We're behind on AI and don't know where to start

Common questions from Lincoln leaders

Are we actually behind?

Probably less than you think. McKinsey 2025 found 88% of organizations use AI somewhere — but only ~6% qualify as 'AI high performers' attributing 5%+ EBIT impact, and nearly two-thirds haven't begun scaling. The race is much earlier than the headlines suggest.

What's the right first move?

Pick one workflow and make it 10% better with AI in the loop. Not a transformation. Not a strategy doc. Not a vendor evaluation. One workflow, one role.

Don't we need a strategy first?

Strategy without one shipped use case usually becomes a planning exercise that doesn't ship. McKinsey's data shows the high performers' differentiator is workflow redesign — they're nearly 3x more likely to have fundamentally redesigned individual workflows.

What if we pick the wrong workflow?

Almost any workflow that's document-heavy, intake-heavy, or first-draft-heavy will work. The right ones are usually obvious to the people who do the work.

We have a small team. Do we hire someone first?

Usually no. Hiring an AI specialist into a team that hasn't done its first AI workflow rarely produces results.

Is there a worst version of 'starting'?

Yes — buying a tool license without picking a use case, hoping the tool will reveal what to do. Pick the use case first; tools second.