Day-to-Day Automation with GenAI: Part I

There’s a lot of buzz right now about AI’s potential to take over high-stakes, urgent, and important work—everything from crisis management to complex decision-making. And while that future is fascinating, it’s not the state of the art …yet. The reality is that most current AI tools excel at tackling smaller, routine tasks, not replacing critical human judgment.

This hype can distract from the real opportunities at hand: the potential for AI to automate 5-10+ hours per week of repetitive work for most knowledge workers. Think of all those smaller, nagging tasks—routine email responses, drafting meeting agendas, compiling reports—that eat away at valuable time. These are the perfect targets for automation with today’s AI, offering a practical way to free up your team’s time and energy.

Human time is the most valuable resource. Automating tasks with AI isn’t about replacing the human touch—it’s about letting your people focus on where they add the most value, while the AI handles the rest. By leveraging generative AI, you can streamline repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up bandwidth for your team to focus on more strategic work.

Not every task is suitable for automation. To identify where AI can make the biggest impact, we use a classic productivity tool: the Eisenhower Matrix (Miro template) This simple framework categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance:

By automating these routine tasks, you’re not just saving time—you’re creating space for your team to focus on activities that drive growth and differentiation. Here’s how redirecting that time can add value:

• Focus on Strategic Planning: Instead of spending hours each week on repetitive tasks, your team can devote more energy to strategic initiatives like market analysis, new product development, or exploring untapped revenue streams. This shift allows your organization to be more proactive, making decisions that drive long-term success rather than constantly reacting to day-to-day demands.
• Enhance Client Relationships: Automation enables your team to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time building strong, personalized relationships with clients. In a world where customer experience is a key differentiator, AI can handle routine communication, allowing your people to focus on high-touch interactions that deepen trust and foster loyalty.
• Drive Innovation: With the time saved from automating routine work, your team can invest more energy in brainstorming and innovation sessions. They can explore new ways to leverage data insights, develop creative marketing campaigns, or refine products and services to better meet client needs. This focus on innovation is especially crucial for staying competitive in today’s rapidly changing market.
• Improve Employee Engagement: When employees aren’t bogged down by repetitive, low-value tasks, their engagement and job satisfaction often improve. They get to use their unique skills and creativity to tackle more challenging projects, making their work feel more meaningful. This can lead to better retention and a stronger, more motivated workforce.

For many businesses, these shifts can lead to significant upmarket opportunities—like moving from purely transactional client interactions to more consultative, value-driven relationships. By embracing AI for the everyday tasks, your team becomes free to do the work that sets your organization apart in a crowded market.

Automation with AI is more than a buzzword; it’s a practical tool that can drive real, tangible results. By focusing on the small, everyday tasks, you can create a more efficient and effective team ready to tackle the bigger challenges that come your way.

Curious about how to build your own custom GPT to automate these tasks? Stay tuned for Part II, where we’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide to creating your own GPT, tailored to the needs of your organization.