Operations Management
Artificial Inteligence
AI
This week, I delivered a class on “Job Security in Uncertain Times” at the National Association of College and University Mail Services (NACUMS) Conference. Through an app, attendees were allowed to submit questions in advance. My favorite question: “With AI and automation reshaping so many university departments right now, is job security more about deep specialization in one area, or staying broad and adaptable across skills?”
My simple answer, “Yes.” And that’s an answer I’ve been giving audiences for decades, long before artificial intelligence (AI) entered the discussion. The difference is that AI has upped the ante.
The world of print and mail has always required managers to be both specialists and generalists. As a leader, you need to understand the features, functions, and capabilities of the equipment and software in your department. Further, you must be aware of the rules and regulations impacting the work the employees perform. Lastly, you must be able to report to senior management on productivity and answer questions when issues arise.
However, you are not required to be an expert inserter operator, a master pressman, or a programmer. Even if you had one of those jobs in the past, too much has changed for you to remain a specialist. You need to know what questions to ask, not provide the answers to every technological problem.
The same rules apply to AI. You need to understand the capabilities of AI, and how they might be deployed in your department. You should stay abreast of the opportunities to bring positive change for your operation and your employees. And you must continue to expand your knowledge and skills about print and mail to verify the results provided by any AI tool.
In other words, a good leader’s skills demonstrate both breadth and depth. You need to be aware of the changing tides, and have the skill to steer the ship towards a successful journey.
Amazing Astronomical Fact: If you grew up in the 1960s, a “must watch” televisions series was “Lost in Space”. The show followed the adventures of the Robinson family as they tried to return to Earth after damage to their spaceship, the Jupiter 2.
It’s not surprising that when scientists discovered that Galaxy NGC 6503 was in on the edge of the Local Void, that they dubbed it the “Lost in Space Galaxy”. Most galaxies are usually in clusters, with another galaxy not too far away (in astronomical terms). The “Local Void” is an area of space over 150 million light years across, and appears empty of any stars or galaxies. NGC 6503 lies at the edge of the Void.
In the night sky, the Lost in Space Galaxy appears near the Little Dipper, in the Draco constellation.
#artificialintelligence #ai #specialization #generalist #jobsecurity #theberkshirecompany
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