AI Readiness in Organisations

As a business mentor and executive coach, implementing AI into systems has become a popular topic in my sessions... and interestingly, the first thing I notice is this: Everyone wants the answer, very few asks the right questions!!!

❓Is the organisation ready?

❓Are the systems clear?

❓Do teams know how decisions are made, owned and reviewed?

❓Or are we hoping AI will fix what humans haven’t had time (or courage) to systemise yet?

Because here’s what I have learned from my own and others' experiences;

AI doesn’t create order. It magnifies whatever already exists.

⭐ If you have clarity, it accelerates clarity.

‼️If you have confusion, it accelerates confusion.

One of the strongest example of this is the IBM Watson for Oncology story.

The vision was powerful: using AI to support cancer treatment decisions.

Billions were invested. Headlines were glowing. Expectations were sky-high.

But inside the system, things weren’t ready. The data didn’t reflect real, diverse clinical settings.

Doctors struggled to integrate it into daily workflows.

Trust wasn’t there. And without clear KPIs or alignment with real clinical value, the technology stood alone... impressive, but disconnected.

In the end, despite the ambition and the spend, Watson for Oncology was quietly discontinued. Not because AI failed...but because the system around it wasn’t ready to hold it.

❣️This is why, when leaders ask me about AI, I often say:

 “Let’s talk about your system first.”

Because leadership today is not about chasing tools.

It’s about creating structures strong enough for growth.

Systemise first.

🎉Then let AI do what it does best: "accelerate what’s already working."

#ai #leadership #systemsthinking #businessmentoring #executivecoaching #digitaltransformation #futureofwork #organisationaldevelopment