Your boss says, “We’re going to start using AI in our department.”
Before the meeting is over, you’re wondering whether you’ll still have a job in six months. The person next to you is excited about what the new technology might make possible.
The same announcement. Two very different reactions.
Maybe it’s today’s midterm elections that have you on edge. Or maybe it’s an unexpected responsibility at home, a new boss, or a change you saw coming and still weren’t ready for.
As I tell my clients …
All progress is the result of change. But not all change is progress.
Some changes hurt. Some deserve to be challenged. And sometimes the hardest part is lying awake, replaying the news or rehearsing an argument, wondering what on earth you’re supposed to do tomorrow.
When that happens, take out a sheet of paper and work through these three steps.
1. Name your concern
By the time you reach the parking lot after that meeting, you’re figuring out how you’d pay the bills if you lost your job.
What did your boss actually say? What did your mind fill in?
You know your department is bringing in AI. You still have questions about which tasks will change, what you’ll be expected to learn, and what it means for your job.
Finish this sentence. “The part of this change that concerns me most is _.”
Maybe your answer is, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to learn the new system fast enough.”
Now you have a question you can take to your boss. “What will I need to learn first, and will I have time to practice before we start using it?”
2. Find your influence
Your boss tells you the new system will help process customer orders. You know from experience that some customers have special instructions that are easy to miss.
Ask yourself, “What part of this change can I influence?”
The decision to introduce AI may already be made. You can still help shape how your department uses it. Try saying, “Some of our customers have standing instructions that are easy to miss. Could we test the system on ten sample orders and see whether it catches them?”
You’ve raised a concern and given people something they can work on with you. That’s Engaged Cooperation. You can have reservations about a change and still help make it work better.
3. Take your next step
Before you spend another evening worrying about the new system, think of one coworker who’s tried it. Ask, “Would you spend 15 minutes tomorrow showing me how you’d handle a customer order?”
Give yourself a deadline. “By noon tomorrow, I’ll ask for a demonstration.”
You might still wonder what AI means for your job. But seeing how one familiar task works in the new system will give you a better idea of what to practice next. That’s a better place to be when you put your head on the pillow tomorrow night.
Before you close this email, think of one change that’s been on your mind. Finish these three sentences.
– What concerns me most is _.
– The part I can influence is _.
– By this time tomorrow, I will _.
If your next step takes a conversation, write down who you’ll talk to and when.
Join me tonight for Engaged Cooperation
Tonight, November 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET, we begin Engaged Cooperation, one of the pillars of NEXT-LEVEL YOU™. We’ll look at five reasons people won’t cooperate and what you can do to earn their willing cooperation, even when they start out seeing things differently.
You can join as a Founding Member and lock in your rate of $37 per month. If you decide to cancel for any reason, request a full refund within your first 30 days. No hassle.
Bring one change you’re facing and one conversation you’d like to handle better.
Join NEXT-LEVEL YOU™ – Direct Message Me
Keep on growing. The best is yet to come!
Dr. Alan Zimmerman
Hall of Fame Speaker | Executive Coach | Author