As businesses increasingly integrate generative and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) into their corporate workflows, traditional change management strategies must evolve to harness the transformative potential of these technologies.
Traditional change management focuses on guiding companies through transitions by using training, communication, leadership alignment and stakeholder engagement to minimize disruption and help employees adapt to changes.
The integration of AI, particularly agentic AI, into company workflows and processes can “help us make better decisions, predict talent gaps, identify opportunities for growth, and better support our employees,” explains IBM Chief Human Resources Officer Nickle LaMoreaux. But it can also pose challenges to traditional change management practices. For example, AI integration can create employee uncertainty about the impact on job roles and performance.
AI-focused change management helps enable organizations to address the unique concerns related to AI integration and manage AI integration in a manner that aligns with their strategic objectives and risk tolerance levels.
AI-driven data analytics can facilitate more accurate, real-time modifications to change management strategies, empowering enterprises to swiftly and efficiently respond to emerging trends and technological advancements. Given the evolving nature of AI integration, continuous change management is vital beyond initial implementation. Continuous change management entails ongoing training, program adjustments and collaboration with various stakeholders to maintain alignment with strategic objectives.
AI-focused change management practices help build trust and transparency around the integration of this technology into business operations. Our new white paper, Accelerating business value through AI-focused change management, proposes a framework for responsibly managing AI-focused change across four key aspects of change management:
· Trust: Building trust mitigates employee resistance to change and helps employees feel secure, valued and confident both in their use of AI technology and the company’s objectives with AI integration. Select impactful solutions prioritizing user needs, establish measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) for AI integration, provide AI upskilling opportunities, and educate employees on AI ethics and responsible use.
· Transparency: Transparency enables employees to better understand the technology they are using, making the workforce more willing to adapt to and use AI to enhance their work. Incorporate AI education into core programs, clearly communicate AI objectives, explain job function transformations, offer upskilling resources and establish mechanisms for challenging AI decisions and reporting ethical concerns.
· Skills: Skills development supports a culture of continuous learning by expanding AI literacy. This way, employees can work in partnership with AI to promote the responsible use of the technology and encourage an experimental attitude that can accelerate value generation for the business. Create skill inventories, use personalized learning strategies, encourage self-directed or collaborative learning, and celebrate successes through initiatives like hackathons and pilot projects.
· Agility: Change agility, an individual's ability to adapt to and thrive in new and uncertain situations, can be cultivated across all levels of the company to respond effectively to new challenges and opportunities presented by AI. Roll out AI changes gradually, regularly update resources, plan for unexpected outcomes, and maintain flexible leadership to adjust strategies as AI technologies and business priorities evolve.
As enterprises increasingly adopt AI and explore the capabilities of agentic AI, AI-focused change management has become a pivotal facilitator for maximizing these technologies’ advantages. By prioritizing trust, transparency, skills development and change agility, companies can successfully tackle the intricacies and ethical dimensions of AI integration. This strategic focus nurtures a culture that encourages the responsible integration of AI, unlocking growth and innovation potential.
Read the white paper: Accelerating business value through AI-focused change management