??Igniting Your AI Journey | Learn from Others and Building Your Strategy for Success

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other!" - John F. Kennedy

#AI #GenAI #UseCases #Journey #AIStrategy #Culture #Adoption #Employees #Growthmindset #Leadership #Berndzi

The BIG question for organizations is no longer if you should adopt AI, but how you will do it. We ran this week the Microsoft AI Tour in Vienna and contributed to the GenAI Summit in Innsbruck, where the highlight for me was clearly the unique opportunity to learn from others — our peers, our customers and partners — about their AI journey and use-cases.

It's impressive to see how Austrian customers like for example ALPLA Group , Zumtobel Group , @Raiffeisen Landesbank Ober?sterreich or Volksbank have taken the opportunity to leverage AI in their organizations with a strong attitude to learn and grow along their AI journey.

But here’s the real kicker: the key to unlocking AI success is not just in watching what others are doing, but in actively engaging your own organization to harness the power of AI.

"Learning from other people is what music is all about." - Neil Young

?? The Power of Learning from Others: A Catalyst for Your AI Strategy

When attending events like the Microsoft AI Tour, you’re surrounded by companies that are pushing the boundaries of what AI can do. You see organizations presenting on stage about how they're leveraging AI to streamline operations, deliver better customer experiences, predict market trends, and even automate decision-making processes. But here's what’s important: it's not just about admiring their achievements. It's about seeing these use-cases as a blueprint and a catalyst for your own AI journey.

The real opportunity lies in this learning process. Each use-case shared on stage isn’t just an example of what can be done; it’s an inspiration for how you can adapt AI to your own business needs and goals.

?? Defining Your AI Strategy: Start with the Right Questions

Now, learning from others is step one, but it doesn’t stop there. It's just the begining! The most successful AI implementations begin with clear strategies, which are aligned with their business objectives and corporate vision.

Here are some essential questions to guide your strategy:

1?? What are the key challenges or inefficiencies in your current operations?

2?? What data do you already have, and what additional data would you need to implement AI solutions?

3?? Which processes would benefit most from automation or predictive insights?

4?? How will AI complement and amplify the talents and skills of your existing workforce?

Defining a clear AI strategy is not just about picking the right technology — it’s about understanding the why behind each AI use-case. How will AI drive business value for you? How will it give your organization a competitive edge? These are the questions you should answer upfront, and the insights you gather from industry peers can help guide your thinking.

?? Engaging Your Workforce: The Real Key to AI Success

Once you’ve defined your strategy, it’s time to focus on the most critical element: YOUR PEOPLE. AI isn't about replacing jobs — it’s about empowering your workforce to be more effective and innovative.

And here's the secret sauce: if you want AI to succeed in your organization, you need to engage your team and bring them on the journey with you.

Start by creating a culture of curiosity and learning. Encourage employees to explore AI, ask questions, and experiment with new tools. Host internal workshops, invest in training programs, and provide access to resources that help your team understand how AI will be integrated into their daily workflows.

One of the most powerful ways to get people excited about AI is to involve them in the process of identifying use-cases. When employees see, that they have a voice in how AI is being applied in the organization, they become much more invested in its success.

AI adoption is not a top-down mandate — it’s a collaborative journey where every employee plays a role.

?? Taking the First Step: Your AI Future Starts Now

So, how do you get started? It all begins with mindset and momentum. Attend events, learn from the leaders, who are presenting their AI use-cases, and use those insights as a springboard for your own strategy. Then, engage your workforce, empower them with the tools and knowledge to embrace AI, and ensure that everyone is aligned with the vision for the future.