We are told that A.I. (artificial intelligence) is revolutionizing the workforce. The effects are already being felt in virtually every corner of the job market.
As A.I. grows in importance, two more letters will also become essential to the workplace skill sets – E.I.
E.I., or emotional intelligence will become even more highly valued in the future, no matter the job you take or the career you pursue.
Here’s why.
A.I. is expected to take an increasingly larger share of the workplace workload. And as these changes take place, employers will seek skills technology can’t replace. That’s according to Bill Daggett, founder of the Successful Practices Network and International Center for Leadership in Education. Daggett spoke at Iredell Ready’s Annual Workforce Forum March 28.
Employees displaying honesty, trust, teamwork and motivation will be better positioned for success, according to Daggett, who urged school systems to support developing those skills in students.
He says AI will eliminate the most tedious administrative tasks, with workers focusing on decision-making, based on critical thinking and analysis.
A recent CNBC report on AI and the workforce agrees. The most successful employees of the future will be able to:
- Handle and deliver constructive feedback
- Manage conflict
- Have critical conversations with urgency
- Work cross-functionally by persuading peers and other leaders
- Effectively present ideas to leaders above them
This isn’t to say that technological skills should be ignored. Technology will exist everywhere. But that technology will be driven by people.
And as artificial intelligence continues to expand, emotionally intelligent employees will need to keep the pace. Make sure you make time to develop those skills, even as you train for a more A.I.-integrated workplace.