Ways to Use AI as a Professional Tool

The inaugural LinkedIn Skills on the Rise list is out, and here's what's fascinating: AI Literacy isn't just #1— AI can actually help you develop the #2 and #3 skills on the list! (Conflict Mitigation and Adaptability) This synergy creates a powerful opportunity for professional growth in 2025. 1️⃣ AI LITERACY What's the best way to build your—and your team's—AI skills fast? Here are tips from my new book, "How to Think with AI": 1.    Take the leap now: Don't wait for perfect clarity or "when you have time." The opportunity cost of waiting rises every quarter as AI advances. 2.    Try using AI as a thought partner: Instead of basic requests, challenge AI with sophisticated problems—a conflict with a colleague, a market opportunity analysis, or a strategic decision. Higher expectations lead to more valuable results. Keep the dialogue going with follow-up questions and feedback—AI improves through conversation. 3.    Make it a habit: If you are struggling to fit AI into your life, apply the five-minute rule. Start with just five minutes of AI interaction daily, and do that for a month—small enough not to feel like work but consistent enough to build the habit. Every day, ask yourself "how could AI help me today?" to expand your thinking of where AI can deliver value to you. 2️⃣ CONFLICT MITIGATION Try using AI as a "neutral" perspective: AI can serve as an impartial "third party" to evaluate different sides of a conflict. Have it role-play various stakeholders to simulate negotiations before difficult conversations, helping you anticipate objections and prepare responses. This preparation can significantly reduce tension when addressing real conflicts. 3️⃣ ADAPTABILITY AI supercharges your ability to navigate change. For example, try this: Future scenario planning: AI excels at exploring multiple possible futures and their implications. Challenge AI to generate diverse scenarios for upcoming changes—from market shifts to organizational restructuring—and work through potential responses for each. Perspective expansion: AI can help you view situations through different lenses —customers, competitors, regulators, different generations, diverse cultural viewpoints—revealing blind spots in your thinking. ____ 👋 Hi, I'm Alison McCauley, and focus on how to leverage AI to do better at what we humans do best. I'll be sharing more about how to Think with AI to boost your brainpower. Follow me for more, and share your thoughts below! https://lnkd.in/gQgA6sGi

Want to future-proof your career and start leveraging AI? Here's how I did it, ranked from easiest to most ambitious: 1️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 • 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗: https://lnkd.in/eT-nzYP9 I recommend Heather Murray 's AI for Non-Techies Newsletter. It's a fun treasure trove of useful information. • 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗨𝗦𝗘: AI (Generative AI especially) is not infallible. Learn about the mistakes it can make, the issues it can cause, and how to navigate them. • 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 (𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸): For $15/mo, Canva is an amazing option because you can test alot of current capabilities. For $20/mo, Microsoft Copilot Pro can be added to your Office 365 account. Also for $20/mo, Google offers AI premium for your workspace (GMail, Docs, Sheets, etc). 2️⃣ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗜-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀. If your company offers access to AI tools, get access and use them according to their use policy. If not, create sample scenarios at home and practice. 3️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Share that you're interested in learning more in your field. Ask if coworkers or your LinkedIn network if anyone incorporated AI into their work. Offer to continue to learn together. 4️⃣ 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. There's no shortage of free webinars, conferences, etc. talking about AI. Get involved. 5️⃣ 𝗘𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱. Professional organizations and technology vendors offer lots of free training for specific use cases. 6️⃣ 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁. Talk to your manager about opportunities. Make it one of your professional goals to stand out. If they aren't there, contact your professional or volunteer organizations. 7️⃣ 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Use what you've learned to pitch an opportunity to create value at your company, your professional, or your volunteer organizations. Do these make sense for you? How are you going about it? #artificialintelligence #innovation #changemanagement #technology #digitaltransformation

AI is cloning me to the tune of 80+ hours a week. Here are 5 ways I use AI to multiple time so I can live all out at home with real balance in my work: Script Refinement I draft recruiting messages by giving AI the “framework” and then giving it the research on the candidate.  AI helps me sharpen the words so they land with clarity and confidence. Command: "Write a recruiting script that follows these three steps: 1) Start with affirming the recruit’s social surveys and reputation. 2) Create urgency by highlighting major industry shifts and the accelerating pace of change. 3) Remove recruiting pressure by inviting them into a no-agenda, relationship-building conversation." Meeting Summaries After meetings and coaching sessions, I drop in transcripts and get clean, actionable summaries in minutes.  Every leader should be recording their team meetings, one on ones, and more.  Capturing these and pairing them with AI makes for an amazing set of action items which you can use to create accountability for yourself and your team.  Command: “List all clear next steps, responsibilities, and follow-ups from this transcript.” Content Creation AI helps me generate post ideas, headlines, and even witty recruiting analogies.  My favorite command, “now create this using dry humor.”  Playbook Building From raw ideas to structured frameworks, I use AI to turn concepts into repeatable systems.  I use voice dictation (I hate typing) and simply speak my ideas and ask AI to create a concise repeatable framework.  Then I pair it with Gamma.app to immediately put it into a visual.  DO THIS!!!  You are going to be blown away.  Inbox Efficiency Need a reply to a tough email? AI drafts it fast, saving brainpower for what matters.  I do this dozens of times in a day especially later in the day when decision fatigue has set in.  Here is the command I use for this….“Will you write a high EQ response to this email that shows empathy, understanding, and maintains professionalism?” You can also add details like: Tone you want (calm, warm, direct, firm but kind, etc. Desired outcome (defuse conflict, rebuild trust, set boundaries, clarify a misunderstanding, etc.) Any specific points you want to make The goal? Spend more time building relationships. Let tech help you do more of what you’re best at.

Ever feel like you're watching the AI revolution from the sidelines? As WOC in the workplace, we can't afford to be left behind. After months of testing, failing, and finally mastering how to make AI work for us (not against us), here's my practical toolkit for turning AI into your career accelerator: 1️⃣ Meeting Magic -Use AI for prep, note-taking, and creating action-oriented follow-ups 2️⃣ Career Strategy -Upgrade your resume with AI-analyzed keywords -Practice tough interview questions -Research market rates for negotiations (because we deserve to be paid our worth!) 3️⃣ Communication Power -Draft difficult emails -Generate presentation narratives -Prepare smart talking points 4️⃣ Project Management -Break down complex projects into manageable tasks -Create realistic timelines that account for the unexpected -Develop status reports that highlight your wins and progress -Identify potential roadblocks before they derail your momentum -Generate templates you can reuse (goodbye Sunday night anxiety!) ⚠️ Quick caution: Always review AI output for bias and follow your company's AI policies! Remember: Your magic isn't in the tasks AI can do—it's in your unique perspective and emotional intelligence. Let AI handle the routine so you can focus on what truly matters - building relationships, showcasing your brilliance, and claiming your seat at the table. Which AI strategy will you try first? Share below! 👇🏾 #careeradvancement #womenofcolor #aistrategy

During a recent org offsite, of course #AI played a huge role in panels and during 1:1 discussions. It's clear AI is a powerful tool for efficiency and a great brainstorming partner. With that, you cannot trust AI blindly. I've been actively helping improve the model's output by being specific and clear in my prompts. Even with its benefits, we still have to play an active role to help ensure we're getting the correct outputs! Before you dive into using AI, here's what I've learned makes the biggest difference: 1) Be Clear on Your Message: Know exactly what you want to communicate. 2) Define Your Call to Action: What do you want your audience to do? 3) Tailor to Audience Seniority: Adjust tone and detail for who you're talking to. Once you're clear on these, AI becomes incredibly powerful. Here are 5 ways I use Google Gemini as a Program Manager: - Summarizing Docs: Quickly grasping info from long documents. - Drafting Comms: Getting solid first drafts for emails or updates. - Brainstorming Ideas: Using it as a thought partner for problems. - Creating Outlines: Structuring content efficiently for meetings. - Deep Dive Case Analysis: Discovering trends and the amount of issues related to a problem, then getting custom recommendations to improve those issues via Self-Help, Automation, or Process Improvement. For job seekers & professionals: Learn to leverage AI strategically, focusing on how your specific input refines its output. But remember, human skills – connection, collaboration, communication – are still paramount. This combination will help you stand out. How are you using AI tools like #Gemini in your role? Or job search? Share below! 👇 #AI #Gemini #TechTools #Productivity #ProgramManager #DeepDiveAnalysis #HumanConnection #Teamwork #CareerTips #JobSearch #StandOut #BigTech #blackintech

HOW we work with AI matters. Emerging modes of interaction are reshaping roles. Most people are stuck at method 1 or 2. Here are 4 key AI interaction types—and when to use each: 1️⃣ AI as a Microtasker One-shot problem solver. Ideal for quick, contained tasks: rewriting a sentence, generating a one-off image, answering a data question, or fixing a bit of code. High precision, low overhead. 2️⃣ AI as a Copilot Persistent, live support for extended tasks. It stays with you in pairing mode—watching your screen, listening, coding, brainstorming. A back-and-forth partner for creative or technical work in real time. Human in the loop, always. 3️⃣ AI as a Delegate Assign it a goal and let it work autonomously, for minutes or days. Great for complex, long-form tasks like research—no human in the loop. It self-directs, self-checks, and reports back after/while completing tasks. Think: Manus AI, autonomous agents. 4️⃣ AI as a Teammate A presence across your team or org. It joins meetings, takes notes, surfaces insights, runs simulations, offers opinions. Can even be in a manager role. Not just assisting YOU but enhancing the collective. An ambient, participatory AI system. And roles 3 and 4 mean the AI can work in a completely different way than our human systems. Knowing which role to use—and when—is the new AI literacy.

Here are the facts:  AI won't replace you, it will amplify you and your team But if a role or task you have is replaced by AI, then its your responsibility to focus on higher value activities  Most of my private clients are actively looking for ways to embed AI in their workflows: from marketing attribution and sales qualification and conversion to new appointments, to client fulfillment and retention.  Here’s the framework that works best: 1. Identify High-Value Tasks (if you don’t know what these are, here are the exact questions I reflect on a weekly basis)     * Reflect weekly:         * What’s 80/20?         * What’s a “must-do” vs. a “nice-to-do”?         * Which tasks can be delegated or eliminated?         * Of all the things I did this week, what top 3 drives the most impact?          * What can I do to only do those 3 things?     * = Focus on the top three actions that drive the most impact. 2. Map Daily Habits     * Translate your team’s routines into process flows. This visual step reveals exactly where AI and automation can potentially streamline the work. 3. Test AI in Specific Areas     * Identify tasks that could be automated (data entry, reporting) or partially supported by AI (research, web scrape, data analysis, inference creation).     * Refine the handoff point: where does AI stop, and where do human judgment, creativity, and empathy begin? 4. Evolve Roles, Don’t Replace Them     * If AI offloads a time-consuming chore, redirect that freed-up energy to strategic thinking, innovation, or deeper client relationships. AI is here to stay, and your skill in leveraging it will only become more valuable.  What’s one process you could start optimizing this week?

We can use AI within Power BI in distinctly different ways. Here's how two of these approaches compare. Approach 1: We can use it to connect to and build data models and reports from traditional AI models like regression, anomaly detection, and clustering. We can use these models on a high-level for finding trends, groups, and outliers or anomalies by either tapping into built-in Power BI functionalities or creating DAX measures to model these data points. This approach can take more time to build and requires more code, but also gives us much greater control of the modeling process. This includes functions like: - Fuzzy matching - Language detection - Image tagging - Correlations - Forecasting - Anomaly detection - LINESTX DAX function Approach 2: We can use it to connect to Copilot models that use generative AI to create ideas for building the Power BI model and also to summarize existing elements within the report. While this approach automates processes like creating reports, it also means that we might need to do more legwork to get the outcomes exactly to what we want. We also have less control over the process along the way. This includes functionalities like: - Asking questions about the semantic model data - Creating suggested visuals and report outlines - Enhancing Q&A synonyms - Writing DAX queries and formulas - Summarizing with the narrative visual Each of these approaches are topics of two of my recent Power BI courses in the LinkedIn Learning library! More on this comparison and both of these courses to soon in future content and newsletters. #PowerBI #Copilot #LinkedInLearningInstructor