2 minute read
When you bring the news to your employees—"We want YOU to create AI automations that replace what you used to do manually"—you can't expect it to come without fear.
The fear and anxiety they'll feel that "AI is coming to take their jobs" is very real.
Google recently laid off at least 200 employees, and Asim Husain, Vice President of Google Developer Ecosystem, informed them that AI-driven programming was one of the reasons for these layoffs.
Don't promise your employees that they're well protected. Instead, show them how gaining AI automation skills will make them immune to being replaced. Culture is everything.
Think about it. Which employee will companies prefer in the future:
- The old-fashioned employee who can only do their job manually, or
- The 10X employee who knows how to surround themselves with tens of AI companions?
It goes without saying, right?
You need to recognize the significant role each of your employees plays. Most of them are already swamped with work, so even if they automate 50% of what they're doing, the other 50% will quickly grow back into 100%.
If someone in your team asks the layoff question, be prepared to answer it.
This question doesn't usually come in such a direct form. It's usually hinted at through other questions like:
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Are we expected to automate 100% of our work?
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Are we planning to stop hiring new people in certain roles?
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What will we be doing after automating the work?
Communicate your plans clearly, and be genuine about them.