The rate of change in all walks of business life is ever-accelerating. What will be the impact of this on leadership and teams?
We don’t seem to go a day without hearing of the latest amazing technology that will replace a human in the workplace. Be that through automation of processes, something we have been seeing for many decades already, algorithms, virtual reality, augmented reality or through artificial intelligence (AI).
But are things really going to be that different? What can we do to prepare for imminent and future changes?
Will tech replace humans?
Firstly, let’s consider what the new technologies are likely to do. Will they really replace humans? The reality is that we will see jobs being replaced and not people being replaced. Technology will complement humans and make tasks easier to complete. A given, though, is that people will need to retrain and up-skill for this new world of work.
People will still be needed to offer the interpersonal skills that machines cannot. In fact, these interpersonal skills – plus creativity, empathy and leadership skills – will be more important than ever. They will add value to exchanges where a technology driven ‘self-service’ environment cannot. A person will always augment the process.
Resilience will be the key, as will the ability to constantly evolve and adapt to fast paced change; resilient individuals who can adapt, endure and bounce back when faced with change and who are receptive and flexible.
Resilient businesses will need to be ready for the disruptors that will come along, in fact, why not be a disruptor? Complacency may be fatal, and businesses should be on the offensive. Preparedness and speed of action are essential.
Make it about the experience
It cannot just be about product sales in the future; patients/customers will desire outcomes and experiences too. What will be patient/customer needs in the future – and how will you meet or exceed them?
Businesses need to change, adapt, and nurture innovation. The business and processes may become more streamlined, but it will still need to be patient/customer-focused. You need to inspire patient/customer loyalty in a world where self-service may become more and more tempting to individuals.
Protect people, not jobs
As business leaders, it will be more important than ever to have the capacity to identify potential problems or opportunities. Act on this by establishing priorities and mobilising the right resources – and ensure that systems and people perform to high levels.
Protect people, not jobs. Think about how you will need to reorganise teams and where they may need to be up-skilled to be prepared for the future workplace and technology. This may involve expanding your leadership team to increase the resource available to make decisions and take actions to reduce impacts and vulnerabilities.
Understand how your behaviour and reactions to change, be they good or bad, are contagious and will trickle down through your teams. Understand how human/machine collaboration is a force for good and that by embracing technology, you may need to redesign work to enhance productivity. Make change a positive impact.
Nurture adaptability in your teams. Work to identify skills gaps (now and in the future) and make plans to train individuals where needed.
Create supertstars
Don’t just hire superstars – create them. Grow your own talent of the future. This may involve rethinking the career paths that we have today, and considering how they may change in the future. Have we seen the end of the linear career path in favour of one where individuals will gather more experiences from multiple roles?
Start with rethinking the roles that the business needs. What will be the purpose of the role? How will it impact others, be those co-workers or patients/customers?
Identify individuals ready, eager, and capable of development through regular one-to-one meetings and reviews. A personal development plan can be helpful for both you and an individual to see where they may benefit from:
Retain your valuable and knowledgeable team members – and help them to prepare for the future by being more resilient as well as gaining new skills.
In summary
The future will be dynamic, and the rate of change is accelerating. But it should be embraced, and technology should be used as a force for good.
It’s not just about technology, stay abreast of other trends in your sector – be they environmental, ethical, or driven by your local community.