Fighting the little fights, or focusing on how to win in the new era?

In a keynote I was giving to a group of Senior Executives in one of the world's biggest producers of construction materials, I used this simple 2x2 matrix to clarify a major issue I see among many leaders and organizations when facing with the big question of these days: "What should we do about AI?".

Article content — Strategic AI choices for organizational Transformation

The point is, AI is bringing a seismic shift to your industry, and your organization. And therefore, you need to look at it from a strategic point of view, despite the urge we all know about focusing on "functional" initiatives. And since it is a major force reshaping the business, you need to understand it "deep enough" not to become subject to consultants and vendors manipulation. There is just too much none-sense out there!

This is the focus of our AI readiness model

Alignment is one of the eight dimensions in the 8-A of AI Readiness Framework developed by 100Facets.ai and the University of St.Gallen (HSG) – Executive School . We define it as “creating departmental and cross-functional integration so that AI initiatives work cohesively across departments”. Our Field research with 155 executives shows why that matters: only 11 % of organisations report high strategic readiness for AI, largely because coordination breaks down once pilots leave their home function .

External evidence reinforces the point: companies that give business, tech, and operations shared ownership of AI pilots achieve faster pay-offs and higher ROI; when ownership is fragmented, execution falters.

The 8-A of AI

Alignment sits alongside seven other maturity levers—Aim, Approach, Alliances, Architecture, Assets, Abilities, and Attitude. Together they form the 8-A circle that anchors our research-based readiness tool . Strategic Clarity (Aim, Approach, Alignment, Alliances) ensures everyone knows why AI matters; Execution Capability (Architecture, Assets, Abilities, Attitude) ensures the organisation can deliver on that vision.

Leaders often zoom into a single A—typically Architecture—because technology feels tangible. Our data show that transformation stalls unless all eight dimensions improve in concert. That is why this newsletter series will unpack each A in turn, starting next month with Aim (defining a value-creating AI vision).

What next?

In the coming weeks, I will dig deeper into each of the dimensions of the 8-A model. If you want to figure out where your organization stands, you can use the framework and its accompanying AI-powered agent that helps you get a real picture of the current state of your organization based on real, confidential, evidence collected from all employees and teams.

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