The term 'Luddite' originates from the early 19th century, referring to English workers who destroyed machinery in cotton and woolen mills, not out of opposition to technology itself, but as a protest against the economic and social disruptions caused by these innovations to their livelihoods and working conditions.

Modern resistance to technology, often termed neo-Luddism, echoes the original Luddites' concerns, focusing on the societal and economic impacts of technological advancements, such as job displacement and the concentration of power among a few corporations.

Psychological factors, including fear of the unknown and loss of control, play a significant role in resistance to technological change, as individuals often perceive new technologies as threats to their established routines and competencies.

Cultural factors, such as organizational norms and values, can either facilitate or hinder the acceptance of technological change, with environments lacking transparency and clear communication exacerbating resistance due to fear and uncertainty.

Social dynamics in the workplace, including feelings of dehumanization and undervaluation in tech-driven environments, can lead to resistance, as employees may feel overwhelmed by the constant demand for adaptability and productivity.

Generational differences significantly influence attitudes toward technology, with older generations often preferring traditional methods and hierarchical management styles, making them slower to adapt compared to younger generations who are more accustomed to rapid change.

For instance, 40% of Gen Z employees use AI in their working lives compared to only 28% of Baby Boomers, highlighting a generational gap in technological adoption driven by differences in familiarity and adaptability.

Reverse mentorship programs, where younger employees guide older colleagues in understanding new technologies, have proven effective in bridging generational gaps and fostering collaboration.

One of the most common arguments against automation and artificial intelligence is the fear of job displacement, as these technologies often replace human labor, leading to economic insecurity for affected workers.

Ethical concerns, such as the potential for AI to exacerbate biases, spread misinformation, and concentrate power, further fuel resistance by raising questions about the societal implications of unchecked technological progress.

Additionally, fears about the loss of human creativity and individuality arise as AI encroaches on domains traditionally reserved for human expression, such as art and writing.

Feelings of job insecurity are a significant driver of resistance, as employees may fear that new technologies will render their roles redundant, particularly in sectors like manual data entry or assembly-line work.

This resistance is often compounded by a lack of proper training and communication from organizations, leaving employees feeling unprepared to adapt to technological changes.

Moreover, workplace technologies perceived as intrusive, such as surveillance tools, can alienate employees by undermining their sense of privacy and autonomy.

Resistance to technological change is particularly prevalent in industries like heavy industry and manufacturing, where established systems and processes have remained unchanged for decades, and innovations are often seen as disruptive.

Creative professions, such as screenwriting, have also shown resistance to advancements like generative AI, as these tools threaten job opportunities and the sense of accomplishment derived from producing original work.

In the manufacturing sector, challenges such as the high cost of updating equipment and employee fears of job displacement contribute to resistance, requiring cultural shifts to overcome these obstacles.

Ethical concerns, including privacy and data security, are central to opposition against new technologies, as they often involve the collection and use of personal information without adequate transparency or consent.

The rapid advancement of technologies like AI also raises ethical dilemmas, such as algorithmic bias and the improper transfer of human control to machines, which can result in accidents or unfair outcomes.

Ad tracking technologies exemplify how new tools can infringe on privacy, as users often struggle to understand complex mechanisms, leading to passive consent and mistrust.

One effective strategy to address resistance in corporate settings is aligning technological changes with existing business goals, leveraging organizational priorities to reduce fear and resistance.

Fostering a culture of trust through transparent communication about the objectives and outcomes of technology adoption can mitigate resistance by addressing concerns about job security and role changes.

Providing comprehensive education and training programs tailored to different user groups helps alleviate fears and misconceptions, enabling employees to view new technologies as enhancements rather than threats.

Technophobia, or fear of technology, often manifests as resistance in professional environments, driven by concerns about job displacement and the risks associated with advanced systems like AI.

Root causes of technophobia include distrust in technological advancements, concerns about privacy and security, and fears of losing individuality or human connection.

Skepticism toward novel technologies can also stem from uncertainty about their safety and efficacy, as seen in consumer aversion to innovations like mRNA vaccines.

A global survey revealed that employee resistance is the biggest barrier to achieving successful outcomes with digital workplace technology, highlighting its impact on organizational ROI.

Historical studies, such as the Hawthorne experiments, demonstrated that resistance to change often stems from social and psychological factors, such as employees feeling undervalued or disconnected.

Perceptions of complexity and lack of user-friendliness in new technologies can lead to resistance, as employees may feel overwhelmed by the need to adapt to rapidly evolving systems.

The introduction of automation technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) can provoke opposition due to fears of job displacement and increased workloads.

Misinformation and lack of understanding about new technologies can foster resistance by creating fear and uncertainty, as seen in cases where individuals reject scientific consensus in favor of unfounded fears.

Interpersonal communication strategies, such as active listening and empathy, can help build rapport with colleagues resistant to technological change by addressing their concerns in a non-confrontational manner.

Creating emotional bonds through small acts of inclusion, such as socializing and sharing personal interests, can help establish trust and encourage collaboration in adapting to new technologies.

Tailored communication methods, such as using preferred channels like instant messaging, can humanize interactions and reduce resistance to technological change.

Resistance to technological advancements can lead to significant economic consequences, such as job losses and increased socioeconomic divides, particularly in advanced economies.

For corporations, resistance to technological change can result in operational inefficiencies and lost opportunities, as seen in cases where digital solutions have enhanced service delivery and created jobs.

Organizations can balance innovation with employee concerns by fostering open communication and addressing fears related to job displacement and skill obsolescence.

Involving employees early in the transformation process and aligning technological changes with business goals can help reduce resistance and foster a sense of investment in innovation.

Providing opportunities for continuous learning and upskilling ensures employees can adapt to new technologies, alleviating anxiety and fostering a culture of innovation.

The successful implementation of Da Vinci Robotic Bridging Surgery demonstrates how involving employees early and achieving short-term results can overcome resistance to technological change.

Broader societal debates about technology, such as concerns over automation replacing jobs, significantly shape individual attitudes in the workplace by fostering anxiety about job security.

The perception that technology isolates individuals from meaningful social experiences has amplified resistance, with critics arguing that digital tools contribute to loneliness and a decline in human connection.

Concerns about the ethical implications of AI, such as surveillance and privacy violations, further influence workplace attitudes by creating skepticism about the fairness of technology-driven systems.

Interns can navigate workplace dynamics with resistant supervisors by leveraging reverse mentorship, where younger staff share their technological expertise to foster collaboration.

Understanding the psychological factors behind resistance, such as fear of job displacement, can help interns empathize with supervisors and design tailored approaches to address their concerns.

Adapting to supervisors resistant to change requires emphasizing the benefits of technology in enhancing productivity and creativity while fostering a culture of continuous learning.

The term 'Luddite' originates from the early 19th century, referring to English workers who destroyed machinery in cotton and woolen mills, not out of opposition to technology itself, but as a protest against the economic and social disruptions caused by these innovations to their livelihoods and working conditions.

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Content: Brian Merchant, author: “Luddites are more dangerous to the rich than Robin Hood”

The Luddites have been a great historical resource. Any showy enemy of anything that looked like technological progress has been called a Luddite. Today with generative artificial intelligence and its critics, the word has been revived. The author and journalist Brian Merchant (Iowa City, USA, 1983) saw it coming and has written a book that reviews the Luddite revolt in England at the beginning of the 19th century and its similarities with current technologies: Blood in the Machine (Blood in the Machine, currently without a planned edition in Spanish) thus explores the origins of the current revolt against big technology.

Although the book has appeared in the midst of the AI hype, Merchant began his research a decade ago: “Uber was growing and it was beginning to be seen that it was having a hard impact on taxi drivers, I heard the term Luddite from the pro-Uber sector and wrote an article titled You don't understand anything about Luddites”. Now in his book he remembers that the Luddite revolt was a labor struggle, not anti-technology, at a time when unions were prohibited. In a conversation with EL PAÍS from his residence in Los Angeles, Merchant clarifies the historical impact of the Luddites and the possible similar struggles that are being played today in Silicon Valley.

1. The Luddites were not against progress

The labor revolt over the loss of rights was more important than the destruction of textile machines: “The biggest mistake about the Luddites is to say that they were against technology and progress,” says Merchant. “They were against certain technologies because they recognized the way in which they were going to be used in their context against them as workers. It was a labor movement, against poverty, not anti-technology. The British Government began to mold them in this way almost immediately, it was keen to mock the Luddites and present the argument that they were against progress. It is very similar to how today people in positions of power in technology companies accuse those who complain about poor working conditions. It's the same story for 200 years.”

The book quotes a phrase from historian Eric Hobsbawm that explains this stage: “It was collective bargaining through riots.” According to Merchant, this tactic in a workers' struggle was very powerful for two reasons: “First, it was symbolic because everyone understood that what they were destroying was not just a machine. It was also the specific machine used to transfer wealth from the workers to the employer. Second, it was useful because they destroyed the equipment that businessmen needed.”

2. Why Robin Hood is better accepted than Ned Ludd

Ned Ludd was a legendary character. No one knows for sure if he existed. It was the legend of a teenager who would have broken the first machines at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. In 1811, rebellious workers used his legendary name to sign letters and further scare: “Ludd probably never existed. But the incarnation of it would become a mascot, an organizational tool, a wink: a powerful 19th-century meme,” Merchant writes.

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Ludd lived near Nottingham (United Kingdom), like another legendary figure who has been better treated by history. There must be a reason, says Merchant: “The Luddites organized a popular and powerful rebellion. People wrote popular songs about them. They were like Robin Hood. But it is interesting that Robin Hood has endured as a positive light, while the Luddites have not. He suggests that the myth of Ned Ludd is in some ways more dangerous to the elites and the wealthy than that of Robin Hood, which is a little more nebulous and open. The Luddites say: go ahead and break the machines of your oppression. Robin Hood says: steal from the rich and give to the poor. “I think that’s a little more tolerable.”

3. How are they similar to today's problems?

The background of the book is that the history of the Luddites is similar to what happens today in Silicon Valley, where a small group of corporations dominate new technologies. “The way technologies are developed has basically not changed. You have a handful of people with access to enough capital or political influence to be able to build a factory and use automation technologies. “Back then, the most aggressive owners didn’t ask anyone how to find a way to make this a win-win.”

Merchant has received criticism for equating the great businessmen of 19th century England with 21st century America. But there are details that he does not see that far away: “The technology development process is in some ways even more undemocratic today than then. There is this immense pool of capital available to Silicon Valley innovators through venture capital. Uber wasn't profitable for 10 years, but they had access to that capital. Did anyone really like that? Did it work for workers and delivery people? Nothing mattered, they just had more money and moved on.”

See also  Just the mystery

Modern resistance to technology, often termed neo-Luddism, echoes the original Luddites' concerns, focusing on the societal and economic impacts of technological advancements, such as job displacement and the concentration of power among a few corporations.

Psychological factors, including fear of the unknown and loss of control, play a significant role in resistance to technological change, as individuals often perceive new technologies as threats to their established routines and competencies.

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The Right Way To Evaluate A Technology Solution For Your Organization

Founder and CEO at Ludi, Inc., a healthcare technology company making it easy for hospitals to pay physicians.

Selecting a new technology for your company can be daunting. Organizations usually begin this process with a desire to either streamline or solve specific pain points. Regardless of your specific needs, implementing new technology will involve change. For your organization as an entity, change can be great. Change can reduce inefficiencies and errors, as well as usher in new opportunities. But for the people who work for your organization, change can trigger anxiety and ultimately resistance to the new technology. Here are six things to keep in mind when evaluating new technology:

1. Identify your problem. It sounds simple, but many organizations jump straight to the solutions they find appealing. If you focus on the true problem you’re trying to solve, you will stay goal-oriented while searching for a vendor.

2. Keep an open mind. You may have seen a solution you find appealing, but remember that you don’t know what you don’t know. The technology partner you choose should be an expert in the field and may offer you products that you didn’t even know existed. Stay open to new ideas and solutions. One of the things I’ve noticed is prospective clients saying, “We can’t buy this product unless it handles this exact case we’re trying to solve for.” That’s not always the most effective approach because it doesn’t take all the variables into consideration. For example, my company works with hospitals to streamline complex physician payment structures. The hospital may have had the doctor recording their time one way because they were using a paper system and approvals needed to be checked in a certain manner for that doctor to get paid. Once you eliminate paper, though, in that particular scenario, everything is up for discussion – not just the way doctors record their time, but the entire physician payment process at the hospital. Rigidity will not benefit you when evaluating new technology.

3. Get your people on the same page. Meet with department heads to pull together all the pain points that need to be solved. You must be comprehensive during your internal review because needs come out differently across different departments. You may not be able to solve everyone’s problem with the new technology, but it’s important to align your team before you bring in a vendor. Then prioritize your needs. Once your departments agree on the priorities, be clear with your team on who is making the final decision. Departmental input is important, but knowing who the purchaser is within your organization is equally important. Remember: Don’t lose sight of why you're buying this technology. Keep the ultimate purpose in mind.

4. Consider internal change management. Change is difficult for many of us, so it’s important to stop and consider the people who will be affected by this change. Resistance to change can originate from any of the following: loss of control, insecurities about competence, feeling defensive about past work, concern about more work and general uncertainty. Be proactive in preparing your staff for a change, because all of these responses tend to have a ripple effect in corporate cultures.

5. Focus on the future. If you’ve ever bought a house, you know that there are things you didn’t know you needed until you lived with your investment for a few years. Technology is no different. You may have a list of goals for your business, but there is no telling what you’ll need 10 years from now. The best technology partner will be flexible enough to support your organization as it grows. How can you find a partner with this type of future-focused outlook? See point number two.

6. Listen and be patient. The people delivering technology solutions in the market are experts and can offer you insights into the industry. I suggest finding a solution that can handle 90% of what you need out of the box. Work with your solution provider and try their out-of-the-box solutions for 90 days before you decide what you need next. Make sure the product you choose is flexible enough to grow with your business, but resist over-customizing the product because that can back you into a corner.

Technology solutions truly can help you streamline and standardize your business. Time spent organizing what problem you are trying to solve will make the search much more efficient. While there may not be a solution out there that does everything you hope to accomplish, keep an open mind and you'll find a solution that's right for your specific needs.

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Cultural factors, such as organizational norms and values, can either facilitate or hinder the acceptance of technological change, with environments lacking transparency and clear communication exacerbating resistance due to fear and uncertainty.

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Content: Change Management
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The world is in a state of great transformations that bring with it new patterns of behavior and living, and if we look at the world of business, it is in a state of greater and deeper transformation.
These transformations call for building distinctive capacities in the field of helping different communities and entities to interact and engage in the new wave of demands.
All societies can contribute to the evolution and transformations that we see every day and different systems can accelerate the process of acceptance, and then creativity in dealing with emerging technologies and environmental transformations, this requires the creation of a basic structure that helps humans to understand, accept and react quickly to developments.
This advantage achieves competitiveness in environments that are able to embrace change as an important feature of the times.
It can be said that the most difficult element in the face of change is the human, despite the fact that his life is based on continuous change, whether biological, intellectual or psychological, but over time he tends to try to stay on a specific system and harmony in which he sees security.
Fear is what drives people to resist change, and many scientific studies have shown that even those who suffer and live in non-positive situations, tend to escape change by virtue of fear of the unknown, and there are many examples that are circulated in societies what pushes towards trying to stay in a situation that may not be happy or healthy because of this fear.
Many patients are afraid to go to hospitals and even resist attempts to treat them because of fear of the next.
Perhaps the most useful sentence in this context is Roosevelt ’ s statement, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself. ”
If everyone goes beyond fear, they can enter a new world with new challenges and a different future.
Perhaps it is important to mention here that transparency and clarification of facts are the most important elements of removing fear.
As part of planning for change, the more people understand the purpose of the change we want, whether it is small or large, the clearer their acceptance of the next steps will be, and help achieve the goals quickly.
Management scientists are interested in many other elements that fall under the planning of change, the most important of which are the creators in the organization who have within them the ability to accept the new, and this subject deserves a detailed talk does not allow space ways here.
Publish it.

Social dynamics in the workplace, including feelings of dehumanization and undervaluation in tech-driven environments, can lead to resistance, as employees may feel overwhelmed by the constant demand for adaptability and productivity.

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Content: ContributorsPublishersAdvertisers

There’s a Mental Health Crisis At Work Because Life Is Changing Too Fast

TIME
 2 days ago

In Oct. 2022, United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released guidelines for promoting employee mental health at work. Murthy’s team developed the framework in response to alarming decreases in employee wellbeing. For instance, 76% of workers in 2021 reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, a 17% increase over the previous two years alone. Excessive stress costs us nearly $200 billion in medical payments each year, and more than 100 thousand unnecessary deaths. At work today, we are too unwell, too anxious, and too overwhelmed.

We hear, in parallel, about the changing nature of work—the rise of automation and the constancy of change. Volatility, uncertainty, and ambiguity, snowballing faster and larger every day, threaten our wellbeing and productivity. There is no precedent for either the pace or the type of change we face at work today—what we call the twin trials. Yet, few, if any, approaches acknowledge and design around this new reality as a major contributor to diminished wellbeing.

Read More: In Some Workplaces, It’s Now OK Not to Be OK

Successfully navigating this pace and this type of uncertainty (not simply surviving, but also taking full advantage of it to thrive) requires a unique set of emotional, social, and cognitive skills. Understanding these two dimensions of challenge can prepare us to respond.

The whitewater world of work

About seven years ago, our colleague, futurist and former Chief Scientist at Xerox John Seely Brown, began describing this phenomenon as the “ whitewater ” world of work. “For my parents,” he says, “the typical career trajectory was like a steamship’s—fire up the engines and full speed ahead…But today’s graduates need be more like whitewater kayakers, quickly analyzing and responding to an ever-changing flow, knowing and trusting themselves so they won’t panic.”

If we are to regain our bearings, we must understand what we are up against. First and foremost: Just how fast are these rapids? How quickly do we need to be prepared to paddle?

By most estimates, the year 2020 still represents the first chapter of our new world of work. Job displacement today, at the beginning of this transformation, is moving two to four times as fast as it was at the height of industrialization in 1900. And that pace is only accelerating. As of 2018, an estimated 71% of total labor tasks were performed by humans, and 29% by machines. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025 , this will shift to 50% of labor performed by humans and 50% by machines.

How about the individual experience of that change? Said differently: “Just how fast is the change that I will personally experience?”

Industrialization brought change generation by generation. The whitewater world of work brings change so rapidly we will feel it within each generation, several times over. Hard skills already expire every few years. The World Economic Forum, which tracks the evolution of market demand for specific skills, estimates we will have to wholly reinvent ourselves every 10 years. We will learn new job skills, only to see them fall into disuse, or transfer to machines. We will be reinventing ourselves over and over again. And our children and our children’s children can expect to do the same.

If we acknowledge this reality and take it to heart, the project of building wellbeing at work is not about getting through any one era or any one change. It’s about being ready for all of the changes to come.

The nature of change is different than we’ve known, too

Not only is the pace of change dramatically faster today, the change itself is of a different type than we have known in the past. This complex type of change first came to be of interest in military and policy circles in the late 20th century. The acronym VUCA, for example, so often used today to describe our business environment, was originally coined by military leaders to describe the unpredictability of the changes triggered by the end of the Cold War. Soldiers had to be prepared for:

  • Volatility: Unexpected, unstable challenges of unknown duration
  • Uncertainty: Unpredictable events with potential for surprise
  • Complexity: An overwhelming number of interconnected variables influencing events
  • Ambiguity: Opacity of cause and effect driving events

Many leadership training outlets offer VUCA-based tools to help leaders succeed in our world of work.

About a decade ahead of VUCA, planners generated the related concept of “wicked problems.” By contrast to the simpler problems of mathematics or games like chess, wicked problems are difficult to solve because of incomplete or contradictory information or changing requirements. Wicked problems by definition have multiple causes and lack a single “right” answer. Terrorism, poverty, and global warming are all examples of wicked problems.

The technology furnishing our daily dose of VUCA and wicked problems extends to all industries and forums. It sits in our homes and in our offices, enabling information sharing and faster work. Today, there are about 5 billion people online. That’s 5 billion points of origin, 5 billion points of mutation. Each of us sits amidst these billions of ripples every day, deciding which to attend to, which to ignore, and which might signal a life-altering shift we must get ahead of.

In the face of this sort of volatile, impracticable change, we feel fear. Nauseated at best, terrified at worst. Humbled by the complexity we have created but can no longer control.

The psychological toll of whitewater

Whitewater is not for the faint of heart.

We are, all of us, losing and regaining equilibrium with new tools, new markets, new intelligence quarterly. We know, today, much more about the negative consequences of these conditions for our health than we knew in labor transformations past.

Employment instability, for example, and lack of job control—common by-products of VUCA— produce psychological disorders, poor health outcomes, and hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year . Actual unemployment has worse consequences still. When we lose work, our physical and emotional health tank : Blood pressure , arthritis, and heart attacks increase significantly, as does depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide.

Another major risk is that automation has profound implications for human loneliness. More of us will spend our days with “co-bots” rather than people. Remote work causes social isolation , and rates of loneliness in the U.S. have doubled since the 1980s. Loneliness is associated with higher rates of depression . It’s more harmful than obesity to our health, and about as bad for us, in terms of mortality risk, as smoking a pack of cigarettes per day.

Right up until the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies remained unconvinced that the new world of work was threatening our health. The pandemic shattered this illusion. The dramatic increases in mental health needs among employees as a result of COVID-19 created a crisis for those in charge of organizational health. Employees found themselves referred to unprepared, overwhelmed service centers. Some companies tried to offer support to those they had laid off; most companies were too preoccupied trying to figure out how to help the workers still on payroll.

Our employers, just like all of us, are at a loss. We did not evolve to work in the VUCA of whitewater, and yet here we are. We know that if we do not take action, many will suffer. We can continue to do exactly what we did with our mental health response to COVID-19—wait until the damage is done, and respond with palliation.

Alternatively, we can make use of our unique advantage, namely: Modern scientific knowledge of how to flourish in uncertainty. What positive behavioral scientists have learned in the last 30 years about the psychological drivers of wellbeing and how to build them offers us hope today of weathering the coming storm. Without this science, we would remain vulnerable to psychological suffering. With this science, we have the opportunity to not only avoid harm, but also to grow stronger.

Adapted Excerpt from Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection—Now and in an Uncertain Future by Gabriella Rosen Kellerman and Martin E.P. Seligman, published by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Copyright © 2023 by Gabriella Rosen Kellerman and Martin E.P. Seligman. All rights reserved.

Generational differences significantly influence attitudes toward technology, with older generations often preferring traditional methods and hierarchical management styles, making them slower to adapt compared to younger generations who are more accustomed to rapid change.

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Content: These Strategies Will Help You Manage And Lead Multigenerational Teams To Success

One of the most pressing challenges facing managers today is effectively leading multi-generational teams.

Written By Chelsea C. Williams, Founder & CEO, Reimagine Talent Co.

One of the most pressing challenges facing managers today is effectively leading multigenerational teams. With five generational cohorts in today’s workplace–traditionalists, baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Zers–each brings unique experiences, values, and approaches to work.

Fostering harmony and collaboration among these diverse cohorts is essential for business and team success.

As a founder and CEO, my team and I work with leaders and managers who struggle with multigenerational team dynamics. As retirement patterns shift, individuals are working longer than ever before. Baby boomers and traditionalists are still working because of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial need; this is especially true for communities of color. Meanwhile, Gen Z is hungry for opportunities to advance quickly and move into leadership roles. All generations can become easily frustrated by a lack of understanding of their younger or older co-workers.

All organizations can benefit from learning to lead across generations to build, engage, and retain a multigenerational workforce.

Understanding Each Generation

First, let’s take a moment to clarify what generational analysis means and how it is used to help shape insights into the different cohorts in today’s workforce and workplace.

Now let’s look at the Pew Research Center’s findings about each generation and a few characteristics that affect their work styles and expectations from managers:

Generation Z, born 1997-2012:

  • Accustomed to change and expects it in the workplace.
  • Values in-person interactions.
  • Seeks feedback on a frequent, ongoing basis.

Millennials, born 1981-1996:

  • Wants to be coached and mentored.
  • Prefers collaborative and technology-centric training.
  • Must be in alignment with company values.

Generation X, born 1965-1980:

  • Views change as a vehicle for opportunity.
  • Embraces a hands-off management policy.
  • Is entrepreneurial and results-oriented.

Baby Boomers, born 1945-1964:

  • More reserved in communication style.
  • Values traditional instructor-led courses or self-learning tools.
  • Appreciates managers being ethical, fair, and consistent.

Traditionalists, born before 1945:

  • Believes in hierarchical management styles.
  • Has a strong work ethic and loyalty to an employer.
  • Slow to adapt to new technology.

Values Vary Across Generations

First, let’s recognize that employees’ values vary across generations. What constitutes success, fulfillment, and recognition in the workplace differs significantly from generation to generation. Therefore, adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to management is not effective. Instead, managers must tailor their strategies to accommodate each generation’s diverse needs and expectations.

At Reimagine Talent, we are seeing our clients diversify their benefit options, like retirement, 401(K) savings, and student loan repayment, to appeal to younger and more seasoned employees.

We have heard from many students and early career professionals who decide where to work based on an organization’s social image, commitment to “do good,” and team diversity. Many Gen Zers from underrepresented communities have said they do not want to be a company’s “one and only” minority representative.

Furthermore, external realities, such as social, political, and environmental factors, impact each generation differently. While older generations may have experienced similar challenges in wars and economics today, younger generations, like Gen Z, confront these issues with fresh and inexperienced perspectives. Understanding how these external factors shape each generation’s worldview is crucial for effective leadership.

Different Communication Preferences

For managers from older generations, integrating Gen Z and Gen Alpha members (those born entirely in the 21st century) into their teams requires an understanding of the evolving nature of work. Significant differences exist in how these younger generations access and consume information compared to their predecessors. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are central to shaping their perceptions and behaviors. According to SocialPilot, it’s estimated that 96% of Gen Z and 87% of millennials in the U.S. have a YouTube account.

Managers must adopt a dual role of overseeing and guiding younger team members, providing mentorship and coaching while sharing best practices to support their professional development. By embracing the shifting trends and preferences of younger generations, managers can create an environment conducive to collaboration and growth.

What resonates with one generation may not satisfy another. Use various methods, from in-person and written interactions with older generations to chat platforms and short video announcements with younger workers.

Consider expanding the communication mediums on your team and, most importantly, ask each team member what communication works best for them. In cases where your team may be hybrid or fully remote, this focus on clarifying communications becomes vital in building a strong team culture.

Challenges Facing Older Vs. Younger Generations

Another important factor to consider with a multigenerational team is the personal challenges that may affect their work, finances, and mental health. Be cognizant of life stages and challenges and offer resources and guidance to help your team through them.

Personal finances, economic climate/job opportunities, mental health, and climate change worries impact younger generations. There’s a growing mental health crisis for everyone, but especially younger generations. The Thriving Center of Psychology reported that 1 in 4 Gen Zers and millennials said their mental health declined in 2023, and more than half reported they are going or have gone to therapy. Managers should be mindful of mental health needs and willing to provide reasonable accommodations for some team members.

On the other end of the spectrum, older generations are impacted by concerns about reaching or achieving retirement, receiving fair compensation as they age, having work flexibility to slow down or reduce hours, and stress about using advanced and new technologies. In a recent retirement survey by Schroeders, 61% of non-retired Gen Xers were not confident in their ability to achieve a dream retirement, and 84% of Gen X respondents were concerned or terrified about not receiving regular paychecks. Many older workers plan to work for as long as they can simply because they must. Managers can help alleviate some of this stress by providing financial resources and having open, honest conversations about job security.

Build a Culture of Inclusion

One generational shift that has caused tension in the workplace is the heightened conversations and actions toward diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Fostering a diversity, equity, and inclusion culture is critical for all generations to feel supported and valued at work. When done well, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives serve as the bridge in bringing people of differences together toward a common goal. As one example, Employer Resource Groups (ERGs) are a great way for organizations to help create welcoming environments and advance business priorities. For one of our clients at Reimagine Talent, ERGs help bring generations together through powerful educational programming offered to all employees. During Disabilities Awareness Month, three ERGs worked together to shed light on accessibility at work and provided practical resources to help employees advocate for people with disabilities.

Advice for Millennial Managers

As a millennial founder & CEO, I am in the middle of the generational spectrum. I have been challenged with navigating the dynamics between younger and older team members. I’ve learned how important it is to be mindful of differing experiences and approaches to work. Through this journey, I have learned much and seen my leadership skills evolve by simply asking questions, being flexible, and maintaining transparency.

While drawing on established best practices like respect, promptness, and thoughtfulness, millennial managers should remain open-minded to evolving trends with Gen Z team members, such as using A.I. technologies and the gig economy. Flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace change are essential for millennial managers leading multigenerational teams.

Each generation brings value to your organization. The significance of multigenerational diversity extends beyond your internal teams. As employees and consumers, all generations play dual roles in shaping business success. A multigenerational workforce provides a competitive advantage, offering a deeper understanding of diverse consumer segments. By harnessing insights from different generations, you can create strategies that resonate with today’s growing customer segments.

Navigating multigenerational teams requires self-awareness and the desire to build the bridge within your team! Managers can cultivate team harmony by recognizing and leveraging each generation’s unique strengths and preferences to drive productivity, innovation, and organizational success in 2024 and beyond.

RELATED CONTENT5 Tips For Managing Workplace Conflict

Chelsea C. Williams, an entrepreneur, workplace educator, and mentor, is the founder & CEO of Reimagine Talent Co., a national talent development firm based in Raleigh, NC. Her national team empowers employers, educational institutions, and nonprofits with high-impact HR & career development solutions that support employee engagement, development, and retention.

Chelsea is a trusted contributor to CNBC, Fast Company, Investment News, Insider, and Forbes, focusing on leading multigenerational teams and developing Generation Z. She’s a 2021 Forbes Next 1000 Award recipient, 2022 Tory Burch Entrepreneurial Fellow, and 2023 Entrepreneurial Impact Awardee by J.P. Morgan Chase Commercial Bank and Women Presidents Organization (WPO). She is passionate about redefining workplaces through innovation and inclusivity.

Chelsea is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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For instance, 40% of Gen Z employees use AI in their working lives compared to only 28% of Baby Boomers, highlighting a generational gap in technological adoption driven by differences in familiarity and adaptability.

Title:

Content: From education to employment

How Recruiting Younger Talent May Make the Most of Better Technology

With a recent study showing that kids are more tech savvy at 12 than their parents, it therefore makes sense that a younger workforce will be more accustomed to the implementation of the best technology available.

When we look at developments such as AI, 40% of Gen Z use AI in their working lives compared to only 28% of Baby Boomers, and this is just one example.

Here we discuss how to benefit from having younger staff due to their inherent knowledge of technology and how this can benefit the business they work for.

Consider it at the Recruitment Stage

When recruiting younger talent, you should be prepared to bring in staff who may will have less experience than other candidates, but that could prove to be more beneficial to business performance in the longer term.

Someone who is more willing to learn and adapt will be very promising for the future, especially when it comes to making the most of available technology.

At the time of recruitment, this is something for an employer to bear in mind. Applicants may have years of experience in areas of the welding industry and may be suitable for the job in its current form.

Younger applicants may not have a similar level of experience, but could be more able to adapt to the changing technologies in the industries.

This will help the future of the business, build a workforce willing to develop and learn, and help with overall company development and performance in the years ahead as they grow within the organisation.

They can influence older employees

Having more younger talent as part of your workforce can influence the other employees in the organisation. Education is one way that businesses can make the most of technology, and this is the case across many business sectors.

Whether you operate in customer services, offer technical services such as hardfacing applications, or even work in the financial sector, utilising the available technology is one of the keys to business success.

The implementation and understanding of something called “reverse mentorship” is a way that younger members of staff can help the business make the most of technology, and also to assist with bridging the skills gap.

By using this approach, recruiting of younger talent can help the existing workforce get to grips with technological advances.

New processes in welding applications could be technologically-related in terms of preventive maintenance and monitoring, and junior staff teaching specific skills or sharing information upwards will be a way the whole organisation could benefit.

Emphasise the Important of Digital Skills

A business needs to recognise the importance of digitalisation in the current environment if it is to stand the best chance of making technology work for them. In 2021, it was estimated that nearly 12 million workers lack essential digital skills.

That is a problem in terms of businesses not having the talent they need, but also indicates that as technology advances, workforces are not developing and adapting to change quickly enough.

Former education minister Michelle Donelan said “employers both large and small are crying out for more people to be trained in digital skills”, and pointed to the idea of apprenticeships to help narrow this skills gap.

By utilising apprenticeships, businesses in any industry can develop employees to suit their current and future needs – and this can apply to those looking to upskill, not just young people, further narrowing the skills gap.

The Skills Gap Could be Getting Smaller

Though a younger generation may generally be more receptive to technological change, we are seeing evidence of increasing technological skills in the older workforce and generation.

Longer life expectancy means that multigenerational workforces are very much here to stay, with people extending their careers longer than before.

Businesses are moving beyond the stereotypes of older people and technology, and building inclusive, training focussed workplaces to help develop skills – benefitting the employee and the organisation.

The multigenerational workforce can help the organisation build the best workforce possible.

We spoke about reverse mentoring, but of course the older generation will have skills to pass onto younger workers too. By combining the two, businesses can get the most out of technology, and gain vital learnings from those who have spent many years in and around the industry.

Ultimately, a business can benefit from encompassing all aspects of the workforce, and utilising the younger generation where it is applicable to help them advance.

Investing in tech training improves employability of every employee throughout their career. In turn, this boosts business performance, efficiency, and gives the increasing ability to adapt to technological change.

Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Employability, Skills and apprenticeships, Work and leadership

Related Articles

Reverse mentorship programs, where younger employees guide older colleagues in understanding new technologies, have proven effective in bridging generational gaps and fostering collaboration.

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Content: Network security talent thirst city youth to increase knowledge will be a unique side
12: 00 2023 / 05 / 28
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Check Point ’ s General Manager for Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Chow Siu-yun, said that young people are now very capable of mastering new things and new technologies. If they are led by experienced colleagues, the two will have a positive chemical reaction and can solve problems with a wider perspective.
Information technology (IT) talent is becoming more and more important to enterprises, and cyber security talent is becoming more and more popular.
Zhou Xiuyun, who has been in the industry for 25 years, loves IT, especially network security. From IT sales to the current regional general manager of network security companies, he has witnessed the changes in the online world and hackers all the way.
Her message to young people is that while strengthening their basic knowledge, she will be able to use her talents to become familiar with new technologies, and she will be able to stand alone in the cybersecurity sector in the future.
According to the 2022 Salary Guide for Hong Kong, it is estimated that in the next five years, the IT talent gap in Hong Kong will reach 100,000 people, of which at least 30,000 are software engineers, and the rest are network security engineers and cloud engineers.
Zhou Xiuyun is now the general manager of the network security company Check Point Hong Kong and Macau. She admitted that she was not studying IT at that time, but liked IT to be challenging. After graduating, she has been moving towards the IT field, and it has been 25 years of the scene.
Network security company executives witness 25 years of change
Zhou Xiuyun said that he is curious and particularly likes innovative technology.
"More than 20 years ago IT was very hot, although their undergraduate is not computer science, but after graduation, they have to fight for entry into the IT sector, even if they are just IT company sales staff, they want to seize the opportunity to enter the industry." In 2007, she joined Check Point as a project manager, and five years later she was promoted to team leader. In 2018, she officially became the general manager of the company in Hong Kong and Macau.
Is Hong Kong a part of it?
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In the past few years, the wave of digital transformation has swept the world, and Zhou Xiuyun said that when it is as small as a Yuntun noodle shop that uses cloud technology, the network security involved is very important.
She admitted that at that time, she wanted to move forward in the career path of data storage, but she preferred the variable and challenging nature of network security, so she chose the field of network security.
Cybersecurity has brought greater challenges to global businesses as well as countries and governments over the past few years, and Zhou has experienced the changes firsthand.
"The hackers of more than 20 years ago were just sabotage, but with the development of the network, enterprises and personal data transactions are more frequent, organic and profitable, so they use different methods to steal data."
She expects that this year ’ s AI boom will mark the beginning of another chapter in the digital era, “ChatGPT will be the beginning of another new world. ”
Zhou Xiuyun expects that this year ’ s AI boom will mark the beginning of another chapter in the digital era. “ChatGPT will be the beginning of another new world ” (photo by Li Yanwei)
To join the ranks of IT, especially to become a network security professional, Zhou Xiuyun admitted that it is not easy.
“Taking the current company as an example, IT colleagues generally have 8 to 10 years of experience, and without corresponding experience, the company may not be hired. ” She added that due to the rapid development of technology and the faster updating of network security solutions, a series of new solutions are launched every quarter. To become a professional, you must strengthen self-learning skills,“ and have deep IT knowledge and business knowledge. ”
Need deep industry knowledge Business sense
She explained that most of the company ’ s teams work with an IT consultant and a sales person as a group. In the process of communication within the team, the sales staff should be familiar with the technology, and the IT consultant should also cultivate business sense, both must have deep industry knowledge, such as government, retail and other fields of knowledge.
In recent years, the face of talent shortage and serious situation, recruitment of young talents has become a top priority for enterprises.
Zhou Xiuyun pointed out that the company launched the Young Talent Program as early as 2017, hoping to attract young talents with sufficient industry experience.
She revealed that the plan then recruited two young professionals, they first after more than 3 months of training in Israel headquarters, and the next 1 year and 9 months of on-the-job training, and then after a few years of work at Check Point, the two have been promoted to the company's Greater China region and assume important responsibilities.
“Although they only had three years of experience when they joined, they are now able to stand alone in the cybersecurity sector. ”
Hackers from more than 20 years ago were nothing more than sabotage, but as the network grows, businesses and personal data transactions become more frequent, profitable and profitable, so different methods are used to steal data. (AFP picture)
Young people need to be encouraged to progress.
Cross-generation employee management has always been a headache for corporate management. Zhou Xiuyun said that managing cross-generation employees must be tailored to their own needs, and at the same time, promote communication and mutual learning between the two sides.
She observed that experienced employees are slow to adapt and understand new technologies and new things. On the contrary, young people are very quick to recognize and adapt to new things, such as being led by experienced colleagues, and the two can see things from a broader perspective. "Taking AI technology as an example, as young people are already using it, if the new cybersecurity solution involves AI, the younger generation is easier to master and can quickly come up with marketing solutions. 」 It is also emphasized that young people should strengthen their knowledge of basic network security protection.
Zhou Xiuyun revealed that he had previously served as a business consultant mentor in the JA Youth Entrepreneurship Experience Program, providing business consultation for a junior high school student entrepreneurship team.
She said that in the entrepreneurship competition, secondary school students to set up a company within a month and a half, and use various technology tools to complete an application, do marketing and even finally complete the liquidation, in the end, she led the team won the second place.
She found that young people are very capable and have a lot of innovative ideas. If they are recognized and appreciated, they will progress faster.
"So I put this discovery into practice within the company, recognizing and encouraging the younger generation, and their efficiency has really improved." 」
Reporter: Li Yen-wei
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One of the most common arguments against automation and artificial intelligence is the fear of job displacement, as these technologies often replace human labor, leading to economic insecurity for affected workers.

Title:

Content: A guy they refer to as “The Godfather of Artificial Intelligence” recently quit his job at Google so he could speak freely about the dangers of the technology, which he helped create.

The first of his concerns is that we can no longer discern whether the photos, videos and articles we come across as we scroll through social media or surf the net, are real or not.

Not that we have never faced the dangers of deception before, in the form of propaganda, charlatanism, conmen, forgeries, and fake news, but the problem now is that anyone can, in a matter of seconds, by simply sending a few instructions to a computer program, produce, publish and distribute “works” and information that shape the beliefs and influence the decisions and actions of large segments of society.

AI can create illustrations, drawings and paintings, author stories, articles and reports, compose songs and symphonies, write computer code, prepare legal briefs, generate blog posts, and so much more, which leads to the Godfather’s second concern, namely job loss.

Again, it’s nothing new.

Millions of factoryworkers have lost their jobs to robots as large corporations turned to automation to cut costs and improve quality standards. It was unfortunate for those workers, but we justified it (in the same way we defended sending jobs to countries where the workers cost pennies rather than dollars an hour) by pointing to the economic gains.

The sages and social scientists among us warned of the human costs and the impact on mental health, but as is always the case with capitalism, money wins out. This time, the damage stands to be far more extensive.

The jobs currently at highest risk for replacement by AI are: tech jobs, including coders, programmers, software engineers and data analysts (in other words, young people); media jobs in advertising, journalism, content creation and technical writing; paralegals and legal assistants; marketing pros and finance jobs, including analysts, advisers and traders, graphic designers, accountants, customer service agents, and schoolteachers.

(I can only imagine that artists, poets, and musicians aren’t listed because, for the most part, there is so little money in those professions.)

Some of us cling to a belief that “no computer can do what I can do,” or that there is no substitute or replacement for the human touch, the artist’s soul, and the power of emotion. But that belief is about to be put to the test.

In other fields, we would insist on certain testing and basic safety standards before releasing products into the marketplace, but with AI, we seem willing to figure it out as we go, without knowing what the consequences could be.

And that brings us to the Godfather’s third and greatest concern, namely, that AI can create autonomous lethal weapons. This is the classic theme, the science-fiction fear, that the machines will take over and destroy us.

While some might imagine a power-hungry mad scientist holed up in his secret fortress, developing a super-duper weapon of destruction, the threat is more akin to the inadequately phrased “wish” asked of the Genie, which then comes to you in a way you didn’t intend and never wanted.

AI is designed to come up with “ideas,” and produce new content from all the data it has been exposed to. Unfortunately, the errors, inaccuracies, biases, and half-truths also get passed along in the process.

For instance, in one study where the program was asked to draw pictures of men and women, the women were depicted without clothing, far more frequently than men, because that’s what it saw on the internet.

As AI-generated content continues to fill the internet, one result is the further homogenization of sight, sound, thought and experience.

The Godfather of AI said he believed Google acted as a good steward of the technology … until the competition for market share heated up, and then ethical considerations gave way to financial ones.

Some say it’s already too late, the Genie is out of the bottle, but we have managed to curtail the use of other potentially harmful technologies. It is time, now, as individuals and through the international community, to have the discussions and decide on the role that AI is to play in our lives.

Ron Colone can be reached at ron.colone@gmail.com

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Ethical concerns, such as the potential for AI to exacerbate biases, spread misinformation, and concentrate power, further fuel resistance by raising questions about the societal implications of unchecked technological progress.

Title:

Content: Eight threats of artificial intelligence
Roman Romanov
31 May 2023, 18: 52
According to the non-profit organization Center for AI Safety (CAIS), artificial intelligence can lead to the disappearance of humanity.
This is not the first warning of this kind.
In a relatively short time, several reputable scientists and entrepreneurs have claimed the destructive potential of artificial intelligence.
In addition to social significance, the issue of AI risk management also has geopolitical content.
piqsels.com
What to be afraid of?
The American “AI Security Center ” published an official statement.
It details a number of negative effects of the use of AI, which could eventually lead to the disappearance of humanity.
“A more advanced AI could pose catastrophic and existential risks, ” reads the text published on the organization ’ s website.
Eight threats have been identified.
The first is related to the military application of artificial intelligence technologies: “Unlike other types of weapons, AI systems capable of causing harm can be easily distributed digitally. ”
The second is disinformation: “… all this can undermine the collective decision-making system, radicalize individuals … ”.
The third risk is the distortion of the work of recommendation algorithms.
These systems, for example, offer us additional products on online marketplaces.
The fear is that more advanced models will focus on simplifying the process of predicting the desires of the buyer, which can cause people to develop bad habits and so on.
The fourth threat is associated with a sharp increase in the dependence of people on advanced systems, up to the delegation of the most ordinary tasks to them.
The fifth is an even greater concentration of wealth and influence in the hands of a limited number of people who can use it to monopolize power in society.
The sixth threat is the emergence of goals and abilities.
In other words, models can set new goals and develop skills that are not foreseen during their training.
The seventh is related to the deception by AI.
The statement cites an example where Volkswagen programmed engines to show low emissions only during inspections.
In the same way, according to experts, artificial intelligence can do.
The eighth and, perhaps, the biggest threat is the desire for power.
According to CAIS, the risks of artificial intelligence becoming more independent cannot be ruled out: “By inventing more advanced machines, we are playing with fire. ”
CAIS experts conclude: “Reducing the risk of extinction due to AI should be a global priority along with risks such as pandemics and nuclear war. ”
We warned
The company ’ s arguments resonated in many areas.
Signatures under the statement put not only scientists and programmers, but also journalists and businessmen.
The most significant are the autographs of the “godfather ” of AI Jeffrey Hinton and OpenAI ’ s CEO Sam Altman.
Earlier, they had already talked about the dangers of AI.
“I ’ m pretty concerned about the possible existential risks that might arise when these things get smarter than us … I ’ ve come to the conclusion that [artificial] intelligence is different from ours.
It is as if one person learned something, and with him 10 thousand people learned the same thing.
That ’ s how these chatbots know more than anyone. ”
Moderate AI pessimists were also recorded by representatives of BigTech, Elon Musk, as well as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
In their March open letter, they demanded that the development of better language models be suspended.
Should we automate all jobs?
Should we develop non-human brains that could later become smarter … and replace us? ”
According to experts, a pause in the development of AI will provide an opportunity to understand the ethical and social risks that the technology presents.
In turn, this should contribute to the development of safer systems.
However, some companies oppose such steps, as it can harm their immediate interests.
According to Forbes, the majority of surveyed owners are confident in the positive impact of AI on their business.
This applies to improving the quality of service (64%), increasing sales (60%), as well as improving the process of corporate decision-making (44%).
Especially can be outraged by companies that have reached new heights due to the association with AI.
For example, Nvidia broke through the $1 trillion market cap thanks to the AI boom.
The counter-argument of the proponents of a pause in the development of advanced AI is that it will cause only short-term losses.
In their opinion, in the long term, a break and additional research can make the use of technology safer and, thereby, more effectively reduce business costs.
However, these arguments do not convince everyone.
Opponents of the suspension of the development of AI argue that the “bad actors ”, despite all the agreements, will still continue to adapt the technology to their needs.
GeopolIItica
Hence the calls to create a system of its legal regulation of AI.
In the United States, for example, the first rudiments of such legislation appeared under Trump (2020), and in November 2022, the Biden administration published the plan of the Bill of Rights in the field of artificial intelligence.
Even more so, so far these are only sketches that have no force under them.
The situation is quite different in China.
By May 2023
Beijing has already been working on a second set of laws regulating AI.
For 6 years, since 2017, the PRC has been studying the legal aspects of the introduction of technology in most areas of life.
One of the goals of this activity is to increase public confidence in AI.
In addition, the presence of rules, according to Chinese experts, will allow entrepreneurs with greater confidence to use AI solutions in the activities of their companies.
A more global and longer-term goal could be to spread Chinese practices to other countries, giving Beijing an edge in technological competition with the United States.
On this account, there are many different considerations: some researchers are confident in the success of the Celestial Empire, another clarifies that the presence of a set of rules does not cancel the lag of China from the United States in some areas of AI (for example, large language models) - but all this only confirms the formation of artificial intelligence technologies as a subject of geopolitical struggle.
RESULTS
The potential risks of AI have been discussed for a long time.
For many years, they were treated superficially, as the beginning of the introduction of technology in everyday life seemed distant.
Nevertheless, the emergence of large language models, the gradual integration of AI solutions in the field of medicine, finance and even art forced experts to think.
Too fast the introduction of artificial intelligence, in their opinion, minimizes the chances of detecting problems in the work of the same language models.
And it seems that there will be more and more such voices.

Additionally, fears about the loss of human creativity and individuality arise as AI encroaches on domains traditionally reserved for human expression, such as art and writing.

Title:

Content: This article first appeared in TL4 FIRE Starters | Essay Competition issue in February 2024

"Of all the dystopian futures I considered, one where machines make the art and humans do the hard labour is not the one I wanted".

This sentiment and ones like it often circulate on the more cynical sides of platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and Discord. Whilst at first blush they seem a snarky jibe at technology, reminiscent of 1950s (and sadly modern) 'they're taking our jobs'-style racism, such statements in fact provide the opportunity to consider the nuanced split between the human aspect and that conventionally relegated to the machine.

For almost three centuries since the start of the industrial revolution, machines including computers have been seen as tools, to be deployed in the pursuit of simplifying the human's role and easing her burden. Now, for perhaps the first time ever, we are confronted on a mass scale with a completely different type of machine: one that can make art, or write poetry, or even dream (in the words of Refik Anadol, data artist behind Unsupervised, the incredible AI-driven art installation currently taking the Museum of Modern Art by storm).

Naysayers will argue that AI and machine learning will bring about the downfall of independent thought; proponents say that this is the start of a new beginning of seamless interaction between man and machine.

Where is the truth? To give a real lawyer's answer: it depends, but probably somewhere in the middle.

The role of the FIRE lawyer

The FIRE lawyer is somewhat unique in their chosen speciality: fraud, and therefore the asset recovery and insolvency matters arising out of it, is almost limitless in its subject matter. The massive scope for novelty in the world today is the breeding ground for new schemes – one only has to look at the facts underlying any of the hundreds of cryptocurrency scam matters pending before Courts worldwide to see that fraudsters will jump on any opportunity to turn the latest buzzwords into a method by which to separate victims from their assets.

This requires lawyers and other professionals working in the FIRE space to be equally as adaptable. The old adage that 'no two cases are ever alike' is well borne out in this practice area, and each case will have its own unique technical and legal challenges with which practitioners must grapple. In addition, fraud cases often have the added complexity of at least one party doing their endeavour best to obfuscate or alter the true narrative.

Against this backdrop, the thought of a 'silver bullet' tool to solve myriad problems of research, recollection, document processing and many others seems hard to resist.

The tangible benefits of embracing AI as a tool

There is no doubt that the advent of readily accessible AI tools such as Generative Pre-trained Transformer or GPT-based language models has the potential to add real value to a lawyer's practice. A simple prompt of "how can AI benefit a fraud lawyer's practice?" returns reams of material from ChatGPT addressing how AI can improve document review speeds, pick up patterns in financial transactions or text that may otherwise have been missed, detect anomalies in behavioural biometrics and a host of other benefits.

These go far beyond the usual "save time and therefore money" answer in the specialist legal media, which in any event is often met with a mix of scepticism and hostility from an industry still largely beholden to the billable hour.

AI document review is probably the most well-established benefit of embracing AI at present, having been rolled out by commercial discovery providers as an add-on to the virtual data room and document review software with which many lawyers are already familiar. However, more and more sophisticated uses of AI are now coming to market and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future.

Traditional legal research database companies are pledging to plough millions into developing and refining AI research assistants, virtual paralegals and other resources for lawyers across all practices.

Take, by way of example, a document review population of many thousands of documents. Two emails sent by the same individual directly contradict one another, a point of material significance in the ongoing investigation. With a human review team of old, this contradiction might never be picked up: in all likelihood, two different individuals would review the two different emails, each of which seems innocuous in isolation. Even if the same reviewer considered both, one could come across their desk days or weeks after the other: the reviewer likely would have forgotten, in the fog of consecutive 10-hour review days, about the precise wording of the first document. Even if not, and the reviewer felt that familiar tingle somewhere deep in the recesses of their memory that this document didn't quite match up with something else they had seen, the prospects of the reviewer successfully identifying the original document out of the thousands of other documents passing across their screen are slim.

On the other hand, an AI reviewer is never tired, or absent-minded, or distracted. It never forgets, and can in a split second identify the discrepancy, and flag the precise documents for further consideration. This is a simplistic example, but just one way in which AI and machine learning are undoubtedly adding real value to the conduct of matters, and not only cutting down on document review fees.

The equally tangible risks of abandoning independent thinking

Having waxed lyrical about the benefits of embracing AI, it is only fair that the discussion now turns to some of the pitfalls of AI's use in the FIRE practitioner's practice. Ironically, most of the reported AI horror-stories are in fact not failings of the technology at all; rather, they are failings of the people trying to use the technology.

Consider the well-reported case of a hapless lawyer who cited completely fictitious cases in argument before a tribunal, because ChatGPT invented the cases.

At its most basic, ChatGPT (and all generative language models like it) is an exercise in statistics: which word is, in a particular context, statistically most likely to appear after the one before it? ChatGPT does not claim to give you true answers, just answers, and by inventing the authorities that it did, it accomplished its sole goal: it answered the lawyer's question, with no qualms about the veracity or otherwise of that answer. The true failing in that instance lay with the lawyer who did not verify the answers that were given.

In similar vein, AI-based outcome predictors trained using historical judicial data have received media scrutiny over their supposed bias in determining guilt in criminal proceedings. However, the algorithm or neural network underlying the predictions is not the one with the bias: sadly, it outputs results based on whatever it is 'taught', meaning that the incoming information is where the bias actually lies.

These two examples would both be capable of remedy by having a human controller or user of the AI technology concerned, exercise their judgment in relation to the results. This is the true shortcoming of the forms of AI technology currently available for use by the FIRE practitioner, and is likely to be a shortcoming of AI technology generally for quite some time. While AI may far outperform humans on an IQ test, on any metric of judgment or EQ it falls (at this stage) far short.

The indefinable human element in the practise of law

In this measure of judgment and logic and ethics, lies the true distinction between mankind and machine (for the moment, anyway). AI does not have ethics, or a moral code by which it conducts itself. It is a series of increasingly complex logical prompts aimed at securing a specified outcome, whether that be providing an answer, truthful or not, to a stated question in the case of ChatGPT or creating a momentary never-before-seen modern artwork in the case of Unsupervised.

This distinction is where the true value, the art rather than the science of practising law, lies. On a basic level, lawyers are typically remunerated for the hours and minutes they spend on specified tasks, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts: the glue between those tasks, the overall strategy and the judgment calls that go into determining it and adapting it, is where FIRE practitioners' real skills are found. There is truth in an argument that a virtual paralegal may in the near future do a better job of writing a letter or drafting a pleading than an average human lawyer, but that is a reductionist view of a lawyer's job. Especially in the FIRE space, there is unquantifiable value in the human instincts and intuition of a lawyer.

Take for example the unsuspecting accessory to a fraudulent scheme: any number of AI tools will generate reams of questions with which to cross-examine them, pointing out inaccuracies in their testimony in real time and logging corroborating questions for future witnesses. These are indisputably useful endeavours.

But what of the human instinct to tread softly with the older gentleman who, while technically a director of the relevant entity, has just as much had the wool pulled over his eyes as the true victims of the other directors' fraud?

Or the judgment call to extend an olive branch to a wavering witness in without prejudice correspondence, recognising that the value of their ongoing support and information would far exceed anything to be gained by subpoena or summons to be cross-examined? These are factors that are uniquely human, because they are ultimately questions of nuance and ethics.

The art should never be lost

The quotation at the start of this essay is a wry one, but there is truth in it in the realm of the FIRE lawyer. As AI tools grow and develop, care must be taken to ensure that the push to showcase the latest and best does not upend the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence. AI is an incredibly useful tool, now almost guaranteed to revolutionise the way in which lawyers work in all sectors, but it is not, and in my submission can never be, a replacement for the human art of truly excellent legal practice.

AI's lack of an intrinsic moral or ethical code means that, whatever technological wizardry is developed in future, there remains a role – perhaps a niche one, but a role nonetheless – for the skilled and ethical lawyer. After all, law is a social science rather than a hard science, and it is that softening element of art and morality, the indefinable consideration that goes into every decision as a lawyer, that makes it impossible to dispense with the human completely.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Feelings of job insecurity are a significant driver of resistance, as employees may fear that new technologies will render their roles redundant, particularly in sectors like manual data entry or assembly-line work.

Title:

Content: Image: © terovesalainen/Stock.adobe.com

Why workers see downsides to AI

2 hours ago

Many organisations have great intentions to deploy AI for productivity but fail to adequately train workers.

A trio of recent surveys from Ireland, the UK and the US suggest that workers are still trying to wrap their heads around AI. Attitudes range from suspicious to overwhelmingly positive – but it’s fair to say that most respondents were on the fence.

Irish recruitment firm Prosperity Recruitment’s 2024 employment and salary report featured a survey of 400 Irish professionals. More than half (57pc) said they use tools like ChatGPT daily or weekly. Only 15pc claimed they never used it.

Mixed views

Of those that do use AI, a slim majority (51.6pc) believe it aids productivity, while the remainder are unconvinced or think of the tech as a “distraction”.

When asked what they think the main risks of AI in the workplace are, the majority said inaccuracy, plagiarism and deepfakes. Speed and productivity were seen as the biggest benefits that AI can offer workers.

The small sample size weakens the findings somewhat, but Prosperity Recruitment did gather testimonials from workers from different industries on how they believe their work is being impacted by AI. Interestingly, attitudes varied depending on the sector the respondent worked in. An educator said the tech “undermines the importance of institutional education and academic achievement”.

One UX and UI designer said they were much faster at doing data analysis, whereas another pointed out that creativity is being replaced by homogeneity due to AI.

Software developers, customer support specialists and digital marketers tended to be enthusiastic about AI’s productivity and speed advantages. One even proclaimed: “One developer can do the job of three.”

That loaded statement is the reason many other workers are so vehemently anti-AI. They worry they are going to be replaced by automation. Of the 400 people who were surveyed by Prosperity, the majority said they think their jobs will evolve but will not be lost entirely due to AI.

Not just job jitters

This sentiment was not shared by the majority of people surveyed by Pluralsight. The tech company polled 1,200 executives and IT professionals from across the UK and the US as part of its AI Skills Report 2024. The findings revealed AI anxiety, especially over adoption processes and skills gaps. As many as 81pc of respondents felt they could integrate AI into their roles right now, only 12pc actually have any practical experience using the tech.

While 87pc said they planned to increase AI spending over the next 12 months, only 40pc said their organisations have any proper formal training strategies in place to help them benefit.

“Even as organisations accelerate AI adoption, the majority don’t understand what, if any, AI skills their employees possess or have an upskilling strategy to develop them,” said the report’s authors.

Like the respondents to Prosperity’s survey, the majority of those Pluralsight polled said the main benefit of AI is productivity – but this is only pie in the sky if organisations aren’t training workers adequately. It may also be a contributing factor to workers’ anxieties around AI ‘stealing their jobs’ – not a concern to be trifled with. Pluralsight previously did a study on AI anxiety and the types of workers affected; most experiencing worries and doubts over the tech are minorities or working on high-conflict teams.

No blues for blue collar workers

Attitudes to AI tend to be less radical in the blue collar sector. The Knowledge Academy, a UK-based training and coaching company, asked 2,000 UK students whether they thought AI advancements would put jobs at risk. Less than a quarter said they were worried about job security due to automation.

Of that minority, around a fifth fear AI because they believe it will replace manual jobs, such as data entry or assembly-line work. Like Prosperity’s survey, The Knowledge Academy also broke down attitudes towards AI based on sector. It found that 100pc of students seeking work in the mining, energy and water supply, agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors are unconcerned about AI.

Those seeking careers in education, information and communication, public admin and social security felt the most threatened by AI.

Last week, we spoke to two experienced tech workers about the main risks and rewards of working in AI and analytics. Their views on the tech’s positives and negatives were balanced and well worth a read.

Find out how emerging tech trends are transforming tomorrow with our new podcast, Future Human: The Series. Listen now on Spotify, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

By Blathnaid O’Dea

Blathnaid O’Dea joined Silicon Republic in 2021 as Careers reporter, coming from a background in the Humanities. She likes people, pranking, pictures of puffins – and apparently alliteration.

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This resistance is often compounded by a lack of proper training and communication from organizations, leaving employees feeling unprepared to adapt to technological changes.

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6 Strategies To Alleviate Employees’ Fears Of AI In 2024

Following

The rise in AI has caused a mixture of excitement and fear as it becomes a standard part of our lives. Some say it’s a risk to civilization as we know it, while others insist it will transform the way we work, live and interact with one another. The part that is not debatable is that not only is AI not going away, it’s on the upswing. You can get that tattooed. So it’s important to develop a reasonable comfort around its use.

Is AI Coming For You Or To You?

One way to do that is to consider that AI is coming to you, not for you. The stigma and fear around the technology has caused some employees to shy away from a tool that can enhance productivity and certain mental health benefits like cognitive re-framing for anxiety. On the flip side, studies also show that workers who frequently use AI are at higher risk for burnout.

However, the opposite findings are reported in a new global survey from Sage. Out of over 1,000 HR leaders, 95% have experienced a workload increase over the last year, and 91% noted an increase in their responsibilities. Yet, instead of fearing AI usage, 77% of the respondents cite AI as having the potential to revolutionize their work processes by reducing time-consuming tasks and ultimately easing burnout.

Taylor Blake, senior vice president of new initiatives at Degreed, told me by email that there’s a lot of fear about AI, but avoiding the technology won’t make the risks go away. He explains that employees need to know what the AI tools are capable of, and they need to be experimenting. He also said that many companies want their employees to adopt this technology, adding that many workers are left wondering if AI will take their jobs in the next two years and what this means for their careers.

How Companies Can Help Assuage AI Fears

Mismanaged fear is responsible for most poor communication in organizations. It’s important that business leaders consider the psychological safety of their employees and how their mental health impacts the company’s bottom line.

The human mind is like Velcro for negativity and Teflon for positivity. Work-life’s inevitable uncertainties instantly arouse our fight-or-flight reaction. Our survival brain is constantly updating our world, making judgments about what's safe and what isn't. It will do almost anything for the sake of certainty because we’re hardwired to overestimate threats and underestimate your ability to handle them. Here is where business leaders can step in and offer a helping hand, according to the experts.

“Some companies are going all in on AI, wanting their employees to start adopting this technology, leaving employees wondering if AI will take their jobs in two years and what this means for their careers,” Blake says, adding that in this new reality, companies should be helping their employees navigate where they can best apply their skills and develop new ones simultaneously. “Many of us have the mindset that learning is something we do early in our careers, but we need to shift that to a mindset of being lifelong learners. Learning is the new competitive advantage in today’s AI-powered job market.”

According to Rick Hammell, founder and CEO of Helios, leaders play a crucial role in alleviating employees' fears of AI. He shared with me six strategies companies can implement to mitigate fear and misunderstanding

  1. Providing comprehensive education and training programs. By offering employees a deeper understanding of AI technologies, their benefits and limitations, Hammell suggests that leaders can demystify AI and address misconceptions that often fuel fear and uncertainty.
  2. Fostering open communication within the organization. Hammell believes that creating a culture where employees feel comfortable expressing their concerns about AI allows leaders to actively listen to these fears and address them with empathy and clarity.
  3. Emphasizing the concept of human-machine collaboration. Hammell advocates highlighting how AI can complement and enhance employees' skills and productivity rather than replace them. He insists that this will enable leaders to help employees see AI as a tool that can improve their work experiences.
  4. Establishing clear ethical guidelines and policies for the use of AI in the workplace. Hammell sees this as crucial in addressing common fears related to AI. He acknowledges that employees often worry about job loss, privacy concerns, skill obsolescence, bias and discrimination and a lack of control when it comes to AI. To assuage these fears, he advises that leaders reassure employees about job security by emphasizing that AI is meant to augment their work, not replace it entirely.
  5. Implementing robust data protection measures and transparent data handling practices can help address privacy concerns. Hammell recommends offering upskilling and reskilling programs to help employees adapt to the changing skill requirements in the age of AI to alleviate fears related to skill obsolescence.
  6. Promoting diversity and inclusion in AI development and deployment. Hammell argues that it is essential to address concerns about bias and discrimination. “By involving employees in the design and implementation of AI systems and providing opportunities for feedback, leaders can empower employees and help them feel more in control of AI processes,” he concludes.

A Final Wrap-Up

Companies are developing technology to help people feel more confident with the inevitable technology. A study by Genesys, for example, finds a consensus among most employees who say they don’t fear AI replacing their jobs. Only 10% of GenZ/millennials and seven percent of GenX/boomers worry about this in the long run. Instead, 23% of GenZ/millennials and 19% of GenX/boomers see its potential to make their jobs better. The study concluded that organizations should seize this opportunity to educate and train their employees on AI’s benefits.

Bill Salak, the CTO and COO of Brainly, is on a mission to ensure the country’s future workforce is well-educated and ready to wield AI properly. His company has validated its commitment to the future workforce with the launch of Test Prep, an AI-driven tool that builds good time management skills and bolsters their overall understanding of AI use. The new Brainly feature uses AI to generate personalized study experiences—boosting confidence and reducing anxiety.

The conflicting findings that are emerging around AI reflects our human inability to accept uncertainty. It shows that some workers have fear; others have appreciation, which raises the question, “Is AI a sword or a shield?” Too much or too little of anything can be harmful. In the final analysis, it’s how corporate America uses the technology to improve humanity that ultimately matters.

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Moreover, workplace technologies perceived as intrusive, such as surveillance tools, can alienate employees by undermining their sense of privacy and autonomy.

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Fighting The ‘Big Brother’ Fallacy In Workplace Tech

Michael Moran, author and award-winning documentarian, is Chief Marketing, Risk & Sustainability Officer at Microshare, Inc.

With the world taking another crack at a “return to work” this autumn, a spate of stories have appeared warning of a byproduct of the global pandemic: A reset of societal norms when it comes to privacy expectations in the workplace. In recent weeks, everyone from The Wall Street Journal to The New York Times to The New York Review of Books has weighed in. There’s even been some action in the U.S. Senate, where Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is asking the Labor Department to take a fresh look at what has become known as “surveillance tech.”

The best of these pieces carefully parses the advantages and disadvantages of technological innovations born of the pandemic emergency. But the general tone has been disappointingly alarmist and without context: The transformed worker-employer relationship is also a byproduct of the pandemic, and one I would argue will make most workplaces more rather than less humane.

There are indeed instances of companies that have used the pandemic as an excuse to push into clearly unethical (if not illegal) frontiers of surveillance. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an NGO that monitors data privacy matters, breaks these so-called “bossware” products into two broad categories: those that employees know about and can possibly control, and those that secretly snoop on employees, in the office or remotely, with no consent. Some of this stuff is dastardly; others dangerous and evil. The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow documented the story of NSO, an Israeli software firm that produced a deep-link surveillance software called Pegasus sold to governments to track dissidents.

It’s one thing to insist that people turn on their cameras for Teams or Zoom meetings, or insist they clock in when they arrive at work. It’s quite another to deploy software that secretly photographs or videotapes a remote employee, or which reads keyboard strokes and assumes that a lack of such activity equals goofing off.

But many of the technological innovations borne out of the pandemic are in no way akin to “Big Brother.” Across the world, the need to monitor the health of indoor spaces and the wellness of those within them has spawned a new push to outfit buildings with Internet of Things sensors measuring everything from CO2 and particulate matter in the air to the density and usage of conference rooms, labs and washrooms. Marketing such products should emphasize that these technologies do not collect the personally identifiable information so dear to the ad-fueled business model of Facebook and Amazon.

This new workplace tech mostly responds to well-established risks that have been underscored by the pandemic. Lead with the importance of privacy and transparency front and center in any such marketing, and be sure to stress the firm’s record of compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and its American variants. Admit when identity is necessary for the product to function. For example, desk booking software is useless if you can’t prove you booked the desk. Don’t shy away from this conversation. Meet it head-on and, ideally, with a forthright admission that any trade-offs will be done transparently and with full consent.

The key for both marketing and human resources professionals is to embrace transparency when deploying these products and preparing the company to patiently explain the rationale for things like desk booking systems or push-button feedback stations without dismissing employee concerns as just so much griping.

The situation becomes more complex when the goal of new technology is risk mitigation and safety rather than convenience or efficiency. Sometimes, the ability to know the identity of a person is necessary. But even here, consent should be obtained and the process made transparent.

For example, one of my company’s clients deployed a wearable contact tracing system to protect factory staff around the world from major Covid-19 outbreaks as the pandemic took hold. Our client deployed Bluetooth-enabled wristbands active only on the worksite and which had no ability to store PII. The data remained anonymous until someone reported a symptom, at which point our client’s HR department did a reverse database query and informed anyone who recently had been within six feet of the person in question to test for Covid-19. The company addressed employees’ privacy concerns and was transparent about its reasons for deploying the technology.

The ability to be transparent about how technologies like these work is precisely why tarring all the new workplace technology with Orwell’s brush is counter-productive. “Snooping” or “invasions of privacy” by definition involves subterfuge and secrecy. Context is important. The right to privacy in a workplace is a moving target, and it’s worth noting that, ever since email became a standard business tool, U.S. courts have held that employers can read messages composed on company equipment or transiting company domains. This strikes me as far more invasive than a sensor that warns that CO2 levels are spiking, or allows employees to know which conference rooms are available for booking.

Sunshine, they say, is the best disinfectant. Shined in the right places, it can also allay fears in the post-pandemic workplace.

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Resistance to technological change is particularly prevalent in industries like heavy industry and manufacturing, where established systems and processes have remained unchanged for decades, and innovations are often seen as disruptive.

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4 out of 5 transactions in Kazakhstan are carried out by non-cash method
Polina Kisel, LeverX: why automate personnel management?
Interview with SAP SuccessFactors Business Process Consultant about the system approach and business benefits from automation.
25 November 2022 08: 00, Profit.kz
Category: Soft
How to create a successful HR management strategy?
How to be sure that in a couple of years the chosen strategy will not become obsolete?
And what can we do to make employees accept this new reality?
This was discussed with LeverX consultant for business processes in SAP SuccessFactors Polina Kisel.
She has 2.5 years of experience with the Performance & Goals and Succession & Career Development Planning modules obtained in 10 + international projects.
LeverX Group is an international IT company.
The company has offices in the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as in Central Asia.
The company began operations in 2003, headquartered in Mountain View ("Silicon Valley", California).
LeverX Group currently employs more than 1,500 people.
The company specializes in the development and implementation of SAP solutions, and also creates customized web and mobile products using modern technologies such as AR, AI, Machine Learning, Data Science.
Any big company will come to this … sooner or later.
— Polina, how relevant is automation in personnel management now?
It seems that lately big business has begun to come to understand that it is profitable for business.
This process has been relevant for a long time.
You correctly noted that the automation of any process is a saving of human resources, which means that it is a benefit for the entire business.
In addition, automation insures the company from moments associated with human inattention.
For example, you can avoid mistakes when performing monotonous tasks, repeating routine operations.
Or save human resources, redistribute the time of employees and direct it to solving more important tasks related directly to their involvement.
Therefore, now almost all large companies understand the role of automation in the organization of internal processes, including in the field of personnel management.
However, there are still companies that have not started automation in this area or have done it insufficiently.
In your experience, in what areas is this a problematic issue?
Such companies can be found in any sector or industry.
The question is rather the readiness of specific companies to switch to automated systems.
For example, companies in the field of digitalization, IT companies, banks and FinTech organizations are most willing to automate any processes.
This is a business that likes systems that save time, make processes simpler and more understandable.
But there is also a traditionally conservative business in which employees and sometimes even management resist change.
They are comfortable working according to an established system, and any innovation is perceived with irritation.
In experience, the most difficult to accept such a transition is for companies from the heavy industry (metallurgy, mining industries).
But even in such companies, where processes have remained unchanged for decades, over time there is an understanding that we need to move forward.
The benefits of automation are obvious.
I think that soon the entire large business will switch to automation in personnel management.
The advantages for business are clear: saving time and resources.
But what does automation mean for ordinary employees?
For employees, automation means, first of all, reducing the number of routine tasks.
For example, you will not need to fill out huge forms and reports, re-draw up documents every time, set tasks to colleagues, facing neglect.
In addition, we know from our own experience that automation is also interesting.
The system we are implementing, SAP SuccessFactors is an attractive and user-friendly interface.
It is intuitive, operations are carried out quickly.
This greatly affects the climate in the team, reduces the load and the likelihood of burnout.
In addition, as practice shows, with the introduction of automation, companies often adopt the best practices and experience that other companies have already tried.
Users can discover new interesting features and features.
For example, the popular SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goal module will show employees how the Smart methodology works for setting goals.
For employees, this is often something new, interesting, gamified.
It motivates and inspires.
You ’ ll have to get involved to get all the benefits.
— Of course, companies have different profiles, internal structure, their own specifics.
How does SAP SuccessFactors adapt to each specific case?
— Of course, there is a standard package of functionality that is available for almost every company.
But according to the features of business processes, we, of course, configure the system on our own.
It is impossible to offer a ready-made system that will immediately suit the client 100%.
Therefore, the implementation takes a long time, sometimes the project lasts a year and a half.
At this time, we communicate with the client, learn how the business processes are arranged, collect customer requirements, and then configure the system as required by a particular business.
- What happens next?
The company gets the system and has to sort itself out somehow?
- No, of course, we never leave the client alone with the system.
At the final stage of the project implementation, we conduct training sessions for key users who will then support this system.
We also provide training for end users - ordinary employees, managers.
After the end of the project, there is a phase of HyperCare, when we support the client - you can contact us with any questions and difficulties.
Since the launch of the system and throughout its use, we remain in touch with the client, support him.
From experience, I can say that most often the relationship between the consultant and the client continues even after the HyperCare-phase.
The client turns to us for help, for advice.
— The full process of implementing the system is quite a long term prospect for many businesses.
Will the result be in a couple of years?
A year and a half is an approximate period.
It all depends on the number of implemented modules of the system, on the need for improvements and settings for the needs of the company.
But sometimes, for example, we work with a client who is ready to implement only one module for himself.
Then the process can take only 3-4 months.
— What should the company be ready for if it decides to automate personnel management?
— First of all, the client needs to understand for himself what processes and in what format he wants to see in the new system.
For example, there are companies in which processes are already built, they work depending on the specifics of their industry, mentality, etc.
If you immediately think through all the requirements and wishes, we will be able to adapt the system to the existing standard process as accurately as possible.
But it often happens that customers feel that their processes are not quite well set up.
Then we discuss what are the best practices that could be tried and applied.
It is also important that the client is ready and involved in the automation process.
The project requires a lot of involvement from the client: weekly calls, where we discuss the status of configurations, participation in testing and configuration.
If the company understands that they then work with the system, they will be interested in making it as convenient as possible.
Realities remote: how to track the results of work?
There are other solutions on the market besides SAP SuccessFactors.
Why should companies choose this system?
Many customers are looking for, for example, the system with the lowest price and prefer other solutions.
But SAP SuccessFactors has a lot of advantages that are worth it.
SAP always tries to use really good practices in the field of HR management.
Often, we see that the solutions that we have already implemented appear on other platforms over time.
SAP sets trends that are then picked up by others.
This means that the company that chose SAP SuccessFactors will have an advantage over its competitors, because these best practices are already in service with it.
It is important that SAP SuccessFactors has worked well on the convenience of the interface, integration with other systems.
This plays into the hands of the client if he uses some other system, for example, related to the calculation of wages.
SAP is also about reliability.
It is an international company with a good reputation.
The client can be sure that his needs will be taken seriously, the product will be of high quality and his support does not become suddenly.
— You said that the company can implement not the entire system, but a specific module, depending on its needs.
In your experience, which is the most sought after?
— The most popular is a module that is related to the assessment of performance.
Interest in it increased after companies were forced to move their employees to a remote format due to the pandemic.
Then the question arose: how to evaluate the work of employees, how to track their results?
This module in the SAP SuccessFactors system is called Performance & Goal Management.
It is aimed at assessing the impact.
What does the client get when implementing this module?
Ability to configure goal-management, that is, goal-setting.
Also, the module allows you to track the current results of employees in real time, plan salaries and bonuses, bonuses.
Many customers are also interested in the Learning Management module, which is related to staff training.
This is a platform on which an employee can find training courses, programs, materials, trainings.
But in general, it is necessary to understand that in the system the modules are interconnected.
And the most effective integrated use of them.
Of course, I am interested in efficiency.
What will the company gain or save if it switches to SAP SuccessFactors?
- For each business, the results will be individual, it must be understood.
We can share the results that have been obtained by other companies that have already switched to this system.
For example, Whirlpool has implemented an SAP system for personnel management.
With its help, they automated about 130 standard processes.
And during the first year after implementation, it was noted that operating costs for staff in the US decreased by more than 20%.
Q _ PERIOR has implemented the SAP SuccessFactors Human Experience Management Suite.
The company switched to a 24-hour mobile self-service system for employees and noted that the amount of information about employees increased by 50%.
Examples of this mass.
Many large companies use SAP systems and achieve great results thanks to them.
For example, this is Bosch, Vodafone and many others.
Therefore, we are sure that if a company plans to work in the market for a long time, grow and develop, grow financially and on a large scale, business automation is simply vital.
And first of all, it is important for the HR sphere, personnel management.
After all, in fact, it is with human resources that any business begins.
If you want to learn more about the possibilities of HR automation for your business, register for the LeverX Group webinar.
At it, Polina Kisel will tell how to choose a strategy taking into account the specifics of the enterprise.
The webinar starts on November 30 at 16: 00 - more information on the link.
Subscribe to Profit.kz channels on Facebook and Telegram.

Creative professions, such as screenwriting, have also shown resistance to advancements like generative AI, as these tools threaten job opportunities and the sense of accomplishment derived from producing original work.

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Industry Analysis "Unable to push the AI war: the" two-level "thinking of business owners
• Senior Industry Analyst, MIC, Lin Qiaozhen, Business Times
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The "phenomenal" prosperity brought by generative AI has not only not been dulled, but has spread from text generation to image / video, code generation, and songwriting. Many international organizations have also estimated the huge business opportunities that can be brought behind it, which is also reflected in the AI capital market.
Unlike in the past, this wave of generative AI has not only rapidly infiltrated public life, but also successfully stimulated an interesting spark between AI and young people.
A variety of AI gadgets are spawned and even creatively strung into specific apps, voice assistants, digital platforms, and many existing digital applications are instantly promoted.
In addition, people also have a tacit understanding for themselves to "pack" their own exclusive AI treasure chest, load one-click production video, one-second production of images, one-minute production of presentations, etc., and even start to bring low-key into the workplace, use in work tasks.
Faced with this wave of AI, most companies dare not take it lightly, because generative AI has a disruptive impact on many business operations such as marketing and sales, software engineering, customer service, product research and development, and employee training.
Should it be restricted?
How to regulate? Should our company also let employees Bring Your Own GPTs (BYOG)? Facing an AI war that is “impossible to push ”, it is undoubtedly testing the ability of business leaders to cope.
■ Same as "on the wave", the reaction is not the same
Given that technological breakthroughs are often accompanied by large industrial sector shifts, the industry seems to have gradually developed the so-called fear of missing out (FOMO) on AI issues.
In the past few months, whether it ’ s a formal seminar, a work meeting, or a casual chat after a meal, it ’ s hard to ignore AI-related topics.
It is understandable that the emergence of AI technology turning points, whether it is ordinary office workers, or professionals in specific fields, will be more or less worried about whether their work skills are worth money in the future? How much will be affected by the "price-setting mode" that has been in place for many years? Behind them are a huge number of digital content creators, who are naturally threatened.
Interestingly, the first ones in the generative AI torrent reacted differently.
For example, professional screenwriters are often nervous, as can be seen from the large-scale strike of the American Writers Union last year.
One of the reasons why professional writers have taken to the streets is that in the future, more and more filmmakers will use ChatGPT to develop the story outline, and then give it to human screenwriters for rewriting, which will not only directly impact the job opportunities of the screenwriter, but also stubbornly deprive the screenwriter of the opportunity and sense of accomplishment to produce the original work.
Whether it is from the heart of resistance or optimism, it is certain that more and more people in the industry are consciously focusing on AI development trends, the AI policies of their companies / organizations, and varying degrees of adjustment to their usual working methods to ensure that they can remain competitive in the AI era.
■ Tool layer vs.
Ecological layer: who in the era of AI "in situ upgrade"?
In the face of the technological environment and changes in employee behavior, corporate leaders are trembling. The breakthrough of AI technology has driven enterprises to rethink whether the existing business model is still working? This is by no means worrying, because the drama of "technological breakthroughs driving new business models, which lead to industrial reshuffle" has occurred several times in the past.
The most familiar is the popularity of the Internet, which has led to the rise of e-commerce giant Amazon, and has also led to the forced transformation or elimination of many physical bookstores.
The rise of cloud computing has changed the way software services are delivered, allowing video streaming platform Netflix to secure its market position with a "subscription system", but this has also become a fatal straw to crush the kingdom of Bestview.
In the face of change, business owners have the same cautious attitude, but there are some differences when looking at the thinking level of leaders.
Overall, most carefully track AI trends and assess which AI solutions should be introduced to improve the company ’ s operational efficiency; more actively, they will also develop AI tools that “feel rich ” in the hope of capturing AI business opportunities.
However, there are also a small number of business owners who have decided to greatly consolidate their existing businesses and take advantage of the momentum to enhance the "pattern" of the group.
Whether it is the introduction of new technologies or the leverage of existing AI models, it must be helpful to expand the capabilities of enterprises, but calm down and think, will this wave of AI breakthroughs shake the scope, will it only be the strength of technical tools?
Based on past experience, real shocks and problems are more likely to come from changes in the ecosystem.
From this perspective, perhaps those who further think about “how AI breakthroughs will redefine their ecosystem ” are more likely to take the lead.
And when the thinking level is different, the topics explored will naturally change.
For example, a small and medium-sized foreign language tutorial provider can choose to implement generative AI solutions, which greatly reduces the time required for curriculum and curriculum design; but if you think at the ecological level, the core issue of the discussion will become “how to use AI to reduce communication costs between partners and make the company a network hub ”.
In addition, under the new model, will the original charging plan also have the opportunity to adjust to a more competitive dynamic charging model?
Of course, the change of the forward-looking ecosystem is not easy, but those who think more about a layer of enterprises, I believe that they will have a better chance to achieve new positioning and leap into the key role of the AI era when the paradigm shift, just as when we officially entered the Internet era and the cloud computing era.
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In the manufacturing sector, challenges such as the high cost of updating equipment and employee fears of job displacement contribute to resistance, requiring cultural shifts to overcome these obstacles.

Title:

Content: Low Carbon Net Zero X Smart Transformation Forum Low Carbon Smart Upgrade New Solution
Organized by the Industrial Times and the Society for Weights and Measures and co-organized by the Taiwan Machine Tool and Parts Industry Association, the annual event of the machinery industry, "2023 Taichung Automation Machinery and Intelligent Manufacturing Exhibition," will be opened at the Taichung International Exhibition Center from September 1 to 4, 2023.
During the exhibition period, a special forum on “Low Carbon Net Zero X Smart Transformation ” will be held at the same time to analyze the core challenges of the manufacturing industry in the process of smart and low-carbon transformation.
Global Trends Local Challenges
The world is witnessing the rise of a low-carbon economy, and Taiwan ’ s manufacturing industry and SMEs are facing unprecedented challenges.
There are endless opportunities for smart and low-carbon transformation, but the actual transformation path is full of obstacles, including old equipment, high technology update costs, information security risks, a shortage of professionals, and employee resistance to new technologies.
The solution is on the go
In order to explore and solve these pressing issues in depth, this exhibition specially curated the “Low Carbon Net Zero X Smart Transformation ” forum.
Highlights include:
Equipment aging problem: For many enterprises, the upgrading and updating of old equipment is a huge obstacle.
This forum will delve into how to bring old equipment back to life with innovative solutions such as smart manufacturing and next-generation lighting technologies.
2. High Cost of Technology Updates: Experienced lecturers will be invited to share how to achieve carbon reduction targets with limited resources, and explore energy saving solutions and success stories to reduce the cost of renewal.
Vulnerability: The risks that can arise in digital transformation are a concern for many businesses.
This forum will share how to achieve digital transformation while protecting data security.
The shortage of professional and technical personnel: the training and recruitment of professional talents is an important part of the transformation.
The forum will explore how to train professionals through digital and smart manufacturing to meet future needs.
Employee resistance to new technologies: The forum will share how to build a company culture that supports change and provide concrete strategies to overcome internal resistance.
The challenge of reducing carbon emissions: The forum will provide concrete energy saving solutions and sharing of success stories to help companies maintain business operations while ensuring overall carbon emissions reduction.
A strong lineup of lecturers, the “Low Carbon Net Zero X Smart Transformation ” panel invited experts and scholars from various fields, including the Industrial Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Escrow Software Technology, TASS Energy Saving, Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction Alliance, Akashia Corporation, as well as Rockwell International, Ruihua Intelligence, Datong Intelligence, Donghai University and other fields.
500 booths in full display
“2023 Taichung Automation Machinery & Intelligent Manufacturing Exhibition ” showcases the latest industry trends and solutions such as machine tools, fiber lasers, smart manufacturing, automation equipment, and green supply chain technology.
The exhibition area covers high-end machine tool applications, laser sheet metal, smart manufacturing, low-carbon machinery supply chain and so on.
Online registration is now open
We invite you to participate in this grand exhibition and forum to discuss the important issues of the manufacturing industry in the process of smart and low-carbon transformation, and to find the right solution for your business.
Date: September 1, 2, and 4, 2023 at the Taichung International Exhibition Center.
Online Registration: https: / / cec.ctee.com.tw / ctms / forum-tc /

Ethical concerns, including privacy and data security, are central to opposition against new technologies, as they often involve the collection and use of personal information without adequate transparency or consent.

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Content: According to a report by Gartner, global spending on data protection and compliance technologies will exceed $15 billion annually by 2024.
More than 80% of companies worldwide are likely to face at least one regulation focused on data privacy protection by the end of 2023.
Organizations are moving towards securing personal data, while governments are implementing strict legislation to enforce it.
Digital ethics came at the height of expectations about data privacy in Gartner ’ s Hip Cycle report, with people becoming more aware of the value of their personal information and frustrated by the lack of transparency and continued misuse of that information.
Gartner defines digital ethics as the values and ethical principles followed during online interactions between people, organizations, and objects.
With the adoption of AI technologies, ethical debates are taking place for the first time before and during the widespread application of technologies.
Bart Willemson, vice president of research at Gartner, said: “Even if there are no regulations yet, customers are more effective with organizations that respect their privacy.
“By applying new technologies such as those in the Hip Cycle report, we can provide a pathway for greater protection of information privacy in such a volatile environment. ”
To address these changes in protection laws and customer demand, security and risk management leaders need to more carefully select technologies that balance innovation and regulatory compliance capabilities.
Mature and proactive organizations are moving away from compliance when they need to put proactive protection at the heart of their process design.
When they do, they start investing in innovations on the left side of the Hip Cycle report, such as symmetric encryption techniques, a set of algorithms that allow calculations to be applied to encrypted data, and differential privacy, a system for using or sharing a set of data while blocking or distracting certain information from individual records.
Many of the technologies included in the Hip Cycle report, such as cloud access security brokers CASBs and dynamic data hiding technologies, are expected to be widely adopted over the next two years.

The rapid advancement of technologies like AI also raises ethical dilemmas, such as algorithmic bias and the improper transfer of human control to machines, which can result in accidents or unfair outcomes.

Title:

Content: People 's Daily Online > > Economy and Technology
Focus on Wuzhen: Ethical rules and technical safety are the key to high-quality development of AI
November 11, 2022 09: 05 | Source: Beijing Business Daily
Small number
On November 10, at the 2022 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit "Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics" forum, Tian Tian, CEO of Ruilai Intelligence, said that in the era of digital intelligence, artificial intelligence acts as a "brain" and plays an important role in the realization of target performance, the intelligence of facility operation and maintenance, and the security of facilities.
For example, the use of artificial intelligence computer vision technology can achieve the detection of industrial defective products, the construction of face recognition security equipment, while improving production performance and production efficiency, greatly improve safety and security capabilities.
In recent years, with the rapid development of algorithms and the increasing abundance of computing power, data and other resources, the artificial intelligence industry has shown a rapid development trend.
However, Tian Tian said that looking into the future, if artificial intelligence is to achieve high-quality development, it needs to break through the two key issues of ethical rules and technical safety.
First, as artificial intelligence gradually becomes a key role in the economy and society, the rules of its interaction with humans pose ethical issues, such as the distribution of human-machine control, the acceptance of artificial intelligence, and so on.
As an open but far from mature new technology, AI will inevitably impact existing ethical relationships and social structures.
For example, the improper transfer of human control over the machine will lead to the occurrence of malignant accidents, typical examples such as the loss of control of the electronic brake system of autonomous vehicles caused by traffic accidents, and the excessive trust in algorithms and the neglect of unfair events caused by algorithmic bias.
With the continuous penetration of artificial intelligence into all aspects of production and life, ethical problems are emerging.
Second, technical security issues.
Taking the most widely used face recognition on the ground as an example, the whole process of this technology is a black box mode, which mainly relies on massive face data for feature extraction, training and identification, so that it can use relevant loopholes and adopt various forms of attack.
For example, adding a small amount of interference to the face photo or printing the anti-patch to be worn by a real person, in the form of this targeted attack to crack the personal verification.
In the face of these problems, Tian said, it needs to be addressed from both ethical rules and technical rules.
One is the construction of ethical rules.
This involves how to set the control threshold between people and artificial intelligence, how to design the bottom mechanism, etc., and needs to be combined with specific application scenarios to create quantifiable, measurable, and executable specific standards, and then implemented to the algorithm and code level.
The second is to optimize the technical path.
On the basis of the three elements of data, algorithms and computing power, the knowledge elements are integrated into the development of safe, reliable, credible and scalable third-generation artificial intelligence, and the robustness and interpretability of artificial intelligence are continuously improved, while the agile assessment level of artificial intelligence ethical safety and technical safety is continuously improved, making it a key capability to ensure the high-quality development of the artificial intelligence industry.
(Reporter Wei Wei)
(Editor: Zhao Zhuqing, Chen Jian)
Public Number ： People 's Network Finance
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Ad tracking technologies exemplify how new tools can infringe on privacy, as users often struggle to understand complex mechanisms, leading to passive consent and mistrust.

Title:

Content: How can data tracking lead to privacy ethics concerns protect users ’ rights?
Digital advertising has become one of the main ways companies promote products and services.
(Photo / pixabay)
● Xu Kaixiang / Student
With the rapid development of technology, digital advertising has become one of the main ways businesses promote products and services.
However, the widespread use of ad tracking technology has raised concerns about user privacy and business ethics.
This article explores this phenomenon, analyzes its technical mechanism, potential ethical problems, and legal challenges, and proposes corresponding countermeasures.
Technical mechanism for digital ad tracking
Digital ad tracking technologies rely on cookies and tracking pixels to record user activity on the Internet and create detailed user images.
When a user searches for something on Google, their browser records this behavior, and advertising companies use this data to display personalized ads, called “redirected ads ” or“ remarketing ads ”, to increase the effectiveness of the ads and purchase conversion rates.
▲ Digital ad tracking technology relies on cookies and tracking pixels. (Photo / Dazhi Images / Associated Press)
Ethical issues with ad tracking technology
While ad tracking technology is technically efficient, the ethical issues it raises cannot be ignored.
The ethical issues raised by ad tracking technology are threefold:
1.
Privacy Infringement: Ad tracking technology deeply violates the privacy of users, and many users are unaware of their online behavior and the use of their personal data by multiple parties.
Even though the site offers privacy policies and cookie consent options, many users still struggle to understand the terms, resulting in a lack of transparency and the right to know.
2.
Informed consent: Legal and ethical data collection should be based on the informed consent of the user.
However, current privacy policies are often too long and complex to be understood by ordinary users, resulting in passive consent rather than active choice. This design fails to truly protect users ’ right to know.
3.
Data security: A large amount of personal data may have security vulnerabilities, and once stolen by hackers, the privacy and security of users will be threatened. Historical data breaches have shown the security risks in data management, so the responsibility of enterprises in data protection needs to be strengthened.
▲ Current privacy policies are often too long and complex to be understood by ordinary users, resulting in passive consent rather than active choice.
(Photo / pixabay)
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Data Monopoly and Unfair Competition
Tech giants such as Google and Facebook have monopolized the advertising market through massive data collection, capturing user data and providing accurate advertising services, making it difficult for small businesses to compete.
This data monopoly not only undermines market fairness, it can also inhibit innovation.
They control advertising prices and service patterns, weakening market competitiveness.
In 2018, Facebook experienced the Cambridge Analytica data breach, in which a company called Cambridge Analytica illegally obtained the personal data of more than 87 million users for political purposes and election campaigns, exposing the privacy threat posed by ad-tracking technology.
This incident has prompted companies to focus on ethics and social responsibility, respect user privacy and comply with regulations.
At the same time, users should strengthen their awareness of privacy protection, using tools such as privacy browsers, plugins and regularly cleaning browsing data to protect their privacy.
Google and Facebook have monopolized the advertising market through massive data collection, a data monopoly that not only undermines market fairness, but can also inhibit innovation.
(Photo / Reuters)
The Legality Challenge of Ad Tracking
Many countries have added laws and regulations to protect consumer privacy for companies such as Google to record user information for advertising recommendations, such as the European Union ’ s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California ’ s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Brazil ’ s General Data Protection Act (LGPD), Canada ’ s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Australia ’ s Privacy Act (Privacy Act). The ACY Act).
These regulations require businesses to obtain explicit consent when collecting, processing, and storing personal data, and provide transparency about the use of the data.
However, many companies bypass these regulations through complex privacy policies and “default consent ” mechanisms, failing to truly protect user privacy.
Therefore, the effectiveness and enforcement of the law are still facing challenges and need to be further strengthened and improved.
Measures to protect personal privacy
1.
Use privacy browsers and plugins: Select browsers with built-in anti-tracking features such as Firefox and Brave, install plugins such as uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, and Ghostery to block tracking scripts and ads.
2.
Regularly clean cookies and browsing data: Regularly clean cookies and browsing data in your browser settings, using privacy modes (such as Chrome ’ s no-trace mode) to reduce the likelihood of being tracked.
Using Chrome ’ s no-trace mode reduces the likelihood of being tracked.
(Image from Chrome web page)
3.
Restricting social media permissions: Check and restrict app permissions on social media platforms such as Facebook, control information accessed by third-party apps, and avoid excessive data sharing.
4.
Download apps and use VPNs with caution: Download apps only from trusted sources and read the privacy policy, hide IP addresses with VPNs, and protect online activity from being tracked.
Responsible business users take the initiative to protect privacy
Digital advertising and data tracking technologies have revolutionized the advertising industry, but they have also brought privacy and ethical issues.
While the law provides protection, users must proactively protect their privacy.
Enterprises should take an ethical responsibility to respect user privacy, transparent information about how data is collected and used, and ensure the security and fair use of data.
I hope this article will help readers understand and take steps to protect privacy.
In the digital age, vigilance and proactive protection are the responsibility of every internet user.
▲ In the digital age, vigilance and proactive protection are the responsibility of every internet user.
(Photo / Dazhi Imaging / Associated Press)
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One effective strategy to address resistance in corporate settings is aligning technological changes with existing business goals, leveraging organizational priorities to reduce fear and resistance.

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Lessons Learned Selling Digital Transformation In A Risk-Averse Industry

Michael W. Levin, CEO and co-founder of Ideon.

In a 2018 McKinsey survey, 80% of respondents said their organizations had undertaken a digital transformation in the preceding five years.

And that was before the pandemic, which has, to say the least, accelerated such changes.

Of course it has. I’m preaching to the choir when I posit to this audience that digital change is necessary for the survival of almost any organization today, business or otherwise. That’s certainly the case for the industry in which my company operates—health insurance and employee benefits—and especially so for carriers, in part because of the rapid rise of InsurTech, which is helping to drive digital innovation throughout the industry.

And yet.

All too often, selling digital transformation within large organizations is an uphill battle. That’s especially the case at organizations in established industries—with ways of doing business that can sometimes date back decades—and is even more a truism if those organizations have a predisposition to manage risk. There are many reasons for this, of course, but three fears play a key role.

• Fear Of Change: It's human nature to favor the familiar over the unknown. We prefer what we know, even when shown a superior alternative. So it’s understandable that executives accustomed to analog processes may be wary of digital ones. There’s an entire field of study, behavioral economics, built around the status quo bias.

• Fear Of Loss: Digital transformation requires investment. And as a general rule, humans react twice as strongly to the loss of a given amount as they do to the gain of the same amount. So unless the ROI for a digital transformation project is clear and convincing, certain colleagues will tend to resist spending money.

• Fear Of Mortality: Not literally, of course. But bosses and employees alike often associate digital change with staff reductions. But even though such relationships are unclear, some executives resist change if they believe it will lead to a loss of headcount or otherwise erode positions of power.

The Way Forward

So how can an organization’s evangelizers persuade colleagues to embrace change? There’s no simple answer, but my experience over the years helping insurance organizations embrace data transparency and connected ecosystems suggests that four strategies—on their own or in combination—can help break through most institutional roadblocks:

1. Align proposed changes with business goals. Change for modernizing’s sake is one thing. Change that helps achieve already established goals is something else entirely. Good leaders are generally driven by big-picture aims. Tying digital transformation to company priorities allows evangelizers to harness existing momentum rather than requiring them to start from scratch.

2. Create your own stakeholders. Whatever their personality, human beings are much more likely to support an initiative if they feel invested in it. Quite frankly, we value something more when it's ours. And the best way to create investment in the idea of change is to involve colleagues early in the transformational journey. Ask the appropriate decision-makers or influencers for input about their problems and possible solutions. If the digital transformation you seek is the logical conclusion to that process, otherwise resistant colleagues will more likely support the idea because they had a hand in getting there.

3. Marshal your facts. Before investing resources in digital transformation, decision-makers want to know that it will pay off. Prepare information—statistics, research findings, anecdotes—on the ROI of digital transformation. Seventy-six percent of employees surveyed said having the digital tools they need makes them more productive. Additionally, Harvard Business School technologists report (paywall) that companies with the most effective digital transformations have higher net income than those with less-successful digital transformations. Data points like these can motivate leaders to prioritize tech imperatives.

4. Leverage FOMO. Regret aversion is a powerful thing. That is to say, many people are not as afraid of making a bad decision as they are afraid of feeling bad about a decision they made. It’s one reason people follow the crowd. We don’t necessarily believe that other people are smarter than we are. But many of us do believe (if only nonconsciously) that if we follow the lead of others we will have company if our decision turns out to be unwise. Regret aversion bias can be leveraged powerfully when selling digital transformation by framing a failure to adopt change as leaving an organization alone in the dark while the rest of the industry—or even its cutting-edge leaders—moves toward the light.

I know there is a reliable path to digital transformation because my firm has seen dozens of clients and partners complete such journeys. But accounting for the inevitable challenges, both structural and psychological, is key to achieving success.

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Fostering a culture of trust through transparent communication about the objectives and outcomes of technology adoption can mitigate resistance by addressing concerns about job security and role changes.

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Three Change Management Priorities For Seamless GenAI Deployment

President & CTO at ContractPodAi.

There is no question that generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is emerging as a powerful, transformative force in today’s business. In its 27th Annual Global CEO Survey, PwC looked at how GenAI would significantly change how organizations operate. They concluded the technology is "approaching a critical juncture, seemingly poised to transform business models, redefine work processes and overhaul entire industries."

In the next year, more than 50% of CEOs surveyed said they expect GenAI to "enhance their ability to build trust with stakeholders," while roughly 60% expect it to "improve product or service quality." Within the next three years, nearly 70% also anticipate that GenAI will "increase competition, drive changes to their business models and require new skills from their workforce." The lasting business impacts that CEOs expect from the technology include boosted efficiency and increased time-to-revenue.

Generative AI comes with a low barrier to entry, empowering organizations to start small and grow their usage of this technology over time. Because of this, I recommend starting with a particular use case and scaling it to the greater organization from there. The secret to the scaling process is for senior leaders to keep a close pulse on their change management efforts. After all, if your organization does not have a smooth adoption and implementation process and is neither aligned nor trained sufficiently around new technology, you'll likely fall short of reaping the full ROI from your digital investment moving forward.

Here are three change management strategies to keep in mind if you’re planning to embrace GenAI in your organization.

Taking A Phased Adoption Approach

Integrating AI into the day-to-day work of the organization necessitates a simple and seamless adoption process. To foster this digital transformation, senior leaders should consider a phased approach that sees AI deployed gradually and refine processes as needed. This gives employees time to familiarize themselves with the technology to maximize its benefits and minimize its disruption to the business.

Additionally, they can build a digital infrastructure characterized by robust digital resources, dedicated support teams and user feedback loops. All of this goes a long way in preventing the problems that typically arise in the adoption process.

Fostering A Culture Of Trust

Another change management strategy is mitigating organizational resistance around AI. This is achieved through clear and direct communication about the business objectives and expected outcomes of AI adoption, and an open discussion about the collaborative partnerships that can form between employees and the technology.

Transparency is key here. On top of establishing these lines of communication, senior leaders should ensure that AI solutions are designed with security, transparency and accountability measures in place. It’s also important for employees and customers to be assured that their data privacy will continue to be top of mind as the technology becomes further scaled to be used within day-to-day workstreams. Be sure to communicate that protocols and guidelines will evolve in the spirit of fostering an ethical and socially responsible AI culture. All of this translates to more support and buy-in across the enterprise.

Redesigning Career Paths And Skills

The advent of GenAI does not have to mean the disruption of traditional job roles but rather a redesign of professional skills and career paths. As AI is gradually integrated into everyday operations, employees should be taught new skills, allowing them to leverage the technology to its fullest.

Some examples of this include advanced training in applied AI, machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP). As AI scales to take on both repetitive and complex tasks, organizations should concentrate on bolstering employees' built-in business instincts and reinforcing their natural human skills. This involves nurturing areas such as business creativity along with strategic and critical analytical abilities and enhancing emotional intelligence within the workplace. This effort should be coupled with a special focus on fostering employees' continuous improvement.

At the end of the day, having a successful digital transformation journey calls for prioritizing the change management strategies mentioned above and exploring other best practices.

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Providing comprehensive education and training programs tailored to different user groups helps alleviate fears and misconceptions, enabling employees to view new technologies as enhancements rather than threats.

Technophobia, or fear of technology, often manifests as resistance in professional environments, driven by concerns about job displacement and the risks associated with advanced systems like AI.

Title:

Content: 10 curious near-technological facts to expand your horizons
What do phones for the blind look like, where and when the first cell phone call was made, what font is considered the most hated in the world?
Read the answers to these and other questions in our article.
Blind people can use mobile phones
There is a special Braille technology and accessories for blind people to use mobile phones.
It uses special buttons that rise and fall, so that a person can touch and read information.
Google ’ s first tweet was incomprehensible
For the average person, the very first post of Google on Twitter was something of a nonsense.
It read: "I'm 01100110 01100101 01100101 01101100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101100 01110101 01100011 01101011 01111001 00001010".
Translated from the binary code, it means the phrase: “I ’ m feeling lucky ”, which can be translated into Russian as“ I ’ m lucky! ” (this phrase you can see on the right button under the Google search query field).
The first cell phone call was made in New York.
The first ever mobile phone call was made in 1973 on a street in New York by Martin Cooper, an employee of Motorola.
19 years later, British engineer Neil Papworth sent the first text message.
More than 6,000 new computer viruses are created and distributed every month
This number has increased dramatically since 1990, when there were only 50 known computer viruses.
Today, 90% of emails contain malware that most people are unaware of.
Facebook has more likes than photos
More than 300 million photos are shared on Facebook every day, with 800 million likes being placed over the same period.
By the way, the heart reactions are put only 175 million per day.
The iPhones were almost in the shape of an apple.
The original design for the iPhone was in the shape of an apple.
Initially, the mobile phone was developed as a clamshell with a keypad.
In the closed state, it looked like the Apple logo.
Comic Sans is the most hated font in the world
Comic Sans was developed as a non-serious handwritten font for use in comics.
And while everyone loves to hate this tasteless font, it ’ s actually very suitable for people with dyslexia.
Due to its asymmetrical style, letters are easier to distinguish.
Internet speed at NASA — 91 GB per second
The average speed of the Internet connection for users is about 25 MB per second.
This is usually enough to watch Netflix without buffering delays.
But let ’ s face it: if there ’ s any technology company that could really benefit from the speed of the Internet, it ’ s NASA.
Nokia is the largest company in Finland
So much so that the Finns consider it a national pride.
And although we often think that Nokia is just a manufacturer of mobile phones, under this famous brand in 1865 was originally made paper.
The company took up technology in the 1980s.
Some people are afraid of technology.
People experience a wide variety of fears, and technology is no exception.
Called “technophobia, ” this fear arose during the Industrial Revolution, when workers began to fear that automated systems would deprive them of their jobs.
Similarly, this applies to modern society, as well as to people who are afraid of too advanced high technologies, such as artificial intelligence technology.
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Root causes of technophobia include distrust in technological advancements, concerns about privacy and security, and fears of losing individuality or human connection.

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Content: Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
Wajdi Zainuddin
Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
Wajdi Zainuddin
Towards the future
What concerns me most now is the question about the human being who is made up of flesh and blood and feelings and emotions, where did his feelings go and in what ways did his human identity go?! Where is his love of nature and singing it?!
Why did he lose his virginity and become more materialistic and coarser, why did he become so desperate to satisfy his material instincts that he lacked the lofty emotions that were one of his distinguishing features?
He has become preferring nudity and rudeness to the transcendence of feelings and the fluency of imagination, running behind every new that loses his humanity and distinction until he has become closer to the rude and irrational animal; he has mixed femininity with masculinity; women resemble men and men resemble women!
He now prefers man by machine to man by man, whether man or woman, to live with his machines rather than with his family!
The famous German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) warned us of the dangers of technological progress to the state of human existence and asked us to question how much we welcome the fruits of this technological advance.
We really need a pause to reflect on what modern technology is doing to us, for example, mobile phones and social media and chatter programs from Facebook and Messenger to WhatsApp and Twitter and all the similar programs that have made our lives fast-paced, each of us and his narrow circle of what friends call them forgetting that they are electronic people and not real. They used these programs under pseudonyms, impersonated jobs, and recorded data that is mostly fake and unreal!
The need of the natural man to friendship and establish good relations with others of his fellow humans made him welcome these tools that enabled him to form such quick friendships that broke through the barrier of time and space forgetting and even indifferent that as we said with electronic people and not real!
Heidegger once again believed when he said of our age of nihilism!
By nihilism, he meant that there was no central and common rule that could indicate what it was.
In our modern civilization, we lack a cultural element that brings things of central importance together so that we do not seem to be “put in this world like this ” without purpose or purpose. New Outlets!!
Technological support and the presence of technological tools have become so present in all our lives that we need in this kind of guidance and sometimes even protection!!
The great significance that Heidegger reveals here is that man must rediscover what he is and realize his unique self, and stay away from the drift and fusion in the technology that he is supposed to be creative and able to distinguish between the good and the bad use of it!
A contemporary Facebook user asked, “Why worry about the speed of technological communication and the services it provides? ”
He himself answered his question, saying that the concern was that it could lead to the erasure of individuality and that we had to adapt ourselves to automated rather than personal systems!
Electronic communication, because of its speed and ease, has replaced family and personal meetings, greatly reducing the warmth of direct social and family meetings and relationships.
The speed and availability encouraged by Facebook and other electronic social media in the world of friendship made the spontaneous side of friendship too much and this is pathetic because it almost eliminated or eliminated the formation of social memories and the element of uniqueness and excellence in our relationship with others!
Man has become swimming in a world of cyberspace that has isolated him from his human being and his real social and instinctive relationships, as well as being unable to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, between animal instinctive behavior and rational human behavior!
God is before and after.

Skepticism toward novel technologies can also stem from uncertainty about their safety and efficacy, as seen in consumer aversion to innovations like mRNA vaccines.

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How can companies address consumers who are averse to products using a novel technology?

Researchers from IE Business School and Indian Institute of Management Shillong have published a new study that examines why certain consumers are averse to products using a novel technology and what strategies marketers can use to remedy this aversion.

The study, which appears in the Journal of Marketing, is titled "Adoption of New Technology Vaccines" and is authored by Laura Zimmermann, Jeeva Somasundaram, and Barsha Saha.

In October 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency-use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Novavax. This was the third coronavirus vaccine available to Americans, but the only one not made with messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The shot was marketed as an alternative for those who were skeptical of vaccines made with mRNA technology.

The COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna introduce a piece of mRNA that corresponds to a viral protein, usually one found on the outer membrane of the coronavirus. The recognizes this foreign protein and produces antibodies to fight it. These antibodies remain in the body even after the pathogen has been destroyed. If exposed to the virus after receiving an mRNA-based vaccine, antibodies can quickly recognize and fight it before it causes serious illness.

The skepticism about mRNA centers around claims that it could spread itself throughout the body and alter the basic DNA of those vaccinated. This belief persists despite several leading scientists and policymakers assuring the public that the mRNA is broken down shortly after vaccination and does not stay in the body.

This new study finds that certain consumers are surprisingly averse to products described as employing a , like vaccines based on mRNA technology. The researchers investigate how consumers react to technological innovations that have the following specific features:

  • When consumers cannot test and trial the new product to reduce uncertainty
  • When the new product might lead to a health loss
  • When other consumers' adoption of the might undermine the importance of the new technology

Examples of such innovations are mRNA vaccines and other pharmaceutical products, and also products such as nanoparticle pesticides, lithium-ion battery technology, and hydrogen energy.

Zimmermann explains, "We find that consumers demand higher vaccine efficacy to offset the higher perceived uncertainty that surrounds a new technology compared to a traditional vaccine. On average, our participants required a 19% higher vaccine efficacy to adopt a new technology vaccine."

This aversion was more pronounced among certain consumer segments, such as people who have little trust in their government. Consumers less inclined to embrace new technology in general were also more likely to avoid a vaccine employing new technology. Finally, consumers who are risk-averse, especially regarding small probabilities of losses, tended to show a stronger aversion to adopting a new technology vaccine.

Nudges to 'follow the herd'

One way to reduce this aversion is with a social proof nudge: to communicate that other consumers have adopted the new technology.

"When we communicated that a higher percentage of the population had adopted the new technology, people saw it as a proxy trial experience, which reduced their uncertainty. They were therefore more likely to 'follow the herd' and adopt the new technology," says Somasundaram.

But this strategy can be a double-edged sword: When people know that a high percentage of the population has taken up a vaccine, they might be less likely to vaccinate because they believe they are protected due to herd immunity.

Saha says, "Our research indicates, however, that a social proof nudge has an overall net positive effect in this context and reduces aversion to new technology vaccines." The same pattern applies to other domains such as novel energy-efficient technology (i.e., hydrogen energy heating, lithium-battery cars), nanoparticle pesticides, and other pharmaceutical products.

Lessons for marketers and policymakers

  • Marketers can identify consumers with low trust in government, low technology readiness, and high aversion to risk based on their willingness to pay for , past purchases of high-tech products, and their age and education level.
  • Companies can adjust their communication strategies to better connect with different groups of consumers by predicting how each would respond to the introduction of new technologies.
  • Consumers can make more informed choices about new technology by understanding how their personal beliefs and attitudes, such as trust in government and risk preferences, as well as social proof nudges influence their choices.
  • Policymakers and marketers must carefully consider the potential (long-term) risks of new technology and respect the autonomy of decision makers. This is because social proof nudges might bias information processing in ways that lead consumers to overlook uncertainty when they should not.
  • When a technology's greatest need lies in communities prone to distrust (e.g., new technology pesticides for farmers in ), marketers should understand the root causes of distrust, seek feedback, and focus on reducing the perceived uncertainty in a transparent fashion because exaggerated claims may contribute to further distrust.

More information: Laura Zimmermann et al, Adoption of New Technology Vaccines, Journal of Marketing (2023). DOI: 10.1177/00222429231220295

Journal information: Journal of Marketing

Citation: How can companies address consumers who are averse to products using a novel technology? (2024, April 16) retrieved 16 April 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-04-companies-consumers-averse-products-technology.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

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A global survey revealed that employee resistance is the biggest barrier to achieving successful outcomes with digital workplace technology, highlighting its impact on organizational ROI.

Title:

Content: This content is part of the Conference Coverage: Everything Enterprise Connect 2021: News, trends and insights

UC user adoption training must evolve for hybrid work

Learn why industry leaders at Enterprise Connect said user adoption training is key to UC success in the hybrid workplace -- and how employee experience platforms can help.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed how people work. The adoption and use of unified communications tools, for example, skyrocketed to support remote workers. But, as workflows have changed, organizations must alter their approach to supporting end-user adoption of new tools.

At the start of the pandemic, organizations rolled out whatever tools they felt necessary to support remote work. As a result, employees learned how to use the tools on the fly as the traditional methods of user adoption training -- such as classroom-style trainings in the office -- were no longer possible.

Now, as organizations have become more strategic about their unified communications (UC) investments to support a hybrid workplace, they must also consider employee training to ensure adoption success. There is a direct correlation between preparing end users before deploying a new tool and user productivity post-deployment, COMMfusion LLC President Blair Pleasant said.

Most end users who felt they were well prepared with training before a deployment believed the new tool made them more productive, according to a BCStrategies survey of end users and IT leaders. Of those end users who said they weren't adequately trained, only 17% said they felt more productive.

Pleasant and other industry analysts and leaders spoke at the Enterprise Connect virtual conference. One key topic was the importance of supporting user adoption in a hybrid workplace to ensure UC deployment success and employee productivity, regardless of location.

Hybrid work means new training models

As organizations think about user adoption programs in a hybrid workplace, they have to ensure training is equal for both remote and office-based employees, said Eric Hanson, chief marketing officer at cloud-based communications provider Fuze.

Some user adoption training methods, like classroom-style instruction, will be set aside as employees work remotely. Other training strategies will emerge, like Yammer community forums, to create more of an online discussion, said Alan Shen, CTO at IT management software provider Unify Square.

Video training will also be key, especially to recreate the feeling of in-office training. For more successful video training, organizations should consider virtual events that combine real-time activities with asynchronous, on-demand content, Hanson said.

Training structured with synchronous and asynchronous content can address the different ways people learn and create a more engaging experience, he said. On-demand materials can also be used for reference after a training session.

"Adoption isn't something that happens right after deployment," Hanson said.

However, using video for training can be challenging, despite the overall growth of video across organizations, Pleasant said.

"The problem is end users can do it on their own time, but it doesn't mean they're going to," she said.

Training goes beyond business workflows

Organizations need to remember that UC tools are not just for business workflows and communication.

"When deploying new technology, we just think about the technology," Pleasant said. "We don't think about the organizational changes, the cultural impact and change management."

Rolling out a new application or system is not the main and end goal. The deployment needs to help employees collaborate more effectively, she said.

For example, many employees have used UC tools not just for collaboration workflows, but to maintain company culture and personal connections with their co-workers during the pandemic. User adoption training could include educating employees on how to use a new tool for social communications, like virtual happy hours, to support team cohesion, Shen said.

Employee experience platforms support user adoption

While training is key to boost user adoption, a major roadblock to adoption is the actual experience when using the tools. According to a global Omdia survey on the future of work, the biggest barrier to achieving successful outcomes with digital workplace technology is employee resistance.

"It's not a surprise as employees and line-of-business decision-makers have an idea of what tools they need to be successful, and IT isn't listening to them," Omdia analyst Tim Banting said.

According to the survey, 45% of companies said the IT department determines the need for workplace tools and makes the final recommendation. Only 15% of companies involve other stakeholders in the business when making buying decisions.

The result of not including employees and lines of business in buying decisions is not achieving ROI because employees aren't using the tools, he said.

Employee experience platforms can help highlight where user adoption is faltering and where more training may be necessary.

Addressing the gap between performance and experience

The operational data and application performance metrics that IT sees do not always reflect what employees are experiencing, said Johnny Russ, general manager of employee experience management at Qualtrics, a provider of employee experience tools.

IT may see data about the tools employees are logging in to or the number of help desk tickets filed, but they don't see data around situations where employees are logged in to an app but having frustrating UX.

"We're often missing appropriate understanding of why this is happening," Russ said.

Employee experience platforms, such as Qualtrics and Microsoft Viva, can provide greater insight into how employees are engaging with tools through features such as training effectiveness surveys, pulse surveys and AI-driven analytics. Without these metrics, IT could have a hard time addressing UX.

Or, as Pleasant put it, "You can't fix what you don't measure."

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Historical studies, such as the Hawthorne experiments, demonstrated that resistance to change often stems from social and psychological factors, such as employees feeling undervalued or disconnected.

Title:

Content: After management scientists succeeded in using digital science and new concepts, such as “the best way to do business, ” they discovered that they were busy with machines and tools, and people were not given their due.
The individual is at the center of the administrative process.
Early research began in the early 20th century, accumulating into the science of organizational behavior (OB).
In short, scientists have been able to study the behavior and attitudes of employees in organizations towards a particular problem.
This cannot be done without the use of the principles of psychology and scientific tools.
This is why the largest companies and factories in history welcome researchers to systematically observe, distribute questionnaires, and understand personalities and their diversity.
They also found that workers ’ behaviors often change, depending on the situation, rather than the handful of money they receive, and the same happens with leaders.
Increasingly, it is becoming clear that the organizational behavior of individuals is influenced by the prevailing organizational culture.
There are environments that encourage innovation and develop a sense of innovation, and others where what remains of the enthusiasm for giving is extinguished.
However modern the equipment and tools may be, they do not substitute for the behavior of individuals.
When they feel that they are in a repellent environment, or their dedication is not appreciated, their initiatives and efforts fade, and the rate of job quitting rises.
It is an indicator - if it rises - gives an indication of the absence of healthy and stimulating atmosphere to give.
The research also provided officials with scientific solutions to diagnose the motivations behind the behavior of employees, and enabled officials to be able to guide the behavior in a way that serves the interests of the organization.
All of this has been instrumental in the success of the process of change – often met with stiff opposition from workers – which has facilitated major mergers to this day.
If we understand the motives, it is easier to meet the requirements of the owners.
Perhaps the most famous research that led the world to pay attention to the role of the era of behavior was the Western Electric Factory, a series of Hawthorne studies on productivity conducted between 1924 and 1932, in which Harvard industrial management professor Elton Mayo and his colleagues discovered that improved lighting at the plant had an effect on improved worker productivity, as did changing work hours and rest times.
They then discovered that productivity rose because they felt the officials with the researchers were interested in them.
This has given rise to a popular term in management, the Hawthorne Effect, from which numerous research has emerged on job satisfaction, active engagement, resistance to change, motivational effects, and more.
They discovered a central, perhaps unprecedented, issue: that social behavior, group norms, and behaviors had a greater impact on workers ’ output than fiscal stimulus did, a paradigm shift that dispelled the widespread belief that workers could satisfy them or improve their performance with financial inducements.
The bottom line: Management has contributed to our development, including the classical, quantitative, and behavioral era that was built on Hawthorne ’ s studies, after which we have formed the science of organizational behavior that profoundly enriched the world of management, and changed the course of its decisions and results when dealing with millions of people around the world.
And to talk the rest.

Perceptions of complexity and lack of user-friendliness in new technologies can lead to resistance, as employees may feel overwhelmed by the need to adapt to rapidly evolving systems.

The introduction of automation technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) can provoke opposition due to fears of job displacement and increased workloads.

Title:

Content: Menu Close

The need for businesses to adapt to the workplace demands of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies, with clear implications for jobs and workers.

But just how much employees worry about the threat of automation – and how real those fears are – can have implications for workplaces beyond the technological change itself.

Our new research examined how employees feel about the introduction of “robotic process automation” (RPA) to the workplace. We also looked at how the willingness to embrace these new technologies influenced employees’ assessment of the software bots and their work.

RPA refers to software that interacts with different applications, such as a payroll system or a website, in the same way a human would.

Software robots – the so-called worker bees of RPA – can conduct mundane, repetitive and rule-based tasks such as transferring, entering and extracting data, accounting reconciliation, and automated email query processing. And they can do it at a fraction of the cost of employing real people.

The 24/7 worker

Unsurprisingly, organisations have embraced RPA for its cost and productivity benefits, but it’s not without its challenges. As RPA interacts with various applications, for example, it can “break” when one of the underlying systems is upgraded and the user interface changes.

RPA is also a double-edged sword for employees. On the one hand, with mundane and repetitive tasks outsourced to software robots, workers can focus on more complex tasks that require “soft” skills, empathy and decision-making capabilities.

Read more: Companies are mitigating labour shortages with automation — and this could drastically impact workers

On the other, some feel threatened by the software robots because they are generally more productive, make fewer errors and don’t cost as much as human employees.

Employees can also end up having to do additional tasks, picking up the work that used to be completed by the staff replaced by RPA. Paradoxically, fewer human employees can lead to an increased workload rather than the expected decrease.

Similarly, as employees shift from a mix of mundane and complex tasks to mainly complex ones, the variety in their work is reduced. This can lead to feeling alienated at work, or a sense they lack control over their role.

Fear and enthusiasm

These various perspectives on automation were clear in our research. We interviewed employees and automation team members at a financial institution in New Zealand about their perceptions and responses to RPA and software robots.

We found that reactions to RPA are influenced by what employees imagined would be the consequences of software robots on their jobs. In turn, this influenced their collaboration with the automation team, their attitude towards change in their tasks and work processes, and ultimately their interactions with software robots – including how they judged the bots’ performance.

Perceptions and responses to RPA can be categorised by employees’ views of software robots as either burdens and threats, tools, teammates or innovative enablers.

Those who considered software robots as a burden and threat before they were introduced tended to have a negative view of their experience with RPA. They were concerned about job security, had negative reactions to having greater responsibility added to their workload, and were dissatisfied with the robots’ performance.

Read more: Can machines invent things without human help? These AI examples show the answer is ‘yes’

Lessons for employees and employers

At the opposite end of the spectrum, those who viewed software robots as enablers of innovation saw the opportunities of RPA and the benefits of using robots to improve work quality.

Some eagerly accepted the robots as team members, even giving them human names and joking that the bot was taking a sick day when it stopped working. This group also appreciated the reduction in their own workloads through RPA.

Little surprise, then, that employees who view software robots as innovative enablers or teammates tended to collaborate closely with the automation team to find the best way to integrate robots and improve their performance.

Read more: Brain-computer interfaces could allow soldiers to control weapons with their thoughts and turn off their fear – but the ethics of neurotechnology lags behind the science

In the middle ground, employees who viewed software robots as tools tended to be accepting, but remained sceptical about changes to their workloads and robot performance. They were reluctant to offer full cooperation with the automation team to configure robots’ tasks that would have consequences for their own roles.

Some level of automation is inevitable for businesses. To harness the benefits of RPA without alienating staff, organisations should communicate clearly and often, debunking the myths of robots and their capabilities early to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings by employees.

Employers should take the time to understand how different employees feel about the introduction of automation initiatives. And they should consider incorporating employees’ ideas to increase the overall benefits of automation.

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Misinformation and lack of understanding about new technologies can foster resistance by creating fear and uncertainty, as seen in cases where individuals reject scientific consensus in favor of unfounded fears.

Title:

Content: Contribute

Dynamics of obedience, dissent within Chinese society

Harassment of Japanese after release of Fukushima water sheds light on an intricate citizen-government relationship in China

A man rides his motorcycle past the entrance of the Japanese embassy in Beijing on Aug. 29. Japan said that harassment being faced by the Japanese in China after the release of water from the Fukushima nuclear plant was 'extremely regrettable,' confirming that a brick was thrown at the country's embassy in Beijing. (Photo: AFP)

Published: September 21, 2023 11:57 AM GMT

Updated: September 21, 2023 11:58 AM GMT

Since the commencement of the treated radioactive water release from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea in late August, an unsettling surge of over 400,000 nuisance calls has flooded the Japanese embassy in Beijing.

This disturbing influx of harassing calls appears to be fueled by an escalating anti-Japan sentiment in China, whether born out of a concerning lack of scientific understanding regarding the nature of the discharged water or, in some cases, driven by a deliberate malicious intent to disparage Japan.

On Aug. 25, a mere day after the ocean discharge began, the daily influx of harassing calls peaked at more than 40,000, persisting at around 10,000 in recent days.

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The Japanese government has pleaded with China to address the issue, emphasizing the obstruction these calls cause to the embassy's operations, yet the situation remains unresolved.

Some calls have even taken a threatening tone further underscoring the need to rectify this situation urgently.

China's stance opposing Japan's ocean discharge is based on calling the water "nuclear-contaminated," demanding an immediate halt without substantial scientific backing.

Despite international agencies affirming the safety and negligible impact of the discharge according to global standards, China clings to an unscientific position, ignoring the conclusions of the International Atomic Energy Agency's report as recent as this July.

The consistent resistance to the Fukushima water discharge raises a disquieting concern: the readiness to overlook scientific consensus in favor of unfounded fears, a trait often observed in nation-states where power is centralized in the hands of a single individual.

History serves as a sobering teacher, revealing that leaders in such systems tend to consolidate support not by the merit of their policies but by cultivating a common adversary.

This pattern is eerily reminiscent of past instances, notably in nations like Cuba and North Korea. In these cases, regimes have historically thrived on stoking fears of external threats to foster unity among their populace. By creating an external enemy or amplifying perceived threats from abroad, such governments fortify a sense of nationalistic identity and purpose, often deflecting attention from domestic concerns.

In this context, the persistent opposition to the Fukushima water discharge within the narrative of an ostensibly "nuclear-contaminated" ocean further underscores the power of narrative shaping in centralized systems.

The government's characterization of Japan's actions as unilateral and harmful becomes a rallying point to galvanize the public, instilling a shared belief in the face of an apparent external peril. This approach not only fosters unity but also reaffirms the government's narrative and authority.

Critically, this inclination to magnify external threats while sidelining scientific consensus is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it consolidates power and perpetuates a government's hold over the populace, often at the cost of truth and factual accuracy.

On the other hand, it inhibits open dialogue, hampers collaboration with the international community, and potentially jeopardizes a more informed and cooperative approach to shared challenges.

Moreover, China's blanket import ban on Japanese fishery products in response to the water discharge reflects a lack of consideration for the established safety standards and further illustrates the need for a more informed and evidence-based approach.

All the more Chinese laws unequivocally hold individuals accountable for making frequent nuisance calls that disrupt the lives of others, yet the persistence of this issue reveals a gap in enforcement.

It raises an intriguing point: have these 'defiant' Chinese citizens flooded their own government agencies with millions of phone calls in the aftermath of the accidental release of the Covid-19 virus?

The calamity, unlike the situation in Fukushima prefecture, tragically resulted in the loss of millions of lives globally.

Of course, they haven’t, and if they did there would have been consequences. This juxtaposition highlights a huge disparity in the responses.

This lone example serves to underline the dynamics of obedience and dissent within Chinese society, shedding light on the intricate relationship between the citizens and their own government.

It prompts reflection on the selective “boldness” witnessed, often aligning with what is perceived as serving the national interest or the historical narrative that the Chinese government perpetuates.

This historical narrative, at times reminiscent of a bygone era like World War II, keeps certain perceptions alive, shaping the collective consciousness.

In contrast, Japan, with all its imperfections, stands as a democracy where individuals possess the means to question and form their own opinions.

Despite the omnipresence of government-supporting media, there still exists in Japan a pathway for people to access alternative perspectives and information through the vast realm of the internet.

This disparity in information accessibility reflects the 'net wall' that characterizes the information landscape in China, highlighting a divergence in fundamental freedoms and the dynamics of government-citizen relations.

*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.

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Interpersonal communication strategies, such as active listening and empathy, can help build rapport with colleagues resistant to technological change by addressing their concerns in a non-confrontational manner.

Title:

Content: Here are 10 effective tips for dealing with difficult coworkers
Published: 26 July 2023 - 08: 09
Source: Shutterstock
Every workplace will necessarily encounter difficult co-workers who will test our patience and see how well we can keep our cool under pressure.
Dealing with these people can be annoying and even counterproductive.
However, developing the skill of coping with difficult co-workers is key to having a productive work environment.
To help you deal with these difficult situations elegantly and efficiently, this article will review ten proven and reliable strategies.
Here are 10 effective tips for dealing with difficult coworkers
1.
Compassion and understanding
Compassion and understanding are two of the most important skills for dealing with difficult coworkers.
Try to put yourself in their position and think about their views.
Acknowledge that they may face challenges in their personal or professional lives, leading to their unwanted behavior.
Empathy can help build a good relationship and foster positive communication.
Source: Shutterstock
2.
Active Listening
Active listening is a vital skill when dealing with difficult co-workers.
Give them your full attention when they voice their concerns or complaints.
Believe their feelings and opinions, even if you disagree with them.
Often people just want to be heard, and attentive listening can relieve stress and improve communication.
3.
Maintaining Professionalism
It is essential to show professionalism at all times when dealing with difficult situations.
Avoid getting into heated discussions or letting your feelings govern your reactions.
Instead, respond calmly and specifically and focus on finding a constructive solution to the problem.
4.
Search for common points
Find common points with your difficult colleagues.
Identifying common goals or interests contributes to building a foundation for cooperation and understanding.
Discovering similarities may lead to more productive and collaborative discussions.
5.
Setting boundaries
It ’ s important to set and clarify your personal boundaries if your difficult colleague regularly crosses them.
Kindly let them know that certain behaviors are unacceptable and how they affect your ability to function effectively.
Stay consistent on these boundaries to maintain a positive working relationship.
6.
Avoid chatter and grumbling
Refrain from gossiping or complaining to other colleagues when you have difficulties because of your difficult colleagues.
This behavior can damage your professional reputation and increase negative energy.
Instead, talk directly with the person concerned and if necessary, seek advice from the HR department or supervisor.
7.
Collaborating on solutions
Shift your attention from problems caused by your difficult colleagues to collaborating on solutions.
Discuss issues openly and collaboratively to identify a solution that improves your relationship at work and overall team dynamics.
8. Be prepared to receive feedback
Being prepared to receive constructive nutrition is vital for personal and professional growth.
Gently accept your colleague ’ s criticism and use it as an opportunity to better understand their point of view and make improvements if necessary.
9.
Recognition of achievements
When appropriate, appreciate and thank your difficult colleague for his or her achievements and contributions.
Giving thanks for their efforts can contribute to creating a positive atmosphere and strengthening practical relationships.
10.
Know when to ask for help.
Some situations may be beyond your ability to resolve, and despite doing your best, problems may persist or worsen.
If difficulties persist, consider involving a supervisor, department, or HR representative to mediate the situation impartially.
Dealing with difficult co-workers is an unavoidable part of professional life.
However, with the right application of the right technologies you can turn these retrofit interactions into opportunities for growth and improved working relationships.
You can create a happy and productive work environment even among the most challenging coworkers if you practice empathy, active listening, and professionalism.
Remember that how you handle these situations reflects your personality and professionalism, so it ’ s worth investing the time and effort to develop good communication and collaboration with your colleagues.
Read also.
Topics you might like.

Creating emotional bonds through small acts of inclusion, such as socializing and sharing personal interests, can help establish trust and encourage collaboration in adapting to new technologies.

Title:

Content: Already a hot topic, creating an inclusive workplace has become even more critical for organizations seeking to attract and retain talent, and enhance productivity. Historically, companies have focused on putting in place organizational diversity policies. More recently the focus has shifted to inclusive leadership and the powerful role played by leaders in setting the tone, modeling inclusive behaviors, and calling people to account. Both of these strategies are critical, but they overlook the significance of peer relationships.

There’s a good reason for that. In academic literature as well as industry practice, inclusion has been conceptualized as a psycho-social experience between an individual and a group. In other words, only a group (or a leader as representative of a group) has the power to make an individual feel fairly treated, valued, respected and connected. But is that really right?

Over the last three years I’ve been investigating the impact of peer relationships on an individual’s experience of inclusion. My first study involved deep-dive interviews with 21 diverse employees working in different project teams in a global firm. In a second ethnographic study, I observed the regular meetings of a project team (comprising people of different nationalities, technical capabilities and gender) over a period of two months to see if (and how) inclusive behaviors between peers manifested themselves in practice. In other words, I took out a microscope to explore people’s granular experiences, and then zoomed back out to make sense of the relationship between small acts of inclusion/exclusion, an individual’s job performance, and team effectiveness more broadly. Here’s what I learned.

Interpersonal inclusion is manifested by and developed through three sets of behaviors.

The interviewees from my first study told me in no uncertain terms that peers absolutely have the power to include or exclude, and the exercise of that power makes a meaningful difference to work performance. Further, both studies identified that peer inclusion is demonstrated through three different types of behaviors:

1. Helping each other out

These behaviors, which I call “instrumental assistance,” are those which help a peer to perform their work tasks, such as by providing information, making introductions to contacts, giving endorsements in meetings, and offering advice.

What’s significant about these actions is that they are discretionary and fall outside the strict ambit of one’s job description. For example, one senior manager told me of a peer who came out of a meeting and quickly gave him a heads-up on what was covered rather than waiting until the end of the week and the formal project status report.

During my observations, I often saw peers subtly endorse and amplify each other (eg “As Pedro said…”), thus helping to underscore a peer’s point and increasing their potential influence over proceedings. This particular behavior is reminiscent of a technique reportedly used by President Obama’s female staffers to reinforce and amplify points made by their female peers.

2. Taking emotional care of others

This refers to the care, support and personal interest people demonstrate towards their peers, which helps to develop emotional bonds. Interviewees spoke about socializing with their peers, joking and banter, as well as providing space for venting and showing an authentic interest in a peer’s personal life (e.g. children, pets, or sport). One junior employee told me about how he and his peer started each day with “some kind of little joke,” while many others talked about taking a quick break from the office environment to have a coffee together. Of course, with the advent of lockdown, socializing occurred less frequently, but that was countered by an observable increase in the practice of checking in with peers at a more personal level at the beginning or end of online meetings.

3. Making physical connections

The third behavior, which I call “embodied connection,” refers to the ways in which team members use their physical beings to create and communicate a closer connection through body language and the sharing of space. For example, interviewees talked about walking together to meetings, deliberately sitting next to each other, or if a meeting was virtual, sharing their personal backgrounds rather than using an impersonal corporate photo, and exaggerating positive non-verbal cues such as smiling and nodding.

What’s clear about these examples, is that each involved a pint-sized effort. Nevertheless, the impact was profound psycho-socially in terms of feeling included, especially when these micro acts of interpersonal inclusion were accumulated over time.

Interpersonal inclusion is a reciprocal process and is highly beneficial to individual job performance and team effectiveness.

The benefit of interpersonal inclusion between peers is not just psychological, it also has very practical consequences in terms of boosting individual job performance and improving team effectiveness, according to all of the interviewees. Why? Because each act of interpersonal inclusion is essentially a trade of valuable resources. It might be a direct trade (i.e. I give you an act of instrumental assistance and you give me one back) or a diffuse trade (i.e. If I give you the space to vent, I’m building a more supportive culture that will be there for me should I need it). This makes interpersonal inclusion sound a bit calculating, and interviewees were at pains to play down that connotation. They preferred to think of interpersonal inclusion in terms of helping a peer rather than “cashing in favors.” Nevertheless, the reality was that each trade strengthened a peer’s sense of inclusivity (i.e. my peer cares about me) and provided the practical instrumental and emotional resources needed to do a job.

Importantly, given that interpersonal inclusion is a reciprocal process, it can be kick-started by anyone. This challenges the traditional conceptualization of inclusion as, by nature, a passive experience, with a person waiting for an act of inclusion to be extended towards them by the dominant group or the leader. It turns out that inclusion can be either a passive or active experience, with half of the interviewees saying that they actively included others as a strategy to make themselves feel more included. Further, they did this by using one or more of the three behaviors of interpersonal inclusion to trigger a reciprocal response. Of course it didn’t always work, but it did tip the odds in their favor. This is a very empowering message.

So what does this all add up to? Interviewees told me that these small behaviors have an outsized impact on motivation and energy (“If you feel included you want to come to work every day, you feel more motivated,” as one told me) as well as psychological safety and thus the flow of information and speed of problem solving (thereby reducing the duplication of effort). Such acts also facilitate deeper insight into a peer’s skills and thus better job-matching, as well as helping employees to grow and develop on the job. In sum, interpersonal inclusion between peers helps with retention and growing the quality of employees’ human capital, thus contributing to team effectiveness more broadly.

On the flip-side: Interpersonal exclusion is damaging and usually subtle.

But it’s not all roses. Interviewees described interpersonal exclusion to me as the antithesis of interpersonal inclusion, albeit that it was more likely to be manifested as an omission than commission. In other words, interpersonal exclusion was often experienced through a failure to provide instrumental assistance, emotional bond, or embodied connection rather than via an overt act, such as a snide comment.

For example, I observed people consistently give endorsements to some peers but not others (and this was not driven by the peer’s deservedness). I heard about overtures to lunch which were ignored, and I saw people respond impassively to ideas presented by some but animatedly to those presented by others (once again, irrespective of the quality of the idea).

Given these acts were omissions and small in scale, they were difficult for the excluded peer to put their finger on and name for what they were. Nevertheless, the effects were profound in terms of diminishing motivation and energy, constricting channels of communication and causing people to hold back their discretionary effort.

Disappointingly, in both phases of my research I saw that those who identified themselves as more different to the group than similar were three times as likely to report, and experience, acts of interpersonal exclusion than those who were similar. Some of these acts seemed deliberate, but many more of them appeared to be unconscious. People seemed unaware of the differences in their behavior towards different peers, and they also underestimated the impact of their small acts of interpersonal exclusion on their peer, both in terms of job performance as well as their own team’s effectiveness. In essence, they failed to recognize or give weight to the fact that interpersonal exclusion is a self-defeating behavior, because it restricts access to a larger pool of resources and creates a more transactional workplace culture.

If an organization’s objective is to create an inclusive culture, and thus attract and retain talent, this research reveals the significance of focussing on (horizontal) peer relationships. As such, it complements organizational diversity policies and (vertical) inclusive leadership practices. Moreover, it offers practical insights about how to do this by identifying the nature of interpersonal inclusion, thus making it easier for people to consciously and equitably demonstrate these behaviors with their peers.

In sum, paying much more attention to these small acts of instrumental assistance, emotional bond, and embodied connection can make a world of difference especially given that in increasingly flat hierarchies “co-workers are not only a vital part of the social environment at work; they can literally define it,” as Dab Chiaburu and David Harrison have written. In other words, it is peers who help define what is means to work in an inclusive workplace, and thus, in concert with organizational policies and inclusive leaders, encouraging more inclusive relationships between peers can help teams to be more effective and organizations to achieve their aspirations.

Tailored communication methods, such as using preferred channels like instant messaging, can humanize interactions and reduce resistance to technological change.

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Content: Showcasing the Best of Welsh Business

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Digital Transformation Series – Communications

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To support businesses in Wales, Superfast Business Wales have created a new digital toolkit designed to help businesses improve efficiency, streamline operations, boost security, and often reduce costs.

Listing over 100 cloud-based solutions, the digital toolkit directory will help you find software and services you can rely on. All products listed are presented for information and research only, and any recommendations are not designed to be comprehensive or act as a specific endorsement from Superfast Business Wales.

DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE DIGITAL TOOLKIT HERE

In the next part of this series, we look how businesses can embrace cloud-based software to improve team and general business communications.

Crises and technological advances have naturally forced businesses to bring about changes in their ways of working. Post-covid, implementing a cohesive internal communications plan is now crucial to growing a successful company.

Whether you’re a start-up looking for platforms to help you communicate more efficiently, or an established business that is expanding its operational processes, using cloud software is a cost-effective solution and a must have for any business.

You may be surprised at just how much you can get done in ‘the cloud’, and at a fraction of the cost you’d spend otherwise.

Hybrid working is now mainstream for most businesses; but working in a virtual team presents many challenges. When you can't see your colleagues face-to-face, and you don't have the social interactions that build relationships and rapport, it can be difficult to establish trust.

If virtual working isn't managed correctly, this lack of trust can undermine everything that your business is trying to achieve.

As cloud software solutions have advanced significantly, there are now many tools and strategies that you can use to work successfully in a virtual team and tackle these challenges head-on.

 A company’s ability to effectively communicate both internally and externally can often be the difference between success and failure.

With the rise of instant messaging, Voice over IP telephony and video conferencing, business communication is changing dramatically.

Increasingly, our email is moving to the cloud, reducing the management burden on internal IT staff, and improving access for employees. Often the best email services will give you access to your messages via a desktop client, mobile device and over the web.

Then there’s instant messaging (IM) to consider. It isn’t a replacement for email, but it does allow employees to collaborate and communicate in channels and across departments more effectively. In fact, it often opens up communication far better than email can.

Voice over IP (VoIP) services aim to replace your phone system with a digital equivalent, giving you standard telephony at lower cost. Flexibility is important too, and you can embrace flexible working with a VoIP system that lets a user answer their desk phone from anywhere.

Finally, video conferencing is now cheaper and more accessible than ever. Basic one-to-one calling is standard, so look for a system that features group calling or supports meeting rooms for wider company to company calls.

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Resistance to technological advancements can lead to significant economic consequences, such as job losses and increased socioeconomic divides, particularly in advanced economies.

Title:

Content: AI Study Claims 2 Out Of 5 Human Jobs Will Be Disrupted Or Lost To Artificial Smarts

Artificial intelligence features and tools are making their way into every facet of life, from your computer at home to search engines and productivity tools. With this advancement, there has been a growing concern that AI will be replacing jobs, and research indicates that 40% of all jobs globally could be at risk of negative impact. While this seems like a startling figure, it opens the discussion of what we humans will do next.

Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a Washington, DC-based financial institution with ties to the United Nations and IMF 190-member countries supporting economic stability, published research on “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work.” This research reported that “40 percent of global employment is exposed to AI, with advanced economies at greater risk,” the latter closing in on 60 percent of jobs exposed due to a prevalence of cognitive-task-oriented jobs. However, with this higher risk, more advanced economies also have the means to better leverage the benefits of AI than a developing or emerging economy.

The research also notes that AI will not be limited to any one job role or sector and that, effectively, every job is in the line of fire, as it were. Regardless of job roles, it is further noted that “the advent of AI could exacerbate inequality within countries along various dimensions, such as the income level of individuals, their education level, or their gender.” Effectively, AI has the potential to replace just about any job, increasing socioeconomic divides in nations that see broad adoption of the technology.

Moreover, the report finds that AI will affect older individuals more than younger individuals and that prior education influences individuals’ adaptability. However, these negative downsides also raise the opportunity for positive change. Namely, people should be looking for the implementation of policies that ensure social cohesion and “promote the equitable and ethical integration of AI and train the next generation of workers in these new technologies” while also “protect[ing] and help[ing] retrain workers currently at risk from disruptions.”

In short, given the looming economic and social pressures, individuals should look for policies that support and protect them in a time of technological advancement rather than shut down the advancement. This research also raises the question of when we as a society determine that it is a bad thing to have our jobs replaced by robots. It simply means that we have a new challenge in supporting each other better as humanity pivots to advancing not only the sciences, but arts and creative industries as well.
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For corporations, resistance to technological change can result in operational inefficiencies and lost opportunities, as seen in cases where digital solutions have enhanced service delivery and created jobs.

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Content: I'm sorry.
William Roto:
• Dubai is the perfect place to explore the challenges facing governments because they have the courage of decision, technology and entrepreneurial ideas
• We appreciate the opportunity of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid for the countries of the world to participate in serious discussions about the future of governments
• E-services in Kenya rise to 18% and we aim to automate services 100% within a few years
• Technological changes are a necessity for the progress of states and their resistance leads to the obstruction of the work of governments and the lives of peoples
Changes do not lead to dilemmas.
Resistance to technological change is hampering the work of governments.
Kenya has courageously chosen the future through technological transformations and reliance on digital solutions
United Arab Emirates: His Excellency Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, stressed that the Emirate of Dubai is the ideal place to discuss and anticipate the current and future challenges facing the governments of the world, as a result of its courage in decision-making, its advanced infrastructure, its innovative ideas and its reliance on the latest advanced technologies.
During a keynote speech on the second day of the World Government Summit 2024, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, praised the opportunity for countries of the world to participate in serious discussions on the future of world governments through the World Government Summit in its successive sessions.
“We must ask ourselves an important question: Why not think about the future?! ” said Dr. William Ruto, stressing the ability of the world ’ s governments to create a better future for their people.
Century of transformations
The Kenyan president said during his speech: "The current century has witnessed multiple transformations in all sectors, especially political and economic, but the biggest transformation was due to the emergence of technological engines that allowed humans to go to space, in addition to the emergence of nuclear capabilities and magnetic imaging, which led to the solution of problems that were not solvable."
He pointed out that some faced rapid transformations and changes by placing many obstacles, pointing out that the technological explosion during the past years, resulted in a number of manifestations, especially artificial intelligence, which led to the presence of winners and losers.
Dr. Ruto added: “We have never seen changes that lead to dilemmas, but innovations lead to submission to the status quo, and in contrast, resistance to technological changes leads to the disruption of the work of governments and the lives of people, so it is necessary to encourage these changes. ”
During his speech, the President of Kenya addressed the situation of his country, saying: "It is imperative for us to be ready to receive these changes and the resulting effects, by working to overcome the obstacles that may hinder obtaining positive results during the face of all challenges."
Kenya chooses the future
The Kenyan president considered money the engine in Kenya to accept the technological changes currently taking place in the world, citing the electronic platform "Safarkom", which was launched to transfer funds immediately, where Kenyan citizens, using their mobile phones to transfer money from one place to another.
Dr. William Ruto stressed that Kenya has courageously chosen the future through technological transformations, reliance on digital solutions to provide services and reach the marginalized; through smart applications, the Kenyan government has registered 5 million farmers.
He pointed out that the economic sector, which provides thousands of jobs, took into account the welfare of citizens and freed millions from the difficulty of borrowing, and these jobs have helped to increase jobs on a daily basis, where employment services in his country currently benefit about 18 million Kenyans.
Automation of services
In the context of Kenya ’ s digital transformation, he said: “We have deployed about 107,000 employees across Kenya to collect citizen data, and these employees have been able to record and send this data through their mobile phones, achieving transparency and inclusiveness in data collection and service delivery to citizens. ”
He stressed that the Kenyan government is working to digitize and automate government services, and strengthen them at the state level, where electronic services in Kenya rose to 18% last year, while the government plan aims to automate services by 100% within a few years, adding: "The government focused on taking advantage of modern means, taking into account its risks and disadvantages."
The Kenyan president spoke about the climate conference held in Nairobi last year, noting that the conference focused on identifying Africa ’ s needs for energy, technology, financing and investments to support the people of the African continent and enable them to face the challenges of climate change.
On tourism in Kenya, Dr. Ruto said: “We want to benefit from the expertise of Dubai, which is one of the successful centers in many fields and sectors, including tourism, ” where Kenya has not only green nature, as a tourist destination, but also a history stretching back thousands of years, where it was the meeting place of the first human groups to live in its forests.
# Government Data
- Done.

Organizations can balance innovation with employee concerns by fostering open communication and addressing fears related to job displacement and skill obsolescence.

Involving employees early in the transformation process and aligning technological changes with business goals can help reduce resistance and foster a sense of investment in innovation.

Providing opportunities for continuous learning and upskilling ensures employees can adapt to new technologies, alleviating anxiety and fostering a culture of innovation.

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Content: Technology has radically transformed how we work and engage and the rate of change can feel overwhelming. Now, the prospect of an AI-driven future is adding to the anxiety felt by workers at every level.

Gadijah Dolan, head of HR at Payfast

Despite this, companies understand that they will need to embrace new technologies and use them to innovate if they hope to keep pace with agile, born-digital startups. Finding ways to nurture innovation in the AI age requires a careful and deliberate approach.

The first step to staying relevant is to be constantly innovating. Most companies are naturally focused on growing revenue and generating profit, but they should also be institutionalising innovation within their organisations to ensure they remain competitive.

Making innovation count

The benefits of embracing new technologies are quantifiable. According to McKinsey, companies that are digital leaders enjoy faster revenue growth and better productivity than their less-digitised competitors.

What’s more, they grow profit margins three times faster than average and are often seen as the fastest innovators and disruptors of their sectors. This clearly shows that technological innovation can make a very meaningful difference to companies.

The same report uncovers an additional challenge. The research company points out that larger companies are capturing more revenue as a result of their innovation. McKinsey highlights that the world’s 58 largest economic-value-creating companies account for six percent of all economic profit. They also have 20 times more sales, four times more profit, and five times more R&D investment than median companies with annual sales above $1-billion.

With this amount of R&D clout, it becomes vital for smaller companies to use everything at their disposal to make their innovation efforts count. It also impresses the need for rapid innovation that can impact the bottom line.

Understanding a new generation of workers

So much of our innovation now relies on technologies like big data and AI. But this can cause a good deal of anxiety for many workers.

When ChatGPT hit the headlines, it caused some panic, especially amongst the older generations, that they would become redundant and be replaced by machines.

With careful engagement and allowing the staff to actually work with the technology, they realised that, while some administrative aspects of their job could be done faster and more efficiently by AI programmes, it also freed them up to focus on the roles which required the insight, experience and personal touch that only a human can provide.

As with all workplace issues, ensuring that everyone is seen, heard and understood is key. This includes a whole new generation that will soon be joining the workforce. Generation Alpha are those born between 2010 and 2024. They are referring to themselves as Gen.AI and are hyper connected and have had AI, like ChatGPT, as part of their lives since they were in school.

This generation is totally reliant on AI and will struggle without it. This will mean original and creative thought will have to be nurtured in a workplace setting. This generational disconnect will be an important aspect for HR leaders to consider when setting up and formalising innovation workgroups.

Three steps to ensure innovation delivers

* Start at the very top. Innovation needs to start at the executive level with buy-in from all leaders and then needs to be handed over to a dedicated innovation team. It’s also important that the team must be cross functional and representative of all levels within the organisation. While leaders must facilitate the initiative, when you are working on a new product or offering that will affect everyone in the organisation, it makes sense to get all the relevant stakeholders to participate. This also keeps everyone accountable, which significantly improves the chances of success in the allotted time.

* Ensure cross-functional viewpoints. A cross-functional team not only improves the chances of success, but the benefits of stepping outside of everyday work can be hugely beneficial to staff. We are all guilty of becoming tunnel-visioned when it comes to our daily niches, but breaking down silos can also uncover new talents and keep team members engaged and motivated. Setting up teams that have good generational representation also ensures a variety of ways of approaching problems and gives a good picture of what the customer is looking for when it comes to finding solutions.

* Pursue an agile, iterative approach. The most important aspect of rapid innovation is to take an agile, iterative approach. Just like how we design software, taking a fail fast approach to innovation means new ideas can be tried, tested and, if they don’t meet requirements, the innovation team can quickly move on without wasting any further time and resources.

One thing that born-digital companies can teach more traditional organisations is that innovation must be fast, flexible, and take advantage of every available technological opportunity. Today’s leaders must show that tech is a tool and human creativity still holds the biggest chance to solve our problems.

The successful implementation of Da Vinci Robotic Bridging Surgery demonstrates how involving employees early and achieving short-term results can overcome resistance to technological change.

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Chiu Wen-tat: Systematic thinking, crisis management, hospital management key
Wenda Chiu, Co-CEO of AHMC Healthcare, shares his insights on the key to the success of healthcare organizations with his extensive hospital management experience in the United States and Taiwan.
He believes that change management and crisis response capabilities are critical to the growth of hospitals, not only in terms of resource, process and budget adjustments, but also in terms of people, teams and organizational structures.
Prior to joining AHMC Renai Medical Group, Dr. Chiu has accumulated extensive management experience in Taiwan as the Dean of a number of well-known hospitals and the President of Taipei Medical University.
He pointed out that while working in the United States, he deeply realized the high difficulty of the American medical system, and witnessed the gradual growth of AHMC in the midst of difficulties under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Wu Hongwen, Vice Chairman Dr. Lin Yuanqing and Dr. Wu Yuanhuang, proving that hospital management also needs to deal with changes and crises.
Change management involves not only resource, process, and budget adjustments, but also fundamental changes to individuals, teams, and the entire organization.
He stressed that the biggest challenge in the process of change comes from the psychological curve of resistance to change, which can not only lead to brain drain, but also have a profound impact on the organization.
During his tenure as minister, he faced many challenges, especially in pushing for change in government institutions.
In order to solve this problem, Qiu advocates building a sense of crisis and achieving short-term results as the top priority, as the cornerstone of promoting cultural change.
He cited the successful implementation of Da Vinci Robotic Bridging Surgery at a hospital on the East Coast as an example of the long-term success of learning curves and innovative technologies.
In addition, Chiu also shared his experience in the face of changes in the US health care system, from Obamacare to Trumpcare to Bidencare, every policy change has brought new challenges and changes to the health care system.
And crisis management and system thinking in this process have a certain importance, and the hospital's crisis handling cases compare the effectiveness of different organizations in crisis management, indicating the critical role of system thinking in crisis management.
For example, Taiwan's well-known national hospitals have been slow to respond to pollution incidents at points, resulting in the tragic death of many patients, and the reputation of the hospital has been seriously damaged. The number of patients has dropped by more than 15%, and the impact has continued for several months.
In contrast, when a private hospital in Taiwan faces a similar crisis, it can quickly identify the cause and control the loss in a timely manner.
This contrast highlights the importance of systematic thinking to modern hospital management. Qiu Wenda pointed out that the traditional linear thinking model is easy to ignore the relationship and feedback between the various aspects of the problem, and often only after the lesion is detected.
And system thinking emphasizes looking at the crisis from a holistic perspective, constantly adjusting and improving through feedback loop.
Finally, with the COVID-19 pandemic as a backdrop, Chiu shared how he and his team used systematic thinking to manage crises and ensure quality of care while keeping patients safe.
He highlighted the importance of flexibility and the ability to make quick decisions in uncertain times.
Chiu also proposed seven steps for change management, including building a sense of crisis, forming an action team, shaping a new vision, executing a new strategy, achieving short-term results, initiating new changes and building a new culture, emphasizing that these steps are essential for successful implementation of change.
During the epidemic, AHMC also successfully responded to the epidemic by establishing CDC standard testing and quarantine measures, maintaining medical quality, expanding quarantine wards and increasing the supply of respirators and personal protective equipment, reeducating employees and controlling the infection rate in the hospital below 5%, and increasing the vaccination rate of employees.
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Broader societal debates about technology, such as concerns over automation replacing jobs, significantly shape individual attitudes in the workplace by fostering anxiety about job security.

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Content: Tech experts for the “statement ”:
Artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword that requires oversight to achieve its goals.
T + T - normal size
Experts specialized in technology stressed that artificial intelligence is a double-edged weapon, combining great potential and potential risks, which requires effective guidance and control to ensure the achievement of its objectives and the desired benefits and reduce the negative effects.
The experts explained to Al-Bayan that in light of the current digital revolution, artificial intelligence has become a key driver in the development of various fields such as smart electronic games, digital technology and the promotion of social communication, as the world is witnessing a major shift in how young people and society interact with these advanced technologies that facilitate daily life and accelerate achievement.
Experts pointed out that despite the tremendous opportunities these technologies offer, they pose new challenges related to over-reliance and their impact on human skills.
Pros and Cons
Dr. Mohammed Al Marzouqi stressed that digital technology significantly affects cultural interactions between individuals and society, pointing out that it has positive and negative aspects.
He explained that technology contributes to facilitating life and accelerating achievement in various fields, including government transactions, where it enables members of society to achieve their goals with less effort and in a shorter time.
He pointed out that technology has led to great developments in many fields such as economy, medicine and education, which reflects positively on the infrastructure of society, but warned that excessive use of technology can negatively affect individuals, as it leads to the disruption of the abilities of the mind and acquired skills.
He pointed out that technology promotes the principle of monopoly at work, which affects the interaction between human skills and individuals.
He added that artificial intelligence today has a great impact on the energies of young people, especially in the fields of information technology, content making and innovative art by artificial intelligence, pointing out that the correct guidance and smart use of these technologies can lead to great successes, which stands out as a positive aspect in our smart and developed world today.
Regarding the impact of new forms of entertainment such as smart electronic games on the interaction of community members, Marzouki explained that these games represent a double-edged sword, on the one hand, providing new means of communication and technologies that may pose a threat to a certain group of society because of contact with strangers.
He stressed the importance of family control over children and adolescents who play these games, stressing that they should not be prevented completely because they are part of the societal reality and preventing them can have a negative psychological impact, especially on children.
Big transformations.
For his part, technical expert Issa Al-Mansouri explained that the impact of new forms of entertainment supported by artificial intelligence, constitutes a major shift in the interactions of young people virtual today.
He pointed out that these new phenomena of entertainment increase interaction with online activities, which reduces the time devoted to traditional activities such as reading and direct social interaction.
Al Mansouri added that the new virtual world is capable of enhancing social interaction and diversifying traditional entertainment experiences, as it contributes to expanding the social interaction of individuals in the community through the exchange of experiences and interaction on digital platforms, explaining that artificial intelligence contributes to diversifying entertainment experiences, allowing young people to have personalized and personal experiences that increase their satisfaction with the activities they do.
For his part, the influencer on social networking sites, Issa Al-Mannai, explained that artificial intelligence enhances the ability of individuals to interact socially in innovative ways, and provides advanced tools to analyze data and discover patterns that help improve the quality of life.
He added that artificial intelligence plays a vital role in various areas of daily life, from health care and education to transportation and entertainment, which contributes to the creation of a more connected and innovative society, stressing that thanks to the available digital services, access to information and services has become easier.
He explained that digital technology has contributed to increasing the safety and security of individuals, as technologies such as artificial intelligence surveillance cameras and danger alerts have been used to ensure safety in crises.
These technologies facilitated mobility and provided sustainable and multiple modes of transport.
Al-Mannai stressed that the standard of living increased as a result of the existence of jobs in the field of technology, where all services of the individual enjoyed digital governance, which provided rapid access to all segments of society at a high speed, and thus increased the demand for digital technology.
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The perception that technology isolates individuals from meaningful social experiences has amplified resistance, with critics arguing that digital tools contribute to loneliness and a decline in human connection.

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Content: Rebuilding the human factor…

Events of the past two years have demonstrated that thanks to modern technology and the increasingly individualistic nature of modern western society it’s now perfectly possible, especially if you live in an urban area to go for days and even weeks on end without any meaningful contact with other human beings.

We can do our supermarket shopping online and have the groceries delivered to our door by an anonymous delivery driver on a zero contract. In fact we can now buy almost anything at the click of a mouse. Even if we do bother venturing out to the shops we can avoid human interaction by using the self-service check-out. We can watch the latest films on Netflix or Amazon on our 44-inch flatscreen TVs rather than make the trip out to our local cinema. The books we borrow from the library can be checked out by a scanning machine rather than a living breathing librarian. We even communicate with our work colleagues in the same office by email rather than face to face.

Social media has become a substitute for real-life conversation. We’ve reached the point where we judge our local café on the quality of its wi-fi coverage rather than its cappuccinos. Decades, if not centuries of migration from the country to the cities have uprooted local communities and created an impersonal sense of individualistic existence.

As David Goodhart in his acclaimed book The Road To Somewhere points out:

“As people have become richer and more mobile, and as families have become looser, the personal diasporas, the chosen networks of friends, interest groups, workplaces and cyberspace have become more significant alongside the given communities of neighbourhood and family. It is often said that our social relations have become shallower but our networks wider.”

So while technology has certainly made life easier it hasn’t necessarily made people happier. It may be a slight exaggeration to say that the dystopian sci-fi nightmare of humans being largely replaced by automatons in the mould of “Man-Machine” by German electro-rock outfit Kraftwerk has finally arrived, but we’re not far off that point.

The COVID situation has brought this issue into sharper relief. Loneliness has become the ultimate urban disease of the modern age.

Earlier this year the decomposing remains of an elderly man thought to have died up to 12 months previously during lockdown were found in a Dublin house

A similarly gruesome recently occurred in London – with the alarm only raised when neighbours complained about the smell – despite the unfortunate individual having lain there dead for over two years. The idea of anyone dying alone without anyone noticing would have been unthinkable a generation or two ago.

Neuroscientist Dean Burnett makes the following observation:

While we’re undeniably social, humans also evolved in a tribal setting, where a few dozen individuals stuck together their whole (short) lives.

This has undoubtedly shaped how we work and what we’ve become. In the grand scheme of things, until relatively recently, in the developed world at least, your average human lived an existence which didn’t much deviate from this. We typically lived, worked, and raised families as part of tight communities, where everyone knew everyone and there was always someone around.”

The days of tightly knit communities and knowing everyone on your street are long gone.

Is it a failure of modern society? Have we become too selfish and inward-looking?

On an opinion piece about mental illness on this blog two years ago one commentator offered the following succinct analysis:

“…people continue the retreat into their self-contained bubbles: door-delivered pizzas to fuel binge-watching of the latest acclaimed TV series. People living in characterless identikit homes in culs-de-sac with names like “Oak View” (viewing no such thing), furnished with mass-produced IKEA&Q furniture, paid for by salaries taken from dispiriting semi-careers. Church attendance falling off to nothing as people continue to cook up personalised boutique “belief” systems which amount to little more than humanist aphorisms devoid of any spiritual dimension whatsoever. Places of usual community gutted and destroyed by the demands of Big Line Go Up: pubs, corner shops consigned to history by a combination of punitive rates and out-of-town TescoMarts.”

But it doesn’t have to be like this….

Although the pandemic certainly exacerbated the effects of mental health and social isolation, it also played a part in bringing communities together. Amidst the isolation of lockdown sprung new shoots in the form of mutual aid groups.

In my adopted home city – the normally unfriendly, impersonal metropolis of London where next-door neighbours can live beside each other for years yet hardly know each other’s names let alone ever exchange a word – local WhatsApp groups connected residents to street level communities with volunteers offering assistance to elderly and vulnerable citizens, including co-ordinated food bank deliveries, assisted shopping and moral support.

We’re now seeing a similar phenomenon with regard to the various ventures aimed at providing relief to Ukraine. The White Eagle (Klub Orła Białego), a Polish social club in south London has had a phenomenal response to its appeal for donations and volunteers to transport emergency supplies to the beleaguered country.

Local business sponsorship of local charities, neighbourhood wellbeing projects, local gardening initiatives in public parks and communal gardens, community art schemes, mutual aid groups, measures to reduce digital exclusion by loaning laptops out to deprived households, bringing IT literacy to older people so they can connect remotely with family and befriending services – to which all residents within a given urban area can potentially contribute to, or benefit from – continue to flourish.

There are also the small steps we can all take to make our society more personable and community-focussed.

While many of us no doubt regularly check up on our elderly neighbours or offer to do their shopping, we could also rather than instinctively rush to the supermarket’s self-service till (which I’m often guilty of myself) make the effort to use a human check-out – and engage in the brief 20-second window of small talk while we’re at it.

Concerns about the ethical implications of AI, such as surveillance and privacy violations, further influence workplace attitudes by creating skepticism about the fairness of technology-driven systems.

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Content: Point of view
Chen Jialuo
CHEN Jialuo: How to supervise AI and why?
[Ming Pao article] The global influence of enterprise groups that research and develop AI (artificial intelligence) and have related technologies is constantly expanding, and the emerging forces of such “disruptive ” are attracting attention around the world.
However, how reliable are these private or public-private joint ventures, and for whom? The current SAR Government has repeatedly stressed that “no innovation, no future ” (Note 1), then what kind of innovation and technology will the public face and what kind of future?
The European Parliament has voted to approve the world ’ s first draft law regulating AI and is negotiating final legislation with 27 member states, with the goal of reaching an agreement by the end of this year.
The new regulation is more than just a matter of the EU ’ s market and governance itself; the EU, as a political and economic entity, is a way to exercise its “soft power ” by setting norms for the international community (Note 2).
The European Union is the first to establish an AI governance and regulatory regime, and even though the bill is not expected to come into force until 2026 at the earliest, the proposals have become the basis for international cooperation in this policy area.
The EU ’ s scientific research and trading partners should pay attention to the relevant regulations and development in the future, and cannot rule out the loss caused by delays and failure to comply or institutional contradictions.
The European Union – a pioneer of regulation
The draft adopted by the European Union imposes a number of regulations on AI technology, including banning the use of remote biometric technologies such as face recognition in public places, and requiring AI systems to actively disclose text, images, codes, audio and other content generated by AI technology.
The draft also regulates the application of AI according to the degree of risk. The potential harm to human health, safety, rights or the environment is classified as high risk, such as artificial intelligence systems that can affect the election results, and large-scale social networking platforms using artificial intelligence systems, critical infrastructure, education, human resources, public order and immigration management will be included in the high risk list.
At the same time, the European Commission has previously implemented five internal operational guidelines, requiring employees to avoid the use of AI “in critical and time-sensitive processes ”, not to disclose information that is not in the public domain, to be aware that AI responses may be inaccurate, fabricated or biased, that AI-generated content may infringe intellectual property rights, and that AI-generated content cannot be copied to official documents.
It is the responsibility of anyone who claims to be an innovation-focused person to identify early the risks posed by the “infinite possibilities ” of AI, and to provide a persuasive assessment, rather than choosing a foothold between“ doomsday prophecy ” and “Brave New World ”.
Clearly, the EU has chosen to regulate and regulate the point of impact that AI can have, to define the scope of application based on the protection of users, information, privacy, intellectual property and other rights, and to use public power to guard us; and then to establish an authority with sufficient power, resources and credibility to determine who is responsible for the adverse consequences.
The European Union has addressed the risks caused by over-reliance on AI, the possibility of discrimination and prejudice, the production and dissemination of fake news, surveillance violations of personal behavior and privacy, and cyber security vulnerabilities, and has repeatedly discussed with stakeholders and civil society, hoping to promote AI research and development and expand investment on the premise of protecting the public interest.
In 2021, the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council called for “a holistic understanding of technology, a holistic approach to human rights, and overall governance and regulatory efforts ” in its report“ Possible impacts, opportunities and challenges of new and emerging digital technologies for the promotion and protection of human rights ” (Note 3).
However, these three “holistic ” efforts are unlikely to free themselves from the competition and conflict of values arising from differences in governance systems around the world. Dictatorships will invest resources in developing and using AI technology to implement digital surveillance of individuals and society around the clock, on the grounds of safeguarding national security, public order, social stability and prosperity.
It is widely feared that political and business forces will use AI technology to influence our choices and behaviors at the social and individual levels. It is hoped that the AI era will promote the ideals of “open government and open society ” more effectively. The powerful and the interests behind them impose more powerful checks and balances and accountability.
In "Brave New World Before the End"?
It is not difficult to imagine that the international development and regulation of AI technology will be significantly different according to local political and economic considerations, and there will be significant differences in nomenclature on some common issues that should receive global attention. Exercise and stress tests to continuously enhance the risk identification and assessment capabilities mentioned above.
In this case, like other “mutual trust building mechanisms ” that deal with contradictions and conflicts large and small in the international community will not work, but local defense and homeland security departments are unlikely to overcome the temptation to“ weaponize ” AI, that is, to simulate the creation of chaos on the “enemy ”, try to interfere with the economy and manipulate their own political results, and find ways to deter the other party from using the same means to deal with themselves. And...
Similarly, whether AI will exacerbate the deep contradictions that plague human society, the key is whether the main purpose of the development of related technologies is to strengthen the overall human capacity to promote productivity, improve the quality of life, and deal with environmental climate change issues, or to replace human contributions to the vital aspects of labor, cognition, thinking, decision-making, and communication primarily through automated processes.
The risk cannot be arbitrarily and simply divided.
From the point of view of technology development, the two purposes are not mutually exclusive, but the former will certainly be better than the latter to allow the benefits and benefits of new technology to be distributed rationally to all walks of life and jobs; while the latter will certainly lead to a significant reduction in frontline and grass-roots jobs in industries where processes and services can be turned into "automation". It has been replaced by a temporary replacement.
This vision of a “brave new world before the end ” is one of the foundations that prompted the European Union to create a list of high risks to regulate AI technology.
The rapid pace of development of AI technology has effectively prevented us from arbitrarily dividing the risks into “current ” and“ long-term ”.
The only certainty is that the political and economic groups that develop and control technology will have more resources and more power.
The question remains: what kind of future will they create for themselves and others?
Note 1: “Speech by the Chief Executive at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Education Centre ”, Government Press Release, 12 July 2022
Kenneth Chan, Power through trade: opportunities and constraints of the European Union's normal entrepreneurship — the case of Hong Kong, Asia Europe Journal, 18 (2020): 413-427.
Note 3: Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, Possible impacts, opportunities and challenges of new and emerging digital technologies with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights.
19 May 2021.
The author is Associate Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, Baptist University
(Criticism of current affairs articles published by this website is aimed at pointing out errors or deficiencies in relevant systems, policies or measures, with the aim of correcting or eliminating such errors or deficiencies, and improving them through lawful means, with no intention of inciting hatred, dissatisfaction or hostility towards the Government or other communities)
[Chen Jialuo]
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Interns can navigate workplace dynamics with resistant supervisors by leveraging reverse mentorship, where younger staff share their technological expertise to foster collaboration.

Understanding the psychological factors behind resistance, such as fear of job displacement, can help interns empathize with supervisors and design tailored approaches to address their concerns.

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【 Epidemic Management 】 Integrating Psychology into Business Management Skills “Shadow Plan ”
10: 00 2022 / 01 / 09
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Under the new normal of COVID-19, team management and operations also need to be transformed, and communication difficulties increase.
Peter Chan, founder of TreeholeHK, a local psychology training institute, said that in recent years, more and more large enterprises and NGOs have re-examined their management culture, and there is a need to integrate psychological skills into their transformation management strategies to cope with the brain drain crisis.
How to adapt to the new environment is definitely a big problem for enterprises or organizations.
For example, dealing with the new normal under the epidemic, the rising Web 3.0 era, the metaverse, etc., is said to be the future direction of the development of enterprises.
Encouraging talent development and driving performance
It is not uncommon to catch up with changes in business models and technological changes, and companies that have been eaten away by the times have become commonplace.
He pointed out that enterprises need to pay more attention to internal innovation, provide suitable space for the growth of the new generation of wage earners in the Internet era, encourage talent development, but also help drive performance.
He explained that many of the new generation of wage earners are not only "returning to nine-hour work and looking for a meal", they also attach great importance to team communication, a sense of connection with the enterprise, and whether they can make full use of their strengths and contribute to society.
Therefore, shaping the working environment that meets these needs is also the key to retaining talent.
For example, in recent years, companies have established business innovation departments, or allowed to propose and promote innovation to bring new business development directions.
For example, Standard Chartered launched its subsidiary, Mox Virtual Bank, in conjunction with PCCW, Hong Kong Telecom and online travel service provider Trip.com, HSBC ’ s e-wallet, PayMe, is an innovative application that responds to the new generation of habits.
The team members of Shue Tung Hong Kong are the new generation of wage earners born in the online world.
Therefore, when dealing with the new normal environment under the epidemic, it also smoothly turned the crisis into an opportunity.
In its early years, it has focused on promoting community projects and launching podcasts to promote different aspects of psychology and a culture of thinking to the public.
Chen Kin Yan, founder of Shu Tung Hong, a social enterprise specializing in providing psychological training, said that companies need to focus on internal innovation to cope with the challenges of the times and the brain drain crisis. (photo by Zhang Baoyan)
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Last year, the number of employees increased six times.
In recent years, in the face of changes in the social environment and during the epidemic, enterprises and NGOs have also begun to transform, and need to adapt to the trend of new markets as soon as possible, and pay more attention to the mental health of employees.
As a result, the team increased professional training for the enterprise, and adopted digital tools and shifted to online promotion.
He revealed that after seizing the opportunity to launch a new training program, the company ’ s turnover in 2021 was nearly six times higher than at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
He added:
The way out of psychology involves not only pathological psychology, clinical psychology, nursing psychology, etc. The use of psychology in workplace communication and marketing is also a major innovative direction, and the Hong Kong market is also relatively rare.
Therefore, his purpose in setting up the social enterprise is also to respond to the aspirations of the new generation of wage earners to have a diversified development path and to give full play to their strengths and contribute to society.
As for the integration of psychology into management skills, he explained that the training is based on psychology and scientific research, for example, to give employees a deeper understanding of what factors help build relationships with colleagues and customers, how to overcome communication barriers between employees at different levels, etc., and to provide practical and improved scenarios.
【 Epidemic Business 】 Revitalizing “Yong Hua Noodle House ” Leading Group to Expand the Asian Food Field“ Master ” Huang Jielong: Don ’ t Want to Go Back
Empathy + Instruction
Chen stressed the need to provide appropriate training to new management level to enable them to successfully take over, especially in the epidemic, the corporate communication model has been transformed into remote communication (remote communication), and if the response strategy is not put forward, the communication gap between the department and the team will become increasingly large.
For example, he pointed out that in the past, colleagues in the office had micro communication, such as sharing what restaurants nearby the company recommended, etc., to create an invisible relationship, and “to build a sense of connection, it depends on common experience. ”
He admitted that at present, by means of video conferencing, communication software communication, "I will not specially attend a meeting to talk about the sushi restaurant good food."
Therefore, there is a need for different types of team building activities, different from the previous one-style, canned, the company will analyze the environment and for the needs of the company's colleagues, design gamification activities, provide psychological workplace and mental training.
Noting that many middle and upper level employees are stressed by management problems, such as thinking that their instructions are clear, but not in fact, he hopes to introduce a management culture of “listening to frontline employees ” into the activities.
The team previously provided Stress Management for international chain companies, using psychological skills to help employees improve empathy and enhance their ability to deliver instructions.
For example, they will first have a confidentiality agreement, understand the needs of frontline staff in anonymous form, and reflect to the middle and senior management, simulation of the event and management teaching, so that the middle and senior management to provide support according to the needs of the frontline, so as to promote their work motivation and encourage the backbone of the team to carry out "workplace culture improvement projects".
In addition, in response to the feedback of many enterprise groups, the team promoted the "shadow plan", providing Skill set, management training, etc., to help solve the pain points.
Reporter: Zhang Baoyan
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Adapting to supervisors resistant to change requires emphasizing the benefits of technology in enhancing productivity and creativity while fostering a culture of continuous learning.

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Content: Although it is common for business leaders to take inspiration from successful sports coaches, former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger — himself a regular speaker on the corporate circuit — believes lessons from sport aren’t easily transferable to most organisations.

“Players have to be as close as possible to 100% of their potential to be efficient,” Wenger is quoted as saying. “That is not the case in daily life.”

Certainly, the role of talent separates sports teams from banks, or law firms, or even startups. Not least because the hierarchy of compensation is flipped, with many players earning in a week what their coach earns in a month, or what the club directors earn in a year. But Wenger is getting at something deeper, a point taken up by Financial Times journalist Simon Kuper.

“Sport isn’t a useful model for business,” Kuper writes. “Corporations are based on the concept of replaceability. [Employees] don’t need to be highly talented. They just need to be good enough.

A corporation succeeds thanks to efficient processes, not extraordinary talent. In most jobs, creativity and extraordinary talent only cause trouble.”

Interestingly, Kuper’s emphasis on process and replaceability chimes with common fears around AI and automation, with many digital transformation initiatives encountering resistance and scepticism from employees fearing job displacement — often justified.

Irish workers at risk

By 2030, management consultancy firm McKinsey predicts automation will impact at least 375 million jobs worldwide, while the recent OECD Skills Strategy Report notes Irish workers are at risk of falling behind as workplaces and technology evolve faster than skills and capabilities.

If we accept Kuper’s version of a corporation, surely more AI and automation will lead to increased organisational downsizing and even less emphasis on creativity and extraordinary talent.

Thankfully no. Or at least, not entirely. While the process-over-people organisation Kuper describes may have been common in the past — and still exists to an extent — IMI research shows top organisations have never been more committed to their people, with AI and automation an enhancer of their creativity rather than a replacement.

After studying the digital transformation efforts of multiple organisations, IMI found the biggest enabler of project success was not the technology itself, but the organisational and leadership structures.

Empowered by supportive leadership, agile and cross-functional teams utilised cutting-edge project management techniques to test and iterate in an environment of psychological safety, with creativity and innovation at the forefront.

Emphasis on continuous learning

The most successful teams were not necessarily AI or technology experts, but their organisations placed a strong emphasis on continuous learning and upskilling, allowing them to adapt more easily to new technology and ways of working.

Crucially, rather than being processed-obsessed, these teams were output-orientated, customer-centric focused on high performance. Tony Moroney, programme director for IMI’s digital leadership diploma and AI for C-Suite programme, believes the biggest challenge to be overcome when it comes to technology and digital is mindset.

When people hear digital transformation they tend to focus on the digital side rather than the transformation side, when really it’s just using digital tools to deliver this transformation and provide a better experience for customers.

"But it’s vital to look at digital transformation as a strategic imperative, and not just as a technology project.”

Recall the words of Colonel John Boyd, the US Air Force pilot and military strategist, who would routinely bark: “People, ideas, machines — in that order!” Boyd believed project success with technology came from the intersection between people and technology, and the ideas of those people, not from the technology itself. In other words, instilling a culture of innovation.

New opportunities and challenges

However, fostering that environment is not easy. The business landscape is being reshaped by automation and AI in unprecedented ways. This brings forth new opportunities and challenges for leaders, who are tasked with driving their organisations through technological adoption while meeting the changing needs of an evolving workforce.

Organisations must shift from technology infrastructure investment to value realisation, but these opportunities can only be realised when the cultural and organisational challenges are met.

For example, a recent Microsoft survey noted over half of Irish workers feel their leadership team is out of touch and that workplace culture has deteriorated in the hybrid environment. Burnout, not enough focus time, and too many tasks and meetings were also cited as challenges.

On the flipside, a recent Deloitte survey noted C-suite leaders found the main obstacle hindering their organisation’s progress towards digital transformation was lack of workforce skills and capabilities, followed by mindset and cultural shift.

In terms of overcoming these challenges, the adoption of digital solutions like AI should help organisation address the productivity pressure points mentioned above, reduce risk of employee burnout and improve the employee experience.

Crucially, leaders must encourage a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, where employees are empowered to embrace change and adapt to emerging tools and trends, along with equipping the workforce with new skills and capabilities. Otherwise, workers may get left behind, as the OECD recently warned.

While technology should be used to increase productivity rather than a means to replace people, technology can and often does replace people — this is the history of automation. Thus upskilling and lifelong learning initiatives are so vital: empowering and increasing the capabilities of a hugely diverse group of workers, including leaders themselves.

Jobs threat

Because automation and AI threaten jobs higher up the food chain than ever before, leaders are also at risk of being left behind, unless they equip themselves and their teams with the necessary skills and capabilities to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape.

The demand for a better understanding of these implications has led IMI to create their AI for C-suite half-day programme, featuring immersive workshops providing scenarios where senior leaders will work through the implications and challenges of embedding AI into their businesses.

The need for programmes such as these is especially crucial, considering the growing divide between workers and leaders in many organisations and the unprecedented complexity we face.

AI is likely to be the defining technology of our time, with the potential to free us from digital debt, fuel innovation and transform how organisations operate and interact with their employees. Rather than diminishing creativity and extraordinary talent, quite the opposite effect occurs. Freed from process obsession, workers can finally perform to the standard of high-level footballers.

At least in theory.

  • Ben Davern leads research and insights with IMI

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