Our leadership team cannot agree on how to document our strategic capabilities in the 3-Year Picture because AI tools shift every six months. How do we define our future state in the V/TO around AI-driven capability rather than fleeting software tools?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Listing specific AI applications or software platforms in your 3-Year Picture is a mistake. Tools like commercial language models or specialized software platforms evolve or become obsolete every few quarters. Tying strategic targets to transient technology guarantees your vision will look dated within a year.

Instead, articulate your 3-Year Picture around capabilities, human capacity, and measurable customer outcomes. Ask yourselves what your company must be capable of executing in thirty-six months because AI handles the baseline tasks.

In the What Does It Look Like section of your V/TO, document these operational realities:
- Target revenue per employee, showing how automation scales financial output without proportional headcount growth.
- Delivery turnaround milestones, such as delivering customized client solutions in two days instead of two weeks.
- The evolved profile of your team, where employees operate as strategic coordinators and quality validators rather than manual task-doers.
- Systemized operational repeatability, where proprietary workflows run on standardized models, freeing your team for high-value strategic client work.

Keep your strategic horizon fixed on the business model transformation. Technology is merely the fuel. By anchoring your 3-Year Picture to customer value, structural efficiency, and operational capacity, your team gains a durable target that outlasts the tech hype cycle.