.png)
Where AI Adds Value — And Where It Doesn’t
- Janine Dormiendo
- Nov 11
- 3 min read
Evaluating High-Value Use Cases Through the Lens of Automation, Augmentation, and Acceleration
For CEOs, Chiefs of Staff, and Transformation Directors navigating digital change, AI poses a critical question:
Where does AI truly add value — and where doesn’t it?
It’s vital not because AI lacks potential, but because potential without precision wastes focus. Many organisations chase hype rather than outcomes. The leaders achieving the strongest returns aren’t doing more, arguably they’re doing less, better. They choose use cases that align with strategic intent.
At Envisago, we help leaders and teams build AI capability with purpose. Central to that journey is developing judgment - knowing what AI is for, and what it isn’t.
A Clearer Lens for AI Strategy: Automation, Augmentation, and Acceleration
To identify high-value AI use cases, we use a strategic framework called the AAA Lens: Automation — Augmentation — Acceleration.
Unlike typical “AI readiness” checklists that focus on technical maturity, the AAA Lens centers on leadership intent -ensuring AI serves strategy before process.
This model helps leaders filter noise, focus energy, and apply AI where it strengthens impact and decision quality.
1. Automation: Streamlining the Repetitive
Automation replaces manual, rule-based work - the most visible (and overused) application.
Where it adds value:
Streamlining reporting and document formatting
Auto-summarising meetings and research papers
Drafting standard communications and presentations
What to watch for: Over-automating too early can erode trust and insight. Not everything repetitive is low-value; sometimes learning happens through the doing.
Use AI to clear space , not to cut corners.
2. Augmentation: Enhancing Human Intelligence
Augmentation supports — but shouldn’t replace — human thinking. Human intelligence has significant contextual awareness and is vital in domain expertise. AI can support as a thought partner, surfacing patterns, generating options, and sharpening judgment.
Where it adds value:
Synthesising large or conflicting inputs
Generating strategic scenarios
Drafting nuanced communications in your tone
Supporting coaching, facilitation, or idea generation
What to watch for: AI widens perspective but can’t make the call. Discernment, ethics, and culture remain human.
Use AI to enhance judgment — not outsource it.
3. Acceleration: Increasing Pace and Quality
Acceleration amplifies speed, consistency, and insight across leadership cycles — not to do new things, but to do important things faster and better.
Where it adds value:
Leadership and management reporting
Customer and stakeholder insight reviews
Cross-functional planning and scenario modelling
Reframing strategic problems with fresh data
What to watch for:Acceleration without alignment creates “organisational whiplash.” Anchor progress in purpose.
Use AI to create momentum — not chaos.
Where AI Doesn’t Add Value
Equally important is knowing when not to apply AI. Leaders should pause when they encounter:
Strategic confusion — unclear goals only accelerate noise.
Undefined processes — AI can’t clarify what doesn’t exist.
Human-first moments — trust and empathy require presence, not algorithms.
Cultural or emotional nuance — AI misses subtle signals and lived experience.
When tasks involve relationships, discernment, or meaning-making — human leadership must lead. Always.
AI Capability: A Practice, Not a Plugin
“Where should we use AI?” isn’t a technology question — it’s a capability conversation. It demands judgment, fluency, and cultural alignment.
Through Envisago’s AI Coaching Accelerator™ and Private Leadership Coaching Programmes, we teach leaders to apply the AAA Lens within their own teams and workflows.
Participants walk away with:
A tailored playbook for identifying high-value AI use cases
Clarity on where AI strengthens — and where it distracts
Confidence to guide teams through adoption with strategic precision
The goal isn’t to use AI everywhere. It’s to use it well — where it brings clarity, not complexity. Where it strengthens what matters most: human intelligence, at pace.
Start a Strategic AI Conversation
Curious how to build AI capability with precision and purpose?
Book a 30-minute strategy call to explore your top three high-value AI opportunities through the AAA Lens — and learn how Envisago helps leadership teams turn potential into performance.