Can AI do this?
It’s a question I hear all the time. I’ve certainly asked it.
The answer is often yes. And even if your answer was no, three months from now the answer might be yes.
But the real question is a different question.
The most important question isn’t whether it can, but do we want it to?
Listen, I’m using AI every day. I’m a big fan. I’m using it carefully. I’m using it consciously. And I’m using it to use its strengths, not to weaken my strengths at the same time.
So I’ve got four questions I ask myself, and I urge you to ask yourself as a leader.
Should I Do This?
Not can it. Should it?
If it’s a pure task thing, then maybe that’s the right answer. But the more important work you have as a leader requires your wisdom. It requires nuance. It’s about important communication. It’s about relationships.
In most situations, AI might not be what you want to use solely in those cases.
What Does Success Look Like?
Start with the outcome, then pick the tool. Or see if a tool is really the right thing to use at all, once you know what success actually looks like.
What am I Giving Up by Letting AI Do the Work?
You may be giving up nuance. You may be giving up details, personality, preferences, long-term effectiveness.
And in trying to offload some of your cognitive load, you might be causing other challenges for yourself.
So what are you giving up if you let AI do the work?
How Can AI and I Do This Together?
You can use AI tools to help you think, to test your thinking, to see what you’ve missed.
That’s a good use of the tool.
If you ask those four questions, you’ll get a better and more complete answer. One that you can live with and lead with.
You Own the Result
Most importantly, remember this: however amazing we see AI as being, you own the result.
Your name is on what AI produces.
You need to make sure your judgment stays in the loop, and that you’re not losing what’s you in the process.
An Organizational Thought
I’ve been asking these questions for you personally. Here’s one for organizations.
Organizations that train people on how to use AI end up with a list of tools.
But organizations that help leaders build judgment, to know when and how to use AI, will get the results they’re hoping for.
There are plenty of questions about when and how to use AI. Ask the right ones and you will get better answers you can be more confident about.
0 comments