Thursday, February 2, 2017

Can We Untangle This Mess?


Weinberger’s (2011) states, “Knowledge now is the unshaped web of connections within which expressions of ideas live.” (118) He goes on to explain that, “the world itself is more like a shapeless, intertwingled, unmasterable web than like a well-reasoned argument.” (119) He contemplates the shape of this networked thinking and concludes it has no shape, but is instead uncontrollably divergent.  It has become, as Jon Husband defines it, a wirearchy,  “a dynamic two-way flow of  power and authority, based on knowledge, trust, credibility and a focus on results, enabled by interconnected people and technology” (para 8).  The power of the wirearchy lies in a flattened organizational structure where people depend on one another …working together through connection and collaboration … taking responsibility individually and collectively rather than relying on traditional hierarchical status.  In this uber connected world a leader’s role becomes one of championing ideas and ensuring resources are focused on identifying the possibility for innovation in those ideas.  To do this Husband explains that leaders need to stay on top of how and why people are connecting and sharing information and facilitate this connection whenever possible.  To foster the collaborative spirit Husband also focuses on a leader’s ability to listen deeply and be transparent. Being able to let go of power and control is critical for the wirearchical leader.

Weinberger in his video looks to the future and suggests we need to constantly anticipate how to stay relevant.  And since it is very difficult it is to anticipate what will be meaningful he suggests that we need to keep the possibilities open ended. Thus instead of leaders filtering information out, based on their own priorities, it would be wiser to let the user determine their own priorities after filtering through on their own.  And, according  to Gartner, acting or thinking  independently will become the anomaly.  Instead we are likely to experience swarming where groups of people gather instantaneously to solve a problem, solve it then dissipate as quickly.  (The work evolution of flash mobs?)  Work Sketch Ups, discussed by Gartner, also highlight the impermanent team. This presents some unique leadership challenges in that the team or project may be ephemeral and unpredictable.   And a cornerstone to successful leadership in this connected world will also be establishing powerful connections and high levels of trust with others.  Exploiting the Weak Links (forming necessary relationships) and Working with the Collective (interacting with groups outside of the organization’s purview) are two such areas necessitating the building of trust.   Another component of successful leadership proposed by Gartner is the ability to recognize patterns.  Although both Weinberger and Husband seem to warn against the leader doing much filtering, the ability to recognize patterns could prove to be eminently helpful for a leader in influencing vision and direction for her followers.
And how will leaders and their followers be able to obtain these skills?  Gartner recommends businesses help make everyone more digitally savvy by launching learning boot camps.  I love the boot camp concept because of its “all in” approach so necessary in this network tsunami.  And taking a different track on preparing the workforce and leadership for these new skills, Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor’s chief economist, lists HR transforming itself as Job Trend #1 in FastCompany’s  top 5 workplace trends forecast for 2017.  Since employee engagement is a top focus in my organization I was fascinated by the HR  workforce analytics that can track every stage of an employee’s progression through a company and Sentiment trackers such as Glint and Small Improvements  which enable employees to monitor their attitudes, engagement, performance and more  at various times throughout the day.  As I took a tour through the websites of this Sentiment tracking software I felt it was a bit intrusive. Yet it also struck me as like a natural networked evolution to Teresa Amabile’s research (Progress Principle, 2011) on the positive impact of meeting even very small goals during the work day.  Her subjects used daily diaries and recorded thousands of pages.  Wow!  How much easier her research would have been with using Glint.   
Two other predicted changes caught my attention in some additional Gartner studies.  In their Top Strategic Predictions they suggest that by 2020, the average person will be engaging in conversation with AI more than humans.  The study references current day conversational user interfaces, such as Amazon's Alexa, or Apple’s Siri.  I wonder to what extent such conversational interfaces might replace leaders. They are omnipresent and are certainly informed.  Another element in the study suggests that the meaning of literacy is changing. We used to associate literacy with being able to read information. Now, simply reading is not enough.  The literate individual also knows how and where to search.  From an HR and leadership perspective this suggests that changes are coming in what we value in our employees and how we prepare them for success.

Chamberlin  points out that tomorrow’s workforce needs to be creative, flexible, have strong soft skills, and good judgment.  Weinberger sees employees who are who are well connected and can continue to build connections with both humans and the network.  Gartner’s research predicts swarming and temporary relationships which need to form and perform very quickly.  Husband sees a flattened, integrated work world of interdependence. Success in the future seems to rely on us being able to tap our deepest human elements of trust and connection with a savvy awareness and integration with the network.  We will need to form solid relationships with both humans and AI.  It is difficult for me to nail down specifics that leaders will need moving forward but I can say with confidence that we need to help ourselves and those around us learn to live in complete unpredictability.  And humor is one great tool for making at least a tiny bit of sense of the ambiguous world.  Thanks to Dr. Watwood sharing one of his favorite cartoonists, I was led to https://www.gapingvoid.com/  a site offering to help organizations “address the gaps between your culture and your purpose, so your employees can help your business succeed.”   They offer to do this through a combination of art and Culture Science™.  The company name and mission made me smile.  We surely are experience a gaping void of understanding right now and I think it’s worth considering that maybe part of our solution as leaders is to keep smiling J
Amabile, T. & Kramer, S. (2011). The Progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.
Weinberger, D. (2011). Too big to know: Rethinking knowledge now that the facts aren’t the facts, experts are everywhere, and the smartest person in the room is the room. New York: Basic Books.

11 comments:

  1. Hugh McLeod is certainly a favorite of mine.

    I was struck by your comment "...I wonder to what extent such conversational interfaces might replace leaders." My initial thought...like my response to whether AI should replace teachers, is if they (teachers or leaders) are not providing value, then perhaps they should be replaced. But then the opportunity side kicked in. How might leaders be more productive if certain routine tasks are freed up by AI?

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    1. Thanks again for guiding us toward Hugh McLeod. I honestly was feeling a bit grim as I read and wrote this piece initially. And then the cartoons suddenly shifted my perspective and I felt so empowered and far less grim. So my reaction to your comment is different today than it would have been earlier in the week. I feel like I am ready to embrace AI stepping in as a partner. Just like you I feel if I am not adding value then talking to me is a waste. The consistency and deep knowledge that AI enables and possesses would seem to prove more worthwhile in many ways as a leader rather than me, the unpredictable human. I'd better be relevant and helpful or get out of the way! In terms of AI taking care of some of those routine tasks - I think about project management and agree - that is so tedious yet many of the elements could be delegated to AI thus leaving the more innovative (for now) human mind to enjoy a broader array of challenge. I suspect I'll get the chance to test this soon...

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  2. Tricia,
    I agree with you, leaders should keep smiling as it is part of the ‘fake it until you make it’ ideology. Working in healthcare, I immediately thought of the work being done in rural parts of Nebraska to provide behavioral health care to patients. Since there are shortages of behavioral health providers in Nebraska, many are using technology to interact with patients miles away through telehealth. The ability of providers to still “see” patients while providing care is amazing. Live Well Omaha had an article on how telehealth is impacting patients in rural Nebraska. I will be interested to see what other ways technology is used within healthcare to deliver care.
    Thank you,
    Keshia

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    1. My hyperlink to the Live Well article did not show up. Here it is: http://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/telemedicine-service-expanding-in-nebraska-to-spare-rural-patients-long/article_ae38d6c9-6414-53cc-aaf3-9468f34edb53.html.

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    2. Keshia - Thanks so much for the article. My new health plan also includes a virtual visit option but I've not yet used it or even read how it works so really enjoyed reading up on the Nebraska telemedicine service. Not only is it efficient and less expensive but I had not really thought about how helpful it could be to patients who don't drive, the elderly, or who might feel anxious to visit a doctor. Thanks for broadening my perspective. I'm looking forward to trying that option in my own plan. You ask about other ways technology might deliver healthcare and one thought which popped into my head was what about robo - drones? Imagine your teledoc dispatching medicine or maybe a simple procedure (like BP monitoring) via drone. I can see that coming soon to our front door. And as a matter of fact ... they are already in action http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/clinical-updates/trauma/medical-drones-poised-to-take-off

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  3. THIS POST IS ACTUALLY FROM CatOnKB - BUT WOULD NOT POST FOR HER

    Outstanding post, Tricia! Your comment that humans and AI will need to form solid working relationships is very insightful. This will be a vital component of the (not so distant) future workplace.

    I highly recommend McKinsey Global Institute’s report “Harnessing automation for a future that works” (http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/digital-disruption/harnessing-automation-for-a-future-that-works). The report points out that while most occupations are not fully automatable, 60 percent of all occupations have 30 percent or more activities that could be automated with current technology. The report emphasizes that activities, not occupations, will be automated. The human/AI relationships you mention are critical as people “work more closely with technology, freeing up more time to focus on intrinsically human capabilities that machines cannot yet match” (p. 18).

    Businesses can benefit from AI – reduced errors, improved safety, and higher customer satisfaction, to name a few possibilities. However, the range of cognitive tasks that today's machines can perform is limited, especially in areas such as context, improvisation, common sense, ambiguity, socialization, and emotion. The McKinsey report encourages leaders to look for areas where automation can increase performance and profits, keeping in mind that some activities have greater automation potential than others, and recognizing that retraining will be needed as workers take on new roles and integrate with AI.

    This is an exciting and important topic! I am glad for the opportunity to discuss this with you and our fellow bloggers.

    -CatOnKB


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    1. Thanks for the reference to the McKinsey piece. I enjoyed it and appreciate the focus on the benefits we can attain from working with AI. I do wonder how long we will be able to say the cognitive tasks that today's machines can perform is limited. Even on elements you mention such as improvisation or socialization. There are components of each of these which can be distilled and if AI can quickly search through so many options and learn from its experience (as I am observing my Alexa do) it seems we will surely be seeing more of these higher order cognitive functions performed by non-human entities. Thus I am really curious about what our working relationships will become as AI evolves and we try to figure it all out. Curiouser and curiouser ... I become.

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  4. It has been a mantra where I work that it is important that you know where find information, and not know everything. I just heard my practice director say it again – reminding the very bright minds in his practice that he expects the knowledge to be spread out, so leverage that reality. I can’t imagine that a boss like him would end up being AI, but perhaps I am not being creative enough in my vision. I just fear that his name might be HAL, and I might hear one day, “I can’t open the pod door for you Dave”.
    From a career perspective, I was very technical for a long time. But this always meant studying for an exam on the latest technology – and there is a fair amount of betting on the right technology that occurred. It was tiring. The solution is often to go into management. I did some of that, but found that some areas, that are as valuable to solutions as much as technology, would always need to be addressed: people and process. So I focused on process first, and now people. The reality is that technology moves fast, and changes often. But the people and process side is based upon best practices that unfold at a slower pace (i.e., innovations don’t tend to pop up that radically redirect our thinking on how people behave and think). I say all this in support of the value of the “soft skills” that will be (and are today) needed for leadership – although I don’t particularly like the term “soft skills” as it denotes something easy, which it is not.

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    1. Sounds as if you have a good leader to model after - at least in terms of integrating the network. Nice approach to ensure the knowledge is spread out. I envision everyone sharing what they discovered and thus maintaining a high level of expertise across the department. I have been on the people and process side since I started working and started to feel a growing gap in literally technical skills about 8 years ago. I'm now doing what I can to "catch up" - and seek ways to integrate my knowledge with what may be future realities in leadership. My first rule of leadership in this evolving world will be "do not get in that pod!" Just in case ... ~Tricia

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  5. Tricia,

    While reading your post I was reminded of a sort of paradox that exists in the readings your mentioned. One one hand the importance of trust is constantly espoused, however at the same time the idea of swarming is mentioned as a way future employees should work. How are the temporary and quickly formed teams expected to develop the level of trust that Husband and Weinberger talk about? Or do you think that trust is only essential between a leader and the employees and the flexibility of quickly changing teams makes up for a lower level of trust?

    Chris

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    1. Chris - I see exactly the same paradox. Trust seems to be more and more critical yet more difficult to form in such ephemeral times. In addition to the leader member bond, research suggests that trust between collaborators is needed in order for individuals to take risks and to stretch further in their ideation. I think developing trust will be on of the most critical elements for leaders in the future. Not an easy one, but very necessary. Thanks for the question. ~Tricia

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