Okay so, let's talk about AI. Everyone's talking about it, right? You've probably even bought some licenses for ChatGPT Team or Microsoft Copilot for your crew. Maybe you even paid for a fancy workshop. But if you're anything like most folks I chat with, you're looking at your adoption rates and thinking, "Is anyone actually using this thing?" It's a common problem, honestly. It's not enough to just buy the tools; you gotta get people to want to use them.
I've seen this play out many times, from small startups to kinda big companies. It's frustrating to invest in something you know could make a real difference, only to see it gather digital dust. The good news is, it's not hopeless. I've found some pretty reliable ways to nudge people in the right direction, and it usually starts with understanding that change is hard. Here are 8 things I've seen work to get a team to actually adopt AI.
1. Start with the Pain Points, Not the Hype
Nobody cares about AI for AI's sake. They care about making their job easier, faster, or less annoying. So, instead of talking about "AI capabilities," talk about "how to write that first draft email in 10 minutes instead of an hour." Or "how to summarize a monster meeting transcript in 30 seconds." Find the tasks that people genuinely dread or find time-consuming and show them how AI can directly alleviate that specific pain. I usually do this by sitting with a couple of team members and just watching what they do all day, then suggesting one tiny thing. For example, a customer service team might hate writing follow-up emails. Show them how to use ChatGPT to draft those quickly. That's a direct win.
2. Designate AI 'Champions' or 'Ambassadors'
You can't do it all yourself, and frankly, internal influence is often stronger. Pick a few enthusiastic early adopters within different departments. These don't have to be your tech leads; sometimes it's the person everyone goes to for advice. Give them a bit of extra training and empower them to experiment and share their wins. They can become the informal go-to person for questions, demonstrate quick wins during team meetings, and even run mini-training sessions. When a peer shows you how something works, it often feels more approachable and less like a mandate from on high. I saw this work really well at a law firm where a paralegal became the go-to for prompt engineering tips.
3. Provide Specific, Small-Bite Training
Don't just send everyone to a two-hour generic AI workshop. That's a recipe for glazed eyes. Instead, offer short, focused training sessions on very specific use cases. Think 15-minute "Lunch and Learn" sessions on "How to Use AI for Brainstorming Blog Titles" or "Summarizing Documents with Copilot." Record these sessions so people can rewatch them. Provide clear, step-by-step guides for each specific task. People are more likely to try something if they know exactly what to do and it doesn't feel like a huge time commitment to learn. Breaking it down makes it less intimidating.
4. Create a Shared 'Prompt Library' or 'Playbook'
One of the biggest hurdles is knowing what to ask the AI. People stare at that blinking cursor and freeze up. So, don't make them start from scratch. Create a shared document (Google Docs, Notion, Confluence, whatever works) where successful prompts for common tasks are collected. Categorize them by department or task type. Encourage people to add their own effective prompts. This not only gives people a starting point but also shows them what's possible and fosters a sense of community around AI usage. I've even seen teams make a little internal competition out of who can create the most useful prompt.
5. Integrate AI into Existing Workflows, Not New Ones
Trying to force people to learn a new tool and a new process at the same time is usually a non-starter. Look for opportunities to embed AI functionalities directly into tools they already use. If your team lives in Google Workspace, focus on Google's Duet AI. If they're a Microsoft shop, it's Copilot. Many project management tools like ClickUp or Jira now have AI integrations. The less friction there is, the more likely people are to try it. If they can access AI from within the document they're already writing, that's a much easier sell than opening a whole new browser tab.
6. Showcase and Celebrate Small Wins Regularly
Nothing motivates like success. Ask your team to share their AI wins, no matter how small. Did someone save 20 minutes drafting an email? That's a win! Did they get a great brainstormed list in half the time? Another win! Dedicate a few minutes at the beginning of team meetings to let people share these stories. Maybe even have a dedicated Slack channel for "AI Wins." Public recognition encourages others to try it out and shows that their efforts are valued. It builds momentum and proves that this AI thing actually works for them.
7. Emphasize Augmentation, Not Replacement
A common fear, especially with AI, is that it's going to replace jobs. Address this head-on. Position AI as a co-pilot, a helper, a tool that augments their abilities, frees them from tedious tasks, and allows them to focus on more creative or complex work. Frame it as a way to make their jobs more interesting and less about the grunt work. For example, tell a designer that AI can generate initial concepts in seconds, freeing them up to refine and add their unique human touch, rather than spending hours on preliminary sketches. It's about making them better, not obsolete.
8. Lead by Example – Be an Early and Visible User
If you want your team to use AI, you gotta use it too. And not just pretend. Be genuinely curious and share your own experiences. Talk about how you used ChatGPT to draft that tricky email, or how you got some quick insights from a big report with an AI summarizer. Show them your prompts, talk about your failures (because those happen!), and highlight your successes. When leadership actively and visibly adopts new tools, it signals that it's okay, even expected, for others to do the same. It takes away the hesitation and makes it feel like part of the culture.
Alright — that's the list. Other ones I almost included: setting clear (and realistic) expectations, making sure people have accounts set up correctly (you'd be surprised how often this is a blocker), and even running an internal 'hackathon' for AI tools. These things are all about making it easy, relevant, and low-stakes for your team to give AI a real shot. It's not magic; it's just getting people over that initial hump.
Want help figuring out which of these fit your business? Book a 20-min call, and we can chat through some specific ideas that might work for your team. No obligation, just a friendly conversation to see how I can help.