00:00:00: It comes from the top, it is really important to have clear guardrails first of all so that people know what they can and cannot do.

00:00:18: Hello and a warm welcome to new edition of The Learn Curve, the podcast for our fans of corporate learning communication.

00:00:25: We want keep you up-to date on whats going in the world of digital corporate learning and communication.

00:00:31: My name is Dirk Schwendt.

00:00:33: Today we will look at another topic around AI.

00:00:36: How can the change which comes with adopting AI be managed well for employees?

00:00:41: You might find that following situation familiar.

00:00:44: You spend a lot of money on licenses, you see some front runners in your team doing great things but also on the other side perceives strange silence instead of big cheering coming from.

00:01:01: So adopting AI means really a big change for your people and this change needs to be managed.

00:01:07: How can we do best?

00:01:08: I want to discuss with my great guest today is Marike Stolk, Change Manager at our Accenture Talent Practice in Zurich.

00:01:16: Hi Marike!

00:01:17: Great to have you here.

00:01:18: Hi Derek thankyoufor having me here.

00:01:21: Yeah wonderful.

00:01:23: Why is AI adoption so different from from other or previous technology transformation, which enterprises see every now and then.

00:01:33: So what is the big difference here?

00:01:35: I think that's a great question.

00:01:36: to kick off it's a question that i've been thinking about a lot as well And uh discussed with a lot of people Aswell.

00:01:43: Is It Different Or...

00:01:44: It IS Yeah!

00:01:45: Um..I Think AI adoption is different because AI is not just another system.

00:01:52: so um It does not automate a process.

00:01:56: it really changes how people think, decide create and collaborate.

00:02:02: I like the example of picking atypical ERP implementation so The enterprise resource planning tool that A company may use to automate core business processes Like finance and accounting for example or HR related topics When we did transformations with those tools, so when we had those ERP implementations people have to learn a new workflow.

00:02:29: We could show them click here prove there enter data in this field.

00:02:34: it can be difficult still but the end state was relatively clear and we could easily provide an employee or manager The two B states we call it the north star.

00:02:45: now if you compare that with AI a marketing manager for example, it could use AI to draft the campaign idea or claims handler may use AI summarize its customer case.

00:02:59: But in each of the cases question through them is not how do I used that tool?

00:03:04: but the questions becomes okay if this tool can't do this?

00:03:07: How does this change me as person so very concrete client example would be in this finance or in Finance and Accounting, Generative AI may help create forecasting commentary for example.

00:03:23: And it doesn't remove the analyst role but it shifts the analysts from drafting their first version to challenge assumptions interpreted risk and advise business.

00:03:35: so its not a one-time go live adoption that we saw with tool or any tool implementation, AI really keeps evolving and we need the people to use AI to improve constantly.

00:03:51: And that's I think why it so different?

00:03:53: It is not by asking them learn a new tools but how they can create value.

00:04:01: But what you describe sounds like well could make peoples work easier more comfortable should could take over one or the other task, which is maybe not the coolest tasks up to now.

00:04:13: Could free up some capacity do really cool things.

00:04:17: so what are employees from your perspective?

00:04:21: Are you afraid of or hesitant when AI enters their work?

00:04:28: Yeah, I might have answered the first question with a very positive and no fear.

00:04:34: You can remove all the tasks that you don't like and give them to AI which luckily is the case as well.

00:04:40: but we also see there's a lot of fear around this topic too And if we think about the employees.

00:04:49: they are rarely afraid of AI technology.

00:04:53: Many people actually are using AI in their daily life.

00:04:56: I think chat tpt or co-pilot for the people that on instagram you see so many fun AI visuals going on especially now with a world cup, for example?

00:05:10: So i don't think they're afraid of it and what might mean to them personally.

00:05:21: So, you mentioned it a bit already.

00:05:23: There might be people that are asking will my job disappear if AI is taking over specific tasks?

00:05:30: the other way around?

00:05:31: If AI is taken over tasks am I expected to do twice as much?

00:05:37: or what happens if i make a mistake using AI?

00:05:41: Or What if My Manager compares me To The Output Of The Machine And The Machine Gives Better Or Quicker Output so It's More Touching Ampli identity rather than the tool itself and it can really make people question their competence.

00:05:58: And also there are relevance for their future career path.

00:06:01: this sounds like a trust issue or some maybe trust in their company may be also trust in that direct supervisors.

00:06:10: what do you think?

00:06:11: What would could supervise us with good leaders due to build these trusts?

00:06:17: all keep the trust which might currently exist instead of just pushing hard for usage, which we see here and there.

00:06:29: It's measured even how often AI is used.

00:06:33: so what could be done in the front-of trust building?

00:06:36: It is a very big trust topic and we often call it psychological safety.

00:06:44: It's a big topic.

00:06:46: True, I think you touched upon two things.

00:06:48: actually we do see that for the managers there is different fear.

00:06:53: so Often transformation being let top down and then the managers are being asked to lead this AI transformation But they don't feel confident themselves.

00:07:06: So their expected answer questions from them teams but still maybe asking these same question themselves.

00:07:13: And I think for that, it's super important to create this trust or to build distrust instead of pushing the usage.

00:07:23: Who should built distrust?

00:07:24: If the managers themselves are already kind-of...

00:07:27: Yeah!

00:07:28: It is a good question.

00:07:30: It comes from the top.

00:07:31: First off all you have clear guardrails so people know what they can and cannot do.

00:07:40: But also to help the leaders creating this message of, This is why we're using AI.

00:07:46: This is where it helps and doesn't help when you still need human judgment.

00:07:52: And how do we support you?

00:07:54: Another topic that I want to emphasize on going Is learning process together.

00:08:01: It's really human-centered, valued, and personal And that's also something how AI can be used very much.

00:08:10: It is to make everything role specific, so it... AI can help you accelerate this personalization of change.

00:08:20: So where we initially had one vision This is what the tool will bring.

00:08:25: You can actually use AI To create a role-based communication Because you can imagine That for each person in company This AI transformation will bring something new and the personalized these messages.

00:08:40: The more people tend to listen, if this is it what's in for me then yes I am willing To have that curiosity together

00:09:04: helping to support this change.

00:09:06: This is another interesting dimension, so then what concretely can AI actually do?

00:09:13: To help the change managers which as in each transformation program there should be most cases they are.

00:09:20: So how can I help here?

00:09:22: you already mentioned communication or anything else

00:09:27: many things, and I am afraid that whatever i'm going to say now it might be different next week already.

00:09:33: Because its really an ongoing journey.

00:09:36: but what I see in my daily life is we use AI for very practical things.

00:09:42: so like every other role it summarizes feedback.

00:09:47: It can draft communication But more specific to change management instead of Change managers manually reading hundreds of survey comments.

00:09:59: For example, I can cluster the themes.

00:10:02: so there are tools that can really quickly bring you to be an analysis and help you identify already initiatives that you should bring into your change in communication plan.

00:10:16: or like you mentioned instead of writing a generic communication for everyone, the change teams with their agents can now really build tailored messages for different roles.

00:10:29: And a very important thing is that instead of waiting until adoption drops we can use signals to intervene much earlier.

00:10:38: Oh this sounds also like change teams might be afraid off That less changed managers will be needed if AI helps.

00:10:47: Is it a... I cannot imagine.

00:10:50: Yeah, I can imagine people will think that way.

00:10:54: Um... ...I think it won't be the case there.

00:10:57: It is also for typical change managers or everyone working in the transformation era The need to change experts become bigger which a good thing and instead of initially changing managers they were measuring noise.

00:11:21: but it will change into measuring behavior, confidence and value.

00:11:26: And I think there is a very big opportunity that AI can luckily not yet overtake.

00:11:33: Okay?

00:11:33: Is anything else which change managers should NOT do in the AI era ?

00:11:41: manager generally not only change manager, but everyone.

00:11:45: I think what you should.

00:11:47: Not do is thing that this a trend and it will fly over.

00:11:52: i think we all really need to work on new habits and that is experimentation.

00:11:58: What?

00:11:59: We try to bring with the people when even if my parents tried to bring in on the table is that we ask ourselves every week What can I do or what task?

00:12:10: Can i do with AI?

00:12:12: where Do I trust A.I in?

00:12:14: and then when did that check, what did a I do?

00:12:18: well And Where Did I Still Need Human Judgment?

00:12:21: So what did I learn?

00:12:23: what should I do next differently?

00:12:25: and it really makes Ai learning practical and non intimidating.

00:12:31: so you become ai fluent by working With It because training itself, it won't help you to the level that you

00:12:42: need

00:12:43: in order to really apply and be confident.

00:12:47: And now we're already talking a bit about results of output outcomes there using AI?

00:12:56: So typically also leadership is interesting if things are working or not.

00:13:01: so from your experience how do best measure whether AI enabled changes and tools is actually working.

00:13:11: Nice, yes measuring is super important.

00:13:15: maybe even the topic where change managers start with an AI enabled change really works when adoption behavior and value move together.

00:13:29: Where adoption tells us that people are using AI?

00:13:34: behavior really tells us whether they are using it in the right way, and value tells us where that work is actually improving.

00:13:41: That should go of course super hand-in-hand with the actual aim a company has for AI transformations.

00:13:50: If we take an example With learning or training For example The success It's not just course completion.

00:13:59: It is really about skill proficiency and visible application in the daily work.

00:14:06: And therefore, I think the question is not per se are people using AI?

00:14:12: The real question if AI Is changing the world In a way that creates value That People can trust

00:14:23: How do we make it concrete?

00:14:24: how Can We measure If trust being created?

00:14:29: or how can we measure the benefits if it's possible?

00:14:34: Often in a change area, It is not that easy to see.

00:14:44: It will require more extensive explanation, I think than the time allows it.

00:14:50: But I think that is really important to move away from concrete figures of learning completion and go back into a drawing table... ...and think about what we want to achieve with AI transformations?

00:15:07: And then draft it back for behavior you expect from an employee mindset that you expect from the employee.

00:15:17: So, go beyond traditional KPIs and go back to behavior, mindset or value.

00:15:30: so are they experimenting with AI?

00:15:32: Are applying it responsibly?

00:15:35: is there a decision?

00:15:39: quality improvement for example?

00:15:42: Looking a bit to the future from your perspective, what do you think?

00:15:46: how does.

00:15:48: The future of a change manager look like I enabled Change Manager?

00:15:55: How does AI change generally changes the role of a Change Manager in the mid-to long term?

00:16:01: Do have a perspective on that?

00:16:03: yes luckily i have because it will imply my own future as well.

00:16:12: I think the future change manager becomes less of a campaign planner and more of a transformation intelligence designer.

00:16:21: And what i mean with that is, The Change Manager still needs empathy storytelling and stakeholder management.

00:16:28: but they also really need to understand data signals behavior patterns AI enabled personalization.

00:16:41: So in the past, we asked ourselves which communication is needed to whom before they go live.

00:16:48: And in the future?

00:16:49: We need you ask Which groups are struggling?

00:16:52: Why Are They Struggling and what behavior do we Need To Shift?

00:16:58: What Interventions Will Help Them Now?

00:17:01: so I see The Change Manager manager more of a strategist maybe even behavioral scientist data interpreter and human translator I would say.

00:17:15: Well that sounds a bit different from the current typical understanding, cool!

00:17:21: From your perspective.

00:17:22: now as you said... You're a change manager yourself?

00:17:26: From this perspective of a Change Manager looking towards employees what will be one habit every employee should build to stay on the AI learning curve and the upward trend of this learning curve.

00:17:41: Yeah, like I touched upon earlier i think their most important habit is um The deliberate experimentation.

00:17:49: so really every week Think about what task can I try with ai?

00:17:56: An ai tool that is approved Of course in the company or your private environment.

00:18:01: What did it do?

00:18:02: well Where did it still needed me?

00:18:05: And what we see is that often, It has a lot to do with the prompting.

00:18:10: Now in these days there are many videos available on YouTube for example To learn also how to cope With certain tools That are freely available.

00:18:19: and just be aware of that.

00:18:21: Um...It's really important to check What can and cannot tool not do.

00:18:28: There Is no AI Tool that Can solve everything.

00:18:32: It's always really focused on specific output.

00:18:36: So where co-pilot can help you with creating notes or drafting nodes, there might be another tool needed instead of co-Pilot to help you something else and then just try.

00:18:51: We usually say a saying that is not not the right one to say here, because it will include some words that we can't say.

00:18:59: But usually you should just try and... It'll go wrong!

00:19:04: And then try again!

00:19:06: Yeah but there's an interesting view on this.

00:19:08: The loop closes also I think for our initial question.

00:19:11: so what your saying is encouraging people to experiment.

00:19:15: Also probably build a trust in AI to explore the potential benefits, which AI might also have for people themselves.

00:19:27: Building trust by experimentation will still need supervisors and team leads but this is an important add-on.

00:19:38: Many thanks for these very quick walkthroughs.

00:19:41: I think was very insightful as always.

00:19:46: Thank you.

00:19:47: Thank you very much for listening to our audience and see you next time.