[Ailist] RE: AI as accepted business strategy

[Mukul Kumar]

Hi everyone:

I am just continuing the same thread to share my experience as I am moving
on to pursue for the acceptance of AI as an established strategy in business
environment.  

Through this note, first of all I would like to thank to all, particularly
Don, Cheri, Jody, Brian, Dan, Bruce, Jeff, Roberta, Luke, Bill, Nancy,
David, Anna, Chris, Jane, Robyn, and Anne for such an overwhelming responses
and sharing your insights.  I am mentioning all the names just to let you
know that I went through your each and every response, pondered over through
them and learned many new things.  Truly I found all these responses very
thought provoking and that's why it took me so long in getting back to you.


Last week I had a couple of presentations re AI with different groups in my
company and my experience was not very encouraging. (You will see the
details in my following e-mail). Though I was anticipating similar reaction,
yet at some point I started feeling to give up. At one point I was so
frustrated that even I dropped my scheduled program of attending the
Foundation workshop at Cleveland, Ohio starting from March 19th.  

However while going through the e-mails I received through AIlistserve, I
started thinking again in positive phase how can I move on from this point,
as I find AI and these responses in line with my convictions and beliefs.  

Meanwhile I also got an opportunity to read a book "Dynamic Relations" by
Jackie and Cherri, through a friend, whom I got acquainted through AIlist
forum only.  Jackie and Cherri: Just to let you know that this book is
amazing - very practical and reflecting an entirely new perspective of AI.  

Based on my experience (very limited as I am fairly inexperienced in this
field), my observations are as below:

1-  In explaining to audience about the significance of AI I used the
following approach - AI is a sort of intangible strategy, which has no value
or less value as sole itself, but it adds tremendous impact when it is
combined with some tangible strategies. I mean, through this way one can
measure the effectiveness of AI in terms of tangible KPIs.  For example if
one wants to implement a new strategy like balanced score card or a new
process to improve the existing process, AI will be quite effective.  I got
this idea from an article I read in HBR, "Measuring the Strategic Readiness
of Intangible Assets" by Kaplan and Norton. 

2- Though AI suggests to ignore the threats and weaknesses while focusing
only on strengths and opportunities, however in business environment, it is
not so feasible. So it's a natural tendency in business to check threats and
weaknesses first, while planning to move/ implement something new, which is
contrary to AI concept. 

3- In many cases, implementation of a new strategy may involve a disruption
in ongoing activities also.  As there is always some risk and investment
involved in implementing new strategy, management look for the successful
examples (from other similar organizations) or credentials from prominent
business leaders/business magazines to justify their decisions.  So far AI
lacks this kind of support/credential in the prominent business magazines
such as HBR, McKinsey Quarterly, or MITSloan etc. 
I found only one article in Mckinsey Quarterly " The Psychology of change
management" by Emily Lawson & Colin Price (2003) where the authors have
mentioned about effectiveness of similar approach without naming it as AI.

Long back I also read an interview of Late Mr. Peter Drucker by Mr. David
Cooperrider and there too, Mr. Drucker did not mention about AI approach
very strongly.

Now through AIlistserve I learnt that there are many eminent writers/authors
who support AI concept and have done terrific work in AI. I am just
wondering if they would consider to write for such business magazines too.


As far as on my personal note, I have found AI very useful, very beneficial
in many ways, not only in business environment, but also in personal life.
I will keep on exploring more and more in this area.  I am glad for being a
part of AIListserve forum and for the opportunity of interacting with people
like you.  Thank you so much for providing me "appreciative eyes" to see a
this world with new perspective.

Look forward to hearing from you all,

Mukul

   


-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Don Austin
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 4:36 PM
To: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: [Ailist] RE: AI as accepted business strategy

Hi Mike,

I suppose you could get a variety of thoughts on this, but I believe that it
is not exactly correct to say that "the original AI model was developed to
assist organizations of some size to handle change."

Actually, what you are talking about doing, "to use AI on a much more subtle
level - one can incorporate its 'microscopic' processes in conversations all
the time," is very much in tune with initial spirit and research on AI.  It
has everything to do with creating a generative mindset and experience, on
an ongoing basis, as opposed, for example, a problem-solving mindset.

Carry on!

Don

Don Austin, Ph.D. 
Bedrock Effective Action 
Developed for You-with You
 
Cobblestone Coaching 
http://cobblestonecoaching.com
78 Water Street, P.O. Box 21 
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
518-873-6891   
 
> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:01:37 -0700
> From: "Mike Sands" <msands at dccnet.com>
> Subject: Re: [Ailist] RE: AI as accepted business strategy
> To: <ailist at lists.business.utah.edu>
> Message-ID: <001e01c764d0$7b5bafd0$0201a8c0 at Pent3>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> 
> PS. I believe the original  AI model was developed to assist organizations
of some size
> to handle change.  I am gaining experiences all the time of ways to use AI
on a much
> more subtle level - one can incorporate its "microscopic" processes in
conversations all
> the time - I am working on a book that will help people learn how to use
these
> processes alone or in pairs to stimulate energy hope ideas and action.
> 
> It may be too that when these micro application ideas have been in the
world enough
> it will be easier, more "experientially logical" for organizations to take
next steps.
> 

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