Artificial intelligence is reshaping how organisations recruit, engage, and retain their audiences. Recent research from Google shows that many marketers and membership leaders are still unsure how to make progress with AI. Some rush in without a strategy. Others get stuck in pilots that never scale.

At Lighthouse we believe that the difference between success and stagnation is not the technology itself, but the mindset behind it. The winning approach, described in the research as FOMA (Focus on Maximising Advantages), aligns directly with our own Continuous Improvement and Value Ladder frameworks.

This post explores what that mindset looks like, how to avoid the traps of fear-driven adoption, and how to apply FOMA across recruitment, engagement, and retention.

Google’s Findings in Brief

Google’s researchers analysed how marketers are adopting AI and uncovered three distinct mindsets. Each one shapes how organisations speak about AI and, in turn, how they act on it.

  • FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
    Teams feel pressured to adopt AI quickly. Internal language is full of urgency, words like “must” and “act now”. The risk is moving too fast without a clear plan.
  • FOMU (Fear of Messing Up)
    Leaders worry about risk, oversight, and mistakes. They may run small pilots but hesitate to scale them. The result is paralysis.
  • FOMA (Focus on Maximising Advantages)
    The winning mindset. Here, AI is seen as a partner that augments human capabilities. The language shifts to opportunity, collaboration, and empowerment.

The research shows that organisations with a FOMA mindset report significantly stronger outcomes. Globally, companies in advanced stages of AI adoption have seen revenue growth around 60% higher than those just starting out.

Mindset Shapes Behaviour

The way we think and talk about AI matters. Language creates culture. Culture drives behaviour. Over time, those behaviours shape results.

Organisations stuck in FOMO or FOMU tend to reinforce the cycle. Urgent language leads to rushed decisions. Risk-heavy language leads to hesitation. In both cases, progress slows or stalls.

A FOMA mindset works differently. When leaders and teams speak in terms of empowerment, collaboration, and opportunity, those words filter into daily actions. Experiments feel less like risks and more like learning opportunities. Cross-functional teams start to view AI as a partner rather than a threat.

At Lighthouse, we see this play out in every sector. Mindset is the spark that ignites Continuous Improvement and fuels the Value Ladder. Without it, even the best tools or campaigns fail to achieve their potential.

Continuous Improvement & AI Mindset

Our Continuous Improvement framework is built on iteration. Test, measure, improve, and repeat. FOMA aligns perfectly with this way of working, because it encourages organisations to move forward with purpose, while keeping learning at the centre.

  • Partner with AI → Data-led enablement
    FOMA treats AI as an extension of human capability. In Continuous Improvement this means using AI to uncover insights, automate repetitive work, and personalise at scale.
  • Learn by Doing → Experimentation loops
    Rather than waiting for the perfect plan, FOMA encourages teams to launch small, safe-to-fail pilots. These experiments feed the Continuous Improvement cycle, generating evidence that informs the next iteration.
  • Embrace Uncertainty → Safe-to-fail culture
    Continuous Improvement depends on iteration. A FOMA mindset creates the conditions for this, where experiments that don’t deliver are still valued for what they teach.
  • Add Value Proactively → CI roadmaps
    FOMA organisations build AI into their annual planning. This matches the Continuous Improvement discipline of setting clear roadmaps, monitoring KPIs, and ensuring every cycle delivers measurable value.
  • Reimagine from Scratch → Transformation jumps
    Iteration doesn’t just create marginal gains. At key points, it opens the door to transformation. FOMA leaders use Continuous Improvement to create the evidence base for bold new steps, not just tweaks to the status quo.

Dig deeper into Continuous Improvement? →
See how our Continuous Improvement Guide shows organisations how to turn the Winning AI Mindset into an everyday habit of testing, learning, and growing.

Add Value to the Winning AI Mindset

Our Value Ladder framework tracks how audiences move from first contact to long-term loyalty: Awareness → Engagement → Conversion → Commitment → Loyalty. The FOMA mindset provides practical levers at every step.

  • Awareness: Smarter targeting
    Partnering with AI makes outreach more efficient. Predictive insights and intent data help organisations reach the right people at the right time.
  • Engagement: Personalised experiences
    By learning through experimentation, organisations can test AI-driven personalisation in emails, communities, and events. The result is deeper, more relevant engagement.
  • Conversion: Predictive testing
    Embracing uncertainty allows teams to experiment with AI-assisted nurture sequences, chatbots, or predictive scoring. Some trials will succeed, some will not, but the process builds evidence for what converts.
  • Commitment: Proactive onboarding
    Adding value proactively ensures new members, students, supporters, or visitors experience a tailored onboarding journey. AI can anticipate needs and smooth the path to long-term commitment.
  • Loyalty: AI-enabled reimagining
    Reimagining from scratch unlocks loyalty. With AI, organisations can redesign benefits, supporter journeys, or visitor experiences to deliver fresh, distinctive value that keeps audiences coming back.

From Mindset to Practice

Mindset on its own is not enough. To deliver results, organisations need to translate FOMA into action. The good news is that this does not require wholesale transformation on day one. It starts with small, deliberate steps.

Here are four practical ways to put the winning mindset into practice:

  1. Audit your language and culture
    Look at how your teams currently talk about AI. Are you hearing urgency and fear, or opportunity and empowerment? Shifting the tone is often the first step toward changing behaviour.
  2. Run a small AI experiment
    Use the AI Experimentation Canvas to design a safe-to-fail pilot. Keep it small, measurable, and focused on one clear outcome.
  3. Share learning openly
    Treat successes and failures as equally valuable. Build a culture of transparency where lessons feed into Continuous Improvement cycles.
  4. Build AI into planning
    Don’t treat AI as a bolt-on. Embed it in your annual strategy and align it to the steps of the Value Ladder. This ensures AI delivers against real organisational goals, not side projects.

When applied in this way, FOMA becomes more than a mindset. It turns into a habit that strengthens recruitment, engagement, retention, and long-term value.

Want to see how this works in practice?
Explore the Winning AI Mindset in action for your sector:

Over to you

Google’s research makes it clear: mindset matters. Organisations that see AI as a threat or rush in without direction struggle to achieve meaningful results. Those that adopt FOMA, focusing on maximising advantages, create space for experimentation, collaboration, and growth.

At Lighthouse we help education providers, membership bodies, non-profits, and cultural institutions put this mindset into practice. Through our Continuous Improvement and Value Ladder frameworks, we guide organisations from fear-driven adoption to sustainable, evidence-based progress.

Ready to move beyond FOMO and FOMU?
Explore our AI Enablement programmes. Start small, learn quickly, and build a pathway to lasting advantage.