AI is here for good, and many companies are still unsure where to apply it within their operations. That’s why I’m hosting a 60-minute masterclass this Thursday, December 11th, at 10:00-11:00 AM EST:
We weren’t planning another masterclass this year, but we are getting inundated with the same question: “Where do we apply AI in our business?” So we pulled together the highest-ROI, lowest-lift ways to apply AI immediately in your business, even if you’re starting from scratch.
If you want more ideas on where to start, download our Top 10 Recommended First AI Projects for Non-Technical Companies.
The Shift AI Is Making to Our Work
AI isn’t coming for your entire team—but it is coming for the parts of their work that were never designed for the future: tasks that drain time, rely on tribal knowledge, or should’ve been standardized years ago.
And if Amazon’s 30,000 layoffs taught us anything, it’s this: Companies aren’t losing people because AI magically “takes jobs.” They’re losing people because the work has evolved, and the organization didn’t evolve with it.
That’s the real risk for non-technical companies: not automation alone, but misalignment—roles, workflows, and expectations that no longer match what an AI-enabled operation requires.
(This is exactly why I’m teaching the webinar on Dec 11th: The 3 Secrets to Using AI to Streamline Operations. If you want to future-proof your team instead of reacting months too late, save your seat here.)
AI Removes the Work No One Wants to Do Anyway
When people fear AI, they imagine a future where a bot does their entire job. That’s not the current reality.
What is happening is this:
- AI removes repetitive, manual tasks.
- AI closes gaps created by inconsistent processes.
- AI reduces friction across teams.
- AI supports decision-making with structure.
- AI drafts the first version so humans can refine.
AI is stripping away the “drag work” that kept people from doing their highest-value contributions. Your people become more valuable when their work evolves—if you evolve the environment around them.
And if you want to start eliminating drag in a way that actually strengthens ops, the masterclass was built for this. Secure your spot now.
What Amazon Layoffs Really Signal
Amazon didn’t cut 30,000 roles because AI instantly replaced those humans. They cut them because the work those employees were doing no longer matched where the company was heading.
The same shift is happening across non-technical industries—quietly and without headlines.
Your workflows will change.
Your customer expectations will change.
Your team’s day-to-day work will change.
The real question:
Will you guide that evolution intentionally, or wait until the misalignment is impossible to ignore?
Will you guide that evolution intentionally, or wait until the misalignment is impossible to ignore?
If you want to guide it with intention, start with AI practices that create clarity, structure, and alignment—not chaos.
Upgrading Culture and Work Environment
When done well, AI:
- Reduces burnout
- Shrinks context-switching
- Turns scattered information into clarity
- Improves handoffs
- Supports better decision-making
- Makes work more predictable and less reactive
This isn’t about pretending AI won’t change jobs—it will. It already is.
This is about building a work environment where people can do the work you actually hired them to do… not the repetitive, administrative layers that accumulated over time.
AI becomes the support system. Your people remain the differentiators—as long as their roles evolve with the work.
The Great Skills Rebalancing
Every major shift in business has created the same pattern:
- Work changes
- Tools change
- Roles change
- Skills must evolve
Jobs will be replaced—specifically the ones that stay rooted in outdated workflows and pre-AI expectations.
But when change is led intentionally? People move up the value chain, not out of it. The organizations that thrive are the ones reshaping roles and building capability early—starting with simple, foundational AI shifts.
(If you’re not sure where to start, join the masterclass—it’s your roadmap.)
The Bottom Line
Your team is at risk—not because AI is coming, but because the work is already shifting underneath them.
If your processes, workflows, and role expectations don’t evolve, the gap will widen… and that’s where job loss happens. AI is already redefining their work.
The question for every leader is:Â Will you define that shift, or will it define you?
If you want to lead it confidently and intentionally, join me live:Â The 3 Secrets to Using AI to Streamline Operations
Curated Picks
 Podcast Pick:Wrap Up of the Top UNprofessional Episodes of 2025
A quick roundup of the most impactful moments from this year—founders and experts sharing the exact processes they used to scale with clarity. Real PDCA in action, smarter decisions, better ops, less burnout. Listen here
Recommended Product:Â HIRO Diapers
We just switched our two-year-old to these, and I’m obsessed. They’re the first diapers powered by plastic-eating fungi (yes, mushrooms!) to help them break down in landfills. The innovation deserves awards. A small choice with a big impact.
We just switched our two-year-old to these, and I’m obsessed. They’re the first diapers powered by plastic-eating fungi (yes, mushrooms!) to help them break down in landfills. The innovation deserves awards. A small choice with a big impact.
Strategy Spotlight
Quick Win: Map One Workflow Before Automating
Before you automate with AI, pick one repetitive task your team struggles with and document the steps.
Why it works:
- Reveals inefficiencies
- Makes handoffs clear
- Sets up AI to actually add value
Start small. Get clarity. Then scale.
Want to Work With Us?
We built The Ops Edge Academy because we kept seeing the same thing happen companies: incredibly smart Ops leaders being asked to lead process improvement work without ever being taught how to do it. Not for lack of talent—just a lack of support.
We created the certification that fills that gap. Rooted in Toyota’s PDCA methodology, The Ops Edge Academy gives Operations leaders the practical, human, real-world skills they need to drive meaningful, lasting improvements.
In 12 weeks, your team member runs a full process-improvement cycle from beginning to end.
Zero fluff. Zero theory for theory’s sake.
It’s fully implementation-focused, and I personally review their work each week so they’re never doing it alone.
Our first cohort rated it a 10/10 across every category.
We open again in January 2026, and there are only two spots left.
 Book a call with me to see if it’s a fit.In your service,
Hilary Corna
