AI Isn’t Paying Off—Yet: 5 Fast Fixes To Finally See Results

AI Isn’t Paying Off—Yet: 5 Fast Fixes to Finally See Results

This week, McKinsey reported something shocking:

“Nearly eight in ten respondents we surveyed say their companies use gen AI—yet just as many say they’ve seen no significant bottom-line impact.”

In other words, AI is everywhere—except on the P&L.

And yesterday, I saw this disconnect play out in real time.

On a call with the founder and CEO of a diversified multinational (with business units in machine manufacturing, chemistry, construction, and more), I heard deep frustration. He had just left a meeting with his company’s AI Implementation Committee. Their update?

“Despite every effort, nearly nobody across our business units wants to take on AI. The most common reason? ‘Everything is already working as it is.’”

Sound familiar?

This resistance to change isn’t new—but today, it’s amplified by something even more dangerous: burnout and disengagement.

Gallup’s freshly released 2025 State of the Global Workplace report shows:

“Global employee engagement declined to 21% in 2024, with managers experiencing the largest drop. This marks only the second decline in engagement in the past 12 years — a worrying sign for organizations already struggling with productivity.”

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Let’s pause on that: 79% of employees are disengaged.

So here we are, trying to introduce a new technological era inside companies full of exhausted, change-weary humans. No wonder AI isn’t paying off—yet.

But it can. And it doesn’t require billion-dollar labs or moonshot strategies.

Here are 5 fast, proven ways to unlock real value from AI—starting right now:

#1 – Make AI Personal Before You Make It Professional

Want employees to embrace AI at work? Start by helping them use it in their lives.

Show them how to meal-plan with ChatGPT. Help them write a vacation itinerary. Let them summarize a podcast or generate ideas for their kid’s birthday party.

It’s the personal use of AI that builds confidence and curiosity. Once people experience how AI can reduce stress in their daily lives, they’re far more likely to see potential in the workplace.

As I wrote in my recent article “Surviving Uncertainty: 5 Strategies To Stay Sane, Sharp And Financially Sound”, the most powerful tools we have are the ones we feel personally connected to. The same is true for AI.

Think of it as a proof-of-concept movement—one person at a time.

#2 – Solve Burnout, Not Just Bottlenecks

Leaders love to talk about how AI can speed things up. But what your employees often want most… is to slow things down.

Instead of pitching AI as an efficiency tool, try presenting it as an energy tool.

• “Let’s use this to cut your weekly reporting time by 50%.”

• “Let’s find a way to never start from scratch again.”

• “Let’s automate your most soul-sucking tasks.”

AI isn’t just a productivity story—it’s a wellness story.

When you frame AI as a path to less stress, you’ll see more engagement.

#3 – Create AI Champions, Not Committees

Most “AI committees” become black holes for innovation.

Replace them with a small squad of internal AI champions—early adopters from various departments who can experiment, share learnings, and support their peers.

People trust people they already work with. When adoption is peer-driven, resistance drops.

Peer influence beats policy every time.

#4 – Swap Mandates for Micro-Wins

Top-down AI rollouts almost always trigger resistance. The alternative? Low-risk experiments with clear, measurable wins.

• Let one team automate meeting notes.

• Let another create AI-powered customer responses.

• Let a third run a competitor analysis in minutes.

Then, showcase results. Make the micro-wins visible. You’re not just building a business case—you’re building a movement.

This kind of approach is what I call “swarming leadership”—a concept I explored in “Swarming Leadership: Are You Leading the Hive or Getting Stung?”. In fast-changing environments, top-down control fails. Swarming wins.

#5 – Teach AI Through Real-Life Roles, Not Job Titles

Forget abstract AI training sessions.

Instead, build persona-based learning journeys:

• For marketers: How to use AI to create 10 subject line variations in seconds.

• For finance teams: How to turn raw data into dashboards, instantly.

• For customer support: How to draft responses or FAQs on the fly.

The goal isn’t to teach “AI” as a generic concept—it’s to make it feel like a helpful assistant in their specific context.

When training connects directly to day-to-day tasks, engagement goes up—and fear goes down.

The Bottom Line

AI is not failing because of the tech. It’s failing because of people—burnt out, disengaged, unsure of where to start.

But that’s also the opportunity.

We don’t need more AI strategy decks. We need human-centered rollout strategies that meet people where they are.

• Make it personal

• Start small

• Show results

• Build culture from the inside out

Because the AI era isn’t just coming—it’s already here. And the payoff belongs to those ready to roll it out right.

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