The Problem With AI Hype

Everyone’s talking about AI. Most of it’s hype.

This is about what works… how to actually bring AI into your business in a way that drives results. Not shiny tools. Not theory. A real strategy.

Why AI Fizzles Out in Most Orgs

Here’s what I see too often:

• No clear direction

• Leadership isn’t aligned

• Random tools being tried without a system

• People are told to “play with AI” without support

If there’s no strategy, there’s no traction.

Start With Strategy

AI doesn’t work without intent.

You need a real plan. Something that connects AI to your actual business outcomes. Think:

• Where are we wasting time?

• Where do we need better decisions?

• What workflows could be smarter?

And then ask: what would it look like if AI was just... part of how we think?

That’s your “organizational mind.”

Build the AI Ambassador Team

You don’t need more pilots - you need internal traction.

The AI Ambassador team is a cross-functional crew that:

• Picks the right tools

• Helps people use them safely

• Reviews new tool suggestions

• Shares what’s working across teams

They’re not just testers. They’re the ones who make AI stick.

5. Set Guardrails Early

People want to experiment. That’s good. But if there are no rules, it’s chaos.

You need:

• An AI usage policy (what’s allowed, what’s not)

• A vetted toolset (approved apps)

• A way for employees to suggest tools without going rogue

This lets you scale safely.

6. Real Use Cases That Are Working Now

Forget the future. Here’s what’s happening today:

Sales Enablement
Custom GPTs prep reps in seconds. Prospect summaries, objections, messaging - done fast.

Ops Automation
Smart forms, scheduling assistants, and call summaries with tasks baked in.

Training
AI coaches walk new hires through docs, tools, and common questions. Less confusion. Less support strain.

7. Strategy vs. Tools

You don’t need more tools. You need a better flow of intelligence.

There are four types of intelligence to think about:

1. Human Intelligence

This is your people - their experience, their instincts, their creativity. It’s the stuff AI can’t replicate easily. Think:

• A sales rep reading a prospect’s tone and pivoting

• A technician improvising in the field

• A team lead spotting tension before it becomes a problem

Your goal isn’t to replace this. It’s to amplify it by taking repetitive, low-impact work off their plate.

2. Synthetic Intelligence

This is what most people think of when they say "AI" - models like GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, etc.

Use it to:

• Generate content

• Analyze data

• Summarize information

• Give you ideas you wouldn’t have thought of

But only when it’s grounded in context and aligned to the job. Otherwise, it’s just noise.

3. Machine Intelligence

This is AI baked into physical systems - robots, IoT devices, RPA bots. Think:

• A sensor-triggered workflow in a manufacturing plant

• A smart device flagging a service issue before it happens

• Bots moving data between platforms behind the scenes

It’s not flashy, but it quietly powers a ton of modern operations.

4. Hybrid Intelligence

This is the future - and the present if you're doing it right.

It’s you and the AI working together:

• You give the vision, AI does the heavy lifting

• You direct, refine, and make the call

• You get augmented, not replaced

Hybrid is where leverage lives. It’s not about man vs. machine - it’s man with machine, done right.

The orgs winning right now are building systems that make those flow.

Where Most Companies Are Today

Here’s how it breaks down:

Laggards: Still debating if it’s safe
The Herd: Playing with ChatGPT and doing a few POCs
Elite: Dozens of tools live. Outcomes tracked. Quarterly iteration

Most orgs live in the middle. You don’t have to go elite overnight - but you do have to move.

Use These 3 Frameworks

These make AI adoption faster and less frustrating:

10-80-10
You start it → AI builds it → You verify. Don’t be afraid to refine and go back to step one and continue to set the vision. It’s an iterative process.

Mentor–Assistant–Critic
Let AI teach you, help you, then give feedback.

Director Mindset
You’re in charge. AI is your actor. Give it direction and don’t accept the first take.

How I Help

Most companies don’t need more AI features. They need a guide.

I start with leadership. We sit down and get aligned on goals, pressure points, and what’s already in motion. Then we roll out the right structure, train your people, and get results fast - without chaos.

If I’m the right fit, I’ll help. If I’m not, I’ll point you to someone who is.

Image: Business leader and AI sherpa mapping out a plan on a whiteboard marked “Strategy → Ambassadors → Tools → Results”.

One Last Thing

You’re not falling behind because of AI.
You’re falling behind because someone else is using it better.

Get clear. Get moving. Build something that lasts.

What kind of wins and learnings are you having with AI this week? Let me know: [email protected].

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Quote of the week: "Most things will start working again if you just unplug them for a bit and plug them back in, even you" - Unknown