There’s nothing quite like bringing IT, operations, and business leaders into the same room to talk honestly about what it really takes to prepare an organization for AI. The conversation at our recent lunch-and-learn session was grounded, practical, and in many ways, refreshing.
AI has been surrounded by hype for years, but what leaders want now is clarity: Where should we start? What does readiness actually look like? How do we create meaningful impact without turning everything upside down?
Drawing on the insights shared in the session and the research-backed framework from our AI Readiness for Businesses workshop, here’s a recap of the themes that seemed to resonate most with attendees.
1. The AI Landscape Is Busy, But Measured Progress Wins
Yes, adoption is rising. But transformation requires more than experimenting with tools. Many organizations have dipped their toe in the water, but very few have seen meaningful ROI.
What we discussed (and what leaders strongly agreed on) is that the businesses making real progress aren’t the ones trying to reinvent everything at once. They’re the ones starting with one workflow, proving value, and building from there.
2. Small Wins Add Up to Major Results
One of the biggest takeaways from the session was this – AI success compounds.
A single automated workflow may save minutes. Add a second and a third, and suddenly teams regain hours each week. Over months, those small wins stack up into measurable gains in productivity, capacity, and service levels.
The deck highlighted several practical examples, from document automation to customer interactions that demonstrated how repetitive tasks are often the quickest path to value.
3. Readiness Matters More Than Tools
A theme echoed throughout the discussion, which is that AI only works when the organization is ready for it.
To make AI sustainable, leaders need clarity on:
Workflow integration
AI has to plug into existing systems, not work as a separate process.Data quality and governance
Without the right guardrails, risk increases quickly.Frontline adoption
Early “power users” often drive the biggest gains.Clear metrics
Success must be measured by business outcomes, not flashy demos.
These key pillars of the lunch and learn formed the backbone of the session’s conversation.
4. Shadow AI Is Already Here, The Goal Is to Harness It Safely
We also talked about the rise of “shadow AI”, employees using personal ChatGPT or other tools unofficially to speed up their work. It’s happening in nearly every organization, often with more impact than the tools officially deployed.
Instead of shutting this down, leaders discussed how to channel it safely with governance, training, and secure, approved systems.
5. Start Small, Start Smart and Build Your AI Muscle
Leaders left the session aligned on one core point: your first AI project shouldn’t be the biggest, most ambitious transformation. It should be the one that’s easiest to integrate, easiest to measure, and easiest to build on.
That’s how real, sustainable AI capability develops.
Want to Join the Next Session?
We’re running another session in January, diving deep into the practical steps leaders can take to build AI readiness across their organization.
