The Manager’s Guide to Generative AI: From Hype to High-Performance

In the last few years, Generative AI has shifted from a technological trend to a common tool in many organisations. But not every business is using it to its full advantage. 

A 2024 Gartner study found that nearly two-thirds of organisations are using GenAI across multiple business units, yet most are still in the experimentation or piloting phase. With so much hype around these tools, it’s not surprising that many business leaders lack the confidence or knowledge to take them to the next level.

Our guide will help managers to understand the business applications that Generative AI training could enable. We’ll look at:

• What Generative AI is and how it differs from other types of AI
• What are some of the ethical risks, limitations and data concerns of Generative AI?
• How to identify and evaluate the opportunities of GenAI for your business
• How business managers can lead GenAI adoption
• How to integrate Generative AI tools safely and effectively

What is Generative AI and how does it differ from other types of AI?

Generative AI (GenAI) is a type of artificial intelligence designed to create new content based on patterns learned from large datasets. Unlike traditional AI, which works by analysing data and making predictions, GenAI uses a much deeper understanding of the information it’s trained on to deliver new, original outputs.

While each kind of AI software has its uses, understanding the nuances between GenAI and other forms of artificial intelligence is key to strategic deployment:

Traditional AI: The job of traditional AI tools is to accurately predict what is likely to happen next in a sequence based on historical data.

Generative AI (GenAI): This goes beyond prediction to create something “new”. It leverages deep learning to build an understanding of the data it’s trained in and generate new text, images and even code.

This distinction is what transforms Generative AI for managers from a reporting and data analysis tool into a true creative partner.

Today, GenAI is being used across a wide range of industries from media, education and healthcare to legal and software. It’s commonly used in areas like content generation, summarisation, code assistance and idea generation – revolutionising complex and time-consuming tasks to help businesses perform better.

What are the ethical risks managers should consider when using Generative AI?

While GenAI can deliver significant benefits for your business – from boosting your team’s productivity and performance to securing a competitive edge – it also comes with responsibility. Corporate Generative AI training can be an invaluable tool in helping leaders navigate the ethical and data risks. Here are just some of the areas to consider:

Data privacy and security

The most immediate risk for businesses using GenAI is the accidental leaking of sensitive or proprietary company data. GenAI tools work best when fed context, but if employees input confidential client information, intellectual property (IP) or financial forecasting into public models, that data can be unintentionally exposed or used to train the model for external users. It’s vital that managers build strict data governance rules for GenAI usage within their teams.

Data accuracy

GenAI models aren’t foolproof fact-checkers; they are built to find and create patterns. Their outputs, sometimes known as ‘hallucinations,’ can seem highly authoritative while being factually incorrect. Relying on unverified GenAI output for critical business decisions carries a high risk of error, financial loss or reputational damage.

Bias

GenAI models are trained on massive datasets that reflect human history, which includes historical inequalities.For example, if a model is trained on hiring data that subtly favours male candidates, the GenAI tool may perpetuate this bias when generating job descriptions or screening criteria. This is particularly critical in sectors like HR, finance, healthcare and customer-facing operations.

How to identify and evaluate the opportunities of GenAI for your business

When used to its full potential, GenAI becomes a strategic resource for managers. Corporate Generative AI training is a great way to not only develop confidence with AI tools but build a framework for how its capabilities can support your existing business strategy.

To identify the most impactful areas for GenAI integration, managers should focus on high-leverage activities and quantify the expected gains.

Identify high-leverage tasks

Determine which tasks consume the most high-value employee time but are highly repetitive. This is where GenAI excels. Examples include initial email drafting, summarising meeting transcripts or generating presentation slides.

Look for automation potential

Evaluate tasks based on their complexity and the need for human judgement. Simple, high-volume tasks are prime candidates for automation. Highly complex tasks requiring deep expertise are better suited for AI assistance, where the tool complements the expert, rather than replaces them.

Quantify time savings

Look at the return on investment (ROI) of your current workflows. If a marketing team spends 10 hours a week on social media copy and GenAI reduces that time by 60%, quantify the equivalent value in man-hours saved.

It’s worth remembering, however, that no tool is without its limits. AI team management also means understanding where GenAI currently falls short and strategic planning and human intelligence remain vital.

How business managers can lead GenAI adoption

AI team management is a crucial part of integrating GenAI usage into your business. Alongside managing the technical implementation, managers will need to effectively role-model the cultural shift towards new ways of working. These are some of the ways managers can effectively integrate GenAI into their teams:

Champion the human touch

Leading GenAI adoption means setting an example that it works as an amplifier of human skill, not a replacement. Managers should actively demonstrate how they use GenAI to eliminate low-value tasks to free up time for high-value strategic thinking. This alleviates employee fears about job security and fosters a culture of AI curiosity and experimentation.

Invest in Generative AI training

Unstructured learning is inefficient and risky, especially when it comes to AI. Investing in dedicated GenAI training ensures all team members, regardless of their department, understand things like official company policies on data, advanced prompting techniques and how to measure their own productivity gains.

Define and measure impact

Establishing tangible KPIs for GenAI use can help boost strategic growth and efficiency. From the man-hours used in producing content and the volume of content created to the rate of new innovations or ideas generated as a result, setting clear goals demystifies the hype of GenAI into something quantifiable.

How to use GenAI tools safely and effectively in your business

Integrating GenAI into your business operations is a big project, not just a software rollout. As AI fluency becomes increasingly important across professions, more and more roles are evolving to utilise it properly.

For managers, this means defining what safe and effective usage looks like through clear policymaking around fact-checking and security. Meanwhile, additional AI training courses for your employees can empower them to deliver quality AI inputs.

Ready to transform your team with Generative AI?

Generative AI is not a future trend – it’s already a strategic asset businesses are taking advantage of. Like any powerful tool, its value is only unlocked through structured, expert-led training that goes beyond basic functions.

If your organisation is stuck in the pilot phase, dealing with ethical uncertainties or failing to quantify the true ROI of your GenAI tools, it’s time to think about business-wide Generative AI training.

Go Tech’s tailored corporate training courses are designed to empower business managers with a clear, safe and strategic framework for GenAI deployment. They cut through the technical jargon to deliver actionable skills, ensuring your teams can:

• Understand what Generative AI is
• Recognise ethical risks, limitations and data concerns
• Use GenAI tools safely and effectively

Evaluate opportunities and limitations for GenAI

Unlock the competitive edge your business needs.

If you’re ready to transition your teams from passive users to proactive, high-performance Generative AI leaders, get in touch about Go Tech Generative AI training courses today.