You can’t slap AI over “dysfunction” and expect “transformation”

I know, it’s HYPE to be “AI-enabled.”
And who doesn’t want to be HYPE?

Nowadays, nothing screams “look at how amazing we are” more than a fancy AI implementation.

But soooo many companies are mistaking “AI implementation” for PROGRESS.

Of course, they’ll broadcast their success stories to the world.

The radical disruption.
The tremendous innovation.
The crazy productivity gains.

But in reality…?

BEYOND the corporate meetings with the CEO and LinkedIn success stories?

For so many, it’s a real SH*T SHOW!

I SEE THIS PATTERN REPEATEDLY:

STEP 1:
Buy fancy AI tools 🤖

STEP 2:
Leadership expects magic 🪄
(Or is that STEP 1?)

STEP 3:
The magic DOESN’T happen ❌
(Who could have guessed?)

→ Half the company quietly resists change.
→ The other half over-promises what AI can do.
→ Your data is a mess (IF you found it in the first place).
→ Your spreadsheets have spreadsheets.
→ Critical info lives in 17 systemms (that don’t talk to each other).
→ The model works perfectly (but only in the demo environment).
→ The one person who actually understands the AI pipeline quits.

MEANWHILE:

The AI initiative is run by an eLiTe TaSk FoRcE…
They’ve had 73 meetings. No decisions yet.
The team dissolves after 6 months.

The budget flows to consultants who document WHY everything is broken…

Then leave.

Everyone realizes too late that “fixing data” wasn’t in the budget.

And fundamentally?
Your meetings still suck.

THE RESULT:

→ Money wasted.
→ Time lost.
→ Frustration skyrocketing.

NO real change.

Your organizational dysfunctions remain untouched.

BUT hey, impressive LinkedIn posts!

THE CORE PROBLEM:

🧩 Executives don’t understand their own business but demand “AI innovation.”

🤼 Teams can’t collaborate but hey, they’ve got a new chatbot!

♻️ Your processes are still from 1998, employees complained for years… BUT NOW, it’s an “innovation priority.”

📊 People are incentivized on SHORT-TERM KPIs, but should be thinking LONG-TERM.

🤝 No one REALLY trusts leadership decisions, but now they’re expected to trust AI.

THE TRUTH?

👉 Fix your sh*t first.

NO BROKEN SYSTEM magically “improves” or “heals” because you slapped AI over it.

WHAT THEN?

1. Start small.
2. Fix one problem completely (FAST!).
3. Get your data right.
4. Train your people.
5. Repeat.

❌ STOP playing “digital cosplay.”
✅ START actually transforming.

To your success,

Gaetan Portaels

Original publication date — March, 2025 (HERE)