Better Together: Rebalancing Technology And Human Work - Forbes

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Change is inevitable. Much of the state of our current environment is like the process of preparing scrambled eggs: We first take the egg and crack it open and allow the contents of the shell to flow into a bowl of some sort. Let’s say decentralized systems and new technologies represent the thin and thick egg white, and established systems and core processes represent the yolk. The yolk flows to the middle of bowl, and the egg white remains on the outer edge, surrounding the yolk. Now, we take a whisk and begin swirling it around and around the outside areas, beginning a strong, circular rotation of the white. Sooner or later, the yolk will be affected by this motion and become engulfed in the spinning vibrations and energies of the egg white. It’s not a matter of if in most cases; it’s a matter of when.

The question for organizations should shift from "What will technology do to us?" to "How will we embrace technology in the workplace for new wins?" I think often of the quote by Eric Raymond: “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.” In one sense, this can be interpreted to mean that all problems get easier to solve as both the volume and diversity of potential solvers go up. The correct solution going forward for many organizations is a rebalancing act that steers us to integrate the multi-efficient solutions of the crowd with the core, machines with minds and products with platforms.

PwC has captured much of this momentum in its consumer intelligence series, “Tech at Work.” The report includes a very promising finding: 73% of survey respondents are aware of systems that could help them produce higher quality work. One of the many reasons why certain technologies create such wonderful efficiencies is that they proliferate the economics of "free, perfect and instant," an idea coined by MIT professors Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee.

Digital technologies can scale at a much faster rate than other systems and compete aggressively with traditional infrastructures because certain digital goods can be classified this way:

• Free: A digital good can be produced at such a small cost.

• Perfect: Each digital good is an exact replica of the original.

• Instant: A digital good is transmittable around the globe at a very fast speed.

How could the increased use of technology in your business or industry of choice open the opportunity for a greater level of productivity, growth and differentiation? Here are three ways technology can help foster greater levels of efficiency in the HR space.

AI And Machine Learning

One of the greatest questions an HR leader can ask their leadership team is: If there was a technology that enabled our competitors to recruit more effectively than us, what would it be? AI and machine learning are helping to make recruiting keener by evaluating hard skills with merit-focused technical screening processes and using new sourcing tools like Entelo or Arya.

Time Reduction

Technology is freeing up HR leaders to focus more of their energies and skills in more strategic and advantageous ways. With fewer administrative-oriented tasks, HR can focus on more soft skills that foster healthier organizational relationships. Building and growing genuine human connections is the lifeblood of most great organizations. The outcome generates a richer corporate culture.

Increased Data-Driven Decision Making

As technology opens the doors for increased data gathering, this also increases our chances of making stronger decisions. Arguably one of the greatest challenges is illustrating these findings to key decision makers in ways that are most impactful. Once your stakeholders begin to trust your data assessments and see real ROI from these decisions, the path forward becomes exciting for all.

The top three most valuable brands in 2018 were are all platform providers. This could easily lead one to lean toward developing new models that decentralize most things. As powerful and efficient as technologies such as blockchain, with its use of smart contracts, are, the door will nonetheless always be open for human leadership. The logic states that even though these systems may have lower production costs and tremendous intangibles, a managed company may have lower coordination costs and also benefit from the overarching ability to mitigate contingencies.

As alluring as smart contracts seem, they are imperfect in nature because the world is complex and unpredictable, and a smart contract simply cannot capture all the possible scenarios that could take place. Hence the need for C-suite leaders, HR executives and other relevant managers to foster atmospheres in which there is a harmonious balance between technology and a human touch that facilitates maximum progression.

One of the most challenging leadership tasks in the second machine age is to rebalance the business world by increasing the use of machines where minds prevailed, to increase the use of platforms where products succeeded and to utilize more of the amazing talent within the crowd where centralized systems and core management have long dominated. We shouldn’t aggressively look for ways to replace either, but instead think of new ways in which they can flow together.

This will be the evolving role of great leaders going forward. It will be a highly sought-after and agile skill set that will be needed to foster a greater level of congruence. The leaders of tomorrow will be winners who have the keen ability to navigate uncertainties, manage contingencies and rally folks around a transformative vision that will be deeply integrated in digital technology.

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