AI is dominating conversations in boardrooms and team meetings alike. But the questions being asked often depend on the role someone plays. A CEO might ask: How will AI create shareholder value? A manager might wonder: Will it free up time to focus on priorities or just add to the to-do list? An employee might fear: Will it replace my job or will it help my career?
These varied perspectives underline a truth: the impact of AI will be different for everyone depending on their personal circumstance. And that’s exactly why change management matters.
AI adoption is change management
Like any transformational shift – whether the arrival of email, the rise of apps, or major organisational restructures – AI requires more than technology. Success depends on how people are engaged, supported, and empowered to shape what comes next.
The scale of AI adoption may feel unprecedented, but the principle remains familiar: people are more likely to embrace change when they have a role in co-designing it. After all every change involves people shifting behaviours and ways of working from whatever their start point A, to the next destination B.
Building trust and ownership through co-design is not new
In the excellent article in McKinsey Insights, Erik Roth argues that leaders need to deploy a novel change management approach that encourages employees to become “AI accelerators” by defining outcomes, building trust in the technology, and involving people in co-designing workflows. I totally agree, this is spot on.
The only difference – my take is this is not necessarily a new or novel approach. We know from the growing professionalism of Change Management over the last decade that when organisations involve people in designing change in this way, the results are far more likely to last.
This approach is at the heart of the success of the Change Awards which were launched 4 years ago and which I am delighted to be Head Judge for this coming year. We will continue to champion and celebrate innovative use of change management skills.
Take the next step
If your organisation is exploring how to adopt AI, now is the perfect time to invest in building change capability.
That means creating local cohorts of change experts (at all levels) who not only deliver today’s initiatives but also sustain the organisation’s ability to adapt tomorrow. But they must operate across formal team structures and hierarchies to reflect the more complex nature of organisational networks.
This is not just theory. Done well, change management already uses data and feedback loops to test progress, adapt approaches, and deliver measurable returns. Organisations that invest now in this people-led change capability across leaders, managers and employees will not only accelerate AI adoption but also gain a lasting advantage in every transformation to come.
Our ethos at Bespoke Change
At Bespoke Change, we have focused for the last decade on embedding long-term change management capability within organisations while addressing immediate business needs. We help build this organisational “muscle” for change – equipping employees, managers, and leaders with skills to co-design and embed transformation.
Get in touch: help@bespokechange.co.uk
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*This article was written by me and improved (I hope) with the help of AI.*