8 minutes to read With insights from... Dunja Stanivukovic Lead Program Manager AI & Digital Transformation dunja.stanivukovic@zuehlke.com Andrija Ljubojevic Principal Software Engineering Consultant andrija.ljubojevic@zuehlke.com Gartner research confirms that employees' reactions to AI are incredibly mixed – including everything from excitement and enthusiasm to fear over job security. The challenge for organisations, then, is to understand employee concerns and motivations alike, and to create a safe space for people to explore AI in the workplace. One where everyone feels empowered to adopt new workflows and take advantage of AI’s full potential. 'AI transformation triggers a full spectrum of emotions: from fear and scepticism to curiosity and excitement. The real challenge isn’t the technology, but guiding teams across that emotional terrain, building a bridge from familiar routines to a future where working side by side with AI is not just accepted, but expected.'Andrija Ljubojevic, Principal Software Engineering Consultant, Zühlke But how can you inspire employees to embrace AI in the workplace responsibly and effectively? How do you equip people with the right AI-enabled skills, experiences and mindset? And how can you design a working environment that removes friction and sustains new behaviours? Why AI in the workplace is a net positive To shift emotions from fear to curiosity, we must first spotlight how AI meaningfully empowers people and teams. Here are four key ways AI acts as a catalyst for progress:AI frees up time and fuels innovation: By handling repetitive tasks and speeding up iteration, AI gives people more time to think strategically and test ideas more freely – making innovation part of everyone's day job.AI enables faster, better decisions: AI's ability to rapidly process vast amounts of data helps teams act with greater speed and confidence, with decision-making grounded in insight.AI speeds up learning: Tools like code copilots or design assistants serve as on-the-job mentors, helping people learn in real time and rely less on formal training.AI drives inclusivity: From supporting multilingual teams to assisting those with disabilities, AI plays a powerful role in making workplaces more accessible and equitable.When these benefits are paired with human-centred change, AI becomes a purposeful lever for transformation. The Switch framework: Rider, Elephant, Path Chip and Dan Heath's three‑step framework to change is an excellent starting point when it comes to making people-first transitions. In their book 'Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard', they argue that real transformation relies on three interlocking elements:Your rational "Rider," guided by clear directionYour emotional "Elephant," fuelled by genuine motivationThe surrounding "Path" (or environment), which must be curated to make new behaviours the obvious choice.Let’s unpack each element – alongside specific tactics – with real examples from Zühlke's own AI transformation… 1. Direct the Rider Point to the destination Point to the destination Defining a shared vision for why we need to change is the start of any big transformation. What’s often missed here is the continuous reinforcement that ensures everyone understands the direction and desired outcomes. That’s what keeps people aligned, even amid shifting priorities.At Zühlke, we continually leverage various channels as part of our engagement strategy. Through 1:1 discussion, management and team meetings – as well as newsletters, town halls, knowledge exchange sessions and team offsites – we consistently communicate why AI matters and how it aligns with our strategy, values and long-term goals. We make sure everyone understands not just the tools, but the purpose behind the transformation. Follow the bright spots Follow the bright spots People are naturally drawn to proven successes. Highlighting existing wins alleviates uncertainty and sparks ideas for how to apply similar approaches in other work.At Zühlke, we celebrate and share our successes (like our Cybernetic Delivery Method™ and the UNIQA AI chatbot case studies) to show our teams real-world AI-accelerated value creation and productivity gains. This creates a pull effect that inspires other teams to test similar approaches. Generating this type of effect takes time, though; we sometimes find the need to highlight a wide range of success stories before momentum builds. Script the critical moves Script the critical moves When teams have clear, step-by-step guidance on how to navigate AI tools, they don't waste time guessing. Instead, they can dive straight into trying things out and making real progress.At Zühlke, we run a focused set of AI-augmented delivery pilots, with expert coaches guiding teams on how to adopt AI tools through targeted training, prioritisation of use cases and tool integration frameworks. For each pilot, we bring in concrete, reusable assets like custom GPTs, prompt libraries, automation scripts, AI-powered techniques for generating prototypes and automation test validation architecture, just to name a few. These assets form a continuously refined, centralised repository, making them easily searchable and adaptable. And this process ensures that teams across Zühlke can build on proven patterns to scale AI-driven improvements in their day-to-day delivery. Through this journey we’ve learned not to rush this try-learn-adapt approach – teams need time to adopt new practices. 2. Motivate the Elephant Find the feeling Find the feeling Emotional engagement drives people to act. So illustrating how AI can free them from mundane tasks will make the transformation personally relevant.At Zühlke, we frame AI as an enabler for creative, high-value work. We share employee experiences where an AI application eradicated repetitive tasks and freed people up to focus on strategy and client relationships, while always underscoring the key benefits. Shrink the change Shrink the change Breaking a large transformation into small, achievable steps reduces anxiety and builds momentum as teams experience early wins. This approach minimises the risk of making people feel overwhelmed while allowing them to experience benefits right from the start.At Zühlke, we break adoption into bite-sized steps and onboard our teams with a modular approach to AI-enabled delivery. We encourage teams to start small, begin by implementing a simple solution – like a custom GPT for business requirements, an AI tool like GitHub Copilot integrated into their development workflow, or high-fidelity prototypes drafted on the spot. From there, we focus on scaling what works. Successful pilots are refined, shared across teams and expanded into broader workflows to help adoption spread organically. Grow your people Grow your people Continuous learning and peer support foster a growth mindset, ensuring employees feel capable of leveraging AI in the workplace.At Zühlke, we run dedicated AI tracks at off-site events, guiding teams through hands-on exercises to enhance their skills and boost AI literacy. Beyond these immersive experiences, we facilitate ongoing knowledge exchange through quarterly AI knowledge sharing sessions, and ambassador knowledge exchanges – delegating ownership of change to those most involved and fostering a collaborative learning culture. Our team of appointed discipline experts act as go-to contacts in their field of expertise, which provides employees easy access to knowhow as well as an additional layer of safety. 3. Shape the Path Tweak the environment Tweak the environment The right policies and processes clear the path for change, removing friction, reducing fear and making new behaviours feel safe and easy.At Zühlke, we carefully curate an environment that makes change easy. Our Responsible AI policy removes ambiguity, giving employees clear guardrails to experiment safely. To transition our sales and delivery teams to this new way of working, we also provide guidance on initiating client conversations about AI, incorporating AI adoption clauses in contracts and supplying them with best practice guidelines and case studies. In an ever-changing AI landscape, it can be difficult to lock definitive guidelines into place – so we keep evolving ours. Build habits Build habits Building habits around experimentation and sharing experiences turns innovation into a team sport – progress compounds, innovation accelerates and value spreads fast.At Zühlke, we’ve established a lean process for experimenting with AI tools by extending licenses, tracking usage and soliciting structured feedback. This makes experimentation a habitual practice, and when behaviour becomes habitual, it also becomes effortless. We encourage submission of experiences that showcase the value of having example solutions for specific use cases readily available. Getting teams to contribute is never an easy task – persistence is key here. Rally the herd Rally the herd Visible role models can accelerate a cultural shift. As employees see peers succeed with AI, they're more likely to follow suit.At Zühlke, we make desired behaviors visible by recognising AI champions with rewards like LinkedIn shout-outs and prizes, and we also run social media campaigns where employees can share how they’ve used AI in and outside of work. This helps make the change more relatable. Human-centric change: Turn theory into practice Real, lasting change starts and ends with people. AI transformation isn’t just a tech upgrade, but a profound shift in how people work, think, and feel. Leaders must take responsibility not only for the success of the tools, but for the readiness and well-being of the people who power them. If AI succeeds, it will not be because it's smart but because people are ready to make it work. ' Tech advancements often steal the spotlight, but it's people – their mindsets, behaviours and environment – that make or break success. Without a human-centred change strategy, even the most sophisticated AI solutions can underdeliver or outright fail. ' Dunja Stanivukovic Lead Program Manager AI & Digital Transformation, Zühlke That's why change management must be a core pillar of any AI strategy and not simply an afterthought. The first step? Ditch the tech roadmap and start with the people behind the processes – it’s important to prepare them to travel the path ahead.That means:Stay grounded: Cut through the hype with a pragmatic approach that focuses on real value and emotional readiness.Clarify the "Why": Consistently communicate the purpose. Help employees see what's in it for them by connecting AI initiatives to meaningful outcomes like greater impact, more creative work and career growth.Equip your teams: Invest in upskilling and hands-on experimentation to build confidence and competence.Acknowledge emotions: Recognise excitement and fear equally. Addressing them openly builds trust and momentum.Ready to put people at the heart of your AI journey? Reach out to our experts and let’s script the critical moves together.
' Tech advancements often steal the spotlight, but it's people – their mindsets, behaviours and environment – that make or break success. Without a human-centred change strategy, even the most sophisticated AI solutions can underdeliver or outright fail. ' Dunja Stanivukovic Lead Program Manager AI & Digital Transformation, Zühlke