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In the August 2025 Newsletter
Move AI to ROI (Part 4) / Events / Theresa Can Help

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AI producing ROI

"95% of Generative AI pilots at companies are getting zero return."
— MIT: The GenAI Divide / State of AI in Business 2025

How Do Organizations Successfully Implement AI?

Your firm can have the best technology in the world, but successful business-grade implementation is essential to deliver results for enterprises. As this MIT study says, "Just 5% of integrated AI pilots are extracting millions in value, while the vast majority remain stuck with no measurable P&L impact. Tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are widely adopted. But these tools primarily enhance individual productivity, not P&L performance."

The result: 95% of GenAI pilots fail. My primary research with CIOs in a range of industries and my Ph.D. dissertation research confirm what it takes to succeed. So now what? Don't stop. Envision what successful implementation looks like. Get advice from an expert and continue to work toward it.

A practical take-away is to celebrate failures. Fail early, fail often, fail gracefully. Be agile, adjust solutions, and iterate. Learning leads to better AI outcomes over time. Regenerate. Don't give up.

In an AI series of articles over the past few months, I've been providing an overview, real-world case studies, and practical take-aways to help you and your organization survive, thrive, and produce ROI. See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Five Myths About GenAI in the Enterprise
— from MIT report and confirmed by Theresa's research

1.	MYTH: AI will replace most jobs in the next few years. REALITY: Research found limited layoffs from GenAI, and only in industries that are already affected significantly by AI. There is no consensus among executives as to hiring levels over the next 3-5 years.
2.	MYTH: Generative AI is transforming business. REALITY: Adoption is high, but transformation is rare. Only 5% of enterprises have AI tools integrated in workflows at scale, and 7 of 9 sectors show no real structural change.
3.	MYTH: Enterprises are slow in adopting new tech. REALITY: Enterprises are extremely eager to adopt AI and 90% have seriously explored buying an AI solution.
4.	MYTH: The biggest things holding back AI are model quality, legal and data issues, and risk. REALITY: What's really holding it back is that most AI tools don't learn and don't integrate well into workflows. Implementation is key.
5.	MYTH: The best enterprises are building their own tools. REALITY: Internal builds fail twice as often.

Practical AI Implementation Take-Aways from Firms

	FIND BUSINESS VALUE. Focus AI efforts on solving real business challenges. Identify pain points and address them one problem at a time. Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA says, "Think big, start small, stay small, scale. Pick one problem, solve that problem, pilot, experiment."
	FOLLOW AN INNOVATION PROCESS. Firms with pilots that deliver ROI have an innovation culture that produces great results. Firms typically follow these steps in their innovation process: insight, idea, innovation, introduction / implementation, and impact. Based on extensive real-world experience implementing hundreds of IT projects as well as primary research, I advise firms on how to build an innovation culture, with a winning process and successful implementation. See my book, Champions of Technological Change. Let's talk.
	POWER THE CHANGE. Use a change management approach such as a Force Field Analysis. Look at the forces encouraging the adoption of the AI solution and the forces holding it back. Manage the change by actively altering forces that resist AI integration. Having the right information, rewards, and product solutions help to realign the forces.
	CELEBRATE FAILURES. Learn, be agile, and iterate. Be resilient and try again.

Summary

AI is a game-changer. Yet 95% of GenAI implementations in enterprises currently fail. Use it wisely to innovate, implement, and get impact. With the right approach you can create a great future with AI enterprise-grade implementations. How? Focus on business value, use an innovation process, power the change, and celebrate failures. Get help from experienced advisors who have done it before.

Selected Events

September 10, 2025. Theresa is a Luminary at the Colorado Technology Association WIT (Women in Technology) Conference in Denver. Look for Theresa in red and let's connect. Register now.

September 16, 2025. Join Theresa at the Private Directors Association / Colorado program on "People Strategy is Business Strategy." 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM MT at Deloitte in Denver. Guests are welcome. Register here.

Book Theresa to Coach, Speak, Facilitate, and Consult

See Theresa in action. Theresa's engaging presence, original stories, actionable insights, humor, wide ranging experiences, and practical pointers have earned her top speaker and consultant rankings at many events and with a wide range of business clients. Let "The Catalyst for Extraordinary Results" help you and your organization thrive. Learn more at TMSworld.com and see a sample of Theresa's speaking programs.

Emily Jarvis at GovLoop said, "Of all the keynoters I've worked with, Theresa is among the best."

Theresa M. Szczurek, Ph.D.
C-Level Executive, Certified Corporate Director, Certified Management Consultant®, Executive Coach, Speaker, and Colorado CIO of the Year

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