Navigating AI + Digital Transformation: The Impact of Strategic Change Communications

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Spotlight on Rebecca Cressman

Rebecca Cressman, Senior Change Manager, shares tips for digital transformation. She emphasizes the importance of creating an emotional connection with technical solutions and properly preparing organizations for AI. Cressman offers key strategies and insights for successful digital solutions.

How to Kick-Start Your AI Workplace Transformation

Following the shift to remote and hybrid work arrangements, AI is poised to become the next big workplace transformation.

In the following examples, AI refers to machine-learning technologies, such as ChatGPT. Their impact on the workplace is still being evaluated – making a change in communications strategy seem like an impossible task. That’s why best-practice frameworks are a great starting point.

AI in Today’s Workplace

Many people are already using AI at home or at school. But organizations have been slow to adopt AI policies while they evaluate the internal impacts, meaning employees are either using AI to assist with daily tasks (and not declaring it) or aren’t using any type of AI-assistance at all.

This situation has already created a disconnect between what people experience or hear about in the media and the lack of direction about the future of AI at work.

The right change communications strategy can help solve this problem by giving people clarity on how and when to use AI, what it means for their role and opportunities to prepare for the future.

Navigating AI

"The right change communications strategy can help solve this problem by giving people clarity on how and when to use AI, what it means for their role and opportunities to prepare for the future."

Rebecca Cressman
Senior Change Manager at GovCIO

Tips for Creating a Communications Strategy Around AI Change

  1. Develop a workplace policy – and talk about it 

Without a policy in place, your organization may be susceptible to unchecked errors, stolen IP or worse. But don’t let the lack of transparency or understanding about how AI compiles solutions prevent you from kicking off your conversations with employees.

Even if the initial guidance is not to use AI – or declare any type of AI assistance – while you evaluate this new technology, people will benefit from a common understanding.

As with any big transformation announcement, make sure people understand that senior leadership endorse the current policy. Then engage managers, peers and other trusted messengers to continue conversations and better understand people’s concerns and behaviors as the AI landscape evolves.

 

  1. Identify what future workflows will look like – and the roles or tasks affected 

The potential long-term impact of AI on people’s jobs is already causing concern. But just like any other digital transformation, examining the changes within the end-to-end context of a current process or workflow can start identifying possible impacts early on.

Once your policy is finalized, start creating workflows and process maps that integrate AI. This will help identify roles or tasks that might be affected – and any procedural or policy gaps that need to be addressed during training or informational sessions.

 

  1. Create an employee AI resource – including information about reskilling opportunities

Organizations that don’t start having conversations about the future of work risk losing productivity and talent before they even understand what their real needs are.

Even if AI adoption isn’t crucial to your future success, it WILL eventually change the way you work. Start this conversation now by providing employees with accessible and relatable resources about policies, corporate guidance for using AI and reskilling opportunities.

As with any transformation, giving people different ways to learn something new (such as dedicated channels/groups, ‘how to’ videos, FAQs and Q&A sessions) will not only improve adoption rates but ensure AI is being used as intended in your workplace.