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A friend realized a lifelong dream of buying a small hotel by the sea and completely renovating it. Just before the grand opening, she created a website. The descriptions of the rooms and property were polished, like something you'd see in a glossy travel magazine. I asked her who she had hired to create the text. Her answer surprised me: the descriptions were polite ChatGPT.
Granted, the text wasn't perfect. It lacked the back story of the property – which I saw as a great opportunity to tell how my friend had visited the hotel years before and fell in love with the simple charm. Used the word “punctual” many times. My friend's dream hotel website made me realize two things: first, that AI capabilities are impressive. of aCroNym It has recently been reported that ChatGPT can write jokes, computer code and essays, formulate medical diagnoses, create games and explain complex scientific concepts. However, ChatGPT is not perfect. And the second, combined with the editor's eye or a human touch, can be a powerful tool. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
The age of AI has arrived and its potential to transform the work landscape cannot be overstated. That said, most knowledge workers will be able to take advantage of AI to supplement their work, rather than replace it entirely. The missing link? EDUCATION and training—it's not just an office perk. Recent research has shown that 4 out of 5 employees want to learn more about how to use AI in their profession. It is up to leaders to provide those vital training opportunities.
Here's a closer look at how leaders can bridge the gap between AI and employees and equip them with the skills they need in this era of rapid change.
Why (and what) to learn
As CEO of Form Iot, I want our employees to have full lives and be able to find time for their friends, families and hobbies. It's good for their well-being and as an added benefit, it benefits our organization in terms of creativity and productivity. Happier and refreshed employees bring invaluable energy to their work. I also understand that as a leader it may seem impractical to add learning to employees' already full plates – but ongoing training is vital to the advancement of your employees and the health of your company.
Today, the average half life of skills it is less than five years – two and a half years in some areas of technology. research has shown that companies with strong learning cultures see higher retention rates, more internal mobility and a healthier management pipeline versus those with weaker learning cultures. What's more, EMPLOYEE are hungry for new skills, especially Gen Z, the fastest-growing generation in the workforce. The youngest generation of employees (born after 1996) expected to overtake boomers this year. According to a recent survey, 53% of Gen Z value learning for career advancement, compared to 37% of millennials, Gen X and boomers collectively.
It begs the question: What are the most important skills to offer employees?
The ability to use new technologies, such as AI and automation tools, is the obvious answer. And of course, that's part of the equation. But as AI plays a bigger role in our working lives, human skills will become more valuable together.
like Harvard Business Review notes, and as my friend's hotel website example shows, AI lacks the human ability to understand context. AI tools like ChatGPT can understand the task and execute it almost perfectly, but they lack the “why” of it all and the domain expertise, gained over years of experience, to evaluate materials in their larger context .
Other critical skills that AI lacks include people management skills, such as effective communication, conflict resolution, and problem solving. As Ted English, former CEO of TJX Companies and current executive chairman of Bob's Discount Furniture, said. Harvard Business Reviewleadership requires “a lot of instinct, experience and knowledge. Some of that you can't get from a machine. Technology amplifies and allows you to make a more confident decision.”
We can rely on AI to perform certain tasks, from content creation for document review. They can reinforce our work. However, it requires a human eye to review that work product and ensure it has the right context and quality. In this sense, humans augment the work of AI as well.
Connected: AI vs. Humanity — Why humans will always win in content creation
Cultivating a learning environment
It is well established that companies and employees using AI will have a competitive advantage. The challenge for leaders is to empower employees to do this. How can managers ensure that employees are adequately trained to use the latest AI and automation tools?
One side of the equation is employee motivation. research shows that employees who set career goals are four times more engaged than those who do not set goals. Leaders and managers can set aside time to discuss employees' career goals and how developing certain skills will advance those goals.
Of course, the most valuable asset to learn—and the hardest to find—is time. One strategy for creating time for learning is to build learning into employees' workflows, rather than requiring them to devote time outside of their regular workday. Research shows that most employees prefer to learn that way – in 2021 BCG survey of 209,000 workers, 65% said they preferred to learn on the job. As I've found in almost two decades of running my own company, setting aside time for exercise, at lunch, or between regularly scheduled tasks pays off. It not only changes the pace of the day, but also challenges employees in new ways, giving a quick boost to daily engagement.
Connected: Make time to learn when no one else has time
Another way managers can help employees fit training and education into their busy schedules is by promoting a Automation first mindset. Encourage employees to regularly reflect on which tasks are most meaningful to them – which projects and tasks put them in a “flow” state; which they want to spend more time on – and to find AI and automation tools to run the rest. This practice saves time, speeding up or contracting tedious busy work and, most importantly, mental energy.
The advent of AI is not something to be taken lightly. But it's not necessarily a change that employees should fear. Businesses that gain a competitive advantage from AI will be those that rethink normal ways of doing things in the age of AI and arm their employees with the resources to capitalize on it. With more time for meaningful work – the things that only humans can do – your employees will be happier and your company stronger for it.