{"id":91894,"date":"2026-02-16T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/?p=91894"},"modified":"2026-02-16T09:41:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:41:42","slug":"ai-adoption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2026\/02\/16\/ai-adoption\/","title":{"rendered":"A step-by-step approach to AI adoption for your company"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AI<\/p>\n

Most AI initiatives don\u2019t fail because of bad models or weak vendors. They fail because people quietly opt out — by ignoring the tools, undermining the effort, or waiting it out. This post teaches you how to prevent that.<\/p>\n

Almost every company makes the mistake of thinking that AI adoption is about investing in technology. That’s the easy part. You can make technology do whatever you want. But you can’t make people do whatever you want. In fact, most humans resist change. The focus must be on people, first and foremost.<\/p>\n

I have a master’s degree in organizational development and led technology change efforts at a Fortune 100 company for nearly a decade. Here are lessons I learned from the (many) bumps I’ve had along the way.<\/p>\n

The big assumption<\/h2>\n

This post is not about creating a business case for AI. This post is to help you AFTER your leadership team is onboard, the strategy is in place, and the money and resources are approved.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0Wharton study<\/a> concluded that three-quarters of the businesses were getting a positive return on their AI investments. Businesses typically take decades to successfully deploy new technologies. Progress after just three years is striking. As AI continues to improve and workers become more adept at collaborating with machines, the gains will compound. Over a billion people use generative AI models every month. Not all uses are productive, but many will be.<\/p>\n

The key is getting people to use it.<\/p>\n

Let’s get those people moving …<\/p>\n

1. There’s no such thing as a grassroots AI adoption effort<\/h2>\n

If you’re trying to enable a profound technological change in your company, it won’t happen just because you want it to. This project must be understood and actively supported by the senior executive who owns the AI adoption strategy and budget.<\/p>\n

This is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

Every technology adoption effort comes with frustrations, delays, and problems. You must be able to turn to a high-ranking person for support when the sh*t hits the fan. This is your “air cover.”<\/p>\n

In a small company, this sponsor\/protector may be the owner. Or, it could be a department head in a large company. But the person at the top must buy in because this is not simply an investment — it’s a cultural change. And only the leader at the top can influence culture.<\/p>\n

2. Show active sponsorship<\/h2>\n

\"100Once your leadership is onboard, they need to show up and let people know this is a critical business effort in three ways:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Make AI adoption part of annual goals tied to bonuses and compensation.<\/li>\n
  2. Ask questions about progress and adoption in every staff meeting. One business owner asks anyone who comes to him with a problem whether they’ve tried using AI to solve it first. Using AI as a default has now become part of the company culture.<\/li>\n
  3. Repeatedly emphasize why this is important to the business. In my corporate days, we used to have a saying that an executive had to hear something seven times before it sank in.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    3. Don’t name it<\/h2>\n

    Don’t make AI adoption a “project” with a name.<\/p>\n

    If your effort has a name like “AI Future,” it becomes a target for derision. A project with a name makes people think it is a short-term management fantasy that will eventually go away.<\/p>\n

    When manufacturing locations first introduced electricity to the workplace, they didn’t call it “Operation Lights On.” They just did it because it moved them into the future.<\/p>\n

    4. Assign an SPA<\/h2>\n

    AI adoption is a team sport.<\/p>\n

    And like any team sport, progress breaks down when everyone\u2019s chasing the ball, but no one knows their position. But when positions are clear, people stop guessing, and they know how AI fits into their work and how their work fits into the larger system.<\/p>\n

    Coordination is what turns AI from a collection of half-used, misused, or abandoned projects into something that actually works and makes a difference.<\/p>\n

    And that requires a manager. Every change management effort must have a single point of accountability (SPA). This is the person who lives and breathes this effort every day. Their career depends on success.<\/p>\n

    Back when social media was taking off, a common mistake was assigning “Jimmy from the mailroom” to lead the effort because he was the only person on Facebook. Of course, that was a recipe for disaster.<\/p>\n

    The ideal SPA is somebody who deserves more responsibility, is trusted, and is ready for a new role. They will be motivated to succeed because they know a promotion is likely next.<\/p>\n

    I find that 90% of the time, a change effort fails because there was no SPA.<\/p>\n

    5. Acknowledge the fear<\/h2>\n

    Bringing AI into an organization might cause real fear among employees. It could represent<\/p>\n