by Jordan Harrod (Last Updated: July 21, 2025)
You know AI could help your team work more efficiently. You've seen the demos, read the case studies, maybe even had success with AI in your own work. But when you try to roll it out to your team, you're met with resistance, eye rolls, or worse - quiet compliance followed by people secretly not using the tools.
Sound familiar?
The problem isn't that your team hates innovation. The problem is that most AI implementations fail because they're designed around the technology, not around how people actually work.
Before we dive in, which of these sounds most like your situation? Click to jump to the relevant section:
I'm genuinely excited about AI and think it could transform our work
My boss/executives are pushing AI adoption and I need to make it work
I'm skeptical but willing to try if it actually helps my team
You've seen what AI can do and you're convinced it's the future. You want your team to embrace it as enthusiastically as you do.
Your enthusiasm is an asset, but it can also be a blind spot. When you're excited about a tool, it's easy to overlook its limitations or assume that what works for you will work for everyone.
You're leading with features, not problems: "Look at everything this AI can do!" instead of "This AI solves that specific annoying thing you deal with every Tuesday."