The Perks of a Robotic Boss

From the Royal Banking Commission, to our spin-the-wheel politics, all of our clients are speaking about the leadership crisis in Australia as we boldly head toward a red horizon – the dawn of the Future of Work. Despite our love for technology, giant leaps in the leadership space feel somewhat alien as we slowly acclimate to the Age of Connected-ness. And despite our fear of the unknown, we cling to tradition like pillars of the earth as our paradigm gets shattered and our talent literally build spaceships to leave for Mars.

That said, just across our ocean we bear witness to Prime Ministers like Jacinda Arden of New Zealand, showing humanity, compassion and collaborative leadership in some of the darkest moments. The juxtaposition makes me wish we could break the cloning legislation just this once and unleash 1000s of Jacindas across the globe so that we can all learn the meaning of leading in ambivalent times.

So in the absence of breaking any universal laws as our economy screams for diversification and innovation, what are our options? Sure, some solid cultural shifts, change programs, leadership development and proper coaching can address many, if not all of the issues presented. Yet time is of the essence and with the transcendental shift happening with robotics, artificial intelligence, and connected technologies; perhaps we need to look here for faster solutions.

Which led me to think, would it be such a bad idea to apply robotics as a solution to our leadership dynamics? I am well aware of the bad press AI and robotics are currently getting around taking our jobs, lacking empathy and ethics, and enslaving humanity. Yet how different is this dystopian picture from the current human one where leaders are in it to win it for their own agendas and at the expense of their people and the community they serve? Could there be some perks to working for a robotic boss and what would they be?

1. Instant, On-the-go and Transparent Information

In my experience, it is very rare to find a truly transparent corporate culture where information is not withheld from employees for political agendas. Well a robot boss would do away with all of this, making live information instantly available wherever you be and whatever device you might be using. Instead of the anxiety that comes with corporate games and secrets, imagine how improved decision making would be with unbiased insights and having all pieces of the puzzle at your finger tips.

2. No Need for Performance Reviews

Instead of us sitting around, writing biased essays about each other once-or-twice a year, our ‘Robotic Boss’ would provide us with in-the-moment feedback that is relevant to the challenge or task at hand. This would allow us take corrective action there and then without the clustered awkwardness of performance discussions.

No need to wait for performance review time anymore, because your robotic boss has got your back. Plus the discussion would be truly confidential, so you can always bring your best self to work without the corridor conversations that result from a boss that just can’t keep things to themselves. Robots would provide us with true coaching that is configured to our specific, individual needs and can also integrate information from all sides of the equation so it’s relevant, reliable and meaningful to our work and the clients we serve.

3. A Sense of Flow in the Way We Work

How many times have you found yourself willing, committed and ready to launch into action, only to have your fire doused in the boredom of having to wait for leadership cycles, approvals, availability and, well, just plain interest in your ideas? With a robot boss, there would be absolutely no need slowing down momentum.

Whilst we don’t physically have a robot boss today, I have personally experienced liberation by eliminating a boss in any form in my life and replacing it with technology, connected and artificial intelligence layers. Tools like Google Assistant, Hubspot Calendars and connected devices allow me to focus less on the administrative/managerial aspects of my work and propel me seamlessly forward into more of the human aspects of service and making life easier for my clients as well.

Personally, I would love to see all leaders committed to communication, change and coaching at the level our clients commit to. However, looking at the pace at which the global economy is moving, can we really wait for those who are still stuck in the dinosaur age? Robotics might be our best alternative for leadership if we don’t get over our fear of technology and change and embrace the endless potential that well designed tech can bring to the future of work.

Looking to the future? Book in a discovery session with our radical change coach Andrew Butow, you can find him on LinkedIn or book in a time through is calendar HERE.

Read more blogs from Earth2Mars related to The Perks of a Robotic Boss:

Future of Work – Evolving Beyond the Mass Extinction of Jobs

Change The Space In-Between

AR, VR & AI… Are you embracing the Digital Crusade or just pretending?