Half of my leadership team wants to aggressively adopt AI to automate our operations, while the other half is terrified of compliance risks and is dragging their feet. How do we break this conative stalemate and make a unified decision?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A split on your leadership team regarding major investments like AI adoption is often a conative clash, not a personal one. Your high Quick Starts want to move fast, experiment, and take risks, while your high Fact Finders want to analyze data, assess security risks, and proceed with caution. Both perspectives are valuable, but when they clash, they cause operational paralysis. To break this stalemate, you must leverage the strengths of both sides using the EOS framework. Start by defining the issue clearly in your next Level 10 Meeting. Use the IDS process to debate the opportunity. Instead of fighting over opinions, ask the high Fact Finders to define the specific compliance and operational risks that need to be mitigated. Then, task the high Quick Starts with running a small, low-risk pilot program to test the AI tool on a limited scale. This allows the company to innovate quickly without exposing the business to major risks. By setting clear parameters and measurable metrics for the pilot, you satisfy the Fact Finders need for data while giving the Quick Starts the freedom to experiment. Once you have real data from the pilot, the leadership team can make an objective, unified decision based on facts rather than fear or excitement.