General Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has made tremendous progress in understanding the world around us. The technology is rapidly changing how we do things, and many organisations are trying to figure out how to adopt it in their day-to-day operations.
However, some employees in your company are secretly ahead of the game. As IT leaders struggle to keep up with this rapidly evolving landscape and assess GenAI risks, a growing faction of underground enthusiasts has already hatched plans to reap the benefits of this advanced technology.
This raises several questions, such as: How do you find and harness this collective genius? What can they teach the rest of the company about thriving in a post-digitisation era? And, more importantly, how can CIOs collaborate with them to elevate the entire business?
Here are three strategies to identify and integrate the GenAI early adopters in your company.
1. Create a Clear Vision for AI in the Organisation
To find the early adopters of GenAI, start by clearly communicating the vision of AI in the company. Share your goals and expectations with all employees through training sessions, workshops, or even internal newsletters. Explain how AI can positively impact the company and identify departments that could stand to benefit the most.
A clear vision fosters excitement, reducing the chances of employees going it alone, thus making it easier for IT departments to identify the early adopters.
2. Encourage Collaboration with Incentives
Organise cross-functional GenAI brainstorming sessions where people can collaborate, share ideas, and provide experience feedback. Be transparent about potential pitfalls and consequences of unguided adoption – but also acknowledge that sometimes the most groundbreaking innovations stem from unconventional problem-solving.
There are various incentives that organisations can use to promote collaboration and stimulate meaningful discussions. For instance, issuing 'GenAI certifications', offering additional 'innovation' bonuses, or allowing extra time for 'personal AI projects', can encourage early adopters to participate in the discussions.
3. Establish Feedback Mechanisms
Lastly, set up mechanisms for effective feedback. This helps determine which ideas are worth scaling across the organisation and also spot the underground early adopters of GenAI. Let people get first-hand experience with the latest AI applications and make themselves heard – company-wide discussion forums, suggestion boxes and feedback programs will serve the purpose well.
As CIO, IT leaders must seize this chance to steer innovation ahead – tap into underground talent and translate it into mainstream success.