Use AI to Anchor your Organisational Culture, Not to Uproot It

Birthe Mester, Member Board of Trustees, Wiltshire Creative

Birthe Mester, Member Board of Trustees, Wiltshire Creative

Birthe Mester, organisational culture expert and board advisor. Founder of Culture Dividend, and former MD at Deutsche Bank, with 30+ years of global cross-sector experience, helping organisations unlock sustainable performance through cultural transformation.

With things I don’t fully understand, I often crave a clean-cut argument: pros and cons neatly laid out, one position adopted, and that becomes my worldview. Yet the more I learn, the more I fall into the “well, it depends” category. AI is a perfect example.

A year ago, after a short sceptical wobble, I was firmly in the camp that AI was a good thing. Better medical diagnostics, faster research, fewer mind-numbing tasks. Surely, it was just another technical evolution, like farming machines ending backbreaking labour. And I thought it was not for the likes of me, an organisational culture expert with observation, dialogue and reflection being my stock in trade.

Then two things happened.

First, my husband, who is in his eighties, was extolling the virtues of AI in writing up his award-winning social philatelic exhibit. It improved his phrasing, shortened insights to fit submission standard, and saved him hours. Being considerably younger, I felt I could not be outdone and began experimenting myself. Soon I was enjoying the tool: research became easier, edits sharper and long passages more concise. I was in awe when it turned my heartfelt sentiments into beautiful prose for a special occasion card in seconds, something that would have taken me hours.

The second moment came at a lunch with friends. Apparently, some schools in Europe no longer assign lengthy essays, as AI churns them out and they all read the same. I’m sure there is nuance, but it got me thinking.

“While AI raises the bar for speed, consistency and eloquence, it risks lowering standards for reflection, creativity and expertise. And the human brain, given the choice, often defaults to convenience: if it’s easier, why put in the effort?.”

Suddenly, I was back at my initial sceptical wobble: fear of losing individual thinking, creative sparks, those Aha! moments that arrive after conversations, reflections or a good walk. My worry was that the world would become average, better in mediocrity, but not better in originality. While AI raises the bar for speed, consistency and eloquence, it risks lowering standards for reflection, creativity and expertise. And the human brain, given the choice, often defaults to convenience: if it’s easier, why put in the effort?

That was my Aha! moment. The same tension I felt, between awe and scepticism, is exactly what organisations collectively face, with the added challenge that it will shape workplace culture.

The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Organisational Culture

Outsourcing thought to AI for reasons of time, consistency or convenience can have two outcomes.

On the positive side. AI supports a culture of urgency and ease. It ends mindless tasks and accelerates processes. What might take a lawyer, for example, a full day to research and digest, AI does before their hot drink cools down. Extraordinary.

So, hurray for a memory database unimpeded by brain fog, sickness or lost papers. A big welcome to a virtual desk buddy, offering new insights, democratising knowledge and allowing non-experts to engage with complex topics. With wider access to information, decision-making and problem-solving could instantly improve.

Yet there are risks. What about factual accuracy, data relevance and context in the hands of someone not deeply engaged with a certain topic? Doctors often caution: “Please don’t google your diagnosis.” AI, like all algorithms, narrows perspectives. If teams rely on outputs without challenge, cultures risk becoming echo chambers where consensus replaces curiosity. Not to mention that wrong data gets perpetuated, myths become pervasive and avoidable mistakes pose a risk for an organisation’s reputation and financial position.

Brains also get lazy. Thinking deeply about business issues or solving problems has health benefits. Over-reliance on AI weakens our brain muscle, just as calculators diminished mental arithmetic. The result? A culture of convenience, short-termism and “that’ll do.” Expertise is dismissed, outputs are skin-deep and organisations lose competitiveness and relevance.

My Advice for Leaders

Four top tips to strengthen the roots of your organisational culture:

• Use AI tools wisely. Be clear where they add value and where they might de-value your market proposition.

• Encourage dialogue. Foster multi-disciplinary discussions. Ensure people feel safe to speak up, challenge, experiment and make mistakes.

• Protect reflection. Allow regular personal time for the brain to do its magic. I swear by daily 30-minute walks and a weekly 90-minute focus session.

• Invest in expertise. Cultivate professionals with deep knowledge. With their guidance, you can judge whether data is trustworthy and solutions viable.

The Real Question

The question is not whether AI will change how we think, it already has. The real question is whether you let it weaken your organisational culture into convenience, or whether you use AI to strengthen your roots with curiosity, deeper expertise and preserve the spark of originality that keeps organisations competitive and relevant for the future.

AI

Financial