Technology is getting smarter, replacing mundane tasks, to the advantage of many. The use of AI is already rampant. The crop of leaders in this automation-driven era-be they department heads, COOs, Tech gurus- must take on human aspects of leadership as AI takes over the more data-based decisions.
Studies estimate that AI could add £630billion to the UK economy by 2035. Another study found that 76% of its respondents believed that their leaders understand and would promote the positive aspects of automation by AI.
While these statistics present a hard-to-ignore case for the importance of AI, the AI age may be time to focus on nurturing human labour and solve the perennial problem of an unhappy workforce.
Therefore, leaders must spearhead automation for gain instead of fuelling fear that automation will replace human workers shortly.
In this article, we will explore automation as a leadership tool and how it helps leaders nurture employees.
Sure, automation is taking over, but some jobs are automation resistant. A 2016 World Bank review found that 79% of employers believed skills such as being honest or the ability to gel with a team as the most important qualifications for a job. This will be true as long as the world is run by human beings.
Automation will affect HR, transforming how leaders and employees relate. The workplaces that will successfully manage this automation revolution will be those where heads recognize individual tasks that can be left to automation and release people to handle workflows that need the human touch.
For leaders, the automation age will require more people smart skills. It’s an HR head attentively listening and reading an employee’s face when addressing a slump in performance, it’s a sales head correcting a junior staff without making them feel worthless, etc.
While there’s a lurking fear that automation may take over more jobs in the future, there are many advantages for leadership. Automation will add more value to aspects of human leadership like being approachable, adapting to change, engaging employees, and other aspects of conscious leadership.
Consequently, companies can focus on enriching relations between prospects and the employees they interact with. On the other hand, leaders will have more time to nurture employees rather than micromanage them. The result is higher performance and more productivity.
As tech revolutionizes more aspects of how people work, leaders will take on the challenge to provide direction and stump fears of job loss among their staff members.
As people become more aware of the importance of AI, automation will help emotionally intelligent leaders to implement solutions easier. You can coach better, use data to support staff training and decision making and ultimately create an organization that pours into their employees which translates to business success.
A report released in 2019 said that 4.3 million UK citizens are unhappy at work. The UK scored higher than Canada, Australia and Germany, and the US. It’s no surprise as employees battle long work-life imbalance and poor scheduling in workplaces that work on shifts.
As AI releases management to do more conscious leadership, it’s also time for executives to put aside resources for fun company activities.
AI can take over routine tasks that take hours off employee’s rest time. This will free employees to go home early, spend more weekends with loved ones and spend uninterrupted leaves. The happier they are, the fewer sick-offs they’ll ask for.
There’ll be time for more office parties and team building. These activities are great for bonding teammates and improving work relationships. As a result, employees will be happier, keener, and more creative.
Psychologists agree that rest is crucial. In fact, rest enhances performance and memory. Getting breaks from the computer reduces strain on the eyes and reduces headaches and other associated discomforts. Workers who get regular breaks can still do better than workers who continue to ignore automation benefits.
Technology will keep advancing. It is your job to adapt to changes and guide those under you to adapt to the change while encouraging human skills.
Here’s how you can do that.
Your ability to articulate and interpret possible or new changes to supervisors and employees will smoothen the change path. You need to explain how new tech complements their value and not replaces it. Ensure the goals are easy to understand then rally them toward achieving them.
For example, customer support teams may be more involved in making clients feel their feedback is valued instead of answering questions about products and services.
This is critical for firms and leaders should do it before they plan a restructure of duties. This will involve assessing skills in employees and anticipating the change in clients and customer needs. This will help you spot skills that need revamping or new training. In most cases, training will be just as beneficial as getting new hires to do what you think your staff can’t.
In any case, you’ll have the advantage of working with staff members you already know. You need to show employees that the company supports their need to remain relevant in the automation age. It’s your job too to identify the enthusiasm to learn and support it with training and resources for the good of everybody.
For Human resource heads, your soft skills will help stem worker’s fears that they can be replaced at any time. They’ll also help you organise training as new technological facets come up, and solve conflicts that arise from change.
Automation requires communication to help firms to adopt transformation. This also means actually adopting an open-door policy instead of just having it on paper. You’ll need to encourage downward, horizontal, and upward communication to keep everyone looped on what’s happening.
Technology fans business growth when applied intelligently. At BNM Analytics, we’ll help you achieve more with smart management solutions. Contact us today. We will be happy to help.
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