Creating AI Strategy with Actionable Steps and Exercises for Your Team
Over the last few months, I had an opportunity to work with one of my friends who is leading the AI efforts for his organization, and our topic of discussion was primarily where to start; he shared with me that he has gone through the earlier article written by me on the subject of 'Lost in AI use cases, don't forget to put your AI Strategy first and align it with business'. So, it gives me an idea of why not spend some time with him and think about how to do an exercise within his organization where all organizational leaders become part of the AI strategy exercise rather than create and share it with the rest.
This thought led us to work within his organization, and we took the five pillars of strategy - frankly, these can be four or six, depending on how you want to categorize them. Anyway, let's baseline this.
I did some work for him and am sharing this with the AI community for feedback to improve it collectively; therefore, please share your comments/feedback. Thanks in advance.
Let's first relook at the 5 components of AI strategy, which are the baseline for exercising with the leaders.
The detailed contents were prepared to conduct the AI strategy workshop based on these core pillars of AI strategy.
In the workshop, we used the template below to collaboratively identify key business goals from the executives.
Now, let's move to the second pillar of the AI strategy.
In the workshop, we used the approach below. This template encourages participants to think critically about their current data and technology environment. It helps them provide input on infrastructure, data readiness, and service options that will support AI deployment in the organization.
The third pillar of the AI strategy:
For the workshop, the template below helped us guide participants through the skills, training, and recruitment strategies necessary to support AI adoption within the organization.
The fourth pillar of the AI strategy:
Here’s a 1-page workshop template designed for participants to engage with the AI Measurement, Scalability, and Budget and propose actionable steps for the organization:
The fifth pillar of the AI strategy:
The template below has helped participants in the workshop to think critically about ethical AI deployment, compliance with regulations, and risk mitigation strategies, ensuring a responsible approach to AI development.
The exercise outcome will be your ‘AI Strategy Framework.’ Recognizing that each pillar forms a crucial foundation for AI success in your organization is essential.
Now is the time to act to drive your AI journey forward. Assess your organization’s standing across these five pillars and prioritize immediate steps to consolidate your AI strategy. Align your teams, invest in talent, refine your data infrastructure, set measurable goals, and ensure ethical and compliant AI development.
Your next move: Set a concrete action plan today to ensure your organization's success and position it at the forefront of AI-driven innovation.
