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How To Easily Assess Your AI Readiness For Work
Ross Stevenson
April 02, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes
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Today’s Thoughts ☠️
Ahoy there 👋,
The sun has finally reached the misty shores of my homeland.
As a resident of the UK, I love nothing more than to talk about the weather. It’s our ultimate conversation starter and killer. It’s certainly one of my meta-skills.
I’m super excited about todays edition.
Which (if you’ve met me irl) is saying something because I’m a pretty stoic guy. I spend too much time doom-scrolling LinkedIn on AI posts. Everyone and their cat is an AI strategist it seems.
You know I have an infatuation with AI for learning and performance.
Yet, I’m aware many of you are lost in the tsunami of AI today. My goal over the past 18 months has been, and will continue to be, making sense of this for you.
This leads me to today’s creation - The Gen AI Readiness Model.
A simple tool to help you know where you’re today and how you can improve. It can be used both for L&D and lots more industries.
Today, we’ll explore this model, how to use it and how you can graduate to different levels with a step by step guide.
Get your tea or beverage of choice ready, 🍵.
We've got lots to discuss!
→ Much love to today’s sponsor, WeSchool ❤️
In today’s chat👇
Est reading time: 8 mins
TOGETHER WITH WESCHOOL
Want to learn how to build human-centric learning experiences with the power of AI?
Of course you do!
Well, I’ve got good news for you. The folks at WeSchool have launched “Teaching Humans”, to empower L&D pros in designing human-centric experiences in the age of AI.
You’ll get to work with me as your AI teacher, plus a whole host of L&D leaders.
Get access to all of this for free ↓
THE BIG THOUGHT
How To Easily Assess Your AI Readiness
Ta-dah
Generative AI is everything, everywhere, all at once.
It can be confusing.
Cutting through the chaos to get to what’s practical and meaningful is not easy. It can be simple but not always easy.
A good place to start with navigating the chaos is getting clear on where you are today.
→ That’s where the Generative AI readiness model comes in.
It’s designed to help you know where you stand today and what you can do to improve your readiness. You can use this both in and out of the L&D world.
This post is broken down into 3 stages:
Unpacking the Gen AI Readiness model and your place on it
How to move to the next level of readiness with key indicators and actions
A 6-step process to improve your Gen AI readiness (teams and individuals)
Are you?
The Generative AI readiness model: Where are you?
Ok. Time to get clear on where you are today.
I’m 99% certain as of 2024, you’d do well just to reach ‘Awareness’.
The forward thinking teams and individuals will be aiming for ‘Exploration’. Everyone is still figuring this out. Take your time at the ‘Awareness’ stage.
Phase 1: Awareness
You recognise the importance of Gen AI but have limited understanding or practical experience. Here, the focus is on building basic knowledge about what AI is, its potential benefits, and the various technologies involved.
Phase 2: Exploration
You actively engage with AI concepts through learning and experimentation.
You may start small-scale pilot projects or experiments to understand how AI can be applied to their processes or products.
Phase 3: Adoption
This signifies a commitment to integrating AI into organisational processes or products. At this level, there is a good understanding of AI, and it's being actively used to enhance operations, decision-making, or customer experiences.
Phase 4: Scaling
You’re fully prepared to integrate and scale AI solutions.
This means having the technical capabilities, strategic alignment, and organisational culture to support AI at scale.
That way, friend
How to reach the next level
Your Generative AI maturity won’t be fixed.
The way this technology advances, I’ve no doubt we’ll be swinging back and forth through the levels.
Like with the above. I believe the sweet spot for the next 18 months is in ‘Exploration’. Each level is broken down into two sections of ‘Key Indicators’ and “Actions”.
→ Indicators = the behaviours that should be displayed
→ Actions = the activities you/and your team are engaged with
1. Awareness
Key Indicators:
Curiosity about AI
Basic awareness of AI technologies and their potential impact
Initial discussions about AI opportunities.
Key Actions:
Attending introductory workshops, webinars, and consuming educational content on applied Gen AI fundamentals for work.
2. Exploration
Key Indicators:
Engagement in AI education programs
Experimentation with AI tools and platforms in workflow
Assessment of AI applications relevant to the organisation's context
Key Actions:
Participating in active upskilling
Experimenting with AI tools in controlled projects
Beginning to integrate AI into select processes for testing and learning
A commitment to build foundational knowledge and skills
Exploring AI use cases, and understanding the resources required for meaningful Gen AI initiatives
3. Adoption
Key Indicators:
Development of a Gen AI learning strategy
Data readiness assessment
Established AI governance practices
Live initiation of pilot projects.
Key Actions:
Implementing AI solutions across various business areas
Investing in more advanced training for teams
Establishing best practices for AI governance and ethical use
4. Scaling
Key Indicators:
Proven Gen AI pilot projects
Established Gen AI best practices
Scalable GenAI infrastructure
High-performing Gen AI upskilling programmes
Key Actions:
You innovate with AI to improve employee performance
You freely share knowledge across the company
You focus on continuous improvement and the development of impactful Gen AI capabilities.
The 6- step process to improve your Generative AI readiness
Applying Gen AI tools intelligently is more than tech skills. It’s a blend of human and tech know-how.
If you’re not happy with where you are.
Let’s break down 6 simple steps to change that:
1. Check yourself
First things first, let's talk about a little self-reflection.
No, not the kind you'd post on Instagram, but rather a skills check.
Think wider than tech – how's the team with change, solving problems, getting creative etc? Get clear on the culture.
→ What is the level of GEN AI knowledge today?
You can’t figure out where to go if you don’t know your starting point. They say learning is about recognising your limitations today. So, it’s time to get some clarity.
⚒️ Tools + Resources:
Find your place (and your teams) on the AI readiness model
2. Spot the opportunities
Where can AI really enhance work for you?
No gimmicks.
Identify the tasks that could benefit. Always think problem-first, never tool-first.
Your north star should be meaningful and impactful enhancements. This needs to align to your context. Where a huge corporation might find little use with AI support in business writing. A one person team could be transformed by it.
Context matters.
⚒️ Tools + Resources:
AI Copilots powering the future of performance
3 ways to work smarter with AI in L&D
How Gen AI tools are enhancing employee performance: 10 Insightful charts
The data is clear: Conversational AI tools are improving skills at speed
3. Explore the field
Curious about how other folks are doing things?
It’s natural.
If you’ve got a good network in your industry, reach out to others. I guarantee they’re thinking the same thing. You could create a small community to build your knowledge.
We might be talking about AI. But the present and future is always human powered.
⚒️ Tools + Resources
How BHP used ChatGPT to improve its leadership framework
Why McKinsey created an LLM to give employees and customers access to thousands of reports
5 early adopters of Generative AI at work
4. Find the gaps
Reflecting back on our skills check, let's identify what’s missing.
Is your team up to speed on AI basics? You can't master these tools without understanding the basics.
Plus, nobody wants to be that person who pretends to know what they’re doing but doesn’t, right?
⚒️ Tools + Resources:
Delve into the AI Readiness model again - where is your team today?
How to craft an intelligent strategy for Gen AI collaboration
The 5-step ‘make me AI confident’ learning strategy
5. Pick your battles
Put your focus where it counts.
Gen AI tools are not a saviour. Some gaps matter more than others, so choose wisely where to invest your energy.
⚒️ Tools + Resources:
The Gen AI tools vs task assessment
6. Map it out
A goal without a plan means nothing.
Plan your move.
A clear upskilling strategy will take your team from AI newbies to pros quicker than you think.
⚒️ Tools + Resources
How to create a impactful Gen AI upskilling programme thats meaningful
Final Thoughts
There you have it, friend.
Your personal strategy to becoming ready for Generative AI at work.
Get clear on where you are today
Scale at your own pace with intelligent moves
Don’t stand still
If you’re reading this and thinking “I want to become AI confident”.
I can help you with that. Learn more about my no-fluff AI upskilling services for Business (or please recommend me to a friend 😉).
I hope this helps.
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SMART THOUGHTS
Stuff that caught my eye this week.
🤔 Free Event: Intro to Generative AI for beginners
You've no doubt heard the word AI a hundred times in the last month. Despite this, very few people know the fundamentals of this tech.
If that sounds like you, then join me for a tour of:
Generative AI simplified
What you need to know
Being confident with AI and selecting the right tool for the job
This session will not be recorded! Make sure to be here to get all the goodies.
💡 Learn how to create sexy data viz like the Economist
I’m a sucker for a good-looking data visualisation.
Whilst I’m not an avid or even semi-regular reader for anything from the economist. I’ve long admired their minimalist but striking approach to data viz.
You too can learn how to do this in under 20 minutes.
🔥 Cornerstone acquires AR & VR Firm Talespin
I believe this could be a smart move in the years to come.
Despite all the AI hype. We have plenty more tech in line to define the future of work and learning. Talespin is a leading player in the XR space (AR & VR tech).
They boast a who’s who of customers including: Amazon, PWC and Meta.
Positioning VR with Generative AI feels like a no brainer. We might laugh at those oversized ski-goggles to access other digital dimensions today. But, who knows. Perhaps, they will have the last laugh.
Join the conversation