Using AI to enhance stakeholder input in change management processes
The advent of AI has offered up opportunities for innovation across the change management sector. Technology that can play a critical role in streamlining and enhancing the overall process. One such opportunity, often underestimated, is how to expand and optimise stakeholder input.
To explore this, I sat down with Jorim Theuns, co-founder of the AI assisted stakeholder engagement startup Dembrane. We discussed this newfound intersection between change, collaboration and AI technologies. We recorded our conversation and used it to draft this very article!
AI-powered Change Management Tools and Their Application
The prevalent development in this space is the capability to transform large amounts of text into accessible insights. Attaching this to a user-friendly interface, allows stakeholders to explore these insights, allowing them to "interactively shape their opinions."
Unlike traditional top-down approaches, this process relies on insights taken directly from conversations with stakeholders. This ensures broader participation, captures diversity of thought, and encourages inclusivity.
Dembrane is building processes to realise more democratic inputs to diverse processes, like change management, and is busy creating AI enhanced processes to facilitate stakeholder deliberations. One workflow they are working with is transcribing conversations and converting these dialogues into insights which are subsequently stored into curated insight libraries. This approach enables wider accessibility to discussion content, fostering transparency and inclusion.
Benefits of AI in Wider Stakeholder Consultation
In one case study, Dembrane aided the Dutch NGO, "Peel Positief," aiming for a carbon-neutral region by 2050. They recorded and transcribed extensive sessions with numerous participants in small discussion groups. These anonymised transcripts were recorded, analysed, and used to answer key research questions. This data was turned around into insights quickly for use by the NGO’s team, providing valuable understanding of the participants' sentiments. The process enabled them to guide the project more effectively by understanding the collective interests, concerns, and nipping potential issues in the bud.
Instead of focusing on taking notes, as with standard ‘analogue’ methods of collecting responses through flipcharts and post-its, facilitators were able to focus on the people and on the conversation. The resulting transcripts were very detailed and ensured that the insights are based on the content of the discussion, rather than the interpretation of the note-taker.
Bridge between AI and Traditional Change Management Processes
An important aspect of modern change management is the paradigm shift from the traditional management structure - focused overly on procedures and policies, to a new paradigm of involving stakeholders from the onset. After all, they are the people responsible for delivering the change. This brings its own challenges! Bringing lots of opinions together can be hard and can be seen as inefficient, especially if sub-groups aren't aware of the activities and ideas of other groups - making top down management tempting. AI removes the bottleneck on how many people one can interact with or how much data can be processed. This enables a wider collection of opinions, but also the development of wisdom-of-the-crowd inspired decision making processes, which Dembrane are spearheading in their ongoing collaboration with OpenAI. Furthermore, since there is transparency in how opinions are gathered and synthesised, the people contributing feel more empowered by insights which reflect their authentic voice.
As the acceptance and adoption of AI gradually increases, we can expect a higher integration of these systems in change management processes. Here’s how Jorim puts it:
“I think it's going to take a little while for people to get used to the idea that AI can do what it's doing, and obviously there's going to be questions of making sure that the decision makers are enabled and that the intrinsic motivation of the participants is reflected in the outcomes. And obviously this is a very new space, so we're going to see how this pans out in practice. What we're seeing right now is that organisations are a little bit sceptical, a little bit wary, but when they see the immediate value that it can bring, their eyes light up.”
After having the opportunity to test Dembrane’s platform, I will continue to use it for focus group and workshop sessions. I’ve found that has already helped with reducing the burden on me as the facilitator. Additionally, the insights more accurately reflect the intention of the participant’s words.
As a result of this it leads me closer to the promised land for facilitators and consultants everywhere - effectively using insights to action change.