Everywhere you turn, the message is clear: AI is moving fast, and it’s forcing leaders and organizations to move fast, too.
New tools are being rolled out, jobs are evolving, and business models are shifting seemingly overnight.
According to McKinsey, over 70% have introduced AI into at least one part of their business. But a recent MIT study found that 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail to deliver meaningful business results.
One of the reasons for that gap? People aren’t being brought along in the change.
We’re hearing it from clients, and we’re seeing it in the data: when the people expected to adopt and collaborate with the tech don’t understand what’s happening or why, adoption stalls, engagement drops, and the tool you just invested in goes unused or doesn’t deliver the value you expected.
Bottom line: The change you were counting on never really takes hold.
The Real Reason Change Fails
Several years ago, I wrote a piece for a major publication on how to make change less disruptive for yourself and for others. The article struck a chord, but not because of the strategies I shared. The comments told the real story.
Over and over, people shared how badly change had gone in their companies. They talked about leaders who made big decisions behind closed doors, then rolled them out with little more than a cheerful email and a vague promise that “this will be great!”
People didn’t feel included or supported. They definitely didn’t feel ready for change, and that was before AI ramped up the pace and pressure that we’re seeing today.
Nowadays, the stakes feel even higher. For many employees, AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a threat. It raises real, personal fears:
- Will I be replaced?
- Do my skills still matter?
- Am I falling behind?
These are normal, human reactions. But in too many organizations, they’re being ignored or brushed aside in the rush to roll out the next tool, system, or strategy.
And that’s a mistake.
Change Always Feels Hard at First
When people hear about a change, especially one they didn’t ask for, their first instinct isn’t usually excitement; it’s anxiety. Most of us naturally respond to unexpected change as though it’s a threat. Historically, that made sense: change used to mean danger. Imagine famine, war or the plague. It was safer to stick with what you knew.
Today, the dangers are different, but the instinct remains.
At Proteus, we describe this initial mindset as the “default view” of change:
- Difficult: “I don’t know how to do this.”
- Costly: “This will take something away from me.”
- Weird: “This feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable.”
The good news is that with the right kind of support, people can shift their mindset. But it doesn’t happen automatically, and it definitely doesn’t happen through a slide deck or a town hall.
Start With What People Actually Need to Know
Whenever a change is announced, whether it’s a new AI system or a new strategy, there are three questions every employee has, whether they say them out loud or not:
- What’s changing for me?
- Why is this happening?
- What will it look like when it’s changed?
If you can answer those three questions clearly, honestly, and early, you’ve already created more clarity than most organizations ever do. And if the answer is “we’re still working it out,” say that. The point isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about building trust by being honest.
But often even that foundation isn’t enough. If you want change to take root, not just get announced, your people need more.
The Four Levers That Make Change Stick
Over the years, we’ve helped leaders across industries navigate large-scale transformation. The ones who succeed don’t just focus on systems or rollout plans. They focus on how people experience the change.
And they use four key levers to help people move from resistance to readiness:
1. Increase Understanding
The less people understand, the more they resist, so it’s the leadership’s job to demystify the change. Be clear about what’s happening and why, and talk about it in plain language, not buzzwords or tech-speak. Where clarity is missing, people fill in the blanks and fear takes over.
2. Clarify Priorities
When change hits, people often assume everything is changing, and that’s overwhelming. Make it clear what’s staying the same, and what’s truly shifting. Stability helps people embrace what’s new.
3. Give Control
Change can feel like it’s being done to people instead of with them. To counter that, give them choices, however small. Let them shape how new tools are adopted. Offer options in how they learn. Invite feedback and listen to it. The more ownership your people feel, the more invested they’ll be.
4. Give Support
This isn’t just about training (though that matters). It’s also about empathy. Ask how people are doing and acknowledge what’s hard. Be available for conversations and questions, and assume you’ll need to keep supporting people after the launch, not just during it.
AI Won’t Save You From the Human Work
Leaders today are being asked to move faster than ever, and the pressure to “get ahead of AI” is real. But here’s the reality: You can’t automate your way through the human side of change.
If you want transformation to stick, your people need to be equipped not just with tools, but with belief. They need to understand where you’re going, why it matters, and what it will take to get there. And they need to know you’ll be with them through the hard parts.
That’s not “extra,” it’s the work.
Ready to Lead Real Change?
Most change efforts fail not because the strategy was wrong, but because people weren’t aligned, equipped, or supported.
At Proteus, we help leaders lead change from plan to adoption, making sure people are ready to live and lead the transformation alongside you.
Explore how we help organizations make true transformation easier.
