Your Client Brought an AI Plan. Now What?

I was on a call with a marketing professional, excited to hear what she thought of the work I’d done. With AI’s help, I’d worked through a job description, responsibilities, interview questions, even a test for the person I wanted to hire.

When I explained the role I thought I could fill and how I’d worked it out, her response was:

“AI tells you what you want to hear.”

I’d brought her something specific to look at. That could have been the start of a useful conversation.

If you work with clients in project-based businesses, such as interior design studios and architecture firms, you may recognize this from the other side. A client arrives with a plan they worked out with AI, ready to show you what they want.

We Had Plenty to Talk About

I wanted someone who could keep my marketing moving, use AI where it made sense, and bring their own judgment. The vendor’s point was that her team offered several skills and could potentially do the job better than one hire.

Fair point. I’d been exploring that possibility too, which was part of why I was excited to hear from someone who did this work.

Here’s the response I would have welcomed:

“You’ve put a lot of thought into what you need. Let’s look at the responsibilities and see where our team could help.”

That’s it. We could have gone straight into the work.

Maybe I was expecting too much from one person. Maybe some responsibilities belonged together and others needed a specialist. Those would have been useful things to learn.

She didn’t have to agree with my conclusion. I wanted her to examine it.

When someone brings AI research, start with what they’re trying to accomplish.

The Drill Still Needs a Person Holding It

There’s a real risk here. AI can be overly agreeable and confidently wrong.

I still want to learn to use it well. It’s a bit like picking up a power drill after turning every screw by hand: useful, provided you know when to slow down and finish with the screwdriver.

Your client’s plan may need that careful attention. You can welcome the work they’ve done while checking the assumptions and explaining what needs to change.

Try This With Your Next Client

Suppose a client brings an AI plan for a new office layout. Before discussing the layout itself, ask:

“What are you hoping this will make easier?”

Maybe people keep interrupting each other, and the client wants the team to have somewhere quiet to work. Now you understand the need behind the plan.

You can show them which parts support that goal, what they’ve overlooked, and how you’d approach it. A useful response might sound like:

“I see what you’re aiming for. This part could work well, and there’s something here we should look at together.”

That gives you room to use your judgment without dismissing their effort. They’ve come to you with an idea and work they want help carrying through.

Let their preparation help you get to that work sooner.

If your team needs help making sense of an IT problem, let’s have a 15 minute conversation. We’ll start with what you need to get done and help you work out the next step.

Bring the research. We’ll have something to talk about.