3| Sticks to what already works

What’s happening?

People default to familiar workflows, avoiding AI unless absolutely necessary. They see no urgent reason to change and worry new tools will disrupt efficiency.

A procurement team refuses to use AI task planning software, sticking to spreadsheets and manual approvals because “it’s always worked fine.”

How to Spot This in Your Team

🔎 How to spot it

Check off the signs you’ve seen to get your next move:

People say:

“We already have a system that works.”
“I trust my process more than an algorithm.”
“Let’s wait until it’s absolutely necessary.”

Other signs:

AI was introduced, but nothing shifted.
Training covers old processes, but not AI-powered workflows.
Leadership approves AI, but there aren’t any incentives, expectations, or follow-ups.

AI Hesitation Profile Finder

Who’s hesitating?

🅰 What’s Happening?

Keeps AI at a safe distance. AI is allowed but only in low-risk areas—never where it could change how work gets done.
Waits until there’s no other choice. Sticks with the old way until change is forced.
Trusts experience over automation. Prefers tried-and-true methods over AI suggestions.

Your hesitation profile

What's driving them?

[Short explanation]

Try today:

[Tactical action to take immediately]

Quick Wins – Pick One & Take Action!

Quick wins

Choose one quick win to start breaking the “wait and see” cycle.

📍 Best for: Leaders, Teams

Find the biggest workflow pain points and get teams to spot their own inefficiencies, then use AI where it hurts most.

What to do:

Run a quick team huddle. Ask: "What’s the most annoying part of your workflow?"
Map the top 3 slowest steps. (E.g., "Where do we waste the most time every week?")
Match an AI tool to one of these. (Start small. One fix at a time.)

Try this prompt:

"List 5 common bottlenecks in [your industry/workflow] and how AI can help fix them."

📍 Best for: Leaders, Businesses

What to do:

Pick one key company goal (e.g., "Improve customer response times.")
Show how AI supports it (e.g., "An AI chatbot could reduce email backlogs by 40%.")
Make AI use a KPI (e.g., "Teams using AI successfully see it reflected in their performance reviews.")

Try this prompt:

"We do [our product or service]. Translate [a very specific business goal] into three specific AI-driven improvements at the [team / focus] level. Keep it simple and ROI-focused."

📍 Best for: Leaders, Teams, Individuals

What to do:

Spotlight early adopters. (E.g., "Here’s how [colleague/team] is saving 5 hours a week using AI.")
Frame AI as a career boost. (E.g., "People who know how to use AI today will be ahead in 2 years.")
Run an internal ‘AI Skills Sprint’. (Short, hands-on sessions showing how AI improves their work.)

Try this prompt:

"What are three AI skills that will give me an advantage in [my industry] over the next 2 years?"