I know, AI has become a household word. I suspect most, if not all, of you engineers have been using it for a while: Creating reports, helping write code, “checking your grammar” (i.e. completely rewriting your emails), making bedtime stories for your young ones, and everything in between.
This is all fine and good, but do you ever feel like something is missing?
Connection, perhaps?
The human element is as important as ever. I would argue even more so.
AI can make a lot of tedious, boring, and repetitive tasks much easier. And it’s getting better at sounding human. But the more time I spend at the computer, the more importance I put on human connection and real conversations. You know, the ones where there isn’t a perfectly-polished answer. Sometimes it’s just about listening, empathizing, or smiling.
We still need leadership skills. We need leaders who can embrace technology in a positive way, but still create space for human connection. We need regular time and place to collaborate on what’s going on with our projects, but also with our personal lives and our struggles with finding harmony in an age of blistering technology creation and adoption.
I don’t know the perfect mix. Things are changing so rapidly. But what I can tell you over the last few months that’s worked for me is to gather with other humans who are also trying to figure it out. Don’t let anyone tell you they have all the answers for everything. But let’s learn tidbits from each other of what’s working.
One quick example is the Business Lab I attended yesterday. Tim Roper created the environment and Nick Garner of CFO 2 Go started the conversation about business finances. It was a small group that got really vulnerable and even more supportive to suggest ideas, provide feedback, and—most importantly—build each other up with the encouragement and belief to keep going. Running a business can be hard, but what I experienced yesterday was priceless and can’t be replaced by AI.
The more we connect—truly connect—in this “hyper-connected” world, the more we’ll feel we have a part to play.
What are you going to do to connect and help another human today? My challenge to YOU is to create a space for your team (or ask for one) at least monthly to create real human connection. Have a fun activity, bring in some food (purchased or potluck-style), and get to know each other with the intent to help each other out.
If you’re searching for ways to build more real connection at work—or you have a favorite ritual that brings people together—please share in the comments. Let’s create a resource for leaders and teams navigating the same whirlwind of change.
