Ai, Ai, AI! A Thoughtful Way to Approach AI for Your Employees

Accounting is doing it.  So is HR. You know Sales and Marketing were doing it first, and they didn’t even ask IT for permission! AI is everywhere. It's not just about robots and fancy tech; it's about transforming the way we experience our jobs.

So how do we go about understanding AI in a way that improves the employee experience, makes things more effective, and DOESN’T end up with a bunch of client data dumped into a ChatGPT server?

Understanding What Your Employees Need

AI is such a broad collection of technologies.  It’s a smart-ish intern, an illustration savant that only half pays attention, a coder without the big picture, and the engine behind any number of predictive analytics scenarios that would keep you awake at night. Which one does your team need? Better get out there.

The first thing every business should do is create a common understanding around what AI means inside the organization. What benefits does the company want out of it? What are the limitations? If someone has an idea for how to implement AI, who should they talk to?

Getting out there withyour employees and understanding what task or challenges they’re facing daily is the best way to start creating a formalized solution.  Alternatively, if they’ll come clean with you, see how they’re using it already. People have an uncanny knack of cobbling together solutions that really work, are they already doing something you can add some structure and governance too then scale?

Aligning AI with Business Objectives

But hey, AI isn’t just about talking to/at us; it’s about hitting those company goals too. For instance, AI is helping sales teams boost their customer service skills through role-play scenarios and blindspot analysis. And in IT departments? It's all about using AI for more efficient project management, accelerating code deployment, and translating file formats to obliterate tech dept.

Leveraging Available Data with AI

Data is the air AI breathes. But as we’ve seen with countless big data applications over the last decade, having data doesn’t mean you’re making better decisions.  Without knowing the key decision points for your challenges, you’re not going to actually be able to make better choices.  Really spend time with leadership and if needed, run small scale pilots to see if the information that’s being delivered can be turned into insights.

Yeah, but the Costs

Alright, let's talk money. It's important to weigh the costs of AI tools against the benefits they bring. Think about the recruitment process. Sure, AI might be an investment, but if it streamlines hiring, and letting you get offers to the best candidates faster, isn’t that worth it?

Ultimately, What’s the Point?

AI in the workplace is about more than just efficiency; it's about creating a better, more intuitive employee experience. It’s more than a bit ironic that we need a technology like AI to free us from the complex systems we’ve built to get work done.  But the promise of a system that marries the benefits of consistency with the dynamic, thoughtful nature of an empowered person could help more businesses perform their best.