It was 1994 and I was sitting on the Georgia Tech campus in my fiancée’s office. He had asked me to drop by and check out a new technology he was learning to use that would “revolutionize” the business landscape. It was the Internet.
He typed something on the keyboard and a video popped up on a miniature “TV screen.” It started playing the theme song from the 1960’s sitcom Gilligan’s Island. I remember clearly telling him that it was an interesting novelty, but I didn’t think it would take off as a business tool.
While I may not have had the foresight to see how the Internet would alter every aspect of our lives, I have no doubt that AI will alter our world in ways we can’t even begin to comprehend today.
Even with that knowledge, I still believe human intelligence (HI) will continue to be a vital component of any organization’s success. And the good news is that when organizations invest in HI skills, employees experience improved engagement, decreased burnout, and increased personal and professional satisfaction.
I believe that along with AI capabilities, companies should be investing in deepening employee self-awareness, strengthening stress management abilities, and building individual and team resilience. The combination of technical focus and human focus will set the companies that are thriving apart from those that are simply surviving.
Self-Awareness is a foundational skill that allows individuals to be their best at work. When employees are truly aware of their values, the opportunities where they can make the greatest impact, and the clarity of how they present themselves to the world, new possibilities will become more readily available.
“The greatest opportunity for excellence unfolds as we uncover our inherent strengths.”
Self-aware team members can recognize and pursue opportunities to differentiate the group and organization. Self-aware leaders can learn to adapt their leadership style to the moment, deepening the trust and loyalty of team members. And, when organizations create cultures that support and encourage self-awareness, people can safely bring their authentic self to work creating stronger relationships, diversity of thought, and increased innovation.
A second HI skill that employees can benefit from is strengthening the ability to handle the stress of volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) work environments. Managing the natural fears and anxieties that muddle employee’s mindsets takes more than willpower, it takes actual strategies. Decreasing the organizational fallout by teaching actionable, brain-based stress management techniques, decreases burnout and allows teams to increase productivity and professional satisfaction.
Once individuals recognize their strengths and learn skills to manage stress more effectively, they are set up to focus on resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity- stronger, wiser, and better equipped to manage the next “bump” in the road or the next change in the way we do business.
“According to a new poll by SAS, while 97% of business executives believe business resilience is important, only 47% believe their employees are resilient.”
Resilient employees view adversity as opportunities to gain experience and problem solve in new and innovative ways. They also tend to maintain focus on important goals, emphasize internal motivators, and seek out collaborative relationships to push goals over the finish line-even when times are tough.
As we begin to peer into the horizon that is 2025, we may not yet be able to see exactly how AI will revolutionize our business landscape. However, companies who are committed to an investment in employee’s abilities to know themselves, manage stress, and bounce back stronger and better than they were before, will have the workforce in place to leverage AI for the long-term; much longer than a three-hour tour.