Acing Agentic Workflows
Acing Agentic Workflows
About the Book
The AI revolution isn’t just coming - it’s here. Yet, as organizations rush to implement artificial intelligence, most are missing the crucial ingredient for success: the human element.
This groundbreaking guide reveals why professional service organizations in healthcare, law, engineering, and finance struggle to harness AI’s true potential—and more importantly, how to overcome these challenges. Drawing from real-world case studies and cutting-edge research, Acing Agentic Workflows shows you how to:
- Deploy focused, task-specific agentic workflows that deliver measurable value
- Align stakeholder interests to drive sustainable AI transformation
- Break free from the productivity paradox holding your organization back
- Create an environment where innovation thrives and AI initiatives succeed
You’ll learn why the biggest obstacle to AI success isn’t the technology—it’s organizational habits. Discover how to get all stakeholders on board and shift from chasing short-term productivity gains to building lasting competitive advantage by deploying AI agents that consistently deliver value for your clients and your organization.
Written for both leaders and doers who understand that tomorrow’s success requires action today, this book provides a practical roadmap for turning AI’s boundless potential into transformative results.
Are you ready to lead the AI transformation?
This book is a work in progress, and I’d love your feedback! I’m aiming to complete one section each month, with the goal of finishing the book by early fall 2025.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What Are Agentic Workflows?
- The Five Key Players
- Bringing AI to Life in an Organization
- The Five Parts of This Book
- Introduction
- Drew’s Challenge: Driving Today’s and Tomorrow’s Revenues
- AI Adoption Isn’t Just a Tech Rollout—It’s a Cultural Shift
- Ira’s Frustration: The Technology–Reality Gap
- The Hidden Price Tag of AI Projects
- Who Gets Involved (and Who Gets Burned Out)
- Stop Relying on the Willing Few
- Between Standardization and Reality
- Why Work Is Inherently Local
- The Standardization Paradox
- Taylor’s Opportunity: The Future Calling
- What Gets in the Way of Speaking Up?
- Innovation Before the Lab
- From Possibility to Participation: Why So Few Step Up
- The RISE Framework: Creating Conditions for Commitment
- What Makes Up RISE?
- Return
- Invest
- Support
- Expectations
- The RISE Framework in Action
- Why This Matters
- The New Reality: From Curiosity to Commitment
- Reflection Prompts: What Kind of Contributor Are You?
- If you’re a Bailey (Executive Sponsor)
- If you’re a Drew (Team Leader)
- If you’re an Ira (Innovation/IT Leader)
- If you’re a Taylor (Emerging Talent)
- Exercise: Mapping Commitment with the RISE Framework
- Return
- Invest
- Support
- Expectations
- Chapter Summary: The Power—and Cost—of Possibility
- Discussion Questions
- Part 2: Prioritizing Projects
- Bailey’s Lightbulb Moment
- The Calm Before the Storm
- A Door Closed, A Conversation Opened
- Gender Difference
- Walking Before Running
- Selling the Problem — Not the Solution
- Why Innovation Teams Struggle in Professional Service Firms — and How to Fix It
- The Real Challenge
- 4 Principles for Building Innovation Teams That Survive and Deliver
- 1. Set Clear Business Objectives
- 2. Use Carefully Chosen Proxies — Not Voluntolds
- 3. Set Clear, Time-Limited Expectations
- 4. Embrace Strategic Team Changes
- Building Legitimacy: Inside and Outside
- Setting Up the Internal Pilot for Agentic Workflows
- Purpose of the Pilot
- Discovery-Driven Planning
- Step 1: Reverse Income Statement
- Affordable Loss Principle
- Step 2: Affordable Loss for the Pilot
- Step 3: Assumptions to Test
- Step 4: High-Level Milestones
- Step 5: Immediate Next Actions (7–90 Days)
- How Good Ideas Get Lost (and How to Find Better Ones)
- The Opportunistic Approach to Innovation
- The Deeper Challenge
- A Smarter Way to Manage Innovation Under Uncertainty
- Caveat
- Typical Opportunistic Innovation vs Strategic Portfolio Management
- From Idea to Offer
- Framing the Offer Using RISE
- Preparing for Commitment
- Why Celebrating Small Wins Matters
- Chapter Summary
- Key Takeaways
- Reflection Questions
- Exercises
- Exercise 1: Reverse Your Next Big Idea
- Exercise 2: Craft a RISE Offer
- Exercise 3: Plan Your Small Win
- Introduction
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