Are You Using AI in Your Job? If Not, You Should Be.
Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t going anywhere.
In fact, it’s changing how we all work. Yet, I still see a lot of stigma around AI—almost as if using it is “cheating.”
One client once told me, “I could have just used ChatGPT to get that.” Another said, “I might have been able to use ChatGPT to get the questions, but it’s your expertise we need.”
And that’s the point. Just because you can grill a steak doesn’t make you a chef. Having the tool is not the same as knowing how to use it.
When I use AI tools like ChatGPT, I’m not replacing my 30+ years of business experience. I’m using it as a partner. The real magic happens when you combine expertise with AI’s ability to spark, clean, and accelerate. Writing the right prompt, carrying on a conversation, refining the output—that’s where experience matters.
A Real-Life Example
Just last month, I had to build a complex Excel formula for a client analysis. Normally, I would’ve burned an hour trial-and-erroring my way through it. Instead, I dropped the problem into ChatGPT, refined the formula step by step, and had it working in under 10 minutes. That saved me time—but it also freed me up to focus on interpreting the results and advising the client, which is where the real value lies.
I also lean on AI heavily in our due diligence work. We often serve customers in industries I don’t know inside and out. AI helps me quickly understand the industry landscape, draft smart questions, and frame conversations that get to the heart of what matters.
And one of my favorite uses? Taking transcripts from a client meeting, not just to capture summaries and action items, but to combine that discussion with everything else we know about the client—then brainstorming future needs and solutions. That’s the kind of value-add that AI amplifies.
What AI Can Do for Business Leaders Right Now
If you’re not using AI at work, you’re missing out on easy wins:
Clean up emails and polish tone
Draft starter content to beat the blank page
Pressure-test ideas with alternative solutions
Use it like a colleague in brainstorming sessions
Troubleshoot software or write complex formulas
Research industries quickly for smarter due diligence
Turn meeting transcripts into idea engines
What the Data Says
Harvard Business Review recently reported that employees using AI at work save an average of 30 minutes per day. Gartner found that 74% of business leaders believe AI will help people work smarter—not replace their jobs.
The people who learn to use it are the ones who’ll stay ahead.
What to Watch Out For
AI isn’t perfect:
It struggles with polished PowerPoint decks
It can lose context in long documents
It sometimes “hallucinates” information—always ask for sources
Formatting can get quirky
The Fear Factor
It’s natural to worry: “Will AI take my job?”
The reality is, AI can’t replace judgment, experience, or creativity. What it does is take away the tedious parts—so you can spend more time on high-value thinking and execution. Those who resist AI risk falling behind. Those who embrace it? They’ll be the ones who lead.
The Bottom Line
AI is like having access to the knowledge of thousands of experts on demand. But it still takes your expertise to direct it, refine it, and know what’s useful.
At Mayfield Consulting, we’ve found the sweet spot: combining AI’s speed with decades of real-world business expertise. That combination allows us to deliver better work, faster, and in a more cost-effective way for our clients.
The firms who figure this out now will be the ones that thrive over the next five years.
👉 For me, the moment it clicked was when AI saved me from rewriting the same client email three times. Try it on something simple like that—you’ll get it.
(And yes, AI was used in building this post. That’s the point—it helped me draft faster, but the ideas, structure, and experience are mine.)
📅 Want to talk about how AI and expertise together can unlock growth for your business? Book a time with us here: https://www.mayfieldconsulting.com/book-now