Do Great Tools Make a Great Mechanic?

Picture this: a mechanic with the most advanced diagnostic tool at their disposal yet unable to fix your car. Why? Because having the best tools doesn’t make someone a great mechanic!

Tools Are Great But…

Most of us have probably experienced going into an automotive repair shop where the mechanic plugged a device into our car that provides them with information on our vehicle’s status and systems health. This is how it’s done today for modern cars, and it’s possible because the diagnostic port became mandatory in cars sold in the US in the mid-1990s. But imagine if we had given the same diagnostic tool used today to a mechanic in the days before the diagnostic port was commonplace. Yes, it’s cool technology but only if the mechanic knows how to use it and only if the other parts of the maintenance and repair ecosystem are also in place. For example, instrumentation in cars that monitor key systems and computer diagnostic tools that read the information a car provides through the diagnostic port to help the mechanic know what they need to focus on to fix a problem.

So back to the question: Do great tools make a great mechanic? When talking about AI, this translates to – are powerful AI tools the key to organizational success?

The answer, just like with the mechanic, requires a balance between technology, human expertise, and an ecosystem designed to leverage what the new technology enables. While AI offers tremendous potential, it’s not a magic bullet. Throwing cutting-edge tools at a problem without proper planning, training, and consideration of the broader business landscape for an enterprise can backfire.

The AI-Enabled Tool Trap

New AI tools and capabilities are being released every day. But at the enterprise level, just deploying new tools doesn’t necessarily increase the actual performance of those working in an organization (despite what some tool providers will tell you) if the work they do has not evolved in a way that changes things. Also, if they don’t have the proper training, not only on the tools but also on the reimagined business processes that the tools and capabilities enable, things will likely not change, or people will view the new capabilities as added work versus a true improvement.

A Better Way: The Journey-Centric Approach

Instead of tool-specific training, at Revenue Growth Associates, we advocate for organizations focusing first on explaining the overall journey they’re embarking on with AI. This approach involves:

• Outlining the Big Picture: Explain how AI will transform the organization, focusing on core technologies, capabilities, and evolving business processes.
• Introducing New Paradigms: Discuss AI agents, new ways of thinking, and working in an AI-augmented environment.
• Role-Based Training: Tailor training efforts around current and future roles within the organization. When explaining the journey, also talk about core technology and capabilities, how business processes will evolve based on AI capabilities, agents, and new ways of working.
• Outcome-Focused Learning: Train around the positive outcomes that the AI transformation will enable, rather than just tool functionality. This will help greatly with change management, reduce fear and uncertainty, and allow your people to be part of the process in designing the future.
• Future-Proofing Careers: Help employees understand how their roles might evolve, encouraging them to be part of the transformation process.  People who are engaged in defining change, accept and embrace change much more readily.

Ready to Tune Up Your Organization?

Like a mechanic who needs to understand the fundamentals of a car and the advanced diagnostic tools available to make it run optimally, organizations must ensure their teams are equipped with the knowledge and training to effectively use AI. By focusing on the journey, introducing new paradigms, and providing role-based, outcome-focused learning, you can empower your team to not just use AI tools but to propel your business forward in an AI-augmented environment. This comprehensive approach will enable your organization to harness the full potential of AI, driving innovation, efficiency, and success in the business environment that we will all face as we cross the next technology driven event horizon.

At Revenue Growth Associates, we advocate for the development of a Strategic Visual Blueprint™ to help define the North Star for your organization’s AI journey. This blueprint, which is invaluable when sharing your enterprise vision with organization, will provide a clear vision and roadmap, ensuring your AI tools and capabilities are aligned with your strategic goals, ultimately transforming your business operations and achieving sustainable growth.

Want to learn more about the Strategic Visual Blueprint™, how we work with organizations to develop a Blueprint, and how you can use this approach to drive alignment across your organization? Book a complimentary call with us today and we can start Blueprinting as we talk!