Future Work: Decision Making and Emotional Intelligence

Machines and AI may be faster and better at niche tasks, but they can’t relate to humans (yet). This means that even the most automation heavy businesses are going to need staff that can make clear and informed decisions, as well as being able to understand and respond to colleagues’ needs.

Decision Making

As machines and AI take over the bulk of the general day to day tasks in a company, which could be anything from manufacturing to even handling customer enquires, sales, or applications, the human element of the workforce will increasingly be shifted to management orientated roles. This means being able to make quick, informed decisions about both the workplace and the workforce itself will be more important than ever.

Not only that, we’ll need to accurately understand the implications of increasingly granular forms of data provided by an automated workforce, and decide how to leverage that data to best benefit both employees and business strategy. Decision making is similar in some respects to critical thinking, as you’ll generally need to:

• Identify a goal or problem area.
• Make sure you have all the relevant information to make an informed decision.
• Consider the impacts and consequences of potential decisions.
• Have the conviction to carry out your decision.
• Be able to objectively review the success of your decision. 

Emotional Intelligence

Relating to one another is an important skill in everyday life as well as work, and it’s going to become even more essential in the workplaces of the future. This is because, as with we’ll see with many of the skills we’ll look at, AI and machines can’t replicate this quality. The human element of the workplace will then, become increasingly important – contrary to what we might assume as things become more automated.

Emotional intelligence affects pretty much every interaction we have with each other. It helps us notice if someone is happy or sad, as well as understanding what they are trying to communicate to us. It’s very closely linked with empathy, and can help us to understand things from another person’s perspective. This can be crucial in negotiating, managing, and motivating, as well as just generally creating a pleasant and supportive workplace for each other. Emotional intelligence is linked to these skills:

• Empathy
• Motivation
• Social skills
• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation