Make more money, do better work, and have more time on your hands

AI is SUCH a powerful tool with countless applications, and the sheer number of possibilities can lead to choice overwhelm. Coupled with our busy schedules and lack of time for deep, meaningful thought, it’s easy for AI to become just another shiny object that gets parked on the proverbial dusty shelf, while we hear about how others have used it or parked it for the time being as business-as-usual takes over.

As with any project, the tighter the constraints, the clearer the boundaries, and the richer the innovation that can occur. Innovation is at the core of progress. However, making space for innovation is challenging. It’s often the first thing to go when things get busy, routines take over, and predictable outcomes dominate.

When a tool like AI emerges, its myriad applications can be daunting. The abundance of possibilities can lead to choice overload, where making a decision about how to use it becomes difficult. This often results in inaction, which is costly. Not only do we waste mental energy revisiting the endless opportunities AI presents, but we also miss the chance to integrate a tool poised to impact our lives more profoundly than electricity itself, if you can even fathom that.

You’ve likely heard the phrase: “AI won’t take your job, but someone using AI might.” If there’s truth in that, here’s how it might play out. At the core of project management are the trifecta of Quality, Speed, and Cost. Traditionally, you can achieve two of these, but not all three. AI, however, changes this.

For example, say you’re a design studio and:

• Your client demands high Quality and high Speed, typically requiring a higher cost. By integrating AI, you could maintain quality and speed while reducing costs, giving you a competitive edge.
• Your client wants high Speed and low Cost, often at the expense of quality. With AI, you could deliver the same speed and cost but enhance the quality of your output, again gaining an advantage.
• Your client seeks high Quality and low Cost, usually sacrificing speed. By integrating AI to reduce turnaround time, you could complete more projects in the same period.

If you focus AI integration on one of the three areas – Quality, Speed, or Cost – you and your clients can’t lose. You’ll accomplish more, produce higher-quality work, or increase profitability.

So, where should you focus? What does the first milestone of success look like? How can you invest a little to learn a lot? The tools are changing rapidly, and what we have access to at the moment is the worst you’re going to be able to leverage. Ignoring or not deciding what you’ll do, how you’ll do it, what success looks like, and who is going to own it will cost you if it’s not already doing so.

The invitation is to choose a single area and start experimenting. The rewards of time saved, increased profit, or better work await those who take action. And yes, AI was used to help me write this blog more quickly.