The volume and pace of work seem to be constantly increasing. Many leaders and employees are eager for AI to help lighten the load. Yet at the same time, many people fear the changes AI will bring. That’s why we need to prepare not only tasks for AI, but our company cultures too. Start preparing today with our six tips.
1. Be curious, not judgmental
Ted Lasso told us to be curious, not judgmental, and we believe that applies here. It is easy to immediately judge something we don’t know much about. When it comes to AI specifically, that judgement is often translated into fear. We fear change and the possibility of a powerful technology “taking over.” But most of these fears exist because we haven’t learned enough about AI. Infuse your culture with curiosity. Generate excitement around the possibilities of how we can work with AI rather than against it.
2. Let failure happen
It is likely that AI will change virtually every job down the line. And most can certainly benefit from it to some extent. Embrace creativity and innovation to meet new business needs. Encourage teams to experiment with AI and its different capabilities. It won’t always work perfectly and may fail at times. Failure is a crucial step towards improvement. It will take trial and error to figure out the best ways to utilize AI, so empower your employees to try it out in different ways – even if it leads to failure.
3. Look out for biases
Artificial intelligence is just that: artificial. Real people created algorithms, and those real people have biases of their own. Many of our biases are subconscious but they can still permeate the technologies we design and build. One example of where bias can show up is in the recruiting process. Due to AI-based decisions, 75% of resumes never reach human eyes. This might include qualified candidates that the software is ruling out for various reasons. Be conscious of the various biases and risks so you can mitigate where possible.
4. Identify areas AI can help
Take time to sit down and figure out where artificial intelligence can be useful in your company. Look for inefficiencies and bottlenecks. There may be multiple different areas that could benefit from AI. Consider these areas:
- Process automation
- Customer support
- Cybersecurity
- Recommending products to users
- Chatbots
- Automating content marketing creation
- Predicting sales
Answering the question of, “How can AI help our organization and people?” will look different for everyone. As mentioned earlier, experimentation is necessary to figure out what works best. The same goes for identifying where AI can be the most beneficial. Try it out in areas you think it may help and adjust as needed.
5. Dedicate time to training
There is a lot to learn about AI and it may not be intuitive for employees to use. Train each employee on the specific technology that will be accomplishing their tasks efficiently. Bear in mind that learning to work with AI is a continuous process rather than a one-time training session. Consistently provide learning opportunities for employees and keep them up to date with the newest resources. And don’t forget to recognize moments of learning to inspire all your people.
6. Couple it with human elements
While AI has a lot of potential to improve businesses, it cannot do it all. There are certain areas AI will lack and leaders should be investing in people to fill the gaps. Artificial intelligence cannot critically think like a human or show the same level of empathy. Machines can replace tedious repetitive tasks while only people bring a unique level of creativity and stellar customer satisfaction. Never forget to let the human elements shine through.
To recap, we are leaning into creating a culture that embraces curiosity, failure, learning, and humanness. Leaders are in the perfect position to foster this type of culture within organizations. Coupled with the power of AI, this kind of culture can unlock a better way of working for all.