Thijssen arrived on a global SAP transformation programme roughly a year and a half after it had launched — with no formal onboarding and a team already fluent in dense IT and programme-specific jargon. She used AI to rapidly decode that language, eventually creating her own personal file she called a "Jargon Buster" — translating complex SAP and OCM terminology into plain, digestible content so she could contribute meaningfully from her very first days.
The programme Thijssen joined had been running since January 2015. Her colleagues carried deep institutional knowledge built over years. She had none of it — and there was no structured induction waiting for her.
Rather than spending weeks shadowing colleagues or working through documentation, she turned to AI as an accelerator. The tool let her query unfamiliar terms in real time, surface definitions, and cross-reference SAP-specific concepts against broader change management practice — at her own pace, without burdening a team that was already mid-delivery.
The result was the Jargon Buster: a personal reference file built with AI's help, capturing the programme's specific vocabulary in plain language. It was not a generic glossary. It was tailored to her programme's context, and she built it herself through iterative AI-assisted translation of real content she encountered on the job. You can hear her explain the approach in full on Listenly's episode page for Unprompted.
One of the subtler points Thijssen makes is about psychological safety. As the sole communications professional embedded in an Organizational Change Management team, she had no peer to turn to with a basic question about SAP terminology without risking looking uninformed in front of programme stakeholders.
AI removed that friction entirely. She could ask it anything — however elementary — and receive a clear, patient explanation with no social cost. It translated technical IT language into content she could actually use in communications, allowing her to produce relevant, credible materials even before she had fully absorbed the programme's history.
The programme itself was large: ultimately set to impact 6,000 users across the company, with the next wave alone covering 30 locations worldwide. Getting fluent fast was not optional — it was a condition for being useful.
"AI became my virtual colleague. It's not a person that does my job. It's more like an entity that helps me bounce ideas and not feel so alone."
Ana-Maria Thijssen — Change Communications Lead, OCM/CMO team, large global corporation (SAP IT transformation programme)
Thijssen joined her current role approximately 18 months after the programme had already started, stepping in with no formal induction into a team whose senior members had been involved since January 2015. She operates as the only dedicated communications professional within an Organizational Change Management function, supporting a multi-wave, multi-location global rollout. Working without a communications peer to consult, she built her practice around AI tools — including Microsoft Copilot — to compensate for missing institutional knowledge and to maintain the quality and speed her programme demanded.
Ana-Maria Thijssen describes AI as her 'virtual colleague' rather than a tool that does her job: it allows her to bounce ideas, check for best practice, and avoid the isolation of being the sole communications professional on a large global programme.
Charlotte notes that some organizations are currently scaling back AI usage because the economic cost is becoming prohibitive and the ROI is not there, creating a credibility risk for those who championed AI publicly before fully understanding its business case.
Charlotte argues that AI communication must be connected to the organization's values, purpose, and mission — and ideally to how responsible and ethical use of technology fits within the broader company story — rather than promoting AI as an end in itself.
This answer came from a real podcast episode. Hear Ana-Maria Thijssen explain her full approach — including how she uses AI as a daily communications wingman on a global SAP programme.
Listen to the episode on Listenly