Article
I keep running into a strange problem at networking meetings.
I can talk to people about their businesses. Then I mention operations, and it feels like the air gets sucked out of the room. Suddenly, everybody would rather be talking about something else.
So I have started using AI as a Trojan horse.
AI gets the conversation started
I show people Astra and talk about the time and money she saves me. That gets their attention. AI feels interesting. Operations, apparently, feels like homework.
Once the conversation is moving, I switch to how the business works.
You can almost see the moment when someone realizes we are talking about operations after all. By then, the trap has been sprung.
The funny part is that operations connects directly to the idea of a business running on autopilot.
If that is the goal, you need to see the processes that make the business run.
Put the business on paper
Start by visualizing your processes and putting them down on paper. You are trying to see what your business does, how the work fits together, and whether the way you are operating matches the kind of business you are running.
AI can help you begin that exercise. You could open ChatGPT and say:
“Hey, Chat, my Trojan-horse-making business is not working as well as I want it to work. What is the shape of this type of business? What are the processes?”
The example is ridiculous, but the exercise is practical.
Take the answer and compare it with what you are doing now. Look at the expected processes for that type of business, then look at your own. That comparison gives you a way to ask whether your operation could be more efficient.
Operations does not have to sound glamorous. I have tried mentioning the word in a room full of people. The evidence is not encouraging.
Put your processes on paper. Ask ChatGPT what that type of business usually looks like, then compare its answer with what you are doing now.