Generative AI and the Future of Work

How might generative AI impact traditional, hierarchical bureaucracies?

How will AI impact how decisions are made? 

Will GenAI encourage new ways of organizing and operating? 

Or will GenAI be used to reinforce Industrial Era practices? 

Some thoughts for how AI could support traditional Industrial Era thinking –

·      Employee monitoring for productivity and identification of training needs

·      Assigning employees to work assignments

·      Extending data mining practices

·      The AI could identify new decision options or ways of working that could then be implemented mechanically without involving people who might be impacted.

Some thoughts where AI supports New Era thinking include –

·      Increased data transparency that enables distributed decision-making

·      Data pushed to raise awareness of information that currently is hidden or withheld

·      Purpose clarification and cross-organization alignment

·      Enablement of an active, explicit network of networks

·      Work processes designed dynamically with role clarification

·      Internal marketplace of ideas and employee mobility

·      Next generation Knowledge Management (see below)

Regardless of the mindset used when leveraging AI, there are many places where an impact is likely to be felt – 

·      Work process augmentation especially for routine & repetitive tasks

·      Improved employee productivity – monitoring and suggested changes for support or training (warning – this could be a dual edged sword)

·      Data-driven decision making – data analytics for more informed decisions

·      Augmented decision making – predictions & recommendations

·      Sales & Marketing – Enhanced customer insights – analysis of customer data to provide insights into customer preferences and behaviors

·      Customer service

·      Background monitoring for ethical considerations – use of AI, privacy, bias mitigation, transparency

·      Employee skill development – coaching & personalized leadership development

·      Communication & information sharing (increased transparency with pushed information that is targeted to those who could use the information)

·      Collaboration – team support, conflict mediation, and suggestions for consensus building &/or clarification of differences

·      Resource allocation

·      Identification of potential risks

Collectively, there are many HR functions that can be directly impacted (separately or embedded in an HR department)

·      Talent recruitment & screening

·      Career pathing – opportunity transparency, upskilling, coaching

·      Internal marketplace – skills & roles

·      Employee mental health & well-being

·      Staffing – full-time rotation, part-time fill-in, contract outsourcing, gig for projects

AI as 4th Generation Knowledge Management (KM)

·      Knowledgebase curation

·      Expertise identification

·      Knowledge integration (internal & external)

·      Idea generation

As background for the four KM generations –

1.     Information management – leveraging explicit knowledge

2.     Content (experience) management – leveraging tacit knowledge (documenting best practices, online document storage)

3.     Expertise identification (CoPs) – making network connections

4.     AI to automatically curate explicit knowledge in MIS databases, capture tacit knowledge stored in artifacts (emails, reports, presentations, narrations, etc.), and deliver it to those who need to know

What other thoughts or ideas do you have on how GenAI may impact management practices in the future? The list above is driven by how AI is likely to replace or greatly alter current management processes.  Of greater interest going forward are the new uses of AI in doing things that are currently not possible or not even conceived as possible.

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