This is part of a special leadership series on how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to increase productivity, make smarter business decisions, enhance communication, and increase impact.
Change is happening today. Employees want to feel like they're an active participant in the company's evolution, not just a bystander. They want to understand the larger context that can give them a deeper connection to their work, so that they have “skin in the game.” Great leaders know how to provide that translation.
But let's be honest: Making your team feel connected to the big picture takes time and energy. If you're like most leaders, you already have a lot of work to do. That's why “clarifying your business goals” may always end up at the bottom of your to-do list.
That's where AI comes in handy. Tools like ChatGPT can bridge the time gap by generating stories, metaphors, parables, and visual suggestions that resonate with team members and give meaning and context to company initiatives and team goals. can.
Let's look at an example.
I worked with a leader named Caroline. She was responsible for expanding the company's virtual mental health services. She needed to sell this expansion concept to numerous teams within the organization, so she prepared a pitch and invited all decision makers to a meeting. As she began her presentation, I could sense an air of skepticism in the room.
Thankfully, Caroline was able to grab everyone's attention by starting things off with a heartfelt story.
Her daughter, a once energetic college freshman, began battling depression during her first year of school. The waiting list for campus counseling was huge. So they turned to online therapy and quickly found help. It has brought about great changes in the world.
As Caroline explained, their company had a huge opportunity to grow in this niche market. By expanding our services and targeting this group, we have the potential to become a lifeline for all college students and establish ourselves as a go-to resource in academia.
Next, Caroline published a map showing all the universities in the United States. Each college was represented by a flashing red light indicating students who needed counseling with no options. As she talked about the strategy her team would implement, red flags began to go off for her one by one. And by the end of her presentation, all the lights went out. This meant that every student in America had immediate access to the mental health support they needed.
Let's talk about bringing your vision to life. Where did Caroline get the idea to use flashing red lights with territory maps? You guessed it: ChatGPT.
Caroline's prompt: My company provides virtual mental health services and has the opportunity to expand and target college students across the country. In my presentation to sell this idea to others in my organization, I am going to tell a personal story about my daughter. She needed mental health support during her first year of college, but her school did not have the resources to meet the high demand of students seeking counseling. I want to demonstrate to my team that we have the ability to pick up where the university left off by expanding our virtual offerings. How can you anchor this story with a bold visual?
Here are some additional examples of how you can use AI to realize your goals.
- Business goal: By Q4 2024, transform your customer service approach from a reactive to a proactive model to improve customer satisfaction, reduce service-related issues, and improve operational efficiency.
ChatGPT reader prompt: I inspire my team to adopt a proactive approach to their work, emphasizing the value of human insight and initiative in identifying and addressing potential problems before they occur. I am thinking of doing so. How can you make this strategy truly resonate by leveraging stories of companies that have successfully avoided a crisis proactively?
- Business goal: Increase customer satisfaction and trust by simplifying complex product concepts and making them easier to understand by the end of the second quarter.
ChatGPT reader prompt: I'm speaking at a kickoff meeting with my sales team, and I want to discuss the goal of making complex concepts simple for customers. How can you demonstrate the value of that goal in a way that is meaningful and serves as an informative example?
- Department goals: Increase engagement at quarterly employee meetings.
ChatGPT reader prompt: You want your employees to be more involved and actively involved in your quarterly meetings. Attendees lose interest when presented with standard spreadsheets and graphs. How can you make your reports compelling, unexpected, and impactful?
When you can clearly explain why your business and team goals are important (and You'll get more ideas and buy-in from your team (how that's possible). Additionally, your influence as a leader will be even greater. Don't let lack of time stop you from pursuing this impactful leadership opportunity. Team up with AI to get it done.
Until next time,
Sara
