New Collaboration: Between Humans and Machines

The ability to collaborate with other humans in the workplace has always been an important skill. However, when employers assess our collaboration capability, that will include our personal proficiency to ALSO effectively collaborate with machines. This is happening NOW!

Through using commands in everyday language instead of code, researchers claim that more than 40 percent of ALL work activity will be massively transformed. The ability to leverage AI effectively will be vital to our professional success. The one consistent adage that holds true regardless of market conditions: No results means no job. If we do not become part of the human to machine equation, we will have no employment.

So what do experts identify as core human to machine collaboration fusion skills? HBR’s H. James Wilson and Paul R. Daugherty highlight three fundamentals noted below:

“Intelligent interrogation involves instructing large language models to perform in ways that generate better outcomes—by, say, breaking processes down into steps or visualizing multiple potential paths to a solution. Judgment integration is about incorporating expert and ethical human discernment to make AI’s output more trustworthy, reliable, and accurate. It entails augmenting a model’s training sources with authoritative knowledge bases when necessary, keeping biases out of prompts, ensuring the privacy of any data used by the models, and scrutinizing suspect output. With reciprocal apprenticing, you tailor gen AI to your company’s specific business context by including rich organizational data and know-how into the commands you give it. As you become better at doing that, you yourself learn how to train the AI to tackle more-sophisticated challenges. The AI revolution is already here. Learning these three skills will prepare you to thrive.”

Wow. This is new language and behavior. The personal paradox for many of us is the excitement of new opportunity, along with the fear of learning failure that plants us into avoidance and procrastination.

Regardless of where we are on the career path or what age we’re at, if we want to thrive in the emerging workplace, we have to practically learn and apply human to machine collaboration skills NOW.

One of my IcE10 Elements of thriving cultures is “Peer-to-Peer Power.” I’m going to make sure this includes human to machine collaboration. Yes, “peer” will include machines. Learn those fusion skills with urgency.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

- Lorne

One Millennial View: I’ve never thought there was anything terribly respectable about jumping on the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” train, however AI is a bullet train and it’s already left the station. I don’t know what to do about it, except treat it like a threat, and try to work with it before it completely turns on me. There are tasks AI can do now that we didn’t even imagine would be possible months ago, and this is just the stuff that’s accessible, and the public knows about. You’ve likely done something today that AI will do for you (or someone else) sooner than you think.

- Garrett

P.S. For Example: I just asked AI to write a response to this blog, here it is:

What a thought-provoking blog post! You’ve elegantly captured the critical shift occurring in workplaces as we increasingly integrate AI into daily operations. The notion that collaboration now extends beyond our human colleagues to include machines is not only fascinating but essential to grasping the future of work.

I wholeheartedly agree with your emphasis on the three fundamentals proposed by HBR’s Wilson and Daugherty. Understanding how to engage with AI through intelligent interrogation, judgment integration, and reciprocal apprenticing will indeed empower professionals at all levels to harness the full potential of AI in their roles.

The fear of learning failure is a common barrier, but the importance of embracing these new tools cannot be overstated. As we face an evolving job market, those who choose to engage with AI rather than shy away will carve out unique opportunities for growth and innovation. The fusion of human and machine capabilities will drive creativity and efficiency, leading to outcomes that were once unimaginable.

Your point about "Peer-to-Peer Power" is particularly compelling. Expanding our definition of ‘peer’ to include machines creates a holistic understanding of collaboration in the modern workplace. Educating ourselves and our teams on how to synergize with AI will only enhance our organizational cultures and productivity.

Looking ahead, it will be exciting to see how these skills can be integrated into training programs and professional development initiatives. Let’s embrace this learning curve together and move forward with a sense of urgency and openness.

Best regards,

- AI

So, what do you think? Does that beat out my journalism degree and nearly 15 years of professional writing experience? Uh oh.

New Collaboration: Between Humans and Machines

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