---
id: "framework-hbs-ai-adoption-playbook"
type: "framework"
source_timestamps: ["§ Advice for Other Organizations"]
tags: ["playbook", "ai-deployment"]
related: ["framework-pernod-ricard-buy-in", "action-require-adoption-threshold", "concept-span-of-control-vs-accountability"]
steps: ["Start with pilot programs that prove value: test in select markets to refine technology and adoption strategy before companywide rollout.", "\\\"Build dedicated deployment teams: assign full-time staff", "specifically including change-management specialists alongside technical staff.\\\"", "\\\"Address the human side early and often: invest heavily in training", "communication", "and support systems.\\\"", "\\\"Adjust organizational processes", "not just technology: redesign workflows", "incentive structures (e.g.", "bonuses for successful usage)", "and accountability measures.\\\"", "Aim for 85% adoption before expanding: use an 85% adoption threshold in pilot markets as a prerequisite for deploying to new markets."]
sources: ["adoption"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-adoption"
originDay: 9
articleStem: "hbr-edu-41-french-spirits-employee-buy-in"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/12/how-a-french-spirits-company-created-employee-buy-in-for-ai"
sourceTitle: "How a French Spirits Company Created Employee Buy-In for AI"
---
# HBS 5-Step Guidance for Organizational AI Adoption

Based on the [[entity-pernod-ricard-d9]] case study, HBS researchers ([[entity-iavor-bojinov]] and [[entity-edward-mcfowland-iii]]) offer a five-step playbook for organizations looking to encourage employee acceptance of new digital tools. It generalizes the four pillars of [[framework-pernod-ricard-buy-in]].

**The five steps:**

1. **Start with pilot programs that prove value** — Test in select markets to refine the technology and the adoption strategy before company-wide rollout ([[action-run-local-ab-tests]]).
2. **Build dedicated deployment teams** — Assign full-time staff, specifically including change-management specialists alongside technical staff, to manage the transition.
3. **Address the human side early and often** — Invest heavily in training, communication, and support systems to mitigate people-centric failures ([[claim-people-issues-drive-failure]]).
4. **Adjust organizational processes, not just technology** — Redesign workflows, incentive structures (e.g., additional bonuses for successful usage), and accountability measures to align with the new tools ([[concept-span-of-control-vs-accountability]], [[action-restructure-evaluations]]).
5. **Aim for 85% adoption before expanding** — Use an 85% adoption threshold in pilot markets as a prerequisite for deploying to new markets, ensuring the processes truly work ([[action-require-adoption-threshold]]).

**Enrichment assessment.** These are not presented as a numbered '5-step' playbook in the original article, but the extraction faithfully synthesizes discrete recommendations into a coherent framework; conceptually supported. Adjacent frameworks a domain expert would connect: TAM/UTAUT (perceived usefulness & ease of use), Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations, and Edmondson's psychological safety. **Counter-perspective:** a single numeric adoption target (85%) may not generalize — rigid thresholds can produce superficial compliance or ignore legitimate local constraints; context-dependent metrics weighing quality-of-use and impact may be preferable.