As part of our functional AI series, we brought in two practitioners to work with our Communities. Wendy Sellers focused on AI in HR and governance, while Tahnee Perry explored how agencies can use AI to support growth. The sessions approached the topic from different angles, but both pointed to the same conclusion: AI can increase speed and volume, but human judgment is where value remains.
A few takeaways
- Brief AI like a colleague, not a search engine. The strongest outputs come from context. A useful prompt names the role, context, task, format, and constraints. The more specific the brief, the better the result.
- Governance matters more than prohibition. Banning AI is unlikely to stop people from using it. Clear policies, practical training, and account-level awareness of client AI rules are far more useful.
- HR use requires extra care. Prompts related to hiring, discipline, or termination should be written with the assumption that they could one day be reviewed. Bias, privacy, and documentation all matter.
- Generic AI outreach will not cut through. AI can help draft, research, and organize, but agency growth still depends on human judgment and voice. If the message sounds like everyone else’s, it will be treated like everyone else’s.
- Repetition is a clue. If your team is repeatedly using the same prompt or process, that may be a workflow worth turning into a reusable instruction set, scoring rubric, or first-pass review tool.
Questions to ponder
- Does your firm have an AI policy, and does every team member understand your clients’ AI rules?
- Where are you repeating yourself most often, and could AI help create a better first draft?
- Which tasks should AI speed up, and which decisions should remain firmly human-led?
- How might AI change the way your agency prices, staffs, trains, or evaluates new business opportunities?
These sessions are part of our ongoing functional AI series for agency leaders. Members can view the recordings in the member portal and watch for upcoming sessions.
