A Brilliant Gamble

Episode 15: Intimacy has a better tensile strength than logic

Episode Summary

I've been writing about, and consequently thinking about, feelings all week. The chapter of the new book, Punks in Suits, about Trust looks at the part emotions play in business and how important our ability to bring feelings in to the conversation is. One reason for this is that, very fast, computers are increasingly able to do things that have previously only been done by people. At some point these jobs will all be done by 'bots. Anything a bot can do - anything that is based on pure logic, data analysis, facts and process will be able to be done by a bot. What does that mean for humans and the workplace? Well, it means that if you say that you are able to leave emotion at the door and make decisions purely on scientific fact, you're basically saying that a bot can do your job. The truth is that, certainly for the foreseeable future, bots won't be able to empathise, sense, read between the lines or connect and therefore we'd better get good at doing that ourselves. Those might be the only jobs humans will be doing! And that ability to empathise, sense, read between the lines and connect is what makes humans great problem solvers, innovators and creatives - just the skills your business needs. If leaders are unable to connect with their emotions then maybe bots can do our jobs too! Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Twitter: @blairepalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com

Episode Notes

I've been writing about, and consequently thinking about, feelings all week. The chapter of the new book, Punks in Suits, about Trust looks at the part emotions play in business and how important our ability to bring feelings in to the conversation is. One reason for this is that, very fast, computers are increasingly able to do things that have previously only been done by people. At some point these jobs will all be done by 'bots. Anything a bot can do - anything that is based on pure logic, data analysis, facts and process will be able to be done by a bot. What does that mean for humans and the workplace? Well, it means that if you say that you are able to leave emotion at the door and make decisions purely on scientific fact, you're basically saying that a bot can do your job. The truth is that, certainly for the foreseeable future, bots won't be able to empathise, sense, read between the lines or connect and therefore we'd better get good at doing that ourselves. Those might be the only jobs humans will be doing! And that ability to empathise, sense, read between the lines and connect is what makes humans great problem solvers, innovators and creatives - just the skills your business needs. If leaders are unable to connect with their emotions then maybe bots can do our jobs too! Instagram: @blairelyspalmer Twitter: @blairepalmer Email: blaire@thatpeoplething.com