We’ve all been there.

The deadline’s looming, the team is stretched, and someone says, “We really need some extra help, but no-one has any spare capacity. Hiring someone new would take too long. We’ll just have to push the team a bit harder.”

And these days, that’s when someone suggests:
“What about AI?”

Cue a moment of relief… followed by another expensive, time-consuming and ultimately failed implementation.

So why does it keep going wrong?

the AI trap

Too often, AI is treated like a magic fix. It’s brought in under pressure, to speed things up, make things cheaper or plug a gap, without the clarity, structure or leadership it really needs.

Instead of solving a problem, it becomes one.

Teams feel confused or even threatened. Leaders delegate decisions to technologists without aligning on purpose or business value. And the result? A solution with no traction and a team that’s more exhausted than ever.

think of AI as a new colleague

The truth is, AI isn’t a plug-and-play product. It’s a capability. A way of working. And like any new member of the team, it takes time, thought and effort to bring in properly.

Imagine hiring someone new and expecting them to hit the ground running with no onboarding, no job description and no support. That’s exactly what we do when we drop AI into a team without planning.

If you want to make it work, lead it like you would any other hire:

• Define the role AI will play
• Communicate clearly with the team
• Set it up with the right tools and data
• Measure outcomes, not activity
• Create a safe space for people to ask questions and try things

The most successful AI implementations are often the quietest. They don’t rely on fanfare. They rely on habits.

what success really looks like

When AI is working well, it’s barely noticeable. People stop talking about “AI” and start talking about outcomes. There’s less frustration in the day-to-day. Adoption grows because the tool is useful, not because it’s being pushed.

You’ll know it’s working when someone says:
“It’s just how we do things now.”

So if you’re thinking about AI, don’t start with the technology. Start with leadership. Get clear on the problem, prepare your people and bring AI in like any new team member,  with purpose, patience and support.

Because AI won’t save you. But if you bring it in the right way, it might just help your team thrive.