AI – It's Time to Jump In!
If you're a change management practitioner still on the fence about using AI in your work, consider this your invitation to jump in. We recently spoke with Betsy McCluskey, a seasoned executive coach and strategic Human Resources consultant who’s helping C-level leaders tackle complex, organizational challenges. Her number one rule lately? Don’t do anything without first asking, How can I use AI for this?
From Five-Minute Fixes to Strategic Agendas
Betsy’s AI journey began with a high-stakes, high-speed challenge. With only five minutes to prepare for an executive interview, she had a resume, a job description, and assessment results—but no time for handcrafting an interview protocol from scratch. Instead, she fed everything into ChatGPT and asked it to draft the interview questions. “It wasn’t perfect the first time,” she shared. “But that’s the trick—you have to learn how to prompt well and use your own expertise to refine the output.”
The result? What used to take 30 minutes took five. That early success led her to experiment further: building multi-day leadership agendas, customizing workshop content, and even refining strategic priorities—all with the use of AI as a thought partner.
AI as a Fast Analyst
Another powerful application of AI is preparing for internal focus groups. When a client handed over a mountain of qualitative data, Betsy offered a framework and asked ChatGPT to do the first-pass analysis. It cranked out meaningful themes in minutes. “It wasn’t difficult work, but it was time-consuming,” she said. AI helps us focus our time where we truly add value—interpreting insights and aligning them with organizational culture.
The AI Sweet Spot: Experience Meets Automation
AI isn’t a substitute for professional judgment, rather it’s a tool. For early-career professionals, over-reliance on AI can stunt the development of core skills. But for mid-career and senior consultants, it’s a force multiplier. “As experienced practitioners, we bring context. We know the culture. We know how to ask the right questions. AI just helps us do it faster.” Used well, AI doesn’t dilute expertise—it amplifies it.
From Stakeholder Maps to Job Architecture: Endless Use Cases
Here are just a few real-world examples of how OCM professionals can use AI right now:
Interview Prep: Customize stakeholder interview guides based on org structure, culture, and previous tools you've developed.
Tool Audits: Feed in multiple stakeholder mapping templates and ask AI to compare formats, extract themes, or suggest a hybrid model.
Job Architecture Overhaul: One client used AI to analyze hundreds of job descriptions, pay bands, and organizational roles to flag risk areas—work that used to take months, can now be done in weeks.
Research Accelerator: Instead of spending hours scouring Google, give AI clear parameters (e.g., HR trends, reputable sources, no content older than two years), and let it curate your reading list.
Make AI Part of Your Process—With Purpose
Your approach doesn’t have to be about chasing the next shiny tool. Try building AI into your workflow, constantly asking yourself: Can this save me time? Can this improve the outcome?
Try these tips to do the same:
Practice Prompting: The better your prompts, the better your results. Experiment with formats, clarify your expectations, and refine based on output.
Batch Your Prompts: Provide AI with multiple prompts at once to avoid tedious back-and-forth iterations.
Always Add Human Insight: Never take AI at face value. Your knowledge, experience, and client context are what make the final product valuable.
Final Thought: Don’t Get Left Behind
Betsy shared an interesting scenario she had heard: Two applicants interview for the same role. One used AI to prepare, one didn’t. Who’s the stronger candidate? In today’s world, if you're not using AI in some way, you’re not operating at peak performance.
The pace of change is accelerating. As change practitioners, we talk to clients about adaptation, agility, and continuous improvement. Now it’s time we model that mindset ourselves.
So OCMers—jump in. Read the articles. Experiment with the tools. Whether you're solving a complex client challenge or simply writing your next blog post, start by asking: How could AI help me do this better or faster?
The answer might surprise you—and save you a lot of time.
Contact ChangeStaffing to learn more about how AI can amplify change management expertise.
Thank you to Betsy McCluskey for her thought leadership and for collaborating with us on this blog.
Written by Kylette Harrison