Meeting Details
Key Takeaways
- AI Transformation: Successful AI adoption depends on organizational culture, leadership, and employee readiness.
- Employee Mindset: Employee attitudes toward AI are critical to driving adoption and meaningful change.
- Leadership Influence: Leaders must model AI adoption to build trust and accelerate transformation.
- AI Skill Building: Moving beyond basic AI use requires experimentation, critical thinking, and human-AI collaboration.
Next Practices Weekly welcomed Laura Hamill, PhD, organizational psychologist and leader of Microsoft's AI@Work Thought Leadership research, for an insightful conversation on what Microsoft's 2026 Work Trend Index reveals about the evolving relationship between AI, employees, and organizational performance. Drawing on Microsoft's latest research, Hamill explored employee mindsets, leadership behaviors, and cultural dynamics influencing AI adoption, along with emerging questions shaping the next wave of AI-enabled work.
i4cp's Kevin Oakes and Tom Stone guided the discussion, examining how organizations can move beyond AI experimentation to meaningful workforce transformation. The conversation highlighted the disconnect between ambitious AI strategies and organizational readiness, emphasizing the importance of leadership engagement, employee trust, and building cultures that support new ways of working.
Topics Discussed
- Bridging the AI Transformation Gap: Why ambitious AI strategies can stall when organizational culture and employee readiness fail to keep pace.
- Employee Mindsets and AI Adoption: How attitudes toward AI influence experimentation, confidence, and the willingness to embrace new ways of working.
- From Basic AI Usage to Advanced Collaboration: What differentiates sophisticated AI users and how organizations can support the development of higher-value AI capabilities.
- Leadership and Organizational Culture: The importance of leadership role-modeling, trust, and cultural adaptability in scaling AI transformation.
- HR's Strategic Role in the Future of Work: How HR can connect AI research to workforce strategy, employee experience, leadership effectiveness, and organizational performance.
For senior HR and Human Capital leaders, this session offers research-backed insights into why successful AI transformation requires more than technology investments. Discover how HR can help organizations overcome cultural barriers, strengthen workforce AI capabilities, and prepare leaders and employees for the next chapter of AI-enabled work. Watch the recording to explore what Microsoft's latest findings, and emerging research questions - mean for your organization's future.
Resources Shared
- Explore Microsoft’s Latest Research on AI at Work. Discover the key trends shaping the future of work and what they mean for HR leaders. Explore Microsoft’s latest research on AI adoption, workforce transformation, and emerging opportunities to help your organization prepare for an AI-powered future. Download the Microsoft 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report.
- The New Rules of Succession Management. Discover how leading organizations are strengthening talent pipelines, bench strength, and future leadership readiness. Download the Executive Brief.
- 2027 Next Practices Now Conference: The first speakers for i4cp Next Practices Now 2027 have been announced. Join leading CHROs and HR executives March 23–25 for i4cp’s signature vendor-free, strategic HR conference. Register by December 11 to save $300.
To ensure open discussion, this event was exclusively for HR practitioners. Vendors and consultants were not permitted to attend.