Why AI Adoption Fails at Work

Every CEO is bullish on AI. Ask the people actually doing the work? The mood is different. Fear. Ambivalence. A vague sense that something important is being skipped. That gap is what Donald Thompson has been spending his time on. Donald is managing director of the Center for Organizational Effectiveness at Workplace Options, the largest independent provider of holistic wellbeing solutions supporting tens of millions of employees across 200+ countries. He's also a multi-exit entrepreneur, EY Entrepreneur of the Year recipient, and author of Underestimated and The Inclusive Leadership Handbook. In this episode, host Steve Smith and Donald dig into why AI adoption fails at work — not because the tools aren't good enough, but because organizations keep skipping the hard parts: trust, work design, and leadership. What you'll hear: - Why lack of trust is the biggest barrier to AI adoption right now - The zero-to-70% frame — and why the last 30% still requires great people - How to sort AI use cases into automation vs. knowledge work buckets - The risk conversation that actually works with command-and-control CEOs - The question most leaders should be asking their teams but aren't