A better future for workplaces and people can be enabled through next gen technology when we use it in the right ways.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our rapidly evolving digital landscape, reshaping how businesses operate and transforming the dynamics of the workforce. A recent study reveals that a significant 68% of executives believe the benefits of AI outweigh the associated risks, underlining the growing acceptance of this technology in organizational strategies. The growth of AI has influenced a significant change in the world, especially in the workplace.
With the ending of COVID-19, many workplaces have turned hybrid, giving space for employees to grow apart rather than come together. AI is an immense, mostly untapped, opportunity to make hybrid work better. It is the moment for leaders to put their efforts into strategizing the best ways for how AI can benefit their workplaces.
Executives’ Optimism in AI
Gartner started off the 2024 year with a research study that indicates a notable shift in executive perspectives, with nearly seven out of ten leaders expressing confidence in the positive impact of AI on their organizations. This newfound optimism stems from the recognition of AI’s potential to enhance efficiency, streamline processes, and unlock innovative solutions that were once thought to be beyond human capabilities.
But when we look at how involved HR leaders are in enterprise-wide talks about what’s commonly called “GenAI” — the next wave of AI technologies — we find an intriguing dichotomy. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of AI’s benefits in workplace transformation, only 22% of HR leaders are highly engaged in these critical conversations. This gap raises questions about the degree of involvement and preparedness within HR departments to address the evolving needs of the workforce in the era of AI.
The dichotomy between executive optimism and HR engagement highlights the need for organizations to bridge this gap for effective AI integration. Challenges such as cultural transformation, workforce reskilling, talent acquisition, and ethical considerations are all opportunities for AI adoption to benefit organizations. The study suggests that executives and HR leaders willing to invest time and resources in developing a thoughtful strategy including AI are likely to navigate this transformative period more successfully.
Opportunities for AI to strengthen workplaces in a hybrid work environment
One of the key points mentioned in the Gartner research is alignment vs. connectedness. Alignment is acknowledging and understanding the values of the company and peers around you. Connectedness takes it up a level into connecting those morals to your personal morals. Both are needed in the hybrid workplace in order to function well. Connectedness and alignment is the key to establishing a culture where employees feel motivated and engaged.
When it comes to establishing and nurturing company cultures, there is a difference between knowing versus identifying or believing versus caring. Being emotionally connected to the mission statements and values of the company matters in order to make natural connections with employers and top leaders of the company.
That connectedness is proven difficult for many companies in the hybrid workplace. In a historical office setting, team lunches, drinking fountain talks, and impromptu conversations were common ways for staff members to connect, promote unity, and work well together. However, these natural possibilities for connection are constrained in the hybrid workplace, where workers shift between remote and in-person work arrangements. This has been shown to lead to reduction in team cohesiveness, a breakdown in communication, and a feeling of alienation among staff members.
Recognizing the importance of fostering a connected workforce is the first step. From there, organizations can leverage AI-driven solutions to foster human connection. There is a great opportunity for AI to be a facilitator for human connection vs. a detractor of feelings of connectivity. It is up to everyone to find the ways to use AI for the long-term benefit of their teams and people.
AI tools can help to create meaningful interactions and facilitate collaboration in a hybrid environment to strengthen workplaces. AI-powered communication platforms, virtual collaboration tools, and intelligent matchmaking algorithms can serve as catalysts for bringing employees together, irrespective of their physical location.
These conversations about how to navigate AI in the workplace and how to incorporate it into a company’s strategy are not easy. While there is both optimism and confidence about the transformative power of AI amongst leaders, there is also a lack of clarity in how to best implement it, and there is a level of concern about the future of AI amongst many people. Having these difficult interactions are unavoidable and can provide great opportunities to improve workplace culture in tangible ways.
How Does this Connect to Kindness?
Kindness and connection go hand in hand. Creating a culture of authentic kindness brings people together even when they might not be face to face.
Kindness brings employees beyond merely alignment to a company culture and into a feeling of connectivity to their own values and morals. Kindness is an expectation from today’s workforce with 89% of young workers saying that they would choose a company who values kindness and mental health over one that does not.
Kindness means more than being surface-level nice to people; it is showing dedication and an authentic desire to support others and to practice kindness with ourselves. An effective way to drive a culture rooted in Kindness is for leaders to set an example by demonstrating Kindness and their own connection to the company in authentic ways. When leaders show dedication to creating connections between themselves, their people and the company, it creates lasting and trusting relationships. Every moment of interaction counts towards creating bonds and connections between employees and organizations.
KindWorks.AI platform, centered around a friendly AI agent ‘Beni’, has started these conversations. With Beni, people are encouraged to engage in meaningful interactions daily, learning more about each other on a deeper level. These relationships lead people to be more thoughtful, productive, and connected and to share that they have more personal capacity to do their jobs and to bring their best selves every day. Beni enables people to feel more connected to both their company and also their peers.
AI’s growing influence on businesses brings with it both opportunities and concerns. For the sake of expanding a business and upholding its core principles, it is critical to engage in discussions about artificial intelligence. Technology can become more valuable as it continues to develop, particularly in a workplace that is increasingly becoming hybrid. Establishing connections based on trust and kindness helps people both personally and professionally. It improves businesses, strengthen workplaces and creates a comfortable and productive work environment. And this better future for workplaces and their people can be enabled through next gen technology when we use it in the right ways.
Learn more: www.KindWorks.AI
Book a demo: https://calendly.com/kindworks-ai/kindworks-ai-demo
