AI to the Rescue: Transforming A Last-Minute Business Challenge into Opportunity

This is the latest in my series of articles about how you, as a busy business professional, could be using Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT NOW, to improve the quality and efficiency of your work product.

Here’s a scenario: You’re the VP of Operations at a $100 million tech startup. It’s 7:45 AM and you run into your CEO in the parking deck. She tells you she’s pulling a small team together in 45 minutes to discuss an urgent matter and come to think of it, she’d like you to join. She goes on to explain that the CMO has just resigned and she’s thinking about reorganizing marketing and sales under a new (for your company) position of Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).?

Holy moly! This is your chance to impress!

Unfortunately, you’re not an HR expert and you’ve never worked at a company with a CRO position. You’re actually not even sure exactly what a CRO does and you now have only 38 minutes to come up with some thoughtful insights and an initial perspective. The CEO has invited YOU to be part of this urgent discussion and sitting quietly at the table is not an option!

No need to panic! AI has your back!

I’ve found that Large Language Model AI tools such as ChatGPT are very helpful when you need an initial take or framework as to the key considerations for strategic business decisions. LLMs are even more valuable when you need that information immediately. With sufficient time, you might come up with most of the following framework on your own - but in this scenario, time is a luxury that is in extremely short supply.

ChatGPT Prompt: I need you to act as my strategic HR consultant regarding the following dilemma. The $100 million SAAS business I work for just lost its CMO to an unexpected resignation. Rather than replace the CMO, our CEO believes we should consider consolidating the CMO and Chief Sales Officer roles under a single new position; Chief Revenue Officer. What are the duties of a CRO in a $100 million SAAS business and what should be considered in making this decision?

ChatGPT Response:

BOOM! Thank you ChatGPT!

OK, in literally seconds AI has provided you with a basic structure for how you might work through the process of making a decision on this business scenario for which you have little previous knowledge or experience. It’s important to note that the ChatGPT response is not telling you what to do; it’s framing the key considerations and a potential process you might follow to help you get to a good decision. It’s co-intelligence. You (and your team) have the expert institutional firsthand knowledge and ChatGPT is bringing a structural framework to help you attack the problem.

So now you have a framework and are free to spend the remaining 30 min before the meeting? thinking about your company, your unique POV as VP of Operations, and the most beneficial manner in which you can make meaningful contributions to the coming discussion.

Note that in a perfect world, you would have had a day or two notice of the coming meeting, but even with sufficient notice, ChatGPT would still be a good place to start to get that basic framework you can use to begin to wrap your mind around a complex strategic question. Given the increasing pace of the modern workplace, LLMs such as ChatGPT are exceedingly valuable business tools that in my opinion, it would be foolish to be without.?

So my message is this: Start today experimenting with the LLM of your choice. Learn how to interact with it. Learn what it’s good at and not so good at so you’re ready the next time you’re invited to a last minute meeting.