Previous Posts 2025
A OneStep View
July 2025
Gen AI: friend or foe?
Gen AI is predicted to reach mainstream adoption by 2026, with an ever increasing number of people already applying it in their personal lives. Full implications for organisations are still emerging both from a strategic and tactical perspective – but what is clear, is it’s not just about the tech. Effective implementation is all about the people.
At OneStep we’re often asked how to help people get on board with Gen AI and, “Is this different from any other tech adoption programme?”.
Our answer: yes and no.
NO - your fundamental change principles shouldn’t be thrown away:
Assess your impact: Who’s involved? What’s the nature of the change - knowledge / skills / habits / mindsets? What’s the gap to be traversed?
Reinforce the why: How will your GenAI programme help achieve your strategy? How does this align with your values? What’s exciting/beneficial – to the organization, teams and individuals?
Co-create a meaningful change strategy: What are people really experiencing now? How can adoption be made easier? What support do people at different levels need? How do we cut through the noise?
Implement iteratively and learn as you go: What are you learning from the adoption data? How can you pivot for more impact? What else is needed to really embed this?
YES - there are significant nuances to consider:
Adoption appetites: GenAI often reveals a divide between early adopters (already experimenting personally) and those anxious about job implications. Design your approach to engage both groups - without alienating either.
Emerging market ambiguity: it’s still unclear where GenAI will deliver the greatest value. If your ‘north star’ is still forming, anchor your communications in consistent principles and ambition, even as specific use cases emerge.
Ethical and legal complexity: bias, data privacy and regulatory compliance need to be addressed head-on. Be transparent and pragmatic in tackling these to safeguard your people, customers and brand.
Digital dexterity: success with AI hinges on how digitally capable and adaptable your workforce is. If digital skills are lagging, now is the time to invest - inclusively and strategically.
It’s also worth noting that whilst the global urge to rush headfirst into AI is real, decisions about platforms, usage and adoption efforts must be in the best interest of your strategy. Take a balanced approach and explore options, make sensible bets, then test and learn. Don’t get caught in the hype cycle!
Key stages for AI change management
1
Clearly articulate the vision and use cases for new tools, in line with your strategy and desired employee experience
2
Assess workforce digital dexterity and invest early in foundational training (eg Digital Academy)
3
Embed guardrails to manage risk around privacy and AI-biases
4
Identify early adopters, let them play and experiment; build excitement and insights
5
Run pilots , test and learn, follow the facts not the hype!
6
Use early adopters to create training material and generate more of a ‘pull’
7
Scale with consideration for varying appetites and fears
8
Track adoption, measure success and support low adoption groups
So to the question of whether we’re in a new world or not, the answer is ‘yes and no’ – yes to understanding the nuanced implications of implementing AI, no to throwing out your existing change management fundamentals.