Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept of the future. If used correctly, it can be a present-day advantage for businesses across Gloucestershire.
From boosting productivity to streamlining operations, AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot are transforming the way teams work, but to fully realise these benefits employees need the right training and support.
Whether you're managing a small team in Cirencester or leading a large organisation in Tewkesbury, SoGlos's latest hot list features 10 practical tips to help teams confidently adopt and apply AI into daily roles – with the help of IT experts, Optimising IT.
Share real-world-use case studies
It's important for team members to have situational context in order to gain an understanding of how AI can affect daily challenges.
So demonstrating how AI can streamline things like customer support workflows, bolster cyber security through threat detection and optimise overall operations via resource tracking. Showcasing this can help participants immediately see the practical benefits while building motivation for further learning.
Foster a culture of AI curiosity
This motivation should be nurtured consistently to create an environment where regulated experimentation with AI is encouraged.
Do this by providing hands-on access to tried-and-tested AI tools while fostering open discussions about successes and failures. Incorporating AI into strategic conversations and decision-making processes helps to normalise its use and empowers employees to take initiative and innovate.
Tailor training to roles
Blanket AI training can fall flat when team members can't see how it can help them in their particular role – managers will need to customise training to reflect the daily needs of each department.
Use role-specific examples, such as content generation for marketing, customer insight analysis for sales and process automation for IT.
Embed AI in daily tools
Start from where each employee works, AI can be integrated into platforms that feel familiar such as Microsoft Teams, Outlook mail and Excel.
This will reduce the learning curve and can help users build AI habits within workflows that have already been established and adopted.
Create an AI centre of excellence
Once training has begun, it's a good time to establish AI leadership within a business – to guide implementation, provide governance and share best practices.
This centre of excellence can champion use cases, curate learning resources and ensure alignment between AI efforts and broader business objectives.
Use data to drive learning
AI can be used for valuable insights, not just automation and efficiency, so team's should be empowered to apply predictive analytics, intelligent routing and analysing trends to drive overall decision-making.
The collected data can be shared using AI-generated reports and visualisations to foster a culture of evidence-based thinking.
Build AI into learning and development strategy
The British Council, which specialises in international cultural and educational opportunities, recommends embedding AI skills into existing business strategies – such as a learning and development strategy.
AI competencies can be embedded into learning objectives and performance reviews, ensuring that training is aligned with both immediate needs and future goals.
Address security and ethics concerns early
As AI continues to evolve and its capabilities grow, so too does the need for it to be used wisely. So ensuring teams understand data privacy laws, model bias and responsible use guidelines.
Provide clear policies and real-world examples of ethical AI challenges to prompt discussions and help employees navigate risks confidently and fairly.
Run interactive workshops
While the theory of AI can be interesting, some team members may respond better to engaging, hands-on workshops that simulate real business scenarios – putting the theory into practice.
Run sessions on crafting effective prompts, how to interpret AI outputs effectively and how to integrate AI into workflows. These workshops should be collaborative and relevant to specific roles.
Track progress and celebrate wins
After working so hard to implement best practices and train the workforce, ensure you can reap the rewards by measuring the impact of the initiatives using clear KPIs and usage metrics.
These successes can be shared publicly, whether it be time saved on operations, improved customer service or new ideas formed – sharing these stories builds momentum and encourages wider participation from the team.
