In this edition of “Office Optional with Larry English,” Larry shares six key fundamentals for creating an AI learning program and employee development strategy for your company.
Very few industries are immune to the need for an AI learning strategy. A paper looking at the economic effects of ChatGPT concluded that large language models (LLMs) alone will affect at least 10 percent of tasks for 80 percent of U.S. workers — and that’s before adding in software and tooling.
Yet many leaders seem to be delaying adding AI learning opportunities into their employee development strategies. Over half of workers in a recent UiPath survey said they haven’t received any AI education or guidelines about using AI at work.
Providing employee development opportunities to learn AI skills and explore all that’s possible with the technology must be a strategic imperative for two very good reasons: Your competitors are already learning how to harness AI for their benefit, and your employees will likely be exploring AI even without official guidance.
How to Create an AI Learning and Employee Development Strategy
So where to start? First, an organization needs to root its AI learning strategy in its overall business goals and be deeply aligned with its learning and employee development strategy.
- What outcomes are you hoping to achieve?
- How will those outcomes be measured?
- What is the organization’s point of view and priorities around AI?
- How do you expect employees to use AI?
- What AI skills are necessary for your workforce?
- What are the governance and ethics considerations?
Getting clear on these questions is the first step to developing an effective AI learning and AI readiness program.
The details of your AI learning strategy will vary depending on your industry and business goals. While my company, Centric Consulting, is still in the process of designing our AI learning and employee development strategy, we know that a successful program will:
Explore the relationship between humans and technology.
The first step of your AI learning program should aim to counteract the angst about AI and whether it will eliminate jobs.
Before jumping into technical information, ground learners in understanding the relationship between humans and technology. How can AI augment our skills? What can we do that can’t be replaced by technology? To help learners have the right mindset and feel open to using AI at work, emphasize that AI as a tool is a partnership.
Communicate AI’s value proposition.
Adult learners need to understand why it’s important to learn something and what’s in it for them. Strategically position the value proposition of AI so that employees feel excited about diving into AI and exploring how the technology can be incorporated into workflows.
The value proposition should go beyond AI’s efficiency gains — after all, there’s an argument that greater efficiency benefits the company more than individual employees.
“People obsess about freeing up human labor, but that is often the baseline that is part of a greater value proposition you can achieve,” says Ed Challis, head of AI strategy at UiPath. “For example, if you can write articles four times faster, it wouldn’t be the speed that’s important, it’s the increase in your reach. You could write for new publications, double the time spend on research to produce higher quality work and reach better audiences.”
Ground AI learning in use cases.
Share practical examples with case-based learning to help employees quickly see how they can apply AI to their work. The workshop format works well to give employees opportunities to learn the technology, try out new AI skills and discuss.
“What resonates the most with training is giving people specific examples relevant to their line of work,” Challis says. “Bust their conception of AI being an all-powerful technology, and break it down so it’s something that can summarize more articles or take call notes or help you quickly draft an email with reference points. Once you do that, those apprehensions and fears drop away and allow you to inspire the art of the possible.”
Engage AI champions.
Some employees will be excited about AI and already exploring on their own. Others … not so much. Engage the AI champions to help bring everyone together and bridge the gap between early adopters and laggards. Your AI champions should be front and center promoting any AI content, programs or courses you’ve developed. “Everyone should be familiar with AI capabilities and know a specific individual who can help them execute on an idea,” Challis notes.
Managers also play a critical role in bringing AI learning to life. They should showcase tools, answer learner questions, and facilitate discussions on how to apply AI to specific projects and roles.
Balance different knowledge levels.
Getting everyone on the same page is tough, but it’s important to design and write AI learning content for all employees. You don’t want to bore experts, and you don’t want to ostracize AI novices.
Include AI examples everyone can relate to. For example, my company’s internal AI introduction course uses a series of AI-produced videos about a dog meeting a cat robot. This safely wraps AI concepts into a storyline while also showcasing actual AI design technology, making for an innovative packaged learning experience.
Another solution is to mix and blend live cohorts so the tech-savvy can help those who aren’t. This has the added benefit of fostering a sense of community and camaraderie around AI learning.
Be flexible and adaptable.
AI learning programs and courses need to be dynamic to keep pace with the ever-evolving technology. Any content covering technical details can quickly become outdated, so it’s best to create small pieces of content that can easily be swapped out as AI advances. As a bonus, flexible, micro-learning opportunities are also easier for the average modern employee to fit into their busy schedule.
Your AI Learning Program Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect
It’s important to note that your AI learning program doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do need to add one to your employee development offerings now. By anchoring your AI learning strategy in your organization’s business goals and designing a program that meets learners where they are, helps them explore practical ways to use AI in their daily work, and encourages experimentation, you’ll empower employees to expand their skill set and remain competitive in our AI-powered world.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com.
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