AI and the 'Future of Work'
Embracing Human Skills in the Age of Automation
Dear Uplevelers,
As we covered in our newsletter a fortnight ago, there’s no doubt that AI continues to reshape the employment landscape. But we received a lot of questions from leaders and professional alike on What AI specifically means for the ‘Future of Work’?
Today, we're diving into this crucial topic, exploring expert insights an
d identifying the skills that will set you apart in an AI-augmented workplace.
The AI Revolution: Evolution, Not Extinction
The debate around AI's impact on jobs often swings between two extremes:
The Pessimistic View: Robots will take over, leading to mass unemployment.
The Optimistic View: AI will augment our work, freeing us from drudgery to focus on creativity and innovation.
Chris Hyams, CEO of Indeed, offers a balanced perspective. He likens the AI revolution to the birth of the World Wide Web - disruptive, certainly, but not apocalyptic. Rather than a complete overhaul of the job market, Hyams predicts that existing jobs will "change pretty radically" over the next few years.
What Hiring Managers Should Look For
But in this evolving landscape, what qualities should hiring managers prioritize? Keeping in mind this is his bread & butter, here’s what Chris emphasizes:
1. Curiosity and Openness: The willingness to explore and adapt to new technologies and ways of working.
2. Capacity to Learn: The ability to quickly acquire and apply new skills and knowledge.
3. Empathy: Critically, Chris highlights "empathy" as a top skill - something that AI, for all its capabilities, cannot replicate.
The Rising Importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
It’s interesting to note that this the term “Emotional Intelligence Quotient” was only coined in 1990 by John Mayer & Peter Salovey (who went on to become the President of Yale). But it was Daniel Goleman, nicknamed the “Father of EQ”, who popularized it in 1995 with his book “Emotional Intelligence”.
More recently, LinkedIn's chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman, echoes this sentiment, stressing the critical role of emotional intelligence in leadership. He outlines five pillars of EQ that companies should seek in their leaders:
1. Curiosity
2. Compassion
3. Courage
4. Communication
5. Creativity
"These people skills are going to become more and more core to not just how someone becomes an executive, but the work of executives: Mobilizing teams, and building a company that is human-centric," Aneesh explains.
Preparing for the AI-Augmented Workplace
As leaders and professionals, how can we prepare for this new era? Here are some actionable steps:
1. Embrace Continuous Learning: Stay curious about AI developments and their potential applications in your field.
2. Develop Your EQ: Focus on honing your emotional intelligence through self-reflection, feedback, and targeted training.
3. Cultivate Creativity: Practice innovative thinking and problem-solving in your daily work.
4. Enhance Communication Skills: Work on clearly articulating complex ideas and fostering open dialogue within your team.
5. Practice Empathy: Make a conscious effort to understand and respond to the needs and perspectives of others.
The Choose To Thinq Approach
At Choose To Thinq, we're committed to helping you navigate this evolving landscape. While we continue our focus on leadership & management trainings, we have started a few AI workshops as well like "Leading with EQ in the AI Era".
These provide practical strategies for developing the human-centered skills that will set you apart in an AI-augmented workplace.
Remember, as AI takes over more routine tasks, our uniquely human qualities - empathy, creativity, and emotional intelligence - become our greatest assets. By focusing on these skills, we can ensure that we not only survive but thrive in the age of AI.
Stay human, stay curious, and let's shape the future of work together!
Btw, do check out our latest FutureStack for AI ebook. Here we curate 30 pieces to give you insights into what the future may look like. It’s ideal for professionals and leaders to stay ahead of the curve. Pick an article, read & reflect!
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