Month: September 2016

I read an interesting article that said that there is a chatbot that makes voter registration as easy as sending a text. I can’t help but think that it won’t be long before we can have the bots vote for us. Or at least have the bot suggest how we would want to vote based on how we trained the bot to understanding our preferences. I included a link to the article, you may want to read and look at the dialogue between the chatbot and the user.

http://www.recode.net/2016/9/22/13020980/chatbot-voter-registration-text

At first I thought this article was about our Presidential Election… This is one of the best explanations of artificial intelligence and a comprehensive strategy to make this intelligence available to governments, businesses, and individuals intelligent agents like Cortana or exposed through their bot framework. 

http://news.microsoft.com/features/democratizing-ai/#5vZRhBgK5OpFZZ2e.97

This is interesting, particularly the comments and study just before launching. 

“We wanted the bot to sound as human as possible so it feels like you’re talking to a friend,” Kaplan said. “A beta group texted the number without knowing it was a bot — the true test of authenticity. When the group couldn’t figure it out, we knew we were ready to launch.”

A chatbot is software that responds to your messages using natural language and relies on artificial intelligence to determine what you mean and deliver a tailored reply.

https://www.cnet.com/news/insomniacs-this-chatbot-will-keep-you-company/

Saw a great intro article on Business Insider. It was called CHATBOTS EXPLAINED: Why businesses should be paying attention to the chatbot revolution. It does a nice job of explaining artificial intelligence, chatbots and why they have so much momentum. http://www.businessinsider.com/2016-10-2-a-chatbots-explained-why-businesses-should-be-paying-attention-to-the-chatbot-revolution-2016-9

I was reading an old HBR and it crossed into an interest topic that affects many working people today and tomorrow. Are we more interested and secure when we think in terms of  job security which is most often seen as related to staying with your current employer. Or are we more interested and secure in employment security which by nature may involve working across multiple employers in your lifetime.

With many product lifecycles dropping to less than two years, it may be delusional to think that you would have the same job or be at the same company for 10+ years.

This thinking does not foster the building of long lasting relationships at work. It’s not like the days when your children met with other employees children at the summer family picnic. Or the holloween or Christmas party. 
Its no wonder that employee engagement is so difficult. It is also a fact that engaged employees work better and enjoy their work more. 

Engagement must be proactive and deliberate for it to have a chance. The leaders need to work hard to create places that make people happy to share with their friends and family:

This takes some money, some time, but mainly it takes sincere intention, then some help and follow through

The best companies will deliberately rotate and cross train roles so that their people can have both: job security and employment security.

I have been so disillusioned recently by employers that seem to have lost interest in working hard to do the things that captivate the imagination, hopes, and dreams of their employees and instead treat them like a captive workforce. Especially in today’s era where inflation is very low and raises also very low, I think it is more important than ever to inspire people with a sense of purpose, belonging and creativity that only comes when your heart and your imagination are captured with a sense of purpose – not as a captive.

The culture of a company is important. In fact it is the only sustainable differentiator.
Mike