Agents for growth: Turning AI promise into impact,” from McKinsey’s Growth, Marketing & Sales Practice, outlines how companies can move agentic AI beyond hype to achieve real business results. It emphasizes that significant value comes from end-to-end change by redesigning workflows and prioritizing major growth problems, rather than simply bolting agents onto existing processes. Key strategies for successful adoption include reimagining workflows around agents, treating agents as collaborative, managed talent with clear performance metrics, and building a hybrid human–AI operating model across marketing, sales, and customer service functions. The authors stress that effective governance and cross-functional teams are crucial to scaling these agentic systems, ultimately allowing humans to focus on strategy and oversight while agents handle orchestration and execution.
