09/07/2026
Here's a question I don't hear enough in boardrooms.
"Who actually asked for this?"
Not who approved the AI project.
Not who presented it to the board.
But who — on the ground — actually asked for it?
Because in my experience, the employees closest to the work are rarely in the room when these decisions get made.
And that's exactly why so many AI implementations struggle with adoption.
People don't resist technology.
They resist change that was decided without them.
I've seen organisations spend months selecting the perfect platform — and less than a week introducing it to the people who have to use it every day.
That's not transformation.
That's installation.
Real transformation happens when the people doing the work understand why the change matters. When they had some input. When someone actually listened.
The best AI rollout I've ever seen?
The team helped design it.
They flagged the problems early. They shaped the solution. And when it went live, they owned it.
Because it was partly theirs.
Adoption was never the hard part.
Exclusion was.
Next time you're planning an AI project — who's in the room that shouldn't be left out?