It seems so easy. Need an answer? Type a question into your favorite AI bot and you’ll be offered 17 possible solutions, along with a recommendation as to which one is the best. And all this within 10 seconds. Who needs to think anymore? Of course, it is not that easy for one simple reason, YOU still have to make a decision, act on it and live with the consequences.
We now seem to debating the role of AI in our lives. On the same day recently, I came across two articles. The title of the first was “Say Hello to Your New Colleague, the AI Agent.” The author began by saying “Today’s CEOs are the final generation of executives leading exclusively human workforces. Going forward, we’ll need to learn how to manage human workers and digital labor to work together to deliver efficiency and productivity. Integrating AI agents into daily operations will become a leadership skill that separates companies that thrive from those that fall behind.”
The second article was titled “How I Realized AI Was Making Me Stupid—and What I Do Now.” You can imagine the author’s point of view. Both of these articles were written by respectable souls. The first is the CEO of a Fortune 500 firm. The second is a Wall Street Journal reporter.
Like many people, I have found that using artificial intelligence to generate ideas and rough text saves me time, helps organize my thoughts, and sometimes to make better informed decisions. But it is just one more tool in my arsenal for getting things done.
Then again, I’ve been making decisions for years without the benefit of this new technology. You’ve probably done the same. But what about those now entering the workforce without the “benefit” of the school of hard knocks? That’s one of a number of challenges bedeviling employers, like you and me, who need to manage those in Generation Z. And it is a serious problem.
Numerous recent surveys have indicated that as much as 45% of employers are hesitant to hire those in their early twenties in part because of their deficit in critical thinking skills. Of course those in Gen Z who are watching this will protest that I am picking on them. I’ll grant that generalizations can be misleading. On the other hand, when thousands of employers complain about this issue, you know it must have some substance. Besides, if you have that perception, you will be biased against these young applicants from the get-go. Is that fair? No, but you still need competent people on your team who will act without close-in supervision all the time.
And this is where artificial intelligence becomes a double-edged sword. On one hand, it might be easier to use AI to replace a good portion of the daily discernment and decision making in the workplace. It might even eliminate the need for some of these recent grads and others.
On the other hand, AI can only provide information and possible solutions. And those answers are dependent on how well the query is crafted in the first place. Once you have those answers, however, you still have to make a decision and live with the consequences, something many young people feel uncomfortable doing. Don’t believe me? I can show you reams of evidence.
Bottom line? Artificial intelligence is only a tool. But in a desire for a quick and easy answer, many are elevating it to something it is not. In addition, we are already seeing evidence that its use creates an unrealistic dependence that foils the individual’s skills and confidence in their own critical thinking. I would argue that this will be one of the biggest dilemmas facing employers going forward.
So, how can you, as an employer balance the use of artificial intelligence with the need to maintain a think-on-your-feet culture? Here are five key elements:
First, hire for critical thinking. Want a quick tutorial on how to do so? Check out the video I posted on this very thing by clicking on the link in the description.
Second, train for critical thinking. Going forward, training will require a balance of how to use AI to source possible answers and solutions along with instruction on how to make decisions without the use of this technology. The big key here is the ability to discern the actual question or problem. If employees cannot do that, they will not be able to craft effective prompts in AI. Neither will they be able to deal with other situations when using AI is not an appropriate tool.
What I see many organizations doing is training newcomers on the 10-20 scenarios that cover the majority of typical situations they will face. Then they concentrate on the challenges that require more nuance. The more times employees are able to think on their feet, the fewer times they will “escalate” the problem to a supervisor. This not only improves performance. It increases the confidence of those in these positions. This, in turn improves productivity and retention.
Third, coach for critical thinking. I have long been a fan of an education technique called a “think-aloud” where rather than simply answering a student’s question, the teacher says, “Let’s think it though together out-loud.” This is a great collaborative exercise that compels the student to think independently, but with some support. I’ve introduced this technique to countless managers because it works the same way in the workplace.
You can adapt this technique when working with AI. After all, learning how to craft an effective prompt is a skill. Working collaboratively, both the employee and supervisor will learn something. This will also help those in the emerging generation to understand that even with digital technology, you can’t succeed without being able to think critically.
Fourth, evaluate for critical thinking. As the old saying goes, “What gets rewarded, or in this case evaluated, get done. But so much of evaluation is based on productivity. Why not add the elements of creativity and critical thinking to this equation? Who is the better performer, the person who meets expectations but is forever seeking the supervisor’s assistance or permission or the person who meets the expectation by thinking and acting independently? Artificial intelligence can be leveraged to enhance thinking. But we still need to judge people on their ability to think on their feet.
Fifth, celebrate critical thinking. It is so easy to overlook the good work employees do in the pressures of today’s demanding workplace. As a result, the best performers begin to feel taken for granted. And we all know what that can lead to. Those who develop and leverage skills in creative thinking and acting independently should be celebrated for taking initiative, whether they use AI or come up with the solution on their own. Celebrating these actions will also inspire others to hone their critical thinking and creativity. Make these celebrations frequent. Don’t bunch them all together once per year. Spending three minutes in a meeting describing the problem or project, how it was handled and how this person improved the outcome is enough to inspire others.
Perhaps, in the future, we will end up being the sloth-like souls portrayed in the somewhat dystopian fantasy, Wall-E, of several years ago due to artificial intelligence. But I, for one, will work to maintain my sense of creativity, curiosity and resourcefulness. I suspect you will too. If that is to be, we will need to continue hiring, coaching and evaluating for critical thinking in the workplace and everywhere else.
What do you do to encourage creativity, curiosity and resourcefulness in your workplace? Put your ideas in the comments below. And if you know of an event where discussing this challenge would be a good fit, shoot me an email at bobw@commonsenseenterprises.net.