---
url: https://www.adoptionlab.ai/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/define-success-first/
title: "Define success before you scale | Extend | AdoptionLab.AI"
description: "Extend, phase 3 of the 5E Model for human-centered AI adoption. Agree on what success looks like, who decides, and when to pause."
generated: 2026-10-22T16:29:41.199Z
---[AI Adoption Roadmap](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap) / [3. Extend](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap#extend)
Phase 3: Extend
# Define success before you scale
Agree on what success looks like, who decides, and when to pause.
Look back at past changes that grew from a small test to a full rollout. What helped, and where did resistance show up? Then agree on three things with key stakeholders before you start.
## Put it to work
- ✓What success looks like, in specific outcomes or behaviors.
- ✓Who decides whether results are good enough.
- ✓Which red flags trigger a pause or redesign.
[← Review your pilot portfolio](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/review-the-portfolio) [Aim at bottlenecks →](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/aim-at-bottlenecks)
More in Extend
- [Review your pilot portfolio](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/review-the-portfolio)
- [Define success before you scale](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/define-success-first)
- [Aim at bottlenecks](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/aim-at-bottlenecks)
- [Protect the core of the job](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/protect-the-core)
- [Keep it opt-in](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/keep-it-opt-in)
- [Decide where the gains go](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/decide-where-gains-go)
- [Test your measures at scale](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/test-measures-at-scale)
- [Pace growth with go/no-go checks](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/pace-the-growth)
- [Run a mid-mortem when pilots stall](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/mid-mortem)
- [Build an AI community](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap/extend/build-an-ai-community)
[See all five phases →](/resources/ai-adoption-roadmap)
Go deeper in the booklet
A Leader's Roadmap to Human-Centered AI
The Extend chapter walks through this phase with a worked example, plus the field kit: survey, rubrics, and worksheets.
[Get the booklet on Amazon →](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXGN86YZ)