Extracting Value from AI.

Leaders walk into any AI initiative and identify whether it is creating value or theater.

Section 01

Human Layer

Hold people accountable for outcomes, not AI activity.

Activity metrics drift toward what is easy to measure: tokens used, prompts run, time spent. The human move is to anchor accountability in outcomes the function already cares about — cycle time, error rate, customer signal — and refuse to substitute AI activity for them.

The moves

H.1Define value in metrics that pre-date AI in the function
H.2Audit time-saved claims with real time studies, quarterly
H.3Treat 'used AI' as a means, never a deliverable
H.4Stop rewarding output volume; reward outcome shifts

Section 02

AI Layer

Know where AI creates real value vs. where it is theater.

AI value compounds in specific places — high-volume drafting, structured synthesis, low-stakes decision support — and dissipates in others. The AI move is to map the function's work against where AI multiplies value and where it inflates noise.

The moves

A.1Map the function's work into AI-leverage, AI-neutral, and AI-hostile zones
A.2Prioritize automation where errors are cheap and recoverable
A.3Resist using AI where the human signal is the product
A.4Build a working sense of where the next 12 months of capability go

Section 03

Anti-patterns

What gets in the way.

◆Productivity dashboards that measure tool usage rather than business metrics
◆AI investments justified by counterfactual claims that cannot be tested
◆Polish substituted for substance — longer drafts, no better decisions