Soon enough, algorithms and technology will determine everything. Are you checking out your groceries? Algorithm. Are you looking for an answer to an important question? Ask Siri. Want to play your hot summer playlist? You have Alexa for that. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the customer’s best friend. That is until AI takes away that customer’s job. Then the battle between AI and EI (emotional intelligence) begins.
It is no surprise that technology is taking over specific human skills and capabilities within the workforce. The relevance of many job skills is at risk. These skills are starting to or already are taken over by the development of AI technology. Those who want to keep their skills valuable need to penetrate the emotional gaps of AI — understanding, motivating, and interacting with others.
It is difficult for AI to understand and process meaningful human connection, which makes EI a critical skill. Although trust in technology to gather and sort data is increasing, emotional and social awareness is difficult to replace. Being able to identify and regulate human emotion is too complicated for AI to understand due to the lack of pattern. Therefore, recruiting with emotional intelligence will become a significant factor in the interview process as AI continues to grow. Employers will be looking for employees who can communicate exceptionally and collaborate easily.
Evaluate Job Relevance
People need to start evaluating not only the relevance of their job tasks but also their level of EI. By learning emotional strengths and weaknesses, it will put you ahead of AI and bring new skills to your resume that you never knew existed before! EI assessments will help determine your new resume ammo. The most popular assessments demonstrate on five composite scales: self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal, decision making and stress management.
SELF PERCEPTION
AI has a set capability of achievement. However, we can build on our self-awareness and potential each day. By taking on the challenge to accept and respect yourself, you are on track to master the self-perception competencies. Everyone wants to be the best they can be, and with self-perception skills, it drives you to live a life of fulfillment, meaning and purpose, which in turn leads to self-actualization. Self-actualization is the realization of achievement in your talent and potential. Above all, this type of definite self motive will increase creativity and productivity at a rate that AI may find hard to keep up.
SELF EXPRESSION
Emotional awareness and expression are the main gaps between AI and people. By reading others’ emotions and communicating differently based on each situation, you are proving your EI skills, and becoming a self-directed leader. Self-directed leaders express their feelings assertively and independently, whereas AI runs as an algorithm-directed leader. By learning to express your emotions directly, communication barriers between yourself and your coworkers will be non-existent. Overall, by using self-expression, it creates an open-honest workplace that facilitates leadership and top-talent in a way AI could never develop.
Alexa may ask how your day is going, but we all know he/she doesn’t have the capacity to care. A smart machine may be able to diagnose complex business problems and recommend actions to improve an organization. However, they’re not someone you want to hang out with during lunch break. Building strong interpersonal skills that allow you to nurture and develop mutually satisfying relationships is essential within the workplace. People with interpersonal skills tend to have empathy in situations that enable them to appreciate the feelings of others and carry on a meaningful conversation. In other words, AI can complete your tasks, but it takes a person to listen to your problems, evaluate your emotions and understand what the response should be.
DECISION MAKING
Not all decisions can compute through an algorithm. Human brains are an irreplaceable database of experience, current knowledge and gut feelings. The ability to find solutions to decisions when emotions are involved shows your social presence and passion behind the real situation. Emotionally intelligent decision-makers put aside their impulses or temptations to make decisions for the betterment of the group. However, AI cannot emotionally connect or understand group dynamics. Not all work teams can categorize in the same algorithm method. It takes human feelings, observations and evaluation of the situation to make a sound, structured decision.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Emotional intelligent leaders can tolerate stress without a decrease in performance. AI doesn’t get to feel stress in this world, which means it will not know how to manage it as a leader. Learn to embrace change management and effectively adapt to the unfamiliar that comes in the workplace to one-up AI. Stress is relatable and relevant, and with AI’s inability to comprehend it, it puts us at the upper hand. The pressure just got a bit higher to correctly answer the interview question, “tell me about a time you dealt with something stressful?”.
Take on AI with EI Skills
How are you going to differentiate yourself from your AI counterpart? Learning the necessary soft skills to fit in with the workplace culture, motivate peers, and effectively handle the stress will keep your resume relevant and threaten the AI competition around you. AI is trying to take over the workforce, but EI is not letting it win. Are you ready to take on AI with your own EI skills? Click here to find out your EI workplace strengths and how to utilize them to your full potential.
