AI & Culture
Jul 24, 2024
A Gentle Contrarian's View on Business Evolution
In the rush to implement AI for business improvement and competitiveness, a crucial element is often overlooked: culture. As someone who works with culture and strategy alignment, I see this oversight as a significant issue.
The old adage "culture eats strategy for breakfast" only holds true when culture and strategy are misaligned. Before hastily adopting AI, it's essential to ensure your organizational culture is prepared for it.
Let's consider a fundamental agreement: if we continue doing what we've always done, we'll get what we've always gotten. This principle applies to our approach to AI adoption and cultural change.
We're living in uncertain times, where disruption is the new norm. The pandemic proved that businesses with "leaky buckets" struggle to survive. However, uncertainty brings opportunity. Why? Because the playbook for success is being rewritten.
Evolution is key in this ever-changing environment. It's not about pivoting once; it's about continuous adaptation. Our approach involves 90-day incremental evolutions within a three-year roadmap, distilled into daily fast execution.
Consider recent global disruptions: the pandemic, the rise of conversational AI, climate change concerns. Each event reshapes strategic plans across industries. We're not returning to normal or even settling into a "new normal." Instead, we're facing a series of "next normals."
In this context, the question becomes: Is your business agile and flexible enough to adapt to these disruptions?
You have a choice: affect change in your industry or be at the mercy of its effects.
To navigate this landscape, we need leaders willing to lead, not follow. This means anticipating market needs before they're apparent and acting in advance. It's surprising how many businesses are still not innovating, disrupting, or reimagining their operations.
Innovation, by definition, means to change or do something different from within. Yet many organizations try to force-fit external innovations into existing structures. This approach rarely succeeds.
Instead, focus on building cultures that empower and engage people while extending reach. The goal is to create an environment where humans and AI complement each other, rather than compete.
This shift requires rethinking traditional workplace philosophies. Move from...
"you're paid to work, not think"
to...
"you're paid to think, and if you need to do some work, that's okay."
As AI takes over more routine tasks, human value lies in creativity, imagination, curiosity, and empathy.
Building an invincible culture - one too powerful to be defeated or overcome - is crucial. This culture should provide:
- Something to believe in (a compelling purpose)
- Someone to believe in (strong, visionary leadership)
- Someone who believes in me (empowerment and trust with values)
However, culture alone isn't enough.
Organizational structure matters too. Traditional hierarchies and silos hinder the collaboration necessary for innovation. What's needed is an ecosystem where AI and humans can thrive together, akin to the symbiotic relationships in the Great Barrier Reef.
As we face perhaps the most significant existential crisis in the workplace, remember: it's not about AI replacing humans, but about humans and AI working in harmony. Your culture should embrace both, setting ethical guardrails that apply equally to human and AI operations.
The businesses that will thrive are those that create cultures ready to embody AI, not just implement it. They'll tap into "human AI" - the collective intelligence and creativity of their workforce - while seamlessly integrating technological AI.
Are you preparing your culture for this evolution?
Or are you waiting for a new business to come along and claim the future you were destined to own?
The choice, and the opportunity, is yours.
It's time to lead different.
Together we can...
#EvolveTheWorldOfWork
Dave Clare, Chief Evolution Officer
WEEKLY CLARISM
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