Tag: Curiosity

AI & Me

Helleborus Orientalis – associated with serenity, peace and tranquillity

AI is omnipresent. A quick early morning check shows my inbox is full of AI articles, newsflashes and invitations to webinars. Driving to the gym, the business news explores International responses to Agentic AI. Waiting to be let in, I read that according to Stanford Professor Erik Brynjolfsson speaking at the World Economic Forum, ‘We are not investing enough in understanding the societal implications of AI.’

A welcome chance to dream and reflect as I swim 2K with ear plugs and goggles.

Back in the changing room, the heated conversation outside my cubicle is about AI challenges in two workplaces.

Back in the office, a few thoughts as we rapidly approach Spring:

Headlines say that AI has the potential to make time for humans to dream and create, using their inherent strengths while machines do what they are better at.

Our attitude to technology often depends on our digital maturity, age and ‘real’ experience. Where do you sit:

Early adopters are evangelists for AI potential. They are true innovators, enthusiastic advocates and impulsive experimenters.

Fast followers are keen to take calculated risks. They are horizon scanners, curious creators and hopeful travellers.

The crowd wait to see and will follow later. They are evidence seekers, reflective thinkers and will join in when shown concrete proof of value delivered.  

Left behind, the sceptical, uninformed and unwilling to adopt will never venture down the path of AI willingly. The World is increasingly designed to neglect them.

Advisors say we need AI strategies to suit individuals and organisations.  Most agree that we should research widely, try our chosen AI safely and review the return on our investment. This involves identifying something which will not significantly impact other activities or functions and is discrete with easy to manage boundaries. We then need to decide what ‘real’ value we expect AI to deliver, determine the support we need and set metrics to assess whether ‘real’ value has been realised. Now we are ready to try out our chosen AI, safely

My AI:Me hack

What habit do I want to develop, reinforce or break using AI?

What support do I need?

How/can I protect my own IP and brand?

What will I stop doing to make time and maintain this investment?

What will make me exit?

Autumn Brings…

In UK, Autumn brings a new academic year for schools, colleges and universities. Transitions for many children and young people arriving in new places, meeting new people and navigating new situations. Not to forget their parents and families adjusting to new routines.

Autumn also brings party conference season for politicians, providing a feast for the media and a search for policy aspirations among the rhetoric.

Autumn is a time for businesses to take stock, often at strategy events. For industry sectors, this is the season for conferences and awards ceremonies. Opportunities to gather with colleagues and connections.

And for many individuals, this is a time to plan renewal and transitions. An effective starting point can be reaching out to your network and making time for conversations; re-connecting with those you have lost touch with; identifying communities you would like to participate in.

In a busy, noisy World it is easy to neglect the human interactions that enable us to be the best we can. From planned and ad hoc chats come insights and opportunities that may be missed by a sole traveller.

Curiosity and Perseverance

While clearing winter flower beds and trying to identify bulbs, serendipity found me listening to a radio broadcast by the Astronomer Royal, Lord (Martin) Rees. He was discussing NASA’s mission to Mars and describing the robots sent to gather scientific data on the surface of the red planet. The first, sent in 2011 was named Curiosity. It moved across Gale crater and Mount Sharp slowly in one direction. A successor named Perseverance was sent in 2220 and was designed to move around objects. 

Curiosity and Perseverance are two of the perennially cited strengths required for organisation and leadership success and certainly for gardeners.

Curiosity

Natural curiosity is the behaviour we admire in children and often blame external factors for limiting in ourselves. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we are self- limiting our natural curiosity? 

To develop an organisation’s curious mind takes effort and active leadership. Capturing the imagination and energy of all by role modelling curiosity in action, encouraging and enabling the behaviour in others. In organisations with high levels of trust, individuals may have greater confidence to explore and an inclination to share discoveries with colleagues. 

Curiosity needs to be sustained in times of great uncertainty. Defined as ‘a strong desire to know or learn something’ the concept of curiosity is central to motivation. Strengths Profile assesses the extent to which you are ‘interested in everything, constantly seeking out new information and learning more.’

Perseverance

There are several aspects to perseverance. The current focus on individual and organisational resilience is just one. Resilience is the strength to take hardships and setbacks in your stride, recovering quickly from adversity. A second aspect is the strength to persist, to achieve success by keeping going when confronting difficulties. And finally, we see examples of individuals and organisations who use adversity to spur them on to greater efforts and achievements. They bounce back from setbacks.

Health check: 

  • Where do you look for new ideas?
  • How do you reflect on and apply new thinking? 
  • How do you acknowledge and share your discoveries? 
  • What and who helps you to keep going when you face challenges? 
  • How do you overcome setbacks? 
  • How do you use setbacks to spur you on?
  • What can you do now to nurture the enablers of curiosity and perseverence? 
  • What new habit would you like to develop? 

And for the curious gardeners, I have persevered and finally  found my garden planting plans. These tiny green shoots are snowdrops, transplanted last year to form new clumps.

Sources:

Curiosity

https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/How-to-think-like-a-CEO?utm_source=itw&utm_medium=NL20240125&utm_campaign=resp

Resilience

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/global-risks-2024-business-resilience-in-an-era-of-risk-turbulence/

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/building-resilient-tomorrow-concrete-actions-global-leaders/