Episode 66 - Jeff Tehan on Sensemaking

Sensemaking & Leadership - Turning Technology into Sustainable Business Impact - Episode 66 of the Industrial Growth Institute Podcast with Sensemaking Evangelist Jeff Tehan

Summary

Jeff Tehan, a former Army Blackhawk pilot, technology product manager and "sensemaking evangelist," joins Ed Marsh in the studio to discuss navigating business uncertainty in the AI era. Jeff brings a unique perspective shaped by his military aviation background and extensive product management experience, now focused on helping leaders interpret uncertainty, align teams, and make insight-driven decisions using AI tools.

The conversation explores how AI can help reduce uncertainty in business decision-making while acknowledging the meta-level uncertainty that AI itself creates. Jeff emphasizes the importance of "human in the loop" approaches and explainable AI, arguing that AI should enhance human capabilities rather than replace them. The conversation highlights:

• The challenge of making decisions amid unprecedented uncertainty and rapid change
• How AI can help process vast amounts of data to reduce uncertainty in business decisions
• The importance of distributed decision-making and human oversight in AI implementation
• Practical applications of AI in sales qualification, customer insight, and marketing personalization
• The evolution from traditional sales pitches to insight-driven customer engagement
• Strategies for helping teams embrace rather than fear AI adoption
• The concept of "sense-making" as a critical leadership capability in the AI economy

Takeaways

• Uncertainty reduction is the key goal: AI's primary value lies in helping leaders process information to reduce uncertainty and make confident decisions
• Human-in-the-loop is essential: AI should augment human decision-making, not replace it entirely
• Explainable AI builds trust: Teams need to understand how AI tools work and what data they use to embrace adoption
• Distributed decision-making becomes possible: AI enables decisions to be made at the point of need rather than flowing up the chain
• Top performers will benefit most: High achievers will leverage AI tools to enhance their capabilities, while those resistant to change may be left behind
• Sales must shift from pitch to insight: Successful salespeople will use AI to understand customers deeply and co-create solutions
• Buyer personas can be enhanced with AI: Marketing teams can create more sophisticated, personalized buyer avatars using AI analysis
• Strategic planning improves with AI research: Business planning becomes more powerful when AI handles underlying research and analysis
• Validation is crucial: Always verify AI outputs using multiple sources or human judgment
• Leadership starts with self-assessment: Leaders must first understand their own capabilities and gaps before implementing AI across their organization

Takeaway Quotes from Jeff Tehan

• "Reducing uncertainty has been handed to us with AI"
• "People first, human in the loop. We're not developing robots to do humans' jobs."

LinkedIn: Jeff Tehan and Ed Marsh

Twitter: Ed Marsh

Instagram: Ed Marsh

YouTube: @EdMarsh

Show Transcript 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Making Sense of Chaos in the AI Era 02:21 Jeff's Background: From Radar Repairman to Sense-Making Evangelist 08:10 Military Aviation Lessons for Business Uncertainty 10:00 The Science of Reducing Uncertainty 12:49 From Product Management to AI Strategy 16:10 Jobs at Risk from AI Disruption 18:08 Explainable AI and Building Team Confidence 20:27 Avoiding AI Implementation Pitfalls 24:22 The Rise of Sense-Making as a Buzzword and Capability 27:07 AI's Dual Nature: Clarity Tool and Uncertainty Creator 30:20 Corporate Attributes for AI Success 34:07 The Value of Planning Process vs. Plans in AI Era 37:19 Legacy Software Companies vs. AI-Native Platforms 39:27 Integrating AI into Existing Workflows 42:12 Using AI to Understand Buyers Better 45:45 AI Sales Agents and Deal Qualification 48:39 Creating AI-Powered Buyer Personas 52:29 Data Challenges in B2B Sales 55:20 Helping Buyers Make Sense of Their Situation 58:31 Co-Creating Value in the AI Era 01:00:36 Navigating Rapid Change While Maintaining Fundamentals 01:01:55 Training Futu