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Manage the AI Transition

5 min read

Eng Manager

You're on the front line. Your team will resist or over-adopt. Your job: set guardrails, model behavior, and listen to concerns.

Tech Lead

Technical rollout is your domain. Access, standards, security. Make it easy to do the right thing.

Tpm

Transition = project. You have a plan, milestones, and success criteria. Treat AI adoption like any other initiative.

Manage the AI Transition

TL;DR

  • AI adoption is change management. Expect resistance. Expect over-enthusiasm. Plan for both.
  • Roll out in phases: pilot team, expand, full rollout. Learn at each stage. Adjust.
  • David's org is 40 people. He can't flip a switch. He needs a plan. Here it is.

Leadership said "we're doing AI." Now what? Someone has to make it happen without burning down the org.

The Phases

Phase 1: Pilot

  • One team. One workflow. 4-6 weeks. Clear success criteria. Learn what works.
  • Address: access, security, support. Make it easy for the pilot team. Document everything.

Phase 2: Expand

  • 2-3 more teams. Refine based on pilot feedback. Update standards. Address objections. Create champions.
  • Some will adopt fast. Some will resist. Support both. Don't force; enable.

Phase 3: Scale

  • Org-wide. Training, documentation, and "here's how we do it." Optional for some roles; encouraged for most.
  • Measure: adoption rate, productivity signals, quality. Share results. Close the loop.

Addressing Resistance

  • "AI will replace us." Reframe: "AI lets us do more. We're investing in you, not replacing you."
  • "I don't trust it." Valid. Start with low-stakes workflows. Build confidence. Don't force high-stakes first.
  • "It's a fad." "Maybe. We're learning. If it works, we adopt. If not, we stop. Low risk."

Addressing Over-enthusiasm

  • Guardrails: What can AI touch? What can't? (e.g., no production config, no customer data in external tools.)
  • Review: AI output is draft. Always. Make that clear.
  • Quality: Speed isn't the only metric. Bugs, security, maintainability — hold the line.

Quick Check

David's org is 40 people. Leadership said 'we're doing AI.' What's the right rollout approach?

'We're doing AI.' No plan. Everyone experiments. Some resist. Some over-adopt. Chaos. Security has questions. Nobody knows the guardrails.

Click "Managed transition" to see the difference →

Do This Next

  1. Draft a rollout plan: Pilot team, timeline, success criteria. One page. Get alignment.
  2. Identify your champions. Who's already experimenting? Enlist them. They'll pull others along.