Can’t say we know that a lot of our clients are racing to adopt artificial intelligence, but if you listen to the AI folks, it sure seems like they should. AI tools are being touted as delivering greater efficiency, lowering costs, and delivering higher levels of overall productivity. We think many leaders are discovering an uncomfortable truth which is that simply adding AI to existing ways of working rarely delivers the transformational results promised. In some cases we see it adding tasks, rather than eliminating them.
What’s the Problem with AI and Current Work?
Most companies tried and true work processes were designed long before AI existed. That means that to fully take advantage of AI technologies you can’t just start using AI, you have to redesign the work itself. That’s the crux of the leadership challenge and is why it’s going to take a while for the full impact of AI to be felt in the business community.
And nothings new… throughout history, major technological advances have changed not just the tools people use, but how work gets organized. The assembly line transformed manufacturing. Computers transformed the office. The internet transformed how we communicate with people in faraway places.
AI is no different.
Many organizations, ours included, are using AI adoption strategies that layer AI on top of existing processes, job descriptions, workflows, and management practices. The downside of this MO is that all these pieces of infrastructure were designed for yesterday’s workplace, not the workplace we envision for tomorrow.
Consider a typical employee in a small or mid-sized business. Their day might include…
- Searching for information in the variety of software used to manage your business.
- Writing emails
- Updating spreadsheets
- Attending project status meetings
- Managing manual workflows
- Completing a variety of administrative tasks working with shared documents and reports
Much of this work consumes a lot of time without necessarily creating a lot of value. While AI can automate a lot of these activities, we know from experience that simply eliminating tasks isn’t enough. Leaders must rethink how jobs are structured, how teams collaborate, and where human talent has to be inserted in order to deliver the greatest impact.
While from a people management perspective small to mid-sized companies have always been focused on attracting, developing, and retaining talent. And while these priorities remain essential, AI is giving people managers a new mandate – helping their organizations redesign work itself.
Historically, the leaders involved in workforce planning centered on questions such as:
- How many people will we need?
- What skills should we hire for? Develop internally?
- How do we improve retention?
- How do we develop leaders?
Today, we need to ask some NEW questions…
- Which tasks should humans perform?
- Which tasks should AI perform?
- Which tasks should be redesigned entirely?
- What new skills and talents will employees need in order to optimize our use of AI?
- How can we make sure the human work that needs to be done is more engaging and impactful?
The New Integrated Workforce – People and AI Working Side by Side!
One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that it is primarily about replacing people. In reality, the most successful organizations will use AI to augment people. The goal is not fewer humans; it is a better utilization of what is distinctively human capability.
Think about it this way – when routine tasks are automated, employees have more time to actually spend on driving business value:
- Problem-solving
- Testing out innovtions
- Building important relationships
- Thinking about goals and strategies
- Engaging with customers
- Coaching direct reports
- Developing their personal leadership skills
For small to mid-sized business with limited resources, this is especially powerful. Teams can accomplish more without increasing headcount, while employees spend more time on meaningful work.
We believe that the organizations that will thrive will be those that intentionally design effective partnerships between humans and AI.
Why Employee Experience Matters More Than Ever
As AI reshapes work, employee experience becomes a critical business issue.
As we speak, your employees are likely asking a lot of legitimate questions:
- Will AI replace my role?
- What skills should I develop?
- How will my work change?
- What does career growth look like in an AI-enabled organization?
Leaders who ignore these concerns, refuse to address them, or simply haven’t created a vision for the future, are likely to experience employees with growing levels of anxiety and disengagement, eventually escalating into unwanted turnovers.
Leaders who approach the AI transformation thru a more human-centered lens will…
- Communicate what’s on the horizon transparently
- Invest in their employee’s skills and knowledge of AI capabilities
- Involve their employees in efforts to redesign work
- Recreate pathways for career development
- Find ways to demonstrate how AI enhances rather than diminishes human contribution
Bottomline, employees are far more likely to embrace AI when they see it as a tool that helps them succeed!
Getting Ready to Redesign Work – Four Powerful Questions!
Before investing in a full-blown AI implementation, leaders should look at their current work processes carefully.
1. What Work Creates the Most Value?
Identify the activities that directly impact customers, revenues, costs, and growth. Protect and strengthen those activities.
2. What Steps in Your Current Work Processes Create the Most Friction?
Look for repetitive tasks, excessive approvals, redundant reporting, and administrative burdens. These are always the best candidates for automation.
3. Which Skills Will Matter Most in an AI-Enabled Workplace?
As AI handles routine tasks, uniquely human capabilities become more valuable. Our list of those critical skills includes…
- Critical thinking – the ability to focus on results and pick the best path to achieve them
- Adaptability – an ability to change course when reality requires it
- Creativity – an ability to come up with solutions that weren’t necessarily on the drawing board
- Communication – making sure that how info is shared and ideas exchanged actually works.
- Leadership – a willingness to own outcomes
- Emotional intelligence – an ability to get thru tough situations with minimal emotional wake
We think every organization should start prioritizing these capabilities in their hiring strategies.
4. Are We Designing Jobs or Designing Outcomes?
Many job descriptions have become written descriptions of specific tasks accumulated over long periods of time. AI creates an opportunity to redefine roles around outcomes instead of activities, empowering employees to contribute at a higher level.
Your Competitive Advantage!
Many small to mid-sized employers worry that they cannot compete with larger organizations that have greater resources and larger technology budgets. The truth is that AI may actually level the playing field. The organizations that gain the greatest advantage will not necessarily be those with the most advanced technologies but those that do the best job of redesigning work.
Small and mid-sized businesses have fewer layers, can make decisions faster, and have stronger connections between leadership and employees. These characteristics make them uniquely positioned to experiment, adapt, and innovate.
In many cases, organizational agility will matter more than technological sophistication.
Final Thoughts!
AI is not simply a technology initiative. It is a workforce transformation initiative. It challenges leaders to rethink how work is structured, how value is created, and how people contribute within the organization.
The businesses that succeed will view AI as more than an efficiency tool. They will use it as a catalyst to redesign work around human strengths.
For an organization’s leaders, AI provides an extraordinary opportunity to shape the future of their organizations. It represents a strategic choice – to automate yesterday’s work or redesign work for the future!
