Business Transformation Around Artificial Intelligence

Business Basics are Still Real with Artificial Intelligence

When you move into the business pragmatics and practicalities around artificial intelligence driven business transformation, please consider

• Drivers - The drivers of vested interests and incumbency are still at play. The other drivers of costs, markets, customers, and regulatory are also of influence, either direct or indirect. Irrespective of the AI, these drivers are still there, impacting business, and are unlikely to change anytime soon.
• Familiar Impacting - The familiar areas which impact transformation (like people, process, data, technology, governance, risk, customers, legal, finance, vendors, compliance, testing, assurance, and readiness) are still impacting transformation around AI.
• Run vs Change Business - There is still the need to run the business (i.e. deliver products and services to customers) while balancing the need for change the business around AI.
• Managing AI Change - The realities of how much change a business can manage at any given time (i.e. the extent, duration, rate, severity) is still there and to be managed.

The Best Approach of Transformation Driven AI is What Delivers

Given that these business basic considerations are still of impact, I was a little surprised when a friend who is a salesperson over coffee recently asked me “what is the best business transformation approach around AI”? My initial comment was “the one that works and people take to it”. After a few smiles and comments, we talked about the need for differing approaches and changing over time, as well as varying with scenario, stakeholders, and business needs. Beyond the familiar issues like leadership, budget, resources, and time away from business; the following came forth:

• The Glacier – The slow relentless actions required to bring change, sustained over time. The analogy being the “V” shaped valley transformed by ice to the “U” shaped valley. The consistency and persistency of efforts over an extend period bring the changes.
• Never Miss a Good Crisis – Having an incident bring change (never miss a good crisis). The analogy is the flood or the earthquake which brings a rapid response. The effectiveness in changing behaviours on a medium or longer-term basis was commented. The obvious possible loss of business and cost to business were noted as well as how many incidents can be accepted.
• Being Incremental – The incremental approach of fix a problem but aligned to a longer-term intent and keep repeating to bring change, to show change, and to realise value.
• The Pandemic Approach – This is where a pandemic brings a rapid change in environment, which sees behavioural change, and outcomes managed and realised. While a recognised facet of change, being able to change the environment has its issues.
• Wait it Out – Change is often slow which vested interests can resist. Having a younger generation outlive and slowly replace the older generation is part of change. Time is not always on the side of this approach. This approach is often seen collectively across industry sectors. For advocates of this approach, the agism inherent within hiring is being reinforced with AI and this may help speed up the process.
• Achieve Emergent Behaviour – Focus on the overall emergent outcomes. Let specific areas address change, and within reason, let them go do it. It is the overall result which is important. The lack of direction and local impacts having a wider effect were noted.
• Target to Shoot At – Any change is good enough to get the ideas across. Has the ability for others to review and take ownership. Accept the inherent frustrations.
• Thank You – Taking what you can and thanking people.
• Momentum – Start with a small group and deliver. Progressively build momentum drawing in others and welcoming the support. The trick is the ability to build as you go.
• Focused – Avoid the large trying to fix many things for many people. Keep it local relevant, problem specific aligned to overall intent.
• What You See - Be the change you wish to see and treat others as you would be treated.

Combination Responding to Circumstance

Several points came out of the conversation:

• It is a combination of approaches which are needed at any given time and varying over time with different stakeholders and business needs.
• Being able to sustain operations while changes are made (run the business vs change the business) is required.
• Having an overall approach, with leadership who can engage, and have the ability to adopt and adapt to circumstance is more important.
• Being able to craft and shape the necessary capacity and capabilities is also integral to delivery
• Be pragmatic and deliver.

Please Consider

Transformation management is more than a pick-list and pointing to a framework (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_oMn8eF6JVgUtZgfFT6PAao7-H0ADyWb) when the following are required:

• Ambiguity – Nuanced and management of ambiguity
• Messaging – Consistency and persistency of messaging with an emotional bond
• Empowerment – The empowered emotional ownership
• Decision Making – Making decisions and respond to circumstance
• Leadership – The vision and taking people on the journey, with leadership being the change you wish to see and treating others as you would be treated.
• Interest and Values Alignment – The alignment of interest and values

No Need to Wait and Delay

We know:-

• AI is driving the extent, the pace, the duration, and the intensity of transformation.
• There is the need to address and that what is worse than trying and failing is to not try at all.
• Transformation will impact the status quo, people need to be supported, and servant leadership is needed.
• A risk-based approach to AI transformation is necessary.
• There is never the ideal time, the one-size fits all approach, and that it is the ability to adapt and adopt to circumstance is what matters.

How are you going with your AI transformation?