At Aware we want to create something special – something that endures. To do this we need a strong core that binds us together even as industry trends, best practices, and technologies change over time. How we navigate and respond to the various trends and fads we encounter is part of that core.
Things change, and much has been made of the need to react to change. But we don’t like the word “react” as it’s too limiting. Our relationship to change should go beyond reacting. We also want to be able to effectively drive change, and to hold back from reacting to change that isn’t going to be enduring (i.e. we want to know a “fad” when we see it).
We find two questions help us craft the most effective response to a new fad. First we ask “What if it’s truth?” and then “What if it’s half right?”
What if it’s truth?
This question takes the extreme position that something universal and enduring might be embedded in the fad regardless of whether the fad itself turns out to be important.
For this new fad to become popular amongst all the other ideas in circulation it must resonate in some broad or universal way.
While it might be a waste of time to react to a fad that turns out to have no enduring impact on society, there is still value in engaging with the core truth that made it a fad in the first place.
Take the current trends towards AI and machine learning as an example.
The robots are coming… is a metaphor for the impact of technology on society
We all feel the robots are coming. These robots are the embodiment of our daily experiences: our trepidation when encountering the new, our struggles to use new versions of our computers’ operating systems, and the experience of having to learn new skills when parts of our job are automated to sent off-shore.
Depending on how we define robots, the robots are already here. All of the talk of “artificial intelligence”, “machine learning”, and robots is less about availability of different technologies and more about how these technologies are impacting how we organise our businesses, customer experiences, and societies.
So at Aware, we work at the intersection of the simple, easy-to-use capabilities available at marginal cost from technology vendors and the significant impact the availability of these capabilities have on how we manage operations and customer engagement.
What if it’s half true?
Once a fad is in circulation it becomes hyperbole. If you scale down the expectation you also get a sense of how to response to the fad in a way that reduces risk.
Human + robot beats human or robot every time
Consider the example of AI and machine learning. Blended or hybrid operating models will always proceed all-robot approaches. This is partially because the way technology improves and is embedded into existing operating models means it typically replaces part of a job before it replaces a whole job.
We also know this because we can see the way early, high-profile successes in AI have evolved. The work of Garry Kasparov (and others) in “advanced chess” and “freestyle chess” is a good example. After Deep Blue beat Kasparov in the late 1990s Kasparov moved on. He experimented in new rules for chess competitions where different combinations of collaboration between humans and machine could be explored.
So at Aware we focus on blending the best of what humans can do with the best of what robots can do. We encourage personal relationships with enabling technologies that have direct impacts on the productivity of individuals and teams.
Conclusion
If you want to creating enduring value one thing you’ll need to do is navigate the trends and fad you encounter along the way. Ask two questions to help you craft your response: “What if it’s truth?” and “What if it’s half right?”