You Bought the AI Tools—Now What? Why Your Team Isn’t Ready (and How We Fixed That)

Let’s just say it out loud: There’s a massive gap between AI ambition and actual execution in most companies.

Nearly every business is investing in AI (95% if we’re being specific), but 70% of leaders don’t think their people can actually use it successfully. That’s like buying everyone a Ferrari and forgetting to teach them how to drive stick.

And it’s not getting better anytime soon.

Only 53% of execs believe their workforce will be ready in the next five years. FIVE. YEARS. Meanwhile, your competitors are sprinting ahead, AI-fueled and fearless.

Worse? Half of your team is quietly (or not-so-quietly) terrified that AI is coming for their jobs.

Of course they’re disengaged. You handed them a black box and said, “It’s the future. Good luck!”

Now, only 14% of companies (shoutout to the Pacesetters) are actually doing this well. They’re the rare few aligning their tech, people, and growth strategies with ethical guidelines, transparency, and actual *gasp* change management.

We’re one of them. And no, it didn’t happen overnight.

Your company bought the AI tools, but forgot the instruction manual. Now 70% of leaders admit their teams can’t use them. Time to fix that.

What We Did Right and What You Can Steal

At Red Branch Media, we don’t pretend that “playing with ChatGPT for 10 minutes” counts as an AI strategy. Here’s what we did instead:

1. We Made AI Literacy a Team Sport

From our account managers to our designers, everyone had to learn the why, how, and when of AI. Not just what buttons to click. We talk about hallucinations, training bias, and prompt engineering like we’re on a panel at SXSW. It’s nerdy. It’s fun. It works.

2. We Gave People Permission to Experiment (and Fail)

We didn’t lock stuff down; we opened it up but with intentionality. Our team uses AI for everything from wireframing websites to rewriting subject lines to drafting persona backstories in the voice of a cranky 65-year-old CHRO. They learned by doing in a transparent, it’s-okay-to-mess-up environment, not by fearing.

3. We Didn’t Wait for a Regulation Fairy

We created internal AI policies early on bias, sourcing, transparency, and when to just write the dang email yourself. The clarity gave people comfort and confidence. There’s a reason your team hesitates: you haven’t told them where the guardrails are. NO ONE knew what they were doing when AI hit the mainstream scene, and there was a lot of power in that.

4. We Rebuilt Workflows from Scratch

AI isn’t a garnish. It’s not a little sparkle you throw on top of the work you already do.
We nuked our old systems and rebuilt workflows with AI at the core, from content creation to project management. The result? Faster output, sharper strategy, less burnout, more “damn, that was good” chat messages.

The AI revolution isn’t about the tech—it’s about whether your team feels empowered or terrified. Which side are you creating?

So, Why Is Everyone Else Struggling?

• Because they think they can “AI up” their current processes without rethinking them.
• Because they dropped tools in people’s laps without context.
• Because they’re scared of the hard conversations about job security, roles evolving, and the discomfort of learning something new when you already have too much on your plate.

Here’s a reality check: Your team’s fear of AI isn’t irrational. It’s a symptom of leadership failure to communicate, involve, and empower.

What Life Looks Like On the Other Side

On our end? AI isn’t scary; it’s second nature.

• Our writers use it to cut research time in half and spin out ten creative hooks before their first cup of coffee.
• Our designers build five moodboards in ten minutes flat; AI-generated, human-refined.
• Our account managers whip up briefs, recaps, and strategy docs using tools we trained for our agency.

We’re not just faster; we’re better. More strategic. More focused. And more energized.

TL;DR: Stop Blaming the Tools. Start Leading Better.

If your team isn’t ready for AI, that’s not an AI problem.  It’s a leadership one.

Start here:

• Train everybody from the top down. Not just your innovation team. Leadership MUST know how this works abd what can be done reasonably before pawning it off on their reports.
• Be honest about what’s changing. Job roles will evolve. Say it.
• Give people a say. Nobody wants a robot overlord, but they do want a robot sidekick.
• Build processes that actually make life easier. And then show people how.

AI is only scary when it’s vague. Clarity is the cure. Empowerment is the path. And, if you need a model for how to do it right, call us. We’ve been in the AI trenches for years, and we’ve got the receipts.

Because at Red Branch, we don’t just talk about the future.
We build it. Every damn day.

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