Leaders often don’t have a grasp of the individuals that are already artificial intelligence early adopters and advocates across their organization. Mapping and engaging these “Passionistas” is an important step to support the realization of AI's full potential.
AI is infiltrating organizations through various channels beyond centrally planned work. It's embedded in the SaaS tools employees use daily. Individuals leverage ChatGPT, Claude, or other large language models for help with their work (whether you’ve sanctioned it or not). They generate AI images for presentations or marketing materials. Regardless of company size, you are likely to have people working for you that are fascinated and engaged with the advanced AI now at their disposal. I refer to these individuals as "Passionistas".
Identifying Passionistas is the initial step toward cultivating change agents who can propel your organization forward in an AI-driven competitive landscape.
Marketers have long known the significance of identifying early adopters to establish and expand new markets. As organizations strive to enhance their artificial intelligence capabilities, the early adopters and advocates of AI that are already within their ranks (regardless of whether using it for work or personal purposes) can become invaluable assets for innovation and change. And this is true across all organizational levels and departments.
Once you identify your Passionistas, you can actively involve them in change initiatives, provide them with tools and training to drive innovation within established guidelines, and engage them in creating feedback loops that allow you to capture ideas and concerns from across the organization.
Alison McCauley is an artificial intelligence keynote speaker and executive advisor focusing on the human dimensions of AI.