History may be repeating itself with the introduction of new tech trends. If you’re a history buff, you will remember that the steam engine was a big game changer during the Industrial Revolution. Work that was done by hand was suddenly being done by machines, which opened up a whole new set of possibilities. Today, we’ve met new machines such as automation and AI, and the effects are spreading into different areas of the workforce. However, while tech may be a great enabler, humans are still the future, and here’s how!
The Right to Decide
New technology opens doors for change which can bring mixed emotions with it. One power of being a human is that we get to make decisions about how we react to change! Carolyn Montrose, a career coach and lecturer at Columbia University in New York acknowledges the pace of technological innovation, and that change can be a little intimidating. She shares they can either “choose to feel anxious about AI, or empowered to learn about it and use it to their advantage.” We have the power to make our own decisions about how to react to tech advancements, and we see opportunities for innovation!
When AI and automation are integrated intentionally, both can be a huge value-add to an organization. Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index Annual Report shares that most people are excited about this technological change — 70% of people would delegate as much work as possible to lessen their workloads. A Chief Economist from LinkedIn, Karin Kimbrough shares that “Ultimately, when we talk about AI’s impact on work, what we are really talking about is how people will adopt these tools and continue to strengthen the people skills that complement them.” Change is happening, and it’s exciting to explore the positive impacts.
Inventing Innovation
With new capabilities, we have the opportunity to find ways of doing things differently! Technology can serve as an enabler for innovation! New ideas populate as we learn how to manage, program, and collaborate with new technology — the Industrial Revolution showed us this. Study.com shared that “Industrialization meant new inventions, technologies, and processes evolved the American economy into an industrial one.” It’s possible to work and thrive with change — including advancements in technology.
Scott Likens, a global AI Leader with PwC’s Innovation and Trust Technology who specializes in understanding issues around trust and technology, shares: “Technology advancements have shown us that, yes, technology has the potential to automate or streamline work processes. However, with the right set of skills, individuals are often able to progress alongside these advancements.” Tech has the potential and power to help us rehumanize work!
Tech creates an opportunity to evaluate and reengineer workflows to enable people to focus on the parts of work that humans are well-suited for, such as
Relationship building
Intuitive decision making
Empathy
Problem-solving
Informed, careful, and strategic decisions ensure technology is used to enhance and enable people to do the kinds of relational, empathetic, problem-solving activities we do best. LinkedIn recently shared a Future of Work Report that states 92% of US executives agree that people skills are more important than ever. We can make extraordinary progress when we embrace change and focus on fulfillment.
Fostering Fulfillment
Another element we have is that humans are driven to seek fulfillment beyond simply advancement. Psychology Today shares that fulfillment is a great force that drives the human experience: “Fulfillment is our high purpose, that which calls us from our most secret places and compels us to discover a freedom and wholeness far beyond what we had thought possible.” In IT staffing, we want to foster the feeling of fulfillment that making a difference in the lives of others gives us. One way we can create a sense of fulfillment is by fostering a diverse work environment. We do our best to create an increased emphasis on creating inclusive workplaces that value different perspectives and backgrounds. Embracing diversity leads to creativity, innovation, and productivity!
We, as humans, drive the evolving nature of work despite an increased reliance on technology. To navigate change successfully, individuals and organizations have the right to decide how we feel, react, and innovate. We have the ability to foster fulfillment in inclusive and diverse work environments.
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