Can Artificial Intelligence Help Lead People?

As organizations embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive efficiency and optimize operations, a compelling question comes into focus: can AI effectively lead the most complex component of any business — the human being? People make thousands of decisions each day. They balance a myriad of tasks, doing what’s right, doing what’s best, doing what they’re told and doing what’s most efficient, all while facing challenges like job insecurity, personal issues, family pressures and even health concerns. Regardless of what products a company produces, leaders are, first and foremost, in the people business.

So how can leaders use AI to increase their influence and more effectively lead their teams? Some of the best ways to lead and influence teams include improving communication, managing risk, increasing employee engagement and retention, and using data to drive decisions. Surprisingly, AI can support leaders in all areas. 

• Improving Communication: One of the top problems in companies today is poor communication. Utilizing AI can make creating better work instructions easier, including offering real-time translation and analyzing feedback. These capabilities are crucial, especially when leading a diverse or multinational workforce with staff members who speak a non-English primary language. AI’s ability to quickly develop and translate work instructions can accelerate the learning process, reduce mistakes and boost efficiency across the workforce.
• Managing Risk: Identifying and mitigating risks can be easier when using AI, as technology can process data and identify risks to products, operations and the workforce. Once potential risks are identified, AI can help monitor them in real time and provide feedback to leaders to facilitate decision-making. AI can also support scenario analysis and help plan for contingencies and possible solutions.  
• Recruiting and Retaining Employees: Companies today must focus on improving employee engagement and retention and fine-tuning their recruitment practices. AI can quickly analyze trends and offer suggestions that align with the expectations of today’s workers and appeal to candidates most likely to meet position criteria. AI-driven sentiment analysis can also gauge employee satisfaction, identify concerns and determine when employees might be at risk of leaving a company, and subsequently offer retention strategies to implement before it’s too late. Finally, AI can be used to identify skill gaps and recommend targeted training programs that will help employees, teams and the overall company succeed. 
• Analyzing Data: AI has made it easier and quicker to use data to drive decisions by identifying trends in the marketplace and workforce that help leaders plan for near- and long-term operations. Understanding future market trends can help plan staffing, identify knowledge and skills gaps, and allow leaders to optimize resource allocation. 

Integrating AI isn’t about speeding up processes or replacing people with robots, it’s about using technology to access and analyze massive amounts of information to help humans make the best decisions possible. When we ask the right questions, collect the right information, and proceed with trust, respect and empathy, we can truly engage our workforce and build a culture where technology can complement the work of our employees and propel our companies and manufacturing industry to the next level.

About the Author

Since 2014, John Spillson has helped manufacturers strengthen operations, develop leaders and build a culture of continuous improvement as MMTC’s Food Business Development Manager and Lean Business & Leadership Advisor. He may be reached at jspillson@the-center.org.

The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center is an MMA Premium Associate Member and has been an MMA member company since March 1999. Visit online: www.the-center.org.

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