H Is for Human Adoption: The HAIKU Formula’s First Element
HAIKU Formula Series — By Shawn Slusser, Slusser Advisory Group
In my HAIKU formula for GenAI value creation, H stands for Human Adoption. Let’s dive in.
Where Most Teams Go Wrong
In practice, most teams build the solution first, add a training plan at the end, and hope for the best. But when the use case is unclear and the user experience is poor, users don’t understand what the solution is for or how to use it effectively. The result is disinterest or active resistance.
Start Before You Build
The best practice is to start with the use case and user experience before development begins. What problem does it solve for the people who will use it? How will they know it’s working, how will you measure whether it’s creating real value, and how will you track whether people are actually adopting it? Without those answers defined upfront, you find out at launch that nobody is logging in.
Adoption Is an Emotional Journey
Getting users to act requires emotional engagement, not just a training plan. Your communication plan needs to lead with why the change is needed and what’s in it for the people being asked to adopt it. That means opening every communication with the problem being solved and how their work is made easier. And yes, your team is also worried about how GenAI will impact their jobs. Address that fear head on or you’ll get quiet resistance, not engagement.
Own It from Day One
Successfully managing human adoption is both complicated and complex because you’re dealing with human emotions, not just workflows. An experienced adoption owner needs to be assigned from the beginning, with real budget and a plan that addresses both the value the solution creates and the emotional journey of the people being asked to change. They need to understand the users’ daily work and have genuine empathy for what’s being asked of them. And finally, after launch, that owner must regularly track adoption against the agreed KPIs and report to leadership where traction is falling short, while there’s still time to respond.
Follow along as I break down each element of the HAIKU formula in future posts. Or schedule a call with me if you want to talk through where your initiative stands.