You just invested in a state-of-the-art AI platform. You've scheduled the demos, sent the logins, and... crickets. Adoption rates are flatlining, and the team is quietly reverting to their old, inefficient workflows. Sound familiar?
The problem isn't another case of 'change fatigue.' It’s a failure to connect the tool to the humans who need to use it.
Teams don't resist change; they resist ambiguity. They don't hate new tools; they hate tools without context. If you want your team to embrace AI, you have to stop selling them on features and start showing them a better future for their workday.
Rule 1: Frame the Mission, Not the Mandate
The fastest way to get your team to ignore a new tool is to issue a top-down mandate ("We are now using AI for X"). It immediately feels like a chore.
Instead, frame the "why" before the "what." Connect the tool to a meaningful business objective that makes their lives easier. Are you trying to free up 5 hours a week from admin tasks so they can focus on high-level strategy? Is the goal to produce creative briefs in half the time so designers have more room to create?
Actionable Tip: Before you send a single login, co-create a one-sentence "Mission Statement" for the tool. Example: "We are using [AI Tool Name] to eliminate manual reporting so we can spend more time making smarter, data-backed decisions."
Rule 2: Demo Outcomes, Not Clicks
Standard vendor demos are a tour of the user interface. They show what buttons to click, not why they're worth clicking.
To get buy-in, you need to create hyper-relevant, role-specific "before and after" scenarios. Show, don't just tell.
Actionable Tip: Show your performance marketer how creating ad copy variations for Google Ads goes from a 2-hour manual task to a 15-minute prompted exercise. Show your content strategist how outlining a month’s worth of blog content transforms from a full day of brainstorming into a 45-minute collaborative session. This is how the copy gets written before the third cup of coffee.
Rule 3: Foster Curiosity, Don't Force Compliance
Expecting immediate, universal adoption measured by harsh compliance metrics is a recipe for fear and failure. It kills the experimentation that leads to breakthroughs.
As Di says, you have to "give them permission to not love it at first." Create a sandbox where curiosity is rewarded and perfection isn't the price of admission. Adoption is sparked, not forced.
Actionable Tip: Launch a dedicated Slack channel called #ai-explorers or host a weekly 30-minute "Prompt Party" for the team. Create a space to share wins, ask "dumb" questions, and showcase cool discoveries. Celebrating a small victory—like a prompt that saved someone 20 minutes—is more powerful than a dozen mandates.
Upgrade Your Team's Operating System
True AI adoption isn't about technology; it's about psychology. By focusing on the mission, demonstrating tangible outcomes, and fostering curiosity, you're not just implementing a tool—you're upgrading your team's entire operating system.
Want to go deeper? We're unpacking the entire AI implementation playbook—from vetting tools to measuring ROI—on the next episode of the Type A: Unhinged podcast. Subscribe on [Apple Podcasts] and [Spotify] so you don't miss it.
Is your marketing tech stack gathering dust? We can fix that. At Type A: Unhinged, we connect powerful marketing strategies with the people and processes that make them work. Let's talk.