How Your Team Can Use AI to Turn Everyday Data into Extraordinary Results

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming businesses at record speed. When used with intention and mindfulness, it can help businesses boost performance and build stronger workplace cultures grounded in shared values, trust, collaboration and engagement. The key is to have employees view AI as technology that supports them, not something to fear. AI and the data and insights it provides are most effective when employees can turn this information into operational efficiencies and revenue-generating strategies.

Address employee AI concerns

As entrepreneurs, we have to keep it real with our employees. Address their concerns over job losses due to AI. Discuss how AI augments human efforts. This is your intention: that AI is not a replacement for their roles. Listen to their anxieties and be transparent about the company’s plans — both critical to a winning workplace culture.

Assess how you will use AI, define an AI strategy

Be clear about how you intend to use AI technology and the benefits it can offer to everyone throughout the company. Using AI for the sake of using it is never a good idea. Also, there are AI tools out there that you don’t need.

Look carefully at what is available and which platforms can help your business grow — and your employees thrive. Get management involved and ask employees where they think improvements can be made and how AI can help.

For example, does the company need help creating content for presentations, drafting policies, writing blog posts and summarizing meetings? Automating repetitive tasks? Improving decision-making with predictive insights based on data? Enhancing the customer experience with improved response times and personalization? Reducing operational and financial risk? Efficiently scaling marketing, sales and support?

Foster trust to gain AI adoption, buy-in

You can then perform the required research on the available AI platforms, complete your due diligence and conduct an analysis of potential time and cost savings. Then share your findings across the organization so everyone is aligned on which tools best support the company’s goals and how to implement them effectively. Inviting employee input and collaboration early in the process cultivates trust, encourages AI buy-in and makes adoption smoother and more successful.

Create AI company policies

Provide written policies on how AI will be used. Be sure to cover data privacy to avoid the inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information. Implement data security measures, including data encryption, access controls and data retention policies.

Also, provide a list of approved, vetted applications based on your analysis. You don’t want employees using any AI program platform to complete work tasks.

Be sure everyone using the AI platforms checks the output results. If you are using, for example, generative AI to create a client proposal with cited facts and figures, ensure there is a policy requiring everything to be confirmed. All content should be proofed for errors.

Additionally, monitor platforms for potential biases, especially when making employment decisions, including hiring, promotions and terminations.

Also, as technology continues to evolve, all users should stay current with each platform’s updates and how they may affect an AI-related project.

Invest in AI training for a high-performance culture

While AI can help boost efficiency, its impact depends on how it integrates with human capabilities. Businesses that align tech adoption with a strong focus on human skills will see greater long-term success. You want a well-rounded, confident workforce that is tech-savvy and has high emotional intelligence (EI). EI skills are human skills employees need to work effectively with AI and others. They include the ability to communicate — explain ideas, decisions and AI-driven insights; collaborate with other departments and teams; employ critical thinking, such as knowing when to rely on AI and when human oversight is needed; recognize bias, fairness and responsible AI use; and understand how AI-driven decisions impact customers, colleagues and stakeholders.

Make AI training available to everyone. The more familiar individuals are with all the features of an AI platform, the more engaged they will be in using them. Ultimately, you want employees to use the AI tools in their daily work to achieve the goals you established.

Put AI to work

Once everyone is on board, trained and engaged, put your AI platforms to work for your organization. Use the data you gather to generate real-time insights to analyze buyer behavior and craft relevant, personalized messaging for your emails, social media posts and other marketing channels. You no longer have to rely on your gut feeling; you can now access cloud-based AI models to test different business scenarios.

Use AI to eliminate repetitive tasks. HR divisions use AI to sift through résumés and match candidates with job descriptions, saving businesses time and money. In the healthcare industry, AI can automate medical documentation, appointment scheduling, insurance eligibility checks and prior authorization workflows, thereby reducing administrative costs. The real estate industry uses AI to analyze leases, extract key terms, track expirations and monitor rent escalations across large portfolios. AI can also automate market comps analysis and financial modeling updates, eliminating manual spreadsheet work.

In looking at AI, keep in mind that, to establish a winning workplace culture, you need to provide tools that empower your employees and help them succeed as the company does.