Role Advances for Business Readiness with Artificial Intelligence

The AI Hype is Spinning

Some of the hype around artificial intelligence, including GenerativeAI and AgenticAI, is the automation of roles, the need for less people in Business Readiness as the demand drops and roles automated, with the creation of synthetic content for role specific training, and automated course provision and monitoring. As with all the hype and the vested interests, the reality is different. Above all, this is a revision in approach which is required with changing the environment, instilling the behaviours, with focus on overall emergent is necessary. This is a variant in approach to much of the change management. Please pause to consider the following:

Appreciation of Business Readiness

The need for business readiness around technology transformation business transformation for AI is part of business. As more transformation occurs, the capacity and capability to craft and shape the adoption and adaption is expected. Taking stakeholders on the journey will use AI in areas like training (the how to do) and awareness but in areas like skilling (the ability to do) and the support and mentoring, the human factor remains a priority. The need for changing the environment, instilling behaviours, and managing outcomes, especially on an emergent basis also impacts the take up of AI.

Outlook: Regime of More Skilled, Diversity of Skills, Business Embedding

When we look at business, the need to take people on the journey of transformation is required. While AI has a role to play, the human factor with the unknown and unpredictability is part of the solution. To make the transition is the need for business embedding as well as for more people involved in Business Readiness, having more skills, at a higher skill level, and diversity of skills. Even with the automation of roles, managing the transition requires people and this is impacting the take up of AI and the management of outcomes from AI.

Readiness in the Evolving Environment

By simply looking at what is experienced in business, previous technology changes, and listening to what people are asking for, the hype in AI, especially GenerativeAI and AgenticAI, can be readily seen and the need for business embedding of readiness skills and expertise as well as the operational readiness, together with the demand for more people involved in Business Readiness, with more skills, at a higher skill level, and diversity of skills is also transparent. When combined with the need for the following, then the emerging roles in Business Readiness are confirmed:

• Need – Craft and Shape the Capacity and Capability to Adopt and Adapt

• Leadership – Change Wish To See and Treat Others As Would Be Treated

• Response – Decision Making and Responding as Circumstances Evolve

• Realisation – Change Environment, Instil Behaviours (Emergent), Manage Outcomes

 For those in readiness, business change management, or process and operational revisions, it is transparent that AI has a role but the hype around role replacement and automation is short of the mark. The significance of changing the environment, instilling the behaviours, with focus on overall emergent is required. This is a variant in approach to much of the change management.

However, the importance of the human factor remains. The skills and expertise required is also transparent along with the role changes necessary. Those with experience can also testify to the time factor required. AI is seldom a magic wand which is just going to make these happen.

Readiness Through Emergent Behaviours in Evolving Environment

Similar demand for more people in Business Readiness, embedding across a business, with greater skills, and with increased diversity of skills is also required in operations and services (business and technology) across stakeholders (people, 3rd parties, vendors, agencies, channel partners), where the needs is for:

• Team Lead(s) Behaviours for Emerging Environment – Bringing the required transformation does need executive support, but it is the team leads (equivalents) who realise. Working with them to change behaviours for the emerging environment is required. Team Lead(s) often seek this support and they then influence their teams.

• Team Based Behaviours and Outcomes – While individual performance is still part of the outcomes, the team environment, the team behaviours, the emergent behaviours and outcomes is the focus. Managers of organisations focus on emergent outcomes from a business. With the changes in AI comes a revised approach.

• Support Network & Mentoring – We need support and assistance to change what we do. Having trust, familiarity, and respect is required. It is a while before AI can fulfill and automate this need.

• Revised Operational Approach – Embedding AI across people, agencies, vendors, 3rd parties, channel partners, and revising operations and services takes the human factor and time. Seldom is AI a magic wand to automate.

• Transition Engagement – While AI is part of the mix, the need remains to manage a transition and the people impacted by the transition. It will be a while before AI just decides who to let go, arranges emptying of personal effects, payments, and providing support and assistance.

Again, AI is part of the transition and is a driver in the transition, but the human factor remains.

AI and the Grudge Purchase

For roles in readiness, the reality is often about taking a business passed the hype of AI. The requirement is to be able get a business started around AI, then guiding through the process, and assisting in realisation when the hyped returns are missing. AI can readily turn a hyped purchase into a grudge purchase, but as yet, AI is struggling to turn a grudge purchase into an aspirational purchase.

The reality is that, making change and transformation is often:

• A grudge purchase which is done because of the need rather than aspirational.

• About moving away from (a necessity) rather than moving towards (preventative or improving).

• An insurance policy for protection and remediation if realised.

• Influenced by how much can be managed (speed & amount) at a given time (i.e. enabling run the business vs change the business).

• About planning back from an agreed outcome to a known start.

Realising the transformation is about outcomes from emergent behaviours. While AI has a role whether in assisting the skilling (ability to do), the training (the how to do), the awareness or in messaging; much of what is required is beyond the current AI regime. 

Expected Demand

In many areas of business, the demand for Business Readiness is increasing. Impacts include:

• More resources required and embedded across a business.

• Skills and expertise which are more diverse, of a greater level, and with increased skills and expertise required.

• The need for skills and expertise in both “Run the Business” and “Change the Business is required. This includes project management skills embedded in the business.

• The focus is changing from the individual and performance metrics to the team outcomes. AI operates across processes and silos and is assessed on team-based outcomes. Revised skills in leading teams, in team management, and servant leadership are emerging needs.

• Change the environment, instil the behaviours, realise the outcomes based on emergent approach.

The application of AI is driving the focus required. The need for the performance of AI to be team-based assessment, as with the overall change to team-based outcomes is part of the change. Changing the environment, instilling behaviours and managing outcomes on an emergent basis sees changes in skills, the revised approach to change, as well as how outcomes are managed.

Context - Role Development Around AI

The first piece of context for this post is the different roles within business which are impacted differently by AI. For both run the business (sustain operations) and change the business (portfolios of work to improve business), a series of roles exist: Research, Design, Develop, Test, Operate & Services, Consume, Manage, Assure. Depending upon the specific business, business role, business scenario, these different roles are used within operations and services. Each of these roles are impacted in varying ways by AI.

 Context – The Pilot – Autopilot Model

The second piece of context for this post is how AI is being adopted by business. Analogous to the pilots and the use of the autopilot. AI brings the automation of the routine (the autopilot), starting with the simplest and becoming more complicated. Where things are created for the first time, intervention is required, the management of stakeholders and the delivery of the non-automated (the pilot) is increasingly using AI and will be increasingly automated.

 Context – Generalists and Specialists

Further context is the need for a mixture of generalists and specialists across the areas of business and in the research, design, develop, test, operate and service, consume and assure roles. Without the details of manufacturing or agriculture or financial services, a stylised view across business shows many areas of operations. Those with understanding of the details within an area, within an activity, as well as across, and at differing levels within the business, are required to come together and collaborate. This includes expertise sharing, problem solving, dependency management as well as hand-off to and receipt from the differing areas. Having expertise of other business functions within other areas of business is required. Please consider this when looking at role changes with AI and when the hype and vested interests are dismissing a role.

 Context - Develop the Expertise

Additional context is the change in skills included. The technical is still required, but the focus becomes more on assurance and management as routine operations are automated. The enhancement of problem solving, stakeholder management, advisory, exceptions handing, and assurance is required. A focus on the professional skills (people management, financial management, vendor management, relationship management, strategy and planning, risk management, project management, problem solving, management of change in the business, management of ambiguity, governance, compliance management, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and communication and presentation) amongst others is part of the emerging skill sets. The ability to raise stakeholder awareness on the issues from a business perspective is also a skill required.

Related Links

• Implementing Artificial Intelligence – The Proven within Uncertainty (What We Can Do Now) (https://youtu.be/sqwWG2Wl_go)

• Prioritising Skills for Roles, Whether Business or Technology, Around Artificial Intelligence (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/prioritising-skills-expertise-within-roles-whether-keith-sherringham-qdluc/?trackingId=zychRQyMCJdn%2FyBqgCyGLQ%3D%3D)

• Prioritising Skills and Expertise within Roles, Whether Business or Technology, Around Artificial Intelligence (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7225983868791578624/)

• Leaving the Hiring Process to AI? (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leaving-hiring-process-ai-keith-sherringham-tj3cc)

• Outcomes Based Position Descriptions with One Small Step for Better Recruitment - It is Worth a Try (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-small-step-better-recruitment-worth-try-keith-sherringham-lawoc/)

• election Criteria Based Profiling with Another Small Step for Better Recruitment – Also Worth a Try (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/selection-criteria-based-profiling-keith-sherringham-e3pdc/)

• Skills and Expertise Acceptance Statement - One further Small Step for Better Recruitment – Maybe Worth a Try as Well (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/skills-expertise-acceptance-statement-keith-sherringham-li0xc)

• Hiring in a Changing World (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hiring-changing-world-keith-sherringham-0fvwc)

• The Emerging Artificial Intelligence Managed Application Recruitment Process (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/emerging-artificial-intelligence-managed-application-sherringham-v9oec)