There is a subtle shift happening in how businesses buy AI. Have you spotted it?
We’ve moved past the "wow, it can write a poem" phase. Now, we are entering the era of the agentic workflow. Most people I speak with have a dozen AI tabs open, yet they feel busier than ever. They’re jumping between ChatGPT, their email, and their project management tools, losing minutes to every transition.
I’ve noticed that the people actually getting ahead aren't using more tools. They are using fewer tools, but they’re connecting them in a way that allows the AI to do the "boring" heavy lifting of sequencing and execution.
If you want to make this coming week significantly smoother, here is what I’ve been seeing work.
Focus on Reducing "Switching Costs" with Command Bars
Something interesting happens when you stop clicking through menus. New "Intent-Based Interfaces" or AI Command Bars are starting to pop up in the software we use every day.
Instead of searching for a specific setting or navigating three layers deep into a CRM, you simply hit a shortcut and type what you want to happen. It translates your natural language into an action.
If you want to reclaim an hour this week, try this:
- Identify the three software tasks you do most often (e.g., creating a new invoice, updating a lead status, or searching for a specific document).
- Check if your current tools have a "Command + K" or "Ctrl + K" interface.
- Start forcing yourself to type the action rather than clicking.
It sounds small, but as recent reports on AI productivity have shown, the biggest gains come when we design for fewer transitions. The more you stay in the flow, the less mental energy you leak.
Building Your First Agentic Workflow
The "bit most people miss" with AI is the difference between an assistant and an agent. An assistant waits for you to tell it what to do next. An agent knows the next three steps and just gets on with them.
I’ve been looking into things like Claude Cowork and similar "agentic" setups. The goal here is delegation, not just generation. Instead of asking an AI to "write an email," you set up a workflow where the AI:
- Researches the person you are emailing.
- Checks your previous interactions.
- Drafts the response.
- Leaves it in your drafts for approval.
You can set this up today using "no-code" building blocks. You don't need to be a developer. You just need to define the inputs and the expected outputs.
If you're interested in how this looks in practice for sales, you might find some of the templates at SalesM8 helpful for seeing how these chains actually link together.
The Judgment vs. Execution Gap
I keep coming back to a recent observation about how AI is actually changing the workplace. Execution tasks (the actual doing) are compressing. It takes seconds to generate a report that used to take hours.
However, the value of judgment, sequencing, and evaluation is skyrocketing.
This week, when you use an AI tool, notice where you are spending your time. If you are spending it tweaking a prompt for the tenth time, you’ve fallen into an execution trap. The real win is in setting the strategy—deciding which tasks should be automated and then evaluating the result with a critical eye.
For example, in marketing, we used to guess if an email or an SMS was better for a specific client. Now, AI can automate that timing and selection. Your job isn't to send the message; it's to decide the tone and the offer that will actually resonate.
Practical Steps to Set Up This Weekend
To make your upcoming week more productive, don't try to overhaul everything. Pick one high-frequency process.
Here is a simpler way to think about it:
- The Audit: Write down the task you hated doing most last week. Was it data entry? Scheduling? Summarising meetings?
- The Connection: Use a tool like Zapier or a dedicated AI productivity suite to connect that task to your AI of choice.
- The Shortcut: Assign a hotkey or a keyword to trigger that automation.
- The Review: At the end of Tuesday, check if it actually saved you time or if you just replaced one manual task with another.
If you find yourself stuck on the technical side, I've written more articles on AI that break down specific use cases.
Moving from "AI-Assisted" to "AI-Orchestrated"
In my experience, the businesses that are really seeing the "game-changing" results everyone talks about are the ones moving toward orchestration. They aren't just using AI to write better; they are using it to manage the flow of work.
One area where this is huge is content creation. Instead of just generating a blog post, a smart workflow generates the post, suggests five social media snippets, finds relevant internal links, and suggests an image prompt—all in one go.
If you’re ready to stop playing with chatbots and start building a system that actually produces results, feel free to book a consultation. We can look at your specific bottlenecks together.
The goal for this week isn't to do more. It's to do the same amount of high-quality work with about 30% less friction. Start with the command bar, move to a simple automation, and keep your focus on the judgment calls that only you can make.
Every Sunday I share practical AI tips to make your week easier at steventann.com. Come say hello.
About the Author
Steven Tann is an AI consultant, author of "You're Selling AI Wrong", and founder of SalesM8. He writes about AI, sales, and running a business from a narrowboat on the English canals. Connect with him at steventann.com.
