CEOs Are Training Workers on AI. This Fortune 500 Company Says That’s Only Half the Job
The more AI does, the more human skills matter.
EXPERT OPINION BY MARCEL SCHWANTES, INC. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, EXECUTIVE COACH, SPEAKER, AND AUTHOR @MARCELSCHWANTES
CEOs are racing to make their workforces AI-ready. That makes sense. But one Fortune 500 company is asking an equally important question: Are our people becoming human-ready for the age of AI?
According to Forbes, Principal Financial Group has trained more than 90 percent of its roughly 19,000 employees in AI fluency and data literacy. That alone is impressive. But CHRO Lisa Coulson sees AI skills as only half the equation.
Principal is also investing across the enterprise in distinctly human skills of emotional intelligence: empathy, communication, collaboration, self-awareness, adaptability, curiosity, critical thinking, and trust-building. That’s a workforce strategy more CEOs should pay attention to.
AI changes what becomes valuable
The business case for AI upskilling is obvious
The business case for AI upskilling is obvious. Employees who know how to use AI can work faster, find insights sooner, automate routine tasks, and potentially create more value.
Refreshed leadership advice from CEO Stephanie Mehta
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
But therein lies the opportunity. If AI increasingly handles the routine, transactional, and analytical parts of work, what becomes more valuable?
The human parts.
The ability to exercise human judgment, collaborate with someone who sees the problem differently, and communicate a difficult message with empathy. How about adapting when a role changes, managing your emotions when uncertainty is high, or building trust with a customer? All important.
Source: www.inc.com
