Three Tips for AI Practical Magic

For this month’s newsletter, let’s talk about AI.

The first version of the article is the original, all from Stacey OK. The second version is filtered through AI. I asked AI to only correct the grammar and clarity. See what you think.

VERSION 1 – ALL STACEY OK

AI (Artificial Intelligence) scared me. It now fascinates me.

It is a hot. I’ve attended multiple events in the last six months where AI was the topic, and none were in the IT space. One was an organizational development bi-monthly meeting. One was the National Speakers Association convention. Surprisingly there were four(!) sessions on AI over four days.

Who would couple professional speakers with AI? Before the convention, not me.

Now that I am relatively sure Skynet is not taking over our power grid and defense systems in the next five years, or maybe it will, I find it can help our business practices. (If Skynet is taking over, please forgive me. I did not mean any of this.). It is the consummate business practical magic.

However, it takes human intellect to maximize it. Here are the best tips I learned over the last six months.

1. AI can be Positive and Streamline Time Consuming Work

Before my recent education, I used AI primarily as an editor. I do love a run-on sentence. However, that is AI 101. Now I use it for ideation in several of professional situations.

For example, if you are having a challenging employee conflict, ask AI to help. Enter in the situation, (PRO TIP: do not use names or identifying information), then with the prompt, “How should I approach the situation? What are talking points and questions I should ask?”

In sales? Enter the characteristics of your target clients and ask, “Where would I find my target clients?” ?Be as specific what you are looking for. Broad input will lead to a broad answer.

If you have a private AI, you can upload your Employee Handbook to ask questions. The prompt, “Can you read the uploaded document? Please review our employee handbook and tell me how many PTO days an employee with 5 years of service will get? What page is that in the employee handbook?”

2. Understand the Limitations

AI isn’t the answer to every issue, because most business transactions include a human interaction. Humans have various abilities to interpret AI’s suggestion into the human touch. People are unpredictable. AI cannot tell you how the other person will react.

That is key in this new world. Employees will need less training on knowledge that it is readily available. They will need more training how to ask good questions, problem solve, react in real time in interpersonal situations. In other words, dive deeper.

One presenter asked, “Do you know what age does best with AI prompts?”

It is people over the age of 45. Yay! It’s finally good to be in The Breakfast Club. IYKYK

But seriously, all the sessions mentioned this may be challenging for digital native generations. In turn, that may be most challenging aspect to future workforce. Today, it is our job as leaders to train these interpersonal skills that are rarely taught in traditional education or professional trainings.

3. Always Trust, Verify, and Execute in a Human Way

AI can seem amazingly human and infallible, but it isn’t.

My concern is that AI can tell you the factual answer to the prompt, but many times it is the individual's experience to discern if that answer will work for in their circumstance. That takes human capital and intellect. It certainly takes training. ?

For industries that are customer facing like hospitality, use AI and the corresponding technology intelligently. For guest to have an experience, it almost paramount part of it is a human experience. Tapping into a computer to complete a transaction, like a hotel check in, may be efficient, but it isn’t an experience. Your guests will want you to have options.

If you use AI for ideation or writing, make sure you add your humanness to it. AI should not replace your knowledge, skills, and abilities. It should enhance your abilities to take care of the small things, so you can execute on the big things.

Final Thoughts

AI can improve your output and effectiveness. AI can also make you sound like a robot. Customers and employees work best with people they trust. Trust is not robotic.

My hope is the above help you embrace the future that works for you and your organization.

And if you need help, training your workforce how to problem solve and speak human, of course, I am here to help. (That is close to a run-on, and I am keeping it.)

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VERSION 2 – STACEY AND AI

AI (Artificial Intelligence) initially scared me, but now it fascinates me. It has become a hot topic of discussion. I have attended multiple events in the past year where AI was the focal point, and interestingly, none of these events were in the IT space. One was an organizational development bi-monthly meeting, and the other was the National Speakers Association convention. Surprisingly, there were four(!) sessions on AI over the course of four days. Who would have thought that speakers and AI could be connected? Certainly not me before the convention.

Now, I am relatively certain that Skynet is not on the verge of taking over our power grid and defense systems in the next five years (or maybe it will, if so, please forgive me for my earlier comments). Instead, I see AI as a tool that can significantly enhance our business practices. It is like practical business magic, but it still requires human intellect to fully maximize its potential.

Here are some of the best tips I have learned over the past six months:

1. AI can have a Positive Impact and Streamline Time-consuming Work

Previously, I primarily used AI as an editor for my content development. However, I now utilize it for generating ideas in various professional scenarios. For instance, when faced with a challenging employee conflict, one can ask AI for guidance without revealing any identifying information. Similarly, in sales, inputting specific factors about target clients can help in locating them effectively. Additionally, having a private AI assistant allows for tasks such as querying the Employee Handbook for specific information.

2. Understanding the Limitations of AI is Crucial.

While AI can be a valuable tool, it is not the solution to every problem, especially since most business transactions involve human interactions. Humans possess the ability to interpret AI suggestions and provide a human touch that AI lacks. In this evolving landscape, employees will require less training on easily searchable knowledge and more on skills like asking insightful questions, problem-solving, and real-time interpersonal communication.

3.?Always Trust, Verify, and Execute in a Human-centered Manner.

While AI can appear remarkably human-like and infallible, it is essential to remember that it has its limitations. Individuals must apply their experiences and judgment to determine the relevance of AI-generated answers. Industries like hospitality, which heavily rely on customer-facing interactions, should leverage AI intelligently to enhance guest experiences rather than replacing them with automated transactions.

In conclusion, AI has the potential to enhance productivity and output but should not overshadow human knowledge, skills, and abilities. It should complement human capabilities, enabling individuals to focus on critical tasks while AI handles routine activities. Embracing AI in a human-centric way can lead to a future that benefits both individuals and organizations.

FINAL THOUGHTS

To me, version one has the same information, and it has personality. If you know me, then you can probably hear me read it. But is longer and maybe has too many Stacey observations. In our busy world, is it too long for my audience to receive the intended value?

Version two is factually the same, but it is more formal. Certainly, it is more formal than I am in real life. I take my work seriously, but my demeanor is not as serious unless needed. Version two sounds like a business book. That is not necessarily bad. The question is what do I, Stacey the human, want to convey?

We are still in the infancy of AI. I encourage you to spend time playing and thinking of positive applications to your business. Also capture your concerns and create guidelines to help your workforce understand the challenges and benefits.

As always, if I can help, please contact me (or Skynet).

What are your thoughts? How are you using AI?

#AI #HR #OrganizationalDevelopment #Training #Interpersonalskills #WorkforcePlanning

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