The Future is Now: Mastering the AI Revolution in Your Workplace

Generative AI is like an artist trained in various styles, capable of creating new masterpieces instead of just recognizing or critiquing existing ones. Just as these artists use their skills to produce new paintings or sculptures, Generative AI algorithms craft new outputs such as text, images, and audio based on the data they’ve been trained on. This goes beyond traditional AI, which is more like a critic, art historian, or analyst that identifies patterns and makes predictions.

Whether it’s a compelling narrative, a design blueprint, or a piece of music, Generative AI breathes life into data, turning it into high-value artifacts. One prominent example is the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), a virtuoso in the world of natural language, that employs deep learning to produce text so human-like, it’s akin to digital Shakespeare.

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Ah, so if a machine can channel its inner Shakespeare, where does that leave the rest of us mere mortals? Writing sonnets in Excel spreadsheets?

You’re worried, I’m worried, and don’t even get me started on how our employees are scrolling through their job descriptions, looking for the fine print that says “Must out-sonnet a supercomputer.”  Remember, ⅓ of Jobs at Risk, 400-800m Jobs Displaced, and 375m May Need to Switch Job Categories

Together, we’re going to navigate this brave new world where “to be or not to be” isn’t the question; it’s “to AI or not to AI?” And that, my friends, is a drama worth starring in.

Concerns About AI: The Current Landscape

Ah, let’s talk about the elephant in the server room—Privacy and Security. It’s like inviting someone to your house for dinner and finding them rummaging through your medicine cabinet and diary. Not cool, AI. Not cool.  Now, I’m not here to tell you that AI is the bad guy, but let’s just say it needs to go through a bit of an “Etiquette 101” before we let it sit at the adult table.

Next issue? Data literacy. Imagine your non-tech-savvy Aunt Sally trying to set up a smart home. You don’t want her asking Alexa for her social security number, do you?  Like Aunt Sally, we need to educate our workforce on what AI does and doesn’t do. And what they should and should NOT use it for.

Because guess what happens when we don’t? Trust issues.

But let’s not swing the pendulum too far the other way, either. You also don’t want your team following AI like it’s some kind of tech messiah making all the decisions. Even Google Maps gets it wrong sometimes, and then where are you? Lost, that’s where.

Let’s not forget the ever-so-delicate matter of informed consent. See the thing is, we really don’t KNOW what’s in a lot of these trained AI models. There’s something called a “black box” – and data (LOTS AND LOTS OF DATA) – goes in one end and spits out what looks very much like correct, articulate, imaginative deliverables.

But we don’t really know HOW it works.

And I don’t mean all of us here; I mean the people WORKING on it, in it, training and creating these AI models DO NOT KNOW what exactly happens inside that black box. For Talent Management teams, who have historically sat on mountains of data…this is an issue.

Remember that story about the data breach at TaskRabbit? That wasn’t a rabbit hole anyone wanted to go down. Nearly 4 million people’s personal info—snatched. If your AI isn’t buttoned up on the security front, you might as well hang a “Welcome Hackers” sign on your server. And worse, hackers are using AI just like the rest of us, to get better at their jobs, so we’re fighting two battlefronts here.

So, as we adopt AI, let’s do it wisely. If we don’t tackle these AI hiccups head-on, we’re basically the captain of a ship ignoring an iceberg. So, what’s the game plan? Brace for Impact: Steering Your Workforce Through the AI Onslaught. Sounds intense, but honestly, it’s just about being prepared.

The How: Implementing Generative AI

Ah, the saga of GenAI at Red Branch Media. It’s like a tech fairytale, but with less whimsy and more whiteboards. I began this odyssey about four years ago. My mission: figure out how this mystical thing could make our client strategies sing. After what could only be described as “the slowest rollout in history”—trust me, glaciers were speed demons compared to us—we finally got our act together. And just in time for all this CHATGPT buzz. The universe does have its ways, doesn’t it?

Building a Generative AI Strategy at Red Branch Media: A Guide to Success

Identifying Business Needs. We started with an initial phase dedicated to identifying the specific needs of our clients, internal workforce and partners. We looked IN, OUT, and from side to side.

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Recognizing the potential of GenAI to create high-value outputs without sacrificing quality (disclaimer: when used properly), we meticulously assessed where the technology would offer the most impactful benefits. We could only do that by analyzing what it was we did well, how long certain processes took us, and what separated our deliverables from AI-generated output. Since we already had a library of templates, personas, time estimates (that’s how we bill) for every task, it was easy to see where we could save the most time.

As I went along (because I studied for 12-18 months without pulling anyone else in) it became clear that the question I was hearing from other early adopters wasn’t QUITE right:

“What can’t it do?”

The issue I had with this was these tools are pretty powerful, and they can do just about anything. However, when everyone is super, nobody is. Meaning if I went that route, my results would be just as prolific and unremarkable as anyone else’s. And unremarkable was not the goal. So, I changed the question to:

What can I (a human) do better?

Boss people around! As a leader, I have honed my ability to clearly, and articulately request people to do stuff. Why do I feel comfortable doing this? Because I know this space inside and out. I know my JOB inside and out. I know my MARKET inside and out. I have cultivated personal relationships that give me insight that no computer can or will ever find. I realized at this point that every employee I invited to participate in GENAI would need a set level of knowledge before they could even TOUCH it.

To that end, we created memory banks for every client, built out ecosystems of the landscape, generated analyst and media summaries, and used our audits to build out competitive voice where needed.

Choosing the Right Platforms

Based on our identified business needs, I personally vetted various GenAI platforms over the course of three years. Each platform was rigorously tested to ensure it met our internal quality standards—a process so stringent that it eventually earned us an R&D credit. Following a careful selection process, we executed a phased rollout to our partners, account managers, subject matter experts, and eventually, the entire team.

Rewriting the Narrative: AI as a CoPilot in Your Career

To govern the effective use of GenAI, we developed a comprehensive set of guidelines. To use our proprietary wizardry, you have to be a veritable Boy Scout of preparation. Among the key stipulations:

1. Know the client like you know your mom’s apple pie recipe. Users must possess an intimate understanding of the client’s ecosystem, including key topics and competitors.
2. Be savvy about the SEO juju: keywords, topic clusters, you name it. An array of pre-determined keywords and focus phrases must be employed to ensure the content is precisely targeted.
3. And for Pete’s sake, follow the process. We’ve got templates so foolproof they’d make a risk manager weep with joy. All work must align with Red Branch Media’s proprietary templates and processes, which include steps for internal sharing, filing, tracking, and completing sub-tasks.

Turning the AI Tide: Empower, Don’t Replace Your Workforce

Now, while steering this AI-powered ship, a couple of cardinal rules:

1. No open-source freeloading. Our data is Fort Knox, and we keep it that way.
2. Use Grammarly. We’ve got style guides that would make Anna Wintour envious.
3. Don’t even think about ‘dumping’ an AI-generated article willy-nilly.

Implementing Security Standards and Educating Your Entire Company

As part of the rollout, we made it mandatory for all employees to undergo training focused on the ethical and secure use of AI. To handle the multifaceted issues of privacy and security, we established an AI Policy Council responsible for setting and maintaining standards of use. This council also oversees compliance with these standards, ensuring that no open-source or free tools are used for client data.

Beyond the Buzzwords: Making AI Work for Your People

The strategic implementation of GenAI at Red Branch Media has been a resounding success, enabling us to produce more high-quality content without compromising our stringent quality norms. This methodology has been adopted by companies globally, both through our team and through the training courses we offer. To continually refine our approach, we rely on several key pillars:

• Transparency: Complete openness in all we do, from time tracking to technology use.
• Our Template Library: A robust collection of over 50 templates, buyer personas, and content funnels that help us create unparalleled content.
• Strategic Knowledge Base: Leveraging two decades of industry experience, we take into account trends, upcoming reports, and inside information to keep our clients ahead of the curve.

We’ve crystallized our approach here, and it’s not just us benefiting; companies worldwide have sipped the Kool-Aid via our team and training courses. And why wouldn’t they? Our methods have the Red Branch Media Seal of Approval, which we like to think of as the R&D credit of content creation. Yes, they really gave us an R&D credit.

Conversation Frameworks for Rolling Out Generative AI in Your Workplace

Unleashing Human Potential in an AI-Driven World

With Clients: Establishing Trust

Talking Points:

• Start by sharing the transformative potential of GenAI, emphasizing how it can elevate the quality of the work you deliver.
• Present examples of how the technology has already been successful within your organization.
• Reiterate your commitment to stringent security and privacy standards.

Tone: Professional yet relatable. Assure the client that while the tech is cutting-edge, your ethical and quality standards remain rooted in tried-and-true principles.

AI: The Unseen Catalyst for Unleashing Employee Creativity

With Employees: Transparency and Openness

Talking Points:

• Frame the introduction of AI as an enhancement to the employees’ skill set, rather than a threat to their job security.
• Discuss how AI can handle routine tasks, allowing employees to focus on creative and high-impact work.
• Unveil a structured training program designed to help them get acquainted with AI.

Tone: Empathetic and transparent. Make sure your employees understand that the AI tools are there to make their lives easier, not to replace them.

Human + Machine: A Love Story for the Modern Workforce

With Partners: Strategic Alignment

Talking Points:

• Discuss the long-term vision of incorporating GenAI, focusing on how it aligns with your joint strategic objectives.
• Share success metrics from your internal GenAI implementation to show proof of concept.
• Outline how both parties will benefit, highlighting the potential for greater efficiencies, cost savings, and innovation.

Tone: Confident and forward-looking. This is a partnership, after all, and you’re inviting them on an exciting journey toward the future of work.

AI isn’t just about algorithms and data; it’s about human potential amplified. In this ever-evolving landscape, your ability to effectively communicate the benefits and logistics of GenAI will be instrumental in gaining the buy-in you need for a successful rollout.

Why Fear AI? The Rise of Augmented Intelligence and Human Synergy

Why fear AI? Let’s reframe that question. How about “Why Not Team Up with AI?” We’re not looking at the end of human ingenuity; we’re looking at the Rise of Augmented Intelligence and Human Synergy. AI’s not here to steal the show; it’s here to make the show better.

Future Outlook: Charting the Course for an AI-Driven Tomorrow

Alright, folks, let’s wrap this up like a burrito, shall we? We’ve traversed the valleys of privacy concerns and climbed the mountains of security risks. We’ve peered into the Pandora’s box of GenAI and—spoiler alert—it’s not filled with doom but with opportunities.

Leading in the AI Age: How to be the Captain of Your Workforce’s Destiny

By this point, I hope you’ve got your captain’s hat on because steering this ship through the ocean of AI possibilities is going to require all hands on deck. But let’s be clear: you’re not just the captain; you’re the cartographer of this voyage. You get to decide the course, and you have the compass that points to “better,” not “lazier.”

Your Guide to AI: The Unwritten Rules of the Future Workforce

Ladies and gentlemen, the rules are yet to be written, which means we’ve got the quill and inkwell. Let’s draft the future in our favor, shall we? We have the tools, the talent, and most importantly, the audacity to think we can improve.

The Choice Is Ours: Elevate or Stagnate

We can use GenAI to do the bare minimum and keep the status quo, or we can use it to become—dare I say—connoisseurs of excellence. We can elevate our strategic thinking, become artisans of ideation, and evolve into maestros of critical thought.

So, what’s it going to be? Do we want to merely exist or do we want to excel? I say we choose the latter. After all, if we’re going to ride the wave of AI, let’s not just paddle in the kiddie pool; let’s surf the big ones with flair, shall we?

The future is not just something that happens; it’s something we make. So let’s roll up our sleeves, activate our wonder, and infuse this workspace with the kind of innovation that future generations will look back on and say, “Ah, they chose wisely.”

WE get to DECIDE. Do we want to be BETTER? We need to ask the right questions. WE can choose to be lazier or better. We can increase our strategic thinking and ideating. We can become more critical thinkers.

As the saying goes: To infinity and beyond—or at the very least, towards a future where AI and humans co-create in perfect harmony. Ready to hop on this rocket ship?