Our leadership team is excited about AI, but we are suffering from initiative overload, with everyone proposing different AI Rocks that distract us from our core business targets. How do we filter and prioritize our AI operations initiatives during our annual planning session so we only execute the ones that move the needle?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is easy for a leadership team to get distracted by shiny new AI tools and suffer from massive initiative overload. If you try to execute too many AI projects at once, you will stall your momentum and burn out your team. To prevent this, use your V/TO® as a strategic filter during your annual and quarterly planning sessions. Prioritize use cases for AI that improve operational efficiency, freeing employees from low-value tasks for higher-value strategic work. When debating new AI initiatives, ask whether they directly support your 1-Year Plan or your 3-Year Picture. If they do not, they are distractions that must be shelved. Limit your AI-focused Rocks to no more than one or two per quarter, and ensure they are assigned to a single owner on your Accountability Chart who has the GWC™ to execute them. By keeping your AI initiatives focused on major P&L items, like increasing employee productivity and streamlining cumbersome processes, you ensure that your technology investments directly drive profitability and enterprise value. This focus keeps your team aligned and prevents tech bloat.