Go Positive if You Want AI Strategy Success

As a LinkedIn Editorial Top Voice, thought leader, author, educator, strategy facilitator, and training practitioner, I write a weekly article that benefits existing and emerging leaders who aim to significantly improve their organizations.

From Negative to Positive

My career began in machine repair and rebuilding in the manufacturing industry. I worked for a company that bought and sold new and used machinery, and my role was to identify and fix issues with down machines or lines. This perspective continued as I moved into engineering and plant management roles. The focus was always on addressing the negative issue quickly to restore normal operations. This personal journey from a negative to a positive perspective is what I bring to my strategy development for AI integration.

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. - Zig Ziglar

From Negative Nelson to Positive Petey

When you combine my top CliftonStrengths of analytical with a negative perspective, it leads to a focus on everything that is wrong with the situation. I was highly adept at identifying every problematic issue existing in an organization. However, a transformative shift occurred when Dr. Jackie Stavros entered my life. She introduced me to Appreciative Inquiry, an approach that draws from positive psychology. Initially, I was skeptical, considering it a bit 'touchy-feely.' But I decided to try it, and it changed my life. I began to see things in a more positive light, and I am grateful to her for putting me on that trajectory. Stavros would agree with Ziglar that you can accomplish things more effectively with positive thinking.

SOARing with Positivity

Dr. Stavros also introduced her groundbreaking SOAR framework for strategic planning during our coursework. A game-changer is SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, & Results). It focuses on institutional strengths and uses a positive lens to understand the whole system, including the organization's relevant stakeholders' internal and external voices. This approach empowers you to take control of your strategic planning, ensuring a positive and successful outcome. The following illustration provides an overview of the process.

There are three main elements of attention during these SOAR planning conversations. First, they center on what an organization is doing right. Second, identifying and understanding crucial leverage opportunities is an outcome. Lastly, all participants, or representatives of all stakeholder groups, provide input into what is necessary and compelling to achieve success with AI integration.

Shifting the Negative to the Positive

To further explore how to alleviate employees' concerns about integrating artificial intelligence, it is crucial to focus on the positive aspects of adopting this technology. The negative aspects are not ignored, but restated as opportunities —a seemingly simple change that produces profound results. Including cross-sectional representation from the beginning of the strategy process increases the likelihood that they will accept this disruptive technology. Utilizing the perspectives of the entire workforce as AI integration partners can lead to many positive outcomes.

Setting Up the Right Teams

Identifying optimal cross-sectional implementation teams is also crucial for successful AI integration. These teams should represent the entire organization, considering abilities, backgrounds, demographics, experience levels, and work roles. This approach will make implementations more accessible and inclusive, build trust and increase buy-in, help identify and address biases before deployment, and foster innovation by bringing in a broader range of ideas and perspectives. Working to utilize employees as integral partners in developing a strategy for AI integration requires significant upfront investment and ongoing oversight. However, making this commitment from the beginning of adopting this disruptive technology will pave the way for greater long-term implementation success.

Democratizing AI Accountability

Leadership can further facilitate positive AI integration by promoting a culture of democratized accountability. They should appoint representatives for the ethical use of technology and as AI champions at all levels of the company. These individuals will act as a channel to ensure responsible use and address coworker concerns about AI in their work environments. Allowing them to participate in planning and implementation will make sure no critical concerns are overlooked or ignored. Focusing on the positive outcomes of their accountability will lead to a more substantial AI integration.

It Works

I have successfully used the SOAR framework when working with clients to develop their strategies. In many cases, it was a marginally hostile environment, characterized by factions on the board or dissatisfaction between the board and its leadership. Strategy sessions that began with crossed arms and scowls on the faces of the participants slowly evolved into everyone leaning in and fully contributing to the discussion. On multiple occasions, I would get an update later that, thanks to my work with their organization, they could finally move forward with excitement regarding their breakthrough strategy. While it works in difficult situations, it only improves in organizations that already work well together.

Key Takeaway

Shifting from a negative to a positive perspective will lead to more significant results and overall satisfaction when developing an organization's AI integration strategy. A game-changer is SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, & Results). Allowing a cross-sectional representative of stakeholders to participate in AI strategy, planning, and implementation ensures that no essential concerns are overlooked or ignored, leading to a more robust AI integration.

First Step

I suggest that individuals interested in assessing their current level of positive thinking take the Positive Thinking Assessment Scale. Completing the 22 questions takes about three minutes. Your total score will range from 0 to 22. While not perfect, this will provide a quick snapshot of your level of positivity. I recommend taking the questions and using a 1-5 Likert Scale to provide a more accurate assessment. After completing the assessment, take some time to develop a plan to foster a more positive outlook in your ongoing interactions.

My Gratitude

I have previously expressed gratitude for Jackie Stavros's blessing as a professor in my doctoral program. However, when someone has a significant impact on your life, as she had on mine, an additional sharing of thanks seems appropriate. Her positive impact has significantly enhanced my life and that of those around me.

How I Can Help

Do you need help crafting strategies that empower your team, transform your operations, and build a sustainable future for your business? If so, please contact me to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward purposeful growth. Feel free to book an appointment, email me at JoeSprangel.ESS@gmail.com, or call me at 734-664-9076 if you need help with my manufacturing support services, such as strategy training and facilitation.

Invite Others

If you find this newsletter helpful, please share it with those in your network who would benefit from subscribing. They can access it at Humanist Manufacturing. Thank you in advance for your continued support, which I greatly appreciate.

Additional Information

To learn more about our work or read more blog posts, visit emmanuelstratgicsustainability.com.

I encourage you to read my book Humanist Manufacturing: A Humanitarian Approach to Excellence in High-Impact Plant Operations. The paperback and e-book versions are now available on Amazon and at many other bookstores. You can also watch the Humanist Manufacturing Book Launch video to gain additional insight into the humanist manufacturing framework.

Sign up for Strategy, Change Management, & Tactical Planning (Regularly $149 but $99 for a limited time). The course helps develop the strategy and planning necessary to transition the company from its current state to a more human-centered future state of operation. The course participant learns how to shift conversations from a deficit to a strengths-based approach, which is essential for driving the beneficial change required to achieve transformational organizational results. The content provides guidance on utilizing the SOAR framework for strategy development, developing tactical plans, and the key elements of a successful change management initiative.

If you like what you have read, I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn. I am honored and humbled for this recognition as a LinkedIn Editorial Top Voice, an invitation-only group featuring senior-level experts and leaders. Less than 0.5% of LinkedIn members receive this invitation, which is 1 billion LinkedIn members.

Watch my virtual TEDx talks, "Reinventing the Prison Industrial Complex" and "Humanist Manufacturing."

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