WHEN EVERYONE HAS AI, WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?
WHEN AI MAKES EVERY ORGANISATION MORE CAPABLE, WHAT WILL MAKE ONE ORGANISATION MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN ANOTHER?
THE GREAT AI RACE
Today, organisations are investing enormous amounts of money in sophisticated AI innovation at the centre of their growth strategies.
As we all know, AI is raising the baseline capability of organisations. It analyses enormous quantities of information, accelerates research, automates routine work, generates ideas, solves complex problems and makes expertise available on an unprecedented scale — driving greater efficiency, better decisions, faster innovation and entirely new commercial opportunities.
Organisations that deploy AI successfully will gain significant competitive advantages.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THE SAME TECHNOLOGY?
As sophisticated AI becomes an integral part of how organisations operate, and businesses become increasingly efficient and intelligent, access to AI capability alone may no longer be enough to differentiate one business from another.
The technology may be exceptional.
The processes may be efficient.
The information may be comprehensive.
The recommendations may be intelligent.
But AI capability alone does not guarantee business results.
BECAUSE SOMEBODY STILL HAS TO TURN UP AND TRANSLATE ALL THAT CAPABILITY INTO BUSINESS RESULTS.
And that’s where the conversation becomes interesting.
AI CAN PROVIDE THE INTELLIGENCE. PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO DELIVER THE PERFORMANCE.
AI can help a salesperson understand a customer’s business and prepare a compelling commercial proposition.
But the salesperson must still build confidence, recognise resistance, respond to unexpected objections and persuade the customer to act.
AI can help a leader understand organisational challenges, model possible outcomes and develop a dynamic strategy for change.
But the leader must still stand in front of anxious people, recognise their concerns and then inspire them to believe, to commit and to act.
AI can help a technical expert analyse complex information and develop an exceptionally well-informed recommendation.
But the expert must still explain that recommendation to people who may not share their knowledge or agree with their conclusions.
No matter how much AI enhances the development and delivery of a great product or service, organisations will still need professionals who can communicate their expertise, build trust, nurture relationships, influence decisions and inspire people to act.
Businesses will rely on the situational intelligence humans excel at to navigate complexity, uncertainty, competing objectives, emotional responses and unexpected challenges.
Professionals must read the situation, exercise judgement and adapt their behaviour to achieve the outcome they need — especially when difficult and changing situations don’t unfold as expected.
THE NEXT COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
As businesses maximise their use of AI and become increasingly efficient and intelligent, the difference between organisations may increasingly depend on what their people actually do with that capability.
Or more precisely, how they perform in the critical situations that can change the result.
EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE MAY BECOME AN EVEN GREATER SOURCE OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.
AI CREATES NEW CAPABILITY AND COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL.
PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE TURNS THAT POTENTIAL INTO BUSINESS VALUE.
The opportunity is not to choose between artificial intelligence and human performance. It is to make the most of both.
AI doesn’t remove the need for exceptional professional performance. In many ways, it makes exceptional performance even more important and valuable.
So perhaps the AI era presents organisations with two defining competitive questions:
HOW INTELLIGENT IS YOUR TECHNOLOGY?
HOW EXCEPTIONALLY DO YOUR PEOPLE PERFORM?