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but what about autonomy? How can we offset the anticipated decrease in employee engagement due to AI with increased autonomy in other areas? Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Charles Duhigg, has a potential solution. In “The Power of Habit” he writes, “simply giving employees a sense of agency—a feeling that they are in control, that they have genuine decision-making authority—can radically increase how much energy and focus they bring to their jobs.” Duhigg goes on to cite a case where assembly line workers were empowered to make small decisions about their schedules and environment. They “designed their own uniforms and had authority over shifts. Nothing else changed. All the manufacturing processes and pay scales stayed the same. Within 2 months, productivity at the plant increased by 20 percent.” Trust is a valuable currency. If you plan to automate many of your workforce’s daily tasks, consider other ways you can convey your trust and give them the opportunity to demonstrate value. The only constant is change. The key to future-proofing your company is developing a high-performing, adaptable workforce through a genuine commitment to their well-being. Without a commitment to upskilling, companies will quickly find themselves on the wrong side of the Attrition vs Attraction spectrum. Targeted continued education initiatives communicate to employees that they are a valuable part of the firm’s future. Those initiatives offer something better than bonuses: skin in the game. As Simon Sinek puts it, “when people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” Well-being is not just company mixers and end- of-year bonuses; not unlimited PTO that comes with pressure not to use it; not transactional relationships couched in empty slogans about family
culture. Well-being is about purpose, not platitudes. It is about inviting employees to participate in the company’s larger mission. It is saying, “this is where we would like to go and the impact we would like to have, will you help us build that?” And then following up that invitation by arming employees with the tools to meaningfully contribute, and the autonomy to work in a manner that maximizes their output. Prepare your people for the future, empower them with ownership and watch them drive your company to new heights. HM
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The companies best equipped to respond to change have one thing in common: they identify the skills people will need for future high-impact work and invest in developing them.”
Harbert Magazine 49
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