens between it.