Boosting AI Engagement - One Organisation's Journey

Did you know that the success of AI implementation is largely dependent on organisational adaptation, not the AI itself? The following case study reveals that comprehensive training and strategic change management are critical in driving AI engagement and realising business benefits.

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Case Study

In 2023, a progressive Professional Services firm (and client of @propella.ai) integrated a custom AI assistant into their operations. Despite initial low utilisation, the firm's long-term strategic approach has led to significant adoption levels of the AI assistant, particularly over the past 2 months. This case study delves into the challenges faced, the initiatives carried out, and the resulting improvements in AI adoption within the firm.

Background Information

This Australian professional services firm (and client of propella.ai) took a significant step towards digital transformation in 2023 by integrating multiple AI solutions into its daily operations. A custom AI assistant (a private and secure ChatGPT if you will) was among the tools deployed, and was designed to provide secure, industry-specific information, aiming to enhance employee productivity and output accuracy.

The Problem

Despite the powerful capabilities of the AI assistant, initial employee engagement was unexpectedly low. Utilisation metrics highlighted that employees were not using the AI tool, indicating shortcomings in the initial implementation and adoption strategy.

Importance

Effective AI adoption is essential for maintaining a competitive edge by improving employee productivity and the work quality. Addressing the initial usage gap was crucial to fully leverage the AI investment and achieve intended business outcomes, so the firm set out to increase levels of AI adoption.

Objectives of AI Adoption Initiative

-         Increase employee engagement with the AI assistant.

-         Improve overall AI tool utilisation within the firm.

-         Demonstrate AI's benefits in enhancing job efficiency and accuracy.

-         Promote a supportive culture for AI adoption through training and recognition initiatives.

The Story

Mid-2023 marked the integration of a custom AI assistant within the firm, by propella.ai. The Assistant was designed to assist employees by providing industry-specific accurate and timely information, performing analysis, and streamlining various tasks to improve overall workflow efficiency, all without compromising security. The Assistant was given name and appearance, establishing it as a recognisable brand.

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We assumed that employees would naturally want to use their new AI Assistant because of these significant benefits. This access would not only boost their efficiency but also enhance the accuracy of their output. In short, these tools enable employees to complete more work in less time while maintaining a higher standard of precision.

However, contrary to initial expectations, early usage data showed poor engagement with the AI assistant. Despite its functional advantages, employees were not utilising the tool, suggesting gaps in understanding and effective adoption strategies.

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We continued to make improvements to this tool promoting them to staff each time, however there was still minimal uptake in usage throughout the back end of 2023 and first quarter of 2024 as can be seen above.

Strategic Response

To tackle these challenges, the firm introduced weekly, optional training sessions (run by propella.ai), to educate employees on how to effectively use the AI Assistant and other AI platform in their daily tasks. They also decided to create a real persona around their Assistant, so it would become “part of the team”  The first session, held on September 3rd, 2024, saw overwhelming attendance and positive feedback.  We have held these sessions at the firm every Tuesday since.

Outcomes

Since week 1, there has been standing room only at all training. We have had extensive positive feedback and most importantly, this has marked the beginning of a substantial uptick in usage of the tool, more than doubling from August to September, with continued growth through October as can be seen below

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In terms of topics, these sessions cover all sorts of possible use cases that employees might find useful, as well as some division-specific ideas revealing how this AI Assistant can improve the quality and quantity of work completed. We also cover risks and compliance issues, as well as reviews of usage metrics and leaderboard recognition, which has encouraged healthy competition, motivating employees to further engage with the AI.

Lessons Learnt from this client Experience

This firm's journey highlights the critical need for not just implementing AI technology,but also investing in comprehensive training and change management initiatives.

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Now, let’s explore strategies to help you achieve similar AI adoption success as this professional services firm.

Strategies to Encourage Your Team to Embrace AI in the Workplace

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In today's rapidly-evolving business environment, AI has emerged as a significant driver of change. From automating routine tasks to providing insightful data analytics and enhancing customer engagement, AI offers countless benefits for businesses. However, a common challenge organisations face is ensuring that staff engage with AI effectively, safely, and ethically, while aligning these interactions with the organisation's strategic goals.

Staying competitive and realising the full benefits of AI requires true engagement from your team. This journey— from implementation to adoption to full integration—often involves overcoming several challenges. Let's take a look at some strategies to help your staff trust, use, and finally embrace AI in their daily operations.

Understanding Resistance to AI

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Before discussing strategies, it's important to understand why some employees may resist AI:

Fear of Job Loss: Concerns about AI and automation potentially replacing jobs or reducing the workforce are common.

Lack of Understanding: AI’s complexity can be daunting, leading to resistance due to fear of the unknown.

Surveillance Concerns: AI implementations can sometimes result in increased monitoring, which may be perceived as intrusive.

Resistance to Change: Established routines and methods create comfort zones, making change difficult.

Skill Gap: Employees might feel they lack the necessary skills to work effectively with AI technologies.

Trust Issues: There may be a lack of trust in the accuracy, fairness, and reliability of AI systems.

Ethical Concerns: Some employees might have concerns regarding privacy, data security, or the decision-making processes involved with AI.

Disruption to Routine: AI implementation often requires changes to established work processes, leading to resistance.

‍Some Ideas on How to Boost AI Engagement

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Effective AI Integration entails more than just deploying AI tools within the workplace. To ensure successful AI integration, consider the following strategies:

1. Prioritise Education and Training

Comprehensive Training Programs: Educate employees about AI, its benefits, and applications through structured training programs. Interactive sessions, webinars, and hands-on workshops are particularly effective.

• Start from the Basics: Begin with basic, foundational concepts to ensure no one is left behind.
• Simplify Content: Keep sessions un-technical to avoid overwhelming those without a technical background.
• Convenient Scheduling: Schedule sessions at convenient times to maximise attendance.
• Engaging Sessions: Ensure sessions are light-hearted and engaging, with relevant demonstrations.

 Top Tip: Live demonstrations and in-person training enhance effectiveness by providing real-time Q&A opportunities and showcasing AI’s practical benefits. Use diverse,industry-specific examples and gather feedback to continually improve these sessions.

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2. Communicate the Benefits Clearly

Highlight Gains -Clearly explain how AI can streamline work processes, enhance output quality, and significantly boost productivity. Emphasise the time-saving aspects and opportunities for role enhancement.

Transparency - Address fears and misconceptions directly with transparent communication about AI's role in the company.

Top Tip: Focus on how AI can enhance work and improve output quality, rather than replacing jobs. Highlight the increased efficiency and potential for employees to excel in their roles with AI support.

3. Give your AI Assistant a Persona

Allows employees to get to know your AI Assistant by giving it a name, a look and feel and should become like another employee on your team. Giving your AI Assistant a persona can help employees feel more comfortable and familiar with the technology.

Top Tip: The persona should be a cool kind of character that everyone loves and can trust

4. Foster a Collaborative AI Adoption Culture

Engage Employees Early - Involve employees in the AI adoption process from the start. Collect their input,address their concerns, and make them feel integral to the journey.

Create AI Champions - Identify and train enthusiastic employees to act as AI champions, providing peer support and encouragement to others. Recognize and celebrate the successes of those who engage with AI tools.

Incentivise and Gamify Participation - Develop an “AI Adoption Leaderboard” to encourage healthy competition and gamify the adoption process. If feasible, offer incentives such as bonuses or professional development opportunities to active users. Below is an example of the employee leaderboard at the firm

In addition to overall chats over time, other interesting usage metrics are also available including:

-         Divisional usage,

-         Specific Assistant usage,

-         Age group usage,

-         Uptake by Role

-         A variety leaderboards

5. Leverage Change Management Techniques

Phased Approach - Gradually introduce AI technologies, starting with pilot programs and scaling up as familiarity and comfort increase.

Continuous Support - Establish a support system with resources like an AI help desk or access to expert advisors to assist employees during the transition.

Top Tip - Start by teaching staff simple AI techniques and tools, possibly with assistance from external experts likepropella.ai.

6. Recognise and Reward Engagement

Acknowledge Efforts - Recognise and reward employees who actively engage with AI tools, showcasing their positive outcomes to motivate others.

Offer Incentives - Provide bonuses or professional development opportunities to employees who promote and use AI solutions.

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Conclusion

Embracing AI within an organisation isn't just about implementing new technology; it's about creating a substantial cultural shift, which can be challenging. The training and change management aspects are as crucial as the AI implementation itself. If employees don’t know how to use the technology, the technology alone will not improve business outcomes. However, implementation of the right AI tools for your organisation coupled with training and change management techniques can ensure firms will thrive with these new AI technologies.

To learn more about the AI Implementation and Training Services propella offer contact us today.