How to Redefine Roles in an Automated Landscape
AI’s rise in popularity empowers teams to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. Despite criticisms of AI, on the whole, it’s something that we are all going to be impacted by at some point in our careers. Business owners and Executives are often faced with the difficult task of redefining roles, let alone with the added pressures that an automated landscape can bring.
“The automation landscape is far more than the set of applications and platforms that comprise intelligent automation. It includes the physical aspects of running and maintaining these automations too.
That’s the people involved as well as infrastructure; specifically, the servers, computers, storage, network resources and integrations into the applications, and interfaces that employees and customers use to interact with these systems of automation.” [source]
With people fearing that AI is going to “replace” them - this quote proves that it’s the complete opposite. It’s important to note that despite AI automating some job roles, it’s set to create a lot more opportunities for people to progress in their careers.
How can executives start to redefine roles?
Consider AI and Automation when conducting succession planning sessions
Any successful organisation should actively be in succession planning if they want to grow. Succession planning comes with its own challenges, however, understanding all of the angles that can impact someone during their progression with an organisation will enable you to create better paths for them in the long term.
Particularly if you haven’t reviewed your succession planning strategy recently, now’s the time to look at it in depth and make some changes.
Invest in fresh talent who have experience within blind spots
If AI and automation still feel new to your organisation, trying to redefine roles and change them can be difficult to do - especially if the majority of your workforce has no experience with AI and Automation technology. You want to focus on hiring great talent, whether this is at junior or leadership level to give you guidance as well as come with the right skill sets to adapt to the short and long-term changes that you’ll encounter as a by-product of AI.
This doesn’t mean that you should cull your workforce and replace them only with experienced individuals. Instead, see it as a hybrid model, enabling you to slowly transition to roles that are redefined in the new automated landscape that you find yourselves in. As an executive, you don’t need to have all of the answers to this.
Whether it’s hiring someone at leadership level on a permanent basis or entrusting an external consultant to navigate you through the process, there is no right or wrong way of doing it. You must do what feels right for your organisation. See the changes as career growth opportunities.
Ensure your changes impact the bottom line (your customers)
It’s crucial for leaders to understand that redefining roles shouldn’t just work for your organisation internally - they also need to impact your customers. Employee experience is important, but customer experience needs to also be front and centre.
We are in a competitive, fast-moving landscape, and you don’t want to end up being caught up in improving internal processes and roles so much that your customer satisfaction falters. Ultimately AI and Automation should be there to enhance what you already have, and that is for both employees and customers.
“Leveraging technologies that empower employees and customers to build and interact with automation not only encourages innovation but ensures that everyone takes part in the journey, resulting in sustainable outcomes for all.” - [source]
