"Recession-Proof Change": AI and Being Human

There's a term on TikTok called "Recession Core," which posits that during times of uncertainty and depression, music trends tend to be upbeat, escapist and whimsical (see: 2009-2012 Ke$ha, Black Eyed Peas, etc. )

I got to thinking about the opportunity we have now, in times of financial and technological change, to not?only be change managers, but to consider how we might "Recession-Proof" change management.

Can we, too, be upbeat, escapist and whimsical? How and why would we do that?

Stick with me and I'll share why now is the right time to transform our industry, by tapping into the things that make us Human, Happy and Heart-Centered.

"I've got a feeling" that you might find this unconventional, but maybe we can just dance for a moment, through this technique I'll share:

Personify the Tools

AI brings our greatest opportunity at this time to revisit our "purpose" as change management professionals — by?immersing ourselves?in what it means to be human. As change managers, we must feel the "human" side of?our tools, spreadsheets and methods.

One approach I use with client teams is "Personify the Tools."?

Once AI is soon able to presumably "do all the work" for us,?we still need to bring the human aspect to that work, especially as change managers. We can only do that by deeply returning to the purpose of these tools in the first place.

We often rush through spreadsheets as mere deliverables; but what if we took time to deeply understand them? This exercise builds empathy, perspective shifting, and a renewed appreciation for the tools — so that when the time comes, they aren't just thoughtlessly replaced with AI.

It might look something like this:

GROUP ONE: Embody the Stakeholder Assessment. What does it say about itself?

The Stakeholder Assessment might say this:

1. "Why do people forget about me after they fill me out?"
2. "I hope my entire outfit is green at the end of this project."
3. "I am so in tune with how employees will react to change, I sometimes surprise myself!"

GROUP TWO: What does the Change Impact Assessment say to?its therapist?

The Change Impact Assessment might say this:

• "I am so deeply misunderstood. Everyone thinks I'm so complicated when I really just tell it like it is."
• "I only seem to get one chance to be perfect — people don't revisit me. I never get the?chance to evolve and grow."
• "That last project brought me into every meeting, every plan — it felt great!?Like I was the most helpful person in the room."

And so on.

This can be an effective journaling exercise for leaders, or a group workshop (as above). The insights and action items it can yield are endless...in fact, once we are in this mode of empathy (used in Design Thinking), we may find even more generative, creative ways to make the tools work even better for our modern organizations.

Recession core: Being happy & heart-centered

I've spent two decades(!) trying to emphasize that Change Management is not about making people happy and coloring rainbows at?project?happy hours; it's about making people informed and inspired for what's to?come. As anyone who has gone through coaching, therapy or a life journey — we know this process does not always involve happiness.

But I've come to understand that everything is in balance. So feeding Happiness, like a pop song, might be a welcome burst of joy during a difficult time.

Being Happy and Heart-Centered can look like this:

• Embracing the psychological side of change management; what motivates our organization & employees?
• Collaboratively and frequently reflecting on our strengths, to bring the best of ourselves to our teams
• Using tools like AI with optimism and trust-filled boundaries; for what we give it, is what we will get back

And by practicing these tools during a recession, or difficult times, imagine how much we will accelerate and thrive in more stable and bullish times, having made these our regular norms and ways of working.

"I'm so 3008,?You so 2000 and late..."

I always like to have ChatGPT write my closing paragraphs, because it's a wonderful voice for creativity and expansive thinking. Here is what AI has to say about "Recession Core Change Management":

"As David Guetta sang with Usher, 'I can't win, I can't reign, I will never win this game without you.' Our success in change management depends on our ability to collaborate, empathize, and connect.

So let's not be confined to the old playlist of change management. Let's be the DJs of innovation, mixing the wisdom of experience with the beats of imagination; ensuring that our approach to change management is not only recession-proof, but always ready to top the charts."