by Mindtools
Last updated: October 2025
Key Takeaways: master active listening – the foundation stone of effective communication
- AI performs tasks traditionally done by human thinking.
- Your team can use it to perform many workplace functions more efficiently, from content generation to organization.
- Offer training to your team in using the latest and most relevant AI technology for their jobs.
- Address skepticism and reluctance with change management techniques.
- Think critically about what you use AI for – new isn’t always best.
- Follow advances in the field to make sure your team uses AI competitively.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is developing in leaps and bounds. You’ve probably seen and heard much about its radical impact on the world of work. But how can you harness it to help your team?
How do you define AI?
AI is often defined as a machine that has the capability to perform tasks usually accomplished by human thinking. [1] These include tasks that require reasoning, perceiving, learning and using creativity.
Here are a few examples of common types of AI used in the workplace:
- Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, which decipher and generate language.
- AI art generators, like Dall-E, that create images based on the user’s instructions.
- Virtual assistants, like Siri, which use AI to help with organizational and other everyday tasks.
- Deep learning tools which are trained on data sets to categorize input and optimize processes. This can range from reducing energy use to recommending investments.
- Rule-based AI systems that use predefined rules to make decisions (“if A, then B”). They can help with quality control or fraud identification. [2]
How to use AI at work
There are many ways that AI can enhance work. Which technologies you use (or don’t) will depend on your industry and the problems that you’re trying to solve.
Here are some common work situations where AI tools can help:
- Marketing and social media. LLMs can help you to write and tailor messages, campaigns and reports. On social media, AI can help to track users, target content, and identify trends.
- Content and learning. With good prompts, AI can create decent written and visual content. It can assist with learning by summarizing detailed information and creating interactive learning experiences like quizzes.
- Commerce. AI-powered chatbots can interact with your customers in a manner of your choosing. AI tools can recommend products to buyers, as well as helping you to predict general trends in commerce. Their ability to verify information can also make them useful for preventing fraud. [2]
- Organization. AI-powered assistants can help you to organize your workload and set reminders. You can prompt LLMs to prioritize tasks, generate schedules, and more.
- Analytics. AI can process data much more quickly than humans. It can help with tasks such as fact checking, code generation, analysis, report generation, and data entry. [3]
Quick AI Exercise For Managers
If you’re new to using AI as a manager, here’s a quick exercise to get you started.
Open up a LLM, such as ChatGPT, and test out the prompts below. Many LLMs are free to use, you simply need to set up an account.
The following are prompts that can help managers in separate work-related situations:
- Write a 150-word email to encourage customers to subscribe to your company newsletter on [insert topic].
- Review the business document below and make five suggestions to improve it. Consider spelling and grammar, clarity and engagement. [Copy and paste a business document you wrote below the prompt].
- List 10 opportunities for a team member I supervise to grow and develop their skills. They work as [their job] in [their industry] and would like to [briefly describe their ambitions].
By providing as much relevant information and context as possible, the results you receive back will be more likely to suit your purpose. And think of the results as a jumping off point – take the responses it gives you and then check and refine them.
When to use AI
It’s important to think critically about how your team will use AI before you go ahead and bring a new program into the workplace. What are your company’s needs? Is AI the best tool for the job?
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References:
[1] JRC Technical Reports, (2020). AI watch. Defining Artificial Intelligence [online]. Available here. [Accessed February 13, 2024.]
[2] Westerman, G. and Ransbotham, S. and Farronato, C. (2024) Find the AI Approach That Fits the Problem You’re Trying to Solve [online]. Available here. (Accessed February 13, 2024).Mental Health America, (2025). Quick mental health facts and statistics [online]. Available here. [Accessed October 8, 2025.]
[3] Mok, A. (2023). It’s not AI that is going to take your job, but someone who knows how to use AI might, economist says [online]. Available here. [Accessed February 13, 2024.]
