Artificial intelligence is increasingly integrating into the business world. In fact, implementing AI processes will soon be inevitable for most companies. When executed correctly, these processes can scale a business and add convenience for employees. However, there is a common problem: Team members tend to reject new processes, especially when they’re not communicated correctly.
Many employees have the misconception that implementing AI processes will reduce or eliminate their roles; therefore, they automatically resist it. This isn’t always the case. In fact, many companies integrate ethical AI software to make processes more efficient rather than fully replacing positions.
The implementation of these new technologies must be communicated appropriately to team members. Failure to do this properly can lead to AI solutions being counterproductive, confusion, unsatisfied employees and damage to workplace culture.
When considering AI implementation, employers should think of the architecture in which messages are being communicated. It’s important to utilize a trickle-down communication method. Rather than telling the entire team the company is considering AI software, keep the initial brainstorming phase between leadership and add more people to the conversation as things progress.
During the initial conversations, leadership should map out why AI is needed and how it can improve the company. The majority of the time, the reasoning is to speed up processes so the company isn’t left behind in the marketplace, so it’s helpful to identify what tasks AI can automate to make things more efficient. For example, an employee should not be spending a quarter of the workday copying and pasting information. This takes away from other important tasks they can be working on and is easily replaceable with software.
Leadership can identify these inefficiencies through a workforce or department survey — structuring a questionnaire that welcomes qualitative information. The questionnaire should ask employees what they feel is the most time-consuming part of their job. It’s also helpful to ask them if they were to hand off that task to an assistant, what projects they would work on in its place. This gives insight into how big a problem it is and what opportunities there are to solve it.
Once the company leadership has a clear vision of what they believe the software will look like and what problems it will solve, they can welcome management into the conversation. Management can then provide any additional department-specific information and concerns.
Managers should be the first to receive detailed information and training, allowing them to explain how the change directly impacts their teams’ workflows. They should test the software and be familiar with it so they can answer employees’ questions. The final step, then, is to have managers inform the team and conduct training sessions to help users become familiar with the software’s functionality.
This method is critical because it keeps communication structured and prevents employees from filling in the blanks. It’s important to be as communicative as possible as early as possible. The amount of information and what is presented at a certain time are crucial for success.
Humans, by default, will fill in a narrative with whatever story they can make up. Structured communication ensures everyone is on the same page and unable to fill in that narrative. The last thing any company needs is for a rumor to propagate and for employees to start resisting.
Throughout every phase, it’s important to communicate the vision that leadership developed. Messaging should emphasize that AI is being implemented ethically. Rather than taking away jobs, it’s meant to eliminate mundane tasks so jobs can be completed adequately. People will always be excited about convenience.
At the same time, it’s important to emphasize the projects these employees can put more time and effort into if they have a digital assistant to streamline certain tasks. It’s also critical to inform them that implementing AI is becoming inevitable for business survival and growth. Failing to adopt can make the company less competitive, hurting employees in the long run.
Once the software is implemented, it’s important to collect feedback, such as asking employees what they’re experiencing and what problems they have. With initial problems, it can be helpful to ask employees to peel back layers of what may be the underlying problem. This ensures that even if changes aren’t made, the individual is heard and acknowledged.
Implementing AI software can keep a business competitive and elevate it to the next level. However, failing to communicate this change to employees can be counterproductive and hurt workplace culture. If the process is communicated effectively and feedback is considered, there should be contagious adoption around the company.
Brittany Hart is the founder of Communiscape, a company that architects communication infrastructure for businesses implementing new AI processes.
