The Prompt

Is Your Team AI-Ready—or Falling Behind? The latest from The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) underscores the crucial challenge facing every executive: ??Generative AI adoption in HR nearly doubled, rising from 22% to 41% in just one year. ??Yet, nearly 80% of organizations admit their workforce isn't adequately prepared to harness the full potential of AI. Leaders like Moderna and Unilever aren’t just experimenting—they're embedding AI deeply into their operations and seeing measurable impact. Why does this matter to a non-technical executive: ? AI readiness isn't merely a tech issue—it's strategic. HR and non-technical teams play pivotal roles in bridging the gap between technology and practical business outcomes. Ignoring AI readiness across your teams has real consequences: reduced market competitiveness, slower innovation cycles, and decision-making bottlenecks. The good news: Companies that integrate AI into a broader strategy—focusing on a AI Mindset with skills like adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking—consistently outperform their peers. The bottom line? AI adoption is less about picking the right AI model and more about strategically preparing your people. https://lnkd.in/gzqMgFTr #AI #Leadership #HR #StrategicThinking #FutureReady

3 Ways to Prepare for the Future with AI. Mo Gawdat on AI: The Future of AI and How It Will Shape Our World I listen to a lot (too many) talks about AI. Mo's presentation really helped me expand how I think about AI. It also begins to address the question: How do we, and our kids, prepare for what is coming with AI? (Mo is the ex-Chief Business Officer, Google X) His talk is a blend of optimism and caution, encouraging us to rethink how we prepare for a future where intelligence is a utility as accessible as electricity. Preparing for the Future with AI ??Learn the Tools! Mo makes it clear that adapting to AI isn’t optional—it’s essential. He suggests we start experimenting with tools like ChatGPT or Gemini. They’re not just for tech experts but for anyone looking to enhance creativity, productivity, or problem-solving. ? Seek TRUTH Relentlessly. In a world where AI can generate convincing (but sometimes incorrect) answers, critical thinking is a superpower. Question assumptions, research deeply, and don’t take the first answer at face value.?Dig into the source materials.?rehearse the question, "That’s fascinating—what data or research helped shape this perspective? I’d love to understand the details behind it?" ??Invest in Human Connection: Mo emphasized that our competitive edge lies in the one thing AI can’t replicate— genuine human interaction. Empathy, collaboration, and authenticity will be more valuable than ever in the AI age. Leading / managing people through transition will be an invaluable skill. (Learning how to manage AI agents will also be needed). The points that stood out in his talk: ??The End of TRUTH as we know it AI’s ability to generate content (text, video, & audio for starters) blurs the line between fact and fiction. Mo argued that AUTHENTICITY will become a currency in both personal and professional relationships. ? AI EMOTIONS May Outpace Ours: AI could eventually simulate emotions and forms of intelligence beyond anything humans can comprehend, much like how animals can sense phenomena we can’t—think a dog detecting an earthquake or a bat using echolocation. For a mind-bender, consider that, unlike humans, AI isn’t bound by biology, meaning it could experience entirely new emotional states, process them at incredible speed, and apply them across vast datasets. ? We Are the Frog In the Boiling Water. Mo compared humanity’s current approach to AI adoption to a frog in slowly boiling water. For understandable psychological reasons, we are dramatically underestimating the pace and scale of AI’s impact. The reality is that no one knows how this is going to play out or over what time frame. Given the uncertainty, I suggest we prepare for an AI-powered future by training ourselves on how to leverage AI to create a better, fairer world. ? Want to get your team started with AI training? Let's talk. https://lnkd.in/gAaDc3br #AI #FutureOfWork #Ethics #Leadership #Innovation

AI for Business Graphics - Napkin.ai I just came across a delightful AI service, Napkin AI, that works magic with business graphics.?It hurts my brain to think about all the PowerPoint presentations I’ve created and consumed over the years.?Most of them had painfully dull, repetitive Clippy-like graphics. If you can feel my pain, check out?Napkin AI.?They position themselves as "Napkin turns your text into visuals so sharing your ideas is quick and effective.” This may not be the AI use case for curing cancer, but it definitely might save you (and others) a headache or two. Enjoy and have a great weekend. Matt

"Just start using it... you’ll see." - Kara Swisher on the Pivot podcast. In their latest Pivot podcast episode, “AI Basic: Why AI is Not a Job Killer,” Kara Swisher, Scott Galloway, and guest Andrew McAfee discuss how AI echoes the early days of the internet. Back then, learning to surf the web mattered more than understanding every detail of Firefox or Netscape. It wasn’t about mastering the browser; it was about navigating the World Wide Web. AI is similar. The advantage now goes to those who learn fast. So choose your tool— ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity—and start experimenting. Discover the ways AI can make your workday a bit more productive and creative. podcast = https://lnkd.in/gn7BwmDb My advice for a smooth start: ??Stay Curious, Not Judgmental ??Begin with low-stakes tasks to build confidence before tackling high-stakes projects ??Use public data first, then ease into more sensitive information ? ? Download the ChatGPT mobile app and try the voice mode—it’s hands-free and great for day-to-day questions: https://lnkd.in/gB5Bdvhd Quick ideas to get you rolling: ? Brainstorming: “I’m working on a project about [topic]. Can you help me brainstorm new ideas or unique perspectives?” ? Summarizing: “I’ve got a long report on [subject]. Can you break down the main points and key takeaways?” ? Learning Plan: “I want to learn more about [topic]. Can you outline a step-by-step plan with resources?” ? Professional Writing: “I need to write an email to [recipient] about [topic]. Can you help make it clear, professional, and friendly?” ? Career/Hobby Exploration: “I’m interested in [field or hobby]. What skills do I need, and where should I start?” With AI, the first step is exploration—embrace curiosity, try things out, and build your AI comfort zone. If you want to accelerate your AI learning, check out our AI Fundamental Course to get started in an engaging, expansive way. https://lnkd.in/gj6AXXPR #AIForEveryone #GenAI

????:?????'?? ???????? ?????? ???? ?????????? & ??????'?? If you’re reading this, you know that leading the effort to accelerate AI adoption across the company is a hard, multi-faceted effort. Having clear Goals and KPIs that promote AI adoption, literacy, and experimentation, combined with tracking performance in areas like productivity, innovation, and ethical use, will accelerate AI adoption. Consider including these in your planning process: ? ?????????????????? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???? ???????????? ?????? ?????????????? Objective: Establish a clear starting point for AI readiness across the organization. KPI: By the end of Q1, achieve a 90% completion rate of the AI Activation Index survey, with an average AI readiness score of 70% across departments, 80% employee awareness of at least three internal AI tools, and completion of a readiness gap analysis for 100% of departments. ? ???? ???????????????? & ???????????????????? Objective: Build a workforce fluent in AI. KPI: Track the percentage of employees completing AI training and actively using AI tools (target: 85% adoption within 6 months). ? ???? ?????????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ???????????????????? Objective: Develop, communicate, and enforce clear AI usage, tool, and data guidelines to ensure responsible and effective AI adoption. KPI: Complete the development of AI usage, tool, and data guidance by the end of Q1, ensuring alignment with legal and ethical standards. ? ????????-???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? Objective: Drive innovation by applying AI to key business areas. KPI: Roll out at least three AI-driven use cases for each functional team that increase decision-making speed or improve customer experience by 20+%. ? ?????????????????? ???????????????????? & ???? ???????????????????? Objective: Secure leadership buy-in and establish an AI governance council. KPI: Establish the council within 3 months ? ???????????????? ?????????? & ???????????????? ?????????????????? Objective 1: Foster a culture of experimentation and personal accountability in AI adoption. KPI: Ensure 100% of employees set a personal AI development goal for the year, with quarterly check-ins to measure how AI is impacting their role and productivity. ???? ????????????, ?????????? ???????? ???? ???? ???????????????? ?????? ???????? ??????????????????. Setting clear AI goals and KPIs is essential to closing the AI Activation Gap. By establishing these goals and tracking their performance, you will increase buy-in and momentum for your AI initiatives. At The Prompt, we help businesses define these critical KPIs, ensuring they not only adopt AI but thrive with it. Ready to start your journey? Let’s talk. [email protected] #AIStrategy #StrategicPlanning #AIAdoption

After talking to many firms, I have come to believe a key factor in successful AI adoption is whether the executive team actually experiments with AI to try to get work done themselves. Those who do tend to feel urgency and push for transformation. Most c-level folks (the vast majority of executives I talk to) still haven’t even tried LLMs. Changing that should be the highest priority of anyone who wants their company to succeed at AI.

????: ???????????????? ?? ????????????????’?? ?????????????? I love this clear, accessible QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey interview with Salesforce's CEO of AI, Clara Shih.?"Approaching Generative AI with a Beginner’s Mindset”: Main takeaways: ???????????? ?? ???????????? ??????????????: Shih emphasizes the importance of approaching AI with a beginner’s mindset. Curiosity and a willingness to rethink assumptions allow leaders to stay open to new opportunities. ?????????????????? ???? ????????????????: Shih highlights the importance of simplicity in AI adoption, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.?She talks about starting small and building as you need it. ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ????????: I love her point: "The biggest unlock is looking at all of?the unstructured data that’s out there on the internet,?as well as the proprietary unstructured data that’s?inside companies. If you think about the history of?computing, data has been limited to what we can?put into a database. And that amounts to less than?20 percent of the data companies have." ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????: The biggest challenge in AI adoption isn’t the technology itself but managing the organizational change is needed to make AI successful. Shih stresses that everyone in the organization, not just the CIO, needs to be engaged and curious about AI. Building trust, demonstrating ROI, and bringing the entire team along on the AI journey are essential for successful AI activation. ?????? ???? ?? ?????????????????????????? ????????: Shih sees a future where digital workers and human workers collaborate closely, with AI taking on more repetitive tasks and humans focusing on strategic decisions. Position AI in terms of augmentation and assistance. Onward.?

AI: A Leadership Coach in Your Pocket. Another spot-on Forbes article by William Arruda on the rise of the AI-enabled workforce. (OK, I’m biased.? William interviewed me for the article). We discussed the impact of AI-enabled coaching and real-time, always on management guidance. Some of the benefits these technologies will bring: ? ?? Access for all due to reduced cost for everyone: As AI tools become more affordable, coaching and management become accessible to the whole company. ??Coaching when you need it—it's in your pocket and available 24/7: This means you have help when you wake at 2:00am thinking about that upcoming difficult conversation.? ??Tuned to be competent at holistic and specialized levels: AI can provide nuanced, comprehensive insights tailored to various needs. This means that individuals and small companies can sophisticated services that wold have been previously inaccessible. ??Tuned to fit the specific personalities of you and your team: Ensuring that advice is relevant and personalized.? And, it can be customized to the specifics of your company, culture, and industry. ??Able to provide objective feedback on specific situations: Offering clear, unbiased perspectives on the exact situation you’re facing. Two of my favorite examples of this are Wisq, which leverages AI to deliver timely and relevant coaching, and Yoodli, which provides AI-driven public speaking coaching and communication insights. W's article captures how AI frees employees from the drudgery of routine tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives and enhancing creativity and innovation. ?? Yes, a word of caution. Be sure that the people designing these tools for you know what they are doing.? Successful development is as much about understanding people and leadership as it is about the technology. I'm curious to know what coaches and technologists like Varun Puri, Marc Maloy, Mark Nevins, Michelle LeFavor, Heather Carey, Rick Dubay, Michael Manzagol, Allison Shapira, Michael Morrissey, Ginger Layden Braun, Doug Nelson, and others think about this. (Fortunately, I know what William Arruda has to say). International Coaching Federation, HRLF (Human Resource Leadership Forum), SHRM _____________________________________ If you’re AI curious want a human guide to help you get started with AI, please give a call.? We make AI accessible and actionable for leaders and their teams.? Matt Strain The Prompt matt @ the-prompt.ai _____________________________________ #AIWorkforce, #FutureOfWork, #AILeadership, #WorkplaceInnovation, #AICoaching article: https://lnkd.in/gYS5xzFw