The Irresistible Vision of Change that Makes AI Transformation Possible

In business, the best approach to the status quo is improving it. But change is hard when that’s all your business knows. It’s human nature to normalize your baseline reality. To start imagining what change could look like, people need to be reminded it’s possible. 

Marketers who are educating themselves about AI right now are already aware that their own status quo could be better. If you have a clear vision, but you know you’re spending a lot of time on manual tasks, you’re probably looking at AI use cases to improve productivity. But adopting an AI pilot is a business initiative, not a transformation in itself. AI transformation demands its own strategy. An AI initiative needs responsible use guardrails – training, upskilling, a dedicated AI academy, a real vision of the future of work.  

As you scale beyond pilot projects, you’ll face resistance. People will worry that AI will eliminate jobs, devalue their expertise, or make more errors than humans. Others will question the costs and technical capabilities required to scale, or struggle to see clear ROI. These concerns aren’t unfounded—upskilling, training, and new technology are significant investments. The productivity gains from AI need to justify these expenses.  

AI Transformation Starts with Vision   

A lot of companies try to rush AI transformation before thinking through the strategy and AI framework. They make an assessment that the business isn’t efficient enough, and then they immediately switch to being dissatisfied with their status quo. They start worrying that their business will fall behind its competitors or even cease to exist in the coming years. But leading with fear creates resistance across the business, because it triggers people’s threat state. That inhibits people’s clear, long-term thinking. 

There’s an old saying about shipbuilding. If you want to build a ship, you don’t drum up the builders, gather the wood, divide the work, and then give orders. Instead, you want to teach the builders to yearn for the vast and endless sea. The desired vision is critical for outweighing business cost – and scaling AI to transform the business comes with real costs.  

Many organizations today approach AI with narrow, cost-focused objectives: “Let’s use AI to reduce cost and increase efficiency.” While these goals aren’t inherently wrong, they often fall short of unlocking AI’s transformative potential and may only deliver short-term gains, if any at all. 

The companies that get AI transformation right start with something much more powerful—a vision that inspires people. Look at how these well-known companies frame their purpose: 

• Microsoft: “To help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.” 
• Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.” 
• Habitat for Humanity: “A world where everyone has a decent place to live.” 
• Southwest Airlines: “To become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline.”

The vision serves as your company’s north star— shaping mission, strategy, investments, and culture. AI is not a vision in itself; it enables a greater vision. Imagine what each of these companies can now achieve against their aspirational goals because of AI’s capabilities. 

AI is the Catalyst for Imagining Bigger Possibilities 

AI transformation requires you to make change feel irresistible, not just desirable. Employees need to be inspired, and your vision must captivate their attention. This vision also has to sit at the core of what is authentic and truthful about your business, team, and individuals. Cause and conviction are pillars of change for the marketing team. Start with your greatest strengths, your values, and what establishes your authority as a change leader. More importantly, to people across all functions and levels of your business. From there, lean into conviction: identify your bold stances, non-negotiable beliefs, and what you want your business to be known for leading. 

Understanding what needs to be done to improve the experience at those touchpoints will then show us a roadmap for upskilling and training. Once you have an understanding of where you need to go, you can make a clear assessment of the skills you’ll need to get there. With AI, this entails:  

• Learning about responsible use and its importance on an organizational level.  
• Social prompting for audience insights, personalization, and data interpretation at the team level.  
• Exploring AI tools and prompts on the individual level and turning feedback into data experience KPIs instead of social KPIs, as it pertains to your own career path. 

The suggestion of change itself can feel foreign. But to resist AI-driven change is to miss the opportunities AI has given us as professionals. AI clears the way for a marketer with strong vision to lean into that vision, and to draw in colleagues from across the business who want to define and be part of what’s next, and what’s possible.