As businesses of all sizes try to figure out how to approach AI or artificial intelligence, they are hoping to answer one basic question first: will AI help me get better at what we already do or take in a completely different direction?
Those are the kind of questions that keep people awake at night. One person who has spent a lot of time thinking about them and coauthored a book on the topic is Professor Rory McDonald at the University of Virgina business school.
His answer is a bit unusual. Interviewed by the online publication Strategy + Business he counsels business owners and leaders to act like preschoolers.
Watching kids in the sandbox can be very informative. They tend to focus on their own activity even though they play next to other kids. They will watch what the others do, borrowing new things that seem to work for the kid next door, using it to enhance what they’re doing. Think of it as watching the competition – borrowing the good ideas – but still focusing on your own goals.
