How to Empower Employees in an AI-Driven Workplace

 AI is doomed to fail if you don’t put your employees first. Here’s how you can do that.  When it comes to AI transformation, most organizations fall into the trap of focusing solely on technology but the truth is, without considering people, even the best AI solutions struggle to deliver real impact. Research shows that 70 percent of AI projects fail to meet their objectives, largely due to poor adoption by employees. That’s where the FriendlyCHRO Method comes in. It’s a 3-step framework I developed that puts human connection at the core of AI adoption, ensuring sustainable and effective change. Here’s how it works: 📌Involve everyone:  Engage all levels of your organization early on. Invite leaders, team members, and frontline employees to AI strategy meetings. Let them participate in defining the transformation’s vision and roadmap. This way, they feel ownership in the process and have a stake in its success. 📌Create emotional buy-in:  Address fears and provide clear answers. Hold regular Q&A sessions where leadership can engage directly with employees about AI’s benefits and challenges. Share success stories of AI adoption in similar companies or teams to demonstrate its positive impact on people’s roles. 📌Train and upskill: Implement a comprehensive AI training program that goes beyond just using the technology. Focus on how to integrate AI into daily tasks, with special emphasis on making employees feel confident in using these tools. Offer ongoing support through AI mentoring sessions or dedicated helpdesks. It’s time to shift the focus from just tech to people. When you lead with empathy, AI adoption isn’t just successful, it’s transformational. What’s your approach to human-centered AI adoption?

Throwing AI tools at your team without a plan is like giving them a Ferrari without driving lessons. AI only drives impact if your workforce knows how to use it effectively. After: 1-defining objectives 2-assessing readiness 3-piloting use cases with a tiger team Step 4 is about empowering the broader team to leverage AI confidently. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) research and Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model show that high-impact AI adoption is 80% about people, 20% about tech. Here’s how to make that happen: 1️⃣ Environmental Supports: Build the Framework for Success -Clear Guidance: Define AI’s role in specific tasks. If a tool like Momentum.io automates data entry, outline how it frees up time for strategic activities. -Accessible Tools: Ensure AI tools are easy to use and well-integrated. For tools like ChatGPT create a prompt library so employees don’t have to start from scratch. -Recognition: Acknowledge team members who make measurable improvements with AI, like reducing response times or boosting engagement. Recognition fuels adoption. 2️⃣ Empower with Tiger Team Champions -Use Tiger/Pilot Team Champions: Leverage your pilot team members as champions who share workflows and real-world results. Their successes give others confidence and practical insights. -Role-Specific Training: Focus on high-impact skills for each role. Sales might use prompts for lead scoring, while support teams focus on customer inquiries. Keep it relevant and simple. -Match Tools to Skill Levels: For non-technical roles, choose tools with low-code interfaces or embedded automation. Keep adoption smooth by aligning with current abilities. 3️⃣ Continuous Feedback and Real-Time Learning -Pilot Insights: Apply findings from the pilot phase to refine processes and address any gaps. Updates based on tiger team feedback benefit the entire workforce. -Knowledge Hub: Create an evolving resource library with top prompts, troubleshooting guides, and FAQs. Let it grow as employees share tips and adjustments. -Peer Learning: Champions from the tiger team can host peer-led sessions to show AI’s real impact, making it more approachable. 4️⃣ Just in Time Enablement -On-Demand Help Channels: Offer immediate support options, like a Slack channel or help desk, to address issues as they arise. -Use AI to enable AI: Create customGPT that are task or job specific to lighten workload or learning brain load. Leverage NotebookLLM. -Troubleshooting Guide: Provide a quick-reference guide for common AI issues, empowering employees to solve small challenges independently. AI’s true power lies in your team’s ability to use it well. Step 4 is about support, practical training, and peer learning led by tiger team champions. By building confidence and competence, you’re creating an AI-enabled workforce ready to drive real impact. Step 5 coming next ;) Ps my next podcast guest, we talk about what happens when AI does a lot of what humans used to do… Stay tuned.

AI fails without people.  A recent Forrester + NiCE report makes it clear:   AI works best when it empowers employees, not replaces them.  Here’s what matters:   - Only 22% of workers have received proper AI training   - Without support, 60% abandon AI tools   - Trust, skills, and culture drive success  What leading companies are doing right now:  Indeed trained staff to ease AI fears. Developers now write 33% of their code with AI, up from 7%.  IKEA has trained over 4,000 employees in less than a year. Their “Hej Copilot” tool helps teams brainstorm and draft faster.  S&P Global launched AI assistants like Spark Assist for 40,000 employees and backed it with mandatory training.  Moderna merged HR and Tech into one leadership role. They created 3,000+ custom GPTs for clinical trials, HR, and more.  Intel built “AI for Workforce,” offering 500+ hours of AI learning through community colleges.  The message is clear:   AI is not about cutting jobs.   It’s about giving people new superpowers.  How to start today:   • Ask employees what slows them down   • Train them to use AI in real tasks   • Track usage and celebrate quick wins  When people feel supported, AI doesn’t just boost efficiency.   It builds confidence, creativity, and culture.  #AI #FutureOfWork #EmployeeExperience #HumanCenteredAI #Leadership

Practice what you preach! How we leverage AI at IBM Consulting. Adopting AI successfully isn’t just about having the technology—it’s about making it part of the everyday flow of work. At IBM Consulting, we’ve embraced this philosophy by weaving AI deeply into our consultants’ work. The goal: Make AI essential, intuitive, and trusted. One year ago, we launched IBM Consulting Advantage, an AI-powered delivery platform that supports our global consulting workforce. Today, it has over 85,000 active users, more than 2,000 AI assistants, and over 60 industry-specific applications. The results have been remarkable, with up to 50% productivity gains on various tasks. This is what we learned along our own AI journey: 1. Embedding AI in Everyday Workflows To drive adoption, AI must feel natural and helpful. For example, we’ve embedded AI capabilities directly into repeatable consulting methods, like cloud migration processes, where they provide the most value. 2. Fostering a Growth Mindset AI’s potential grows with creative thinking. We encourage teams to innovate continuously, finding new applications for AI. For instance, we’re developing smaller, industry-specific foundation models, tailored for complex tasks like compliance or code modernization in regulated industries. Clients are part of this process, making innovation collaborative and relevant. 3. Building Trust in AI AI adoption thrives on trust. Our consultants receive targeted training to use AI confidently, and we provide open channels—like comment boards and Slack forums—for feedback. These insights directly shape future enhancements to our platform. Our consultants are empowered to question AI outputs and understand their source, ensuring confidence in what AI delivers. 4. Empowering Employees as Creators AI isn’t something that happens to people—it’s a tool that works for them. We’ve built a culture where consultants can create their own AI assistants to address specific challenges. These assistants can be shared, improved, and upvoted by peers, creating a collaborative ecosystem of innovation. By making AI easy, intuitive, and empowering, IBM Consulting Advantage is transforming how we work—and how we help our clients embrace AI. Organizations that truly want to leverage AI need to combine technology with human expertise and behavior change. At IBM Consulting, we’re not just preaching this message; we’re living it. #IBM #IBMiX #AI #genAI

I'm knee deep this week putting the finishing touches on my new Udemy course on "AI for People Managers: Lead with confidence in an AI-enabled workplace". After working with hundreds of managers cautiously navigating AI integration, here's what I've learned: the future belongs to leaders who can thoughtfully blend AI capabilities with genuine human wisdom, connection, and compassion. Your people don't need you to be the AI expert in the room; they need you to be authentic, caring, and completely committed to their success. No technology can replicate that. And no technology SHOULD. The managers who are absolutely thriving aren't necessarily the most tech-savvy ones. They're the leaders who understand how to use AI strategically to amplify their existing strengths while keeping clear boundaries around what must stay authentically human: building trust, navigating emotions, making tough ethical calls, having meaningful conversations, and inspiring people to bring their best work. Here's the most important takeaway: as AI handles more routine tasks, your human leadership skills become MORE valuable, not less. The economic value of emotional intelligence, empathy, and relationship building skyrockets when machines take over the mundane stuff. Here are 7 principles for leading humans in an AI-enabled world: 1. Use AI to create more space for real human connection, not to avoid it 2. Don't let AI handle sensitive emotions, ethical decisions, or trust-building moments 3. Be transparent about your AI experiments while emphasizing that human judgment (that's you, my friend) drives your decisions 4. Help your people develop uniquely human skills that complement rather than compete with technology. (Let me know how I can help. This is my jam.) 5. Own your strategic decisions completely. Don't hide behind AI recommendations when things get tough 6. Build psychological safety so people feel supported through technological change, not threatened by it 7. Remember your core job hasn't changed. You're still in charge of helping people do their best work and grow in their careers AI is just a powerful new tool to help you do that job better, and to help your people do theirs better. Make sure it's the REAL you showing up as the leader you are. #AI #coaching #managers

AI transformation isn’t something leaders do to employees. It’s something we build with them. At its core, transformation is human. Employees need to feel like co-creators of change — not subjects of it. The most successful AI adoption stories we’ve seen at Microsoft share a common thread: people feel empowered, informed, and part of something meaningful.   As we reach the final step of the Frontier Playbook, here’s how leaders build the culture that carries transformation forward:   💡 Set a CEO tone that is real, inspiring, and clear. Employees want to understand why AI matters and what it will mean for the organization. Honest, grounded communication reduces uncertainty and helps people see their role in the journey.   💡 Connect AI to purpose and possibility. Change feels different when employees understand how AI strengthens the mission, improves experiences, and unlocks time for more meaningful work. Leaders who connect AI to purpose build trust and momentum.   💡 Shift managers from supervision to coaching and experimentation. Managers shape the daily experience of change. When they encourage testing, learning, and curiosity, they help teams build the habits and confidence needed to work differently. This is where continuous improvement becomes continuous experimentation.   💡 Empower employees as co-creators of new ways of working. People adopt what they help design. Involving employees in shaping how AI fits into their work builds ownership and makes new behaviors stick. It turns transformation into a shared journey rather than a top-down directive.   When leaders engage and inspire their workforce with clarity and authenticity, transformation becomes sustainable. People feel aligned, confident, and ready to lean into what AI can make possible for their work – and their growth.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐀𝐈 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝? In a world where AI is reshaping the landscape of work, I often get asked: "AI promises efficiency and productivity, but can it deliver a 'fulfilling culture' with purpose?". The answer isn't straightforward. It's a delicate balance, one where human values must guide technological advances. Here's how I see this work: 𝟏. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. As AI takes over routine tasks, we must focus on fostering relationships and truly ask "What role can I play working with others in augmenting results with AI?". Meaning and Purpose will be found through this reflection of human connections, not algorithms. 𝟐. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲. AI can provide data-driven insights, but humans must retain decision making and critical thinking power. Leaders must empower their teams to use AI insights to create meaningful outcomes through human connections. 𝟑. 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Encouraging discussions about AI's role and addressing fears and misconceptions openly will be key to find meaning to work. Not working in cylos but regularly updates on AI integrations and how it impacts work flows will only help deepen meaningful engagement. 𝟒. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐥𝐲. AI can inadvertently perpetuate biases. Ensuring diverse teams are involved in AI development and deployment is critical and we must make a conscious effort to do so. Creating systems that check for biases in AI outputs will be a must going forward for any work or workflow. 𝟓. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. In most organizations, there is not an aligned effort to do this but providing consistent training to upskill employees on AI and creating a culture where learning on AI is valued and mistakes are seen as growth opportunities will lead to higher engagement. Remember, it's not just about the technology. It's about using AI as a tool to #restore the human experiences at work. This is I wrote The Restored Organization with Sebastian Anthony, uncovering these aspects in detail through the FLOWER™ Framework, and to remind us on the value and impact of 'humanizing' workplaces that can drive results through purpose, empathy and inclusion. So, what steps are you taking to ensure AI restores more #purpose and #fulfilment at your workplaces?

As AI transforms the workplace, HR leaders are at the forefront of ensuring ethical implementation and human-centric practices. Here are critical areas we must address: a) Inclusion and Collaboration: Implement clear guidelines to ensure AI complements human roles rather than replacing them. Could you create a collaborative environment where humans and AI work synergistically? b) Bias Mitigation: Establish robust safeguards against algorithmic bias. This includes thoroughly vetting AI vendors and ensuring transparency in AI decision-making processes. c) Upskilling and Adaptation: We need to develop comprehensive training programs that empower employees to work effectively alongside AI. Let's promote a culture of continuous learning and technological adaptability. d) Ethical AI Use: Form an AI ethics committee to guide responsible AI adoption and usage across the organization. Develop and enforce clear ethical AI policies. e) Data Privacy and Security: Implement stringent data protection measures to safeguard employee information while leveraging AI benefits. Regular audits and updates to privacy policies are crucial. f) Performance Management Evolution: Rethink evaluation metrics and processes in AI-augmented workplaces to ensure fairness and accountability. g) Diversity and Inclusion: Harness AI to enhance diversity initiatives while implementing checks to prevent algorithmic discrimination. HR professionals have a unique opportunity to shape the future of work. One must proactively develop strategies that maximize AI's potential while prioritizing our workforce's well-being and growth. I'm eager to hear your thoughts: a) What challenges and innovative solutions are you encountering in your organizations regarding AI integration? b) How are you balancing technological advancement with maintaining a human-centric workplace? #FutureOfWork #AIEthics #HRTech #DigitalTransformation #EmployeeExperience #DigitalAgents #AIAgents #DigitalOrganization

In a world where AI announcements seem to drop every 15 minutes (seriously, it’s so hard to keep up), I've been reflecting on what actually matters beyond the hype. As a people leader navigating this landscape, I've learned that the challenge isn't just adopting AI tools quickly—it's adopting them thoughtfully. This is especially important at HubSpot, where helping our employees move faster helps our customers win faster. I'm seeing AI reshape not just what we do, but how we make decisions and prioritize our people. Here are some approaches that have worked well for us as we continue to test and learn: 1. Expedite access to AI tools and encourage experimentation. We're experimenting with the latest versions of Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, and more—providing teams access within hours of new releases, not weeks. This creates a culture of experimentation and keeps us ahead of the curve. 2. Foster knowledge-sharing. We've created dedicated channels where employees share their AI wins and habits. Our People team sends a weekly "MondAI" digest featuring different employee use cases that inspire others across the organization. 3. Prioritize leader enablement. We've built AI-first resources, starting with People Leaders who then cascade knowledge to their teams. This isn't just about tools—it's about developing judgment for when AI enhances human work and when human expertise should lead. 4. Seek external expertise. We regularly bring in experts from companies like Anthropic and Google to share insights with our teams. We've cultivated a culture of learn-it-alls, not know-it-alls. 5. Integrate AI into existing workflows. We're incorporating AI tools directly into team processes, focusing on high-impact, repetitive tasks first. Our AI support bot now handles over 35% of tickets while maintaining high customer satisfaction. The most exciting part? Watching our teams develop the discernment to make AI work harder for them, not the other way around. When people and technology make each other stronger—that's the sweet spot. Fellow people leaders: How are you balancing rapid AI adoption with thoughtful implementation that truly empowers your people? Other insights we can learn from?

Pairing teams and AI effectively is one of the most critical leadership opportunities of the next decade. Success won’t come from layering AI tools on top of existing systems. It will require thoughtful integration into real workflows, with a clear goal: empowering people to move faster, think more strategically, and deliver lasting impact. The future of work is one where AI and humans co-drive performance. Here are three strategies I believe will be key: ✔️ Let AI do the heavy lifting: Use it to triage, summarize, and surface patterns, then pass insights to humans for high-context decisions that move the business forward. ✔️ Start with high-impact roles: Embedding AI into areas like customer experience and sales creates fast feedback loops, measurable outcomes, and early wins that build crucial momentum. ✔️ Build smart handoffs: Design workflows where AI and humans stay connected through shared context, creating a loop that keeps people engaged, informed, and in control. The future of AI isn’t just technical. It’s organizational. And the leaders who get collaboration right will unlock unprecedented levels of clarity, velocity, and value. #AI #Collaboration #FutureOfWork