5 Keys to Building an AI-Enabled Organization
Throughout my nearly two-decade-long career in marketing and PR, I've watched technology's constant evolution, with particular attention to the burgeoning potentials of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These advancements, especially at the nexus of communications and tech innovations, intrigue me profoundly. My recent exploration into McKinsey & Company's piece titled "How to build AI with (and for) everyone in your organization" spurred deeper reflections on its implications, especially for those entrenched in the spheres of sales, marketing, and PR.
The article from 2020 offers some "back-to-basics" recommendations, and I truly appreciate that approach! It's crucial to remember that as we chase the latest advancements and the "next big thing", the foundation often lies in the core principles of basic application. I've distilled the key takeaways and provided practical application points for your benefit.
1. Demystifying AI
The term 'AI' frequently gets mired in misconceptions and overhype. At its essence, AI strives to enhance our efficiencies and deliver sharper insights. AI’s predictive capabilities, for instance, enable businesses to preempt equipment breakdowns or forecast customer purchase patterns. The AI Marketing certification I obtained from Cornell University delved deeply into predictive analytics. As business leaders, marketers, and futurists, we must not only grasp its theoretical underpinnings but also explore its practical applications within AI capabilities.
APPLICATION: A tangible business scenario is a supply chain manager now harnessing AI to envisage downstream impacts, facilitating better decisions and honing supply chain productivity.
2. Empowering Trusted AI Advocates
Leaders, whether in the executive suite or managerial roles, must cultivate a solid grasp of AI. While structured training is pivotal, informal conduits like monthly seminars or "lunch and learn" sessions are equally effective in knowledge propagation. It pivots on fostering an AI-centric culture where AI's prospects and constraints are grasped, and there's unanimous dedication to its principled use.
APPLICATION: Managers, upon seeing an AI tool corroborate long-suspected trends, experienced a surge in engagement, leading to heightened AI curiosity and the emergence of innovative application ideas.
3. Bolstering Business Intelligence
Embracing business intelligence utilities, such as dashboards and visualization platforms, can sow the seeds of an inquisitive culture. As the workforce becomes familiar with these tools, their allegiance to data amplifies, laying the groundwork for a data-centric mindset in today's AI-infused business environment.
APPLICATION: Work with your data engineers to make dashboards between data silos possible. Yes, this is a seemingly impossible tasks at times - but it's worth it.
4. Finding Common Ground
Trust forms the bedrock of AI incorporation. Building this trust can sometimes hinge on displaying instances where AI's results echo an employee's expertise. Such alignment fosters trust in AI.
APPLICATION: A poignant business scenario involved an automotive distributor’s monthly newsletter illuminating AI’s tangible advantages, facilitating sales representatives to proactively tackle challenges and driving the adoption of an AI-guided product-substitution tool.
5. Emphasizing Collaboration
AI's journey is inherently cooperative. I was particularly taken by the McKinsey article's spotlight on the North American airline, which harnessed AI to reimagine its workflow. Collaboration emerged as the keystone, ensuring AI implementations are resilient, apt, and beneficial to all.
APPLICATION: I see this workslow recommendation now taking place through AI boosted workflow automation and applications like Monday.com and Acana, and the oldies like Microsoft Teams and newer versions like Slack. Automation and workflow enhancement integration apps are not to be discounted for saving teams hours and hours each month.
For the PR and marketing community, the integration of AI might be the dividing line between relevance and obsolescence. Yet, it's paramount to perceive AI as a means, not an end. When judiciously and ethically deployed, it can unlock insights and efficiencies hitherto unimagined.
McKinsey's article acts as a clarion call, underscoring AI's transformative prowess. It befalls us, the professionals, to channel this potential responsibly, inaugurating an AI-driven business epoch that prioritizes inclusivity, ethics, and vision. Our collective mission? To ensure this AI odyssey centers not just on machines, but on humanity as well.
Reference: Cheatham, B., Cosmas, A., Mehta, N., & Shah, D. (2020). How to build AI with (and for) everyone in your organization. McKinsey & Company. Link to article: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/how-to-build-ai-with-and-for-everyone-in-your-organization#/