Back in my days of implementing large Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems the projects were massive that typically took 12 to 18 months.

A crucial part of the process was converting data from a customer’s previous business system. We’d put on a big song and dance about data integrity, asking, telling and even pleading with customers to make sure the data was accurate before conversion.

Simple enough, right?

Well, not always…

Some customers swore their data was spot-on and would go ahead with the conversion. But once that data entered the integrated system, the cracks would show immediately! Errors they had never noticed before were suddenly everywhere.

You see, in their old, non-integrated system, those errors could hide in plain sight. But in a fully integrated system?

No such luck.

The old saying “garbage in, garbage out” was pretty much a motto…

If the processes and data weren’t clean, the benefits of the new system would be lost in a sea of errors.

The impact was it cost the customers in lost efficiencies and cost overruns to fix the errors.

Fast-forward to AI

We’re seeing AI capabilities grow at lightning speed. Businesses are rushing to integrate AI for its speed and efficiency. Software vendors are pushing it hard, racing to maximise commercial opportunities. Prospects and customers are hungry to gain its benefits.

Sounds great, right?

Not so fast…

AI is only as good as the information you feed it. It’s all about context.

If you give AI the wrong context in a prompt, the output could be wrong or useless. Give it the right context, and the results are golden.

Reminds me of those old ERP days - garbage in, garbage out…

To really unlock AI’s potential, we need to refine how it fits into our workflow. If you don’t believe me, let’s look at how two workers - Sarah and Tom - are using AI in their roles.

Sarah vs. Tom: AI & Time Management in Action

Sarah’s time management skills are excellent. She starts her day by reviewing her top priorities and uses AI to handle repetitive tasks like email responses and report summaries.

Sarah provides clear, structured prompts to AI, and in return, she gets exactly what she needs - saving time and energy for more strategic work. By mid-morning, Sarah’s already made significant headway on her top priorities.

Tom, on the other hand, struggles with time management. He causes himself cognitive overload because he’s constantly switching context and tasks without a plan, and while he also uses AI, his prompts are vague, leading to subpar results.

Instead of speeding things up, the AI outputs create more work for him. By the end of the day, Tom is still stuck in admin tasks, while Sarah has moved onto more meaningful work.

The Difference:

Sarah’s strong time management allows her to fully leverage AI, multiplying her productivity. Tom, with his average time management, never truly unlocks AI’s full potential.

The gap between Sarah and Tom is more magnified with AI, not because of AI but due to the combination of time management and workflow with AI.

Maximise AI’s Potential

This is why AI isn’t just a shiny new toy - it’s a productivity tool to magnify your impact…

But like email, if we don’t learn how to properly leverage and integrate it into our daily routines, it can quickly become a source of overwhelm rather than a tool for empowerment…

If you’re interested in chatting about how to truly leverage AI in your workflow - without falling into the garbage in, garbage out trap - let’s talk.