During graduation season this spring, you probably saw footage of students booing commencement speakers who praised AI and encouraged them to ‘embrace it’. Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield described AI as “the next industrial revolution” to the graduating class of the University of Central Florida. After she was immediately met with “boos,” she replied “Okay, I struck a chord.”

But it’s not just recent grads that wonder what the workplace future looks like in the world of AI. Longtime employees, middle management, those with a few years under their belt – you  can’t find a group that isn’t worried about something.

What are some of the biggest fears? And how do team members feel about it? Here’s a look at what tops the list:

Fear #1: “I’m going to lose my job altogether or at the very least I’ll become obsolete.”

What this looks like for team members:

• Worry that automation or efficiency goals will eliminate jobs entirely.
• Anxiety that testing tools or building workflows will make a position obsolete (essentially ‘training your replacement’).
• Fear that relying on AI for key duties tells leaders that a team member is easily swapped out.

Fear #2: “The learning curve with AI is steep. I feel like I’m never going to keep up and my career growth will suffer.”

What this looks like for team members:

• Stress over adapting fast enough or missing out on promotions because other team members use AI faster.
• Concern that day-to-day work becomes “AI babysitting” instead of building meaningful skills.
• Frustration over improper training and guidelines when it comes to AI.

Fear #3: “I’m losing trust in my organization since AI was adopted and I’m fearful that workplace culture is changing.”

What this looks like for team members:

• Worry that leaders value cost-saving and efficiency more than human well-being.
• Distrust in AI reliability and accuracy of AI outputs.
• Anxiety about data privacy breaches.

Has AI caused stress and anxiety within your organization? Are team members adapting or are some having fears like those mentioned above? If you’d like to discuss your organization’s specific challenges with AI and how to better support your team members, Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help.

Learn more by calling us at 301-351-9523 or email us at leah@lmja.com.

You’ve probably heard of FOMO (fear of missing out), but are you familiar with the term FOBO (fear of being obsolete)? When it comes to AI in the workplace, things like FOBO, knowledge hoarding and AI anxiety have become commonplace. And whether or not team members have anything to be worried about isn’t the issue. It’s up to leaders to communicate AI strategy clearly, honestly and consistently.

Yes, AI is reshaping the workplace. But it’s how leaders care for team members through that change that will define results and culture. Here are a few ways leaders can put a lid on AI anxiety:

• Address the AI ‘elephant in the room’: Silence speaks volumes and can lead to rumors, catastrophizing and disengagement. Leaders should acknowledge the anxiety directly and honestly. For example, “We know AI raises questions about roles, and here’s what we know and what we don’t.”
• Be transparent: This is the single most powerful tool leaders have in managing this transition. Transparency builds trust. If you’re clear and consistent about how AI will be used (and, how it won’t be), you’ll cut down on uncertainty. When people get the ‘why’ and ‘how,’ they can handle the ‘what’ better.
• Be honest: Transparency is vital, but so is honesty. Don’t make promises you know you can’t keep just to appease team members. Effective AI communication answers the questions employees are actually asking: ‘Will my role change?’ ‘What support will I get?’
• Offer training and support: AI conversations should include information and opportunities about upskilling. Employees should feel like they have the opportunity to gain skills to become more proficient or feel confident with the basics.
• Protect human interaction: Design new workflows to include human interaction. Implement collaborative steps during the process and set up team meetings where people can share what’s working and what’s not. Connection is what builds a strong team.

AI, despite its many capabilities, can’t offer the same empathy, emotional intelligence and personal connection as a human manager. How is your team handling the adoption of AI in the workplace? Has it been met with some anxiety and hesitation? Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to discuss the challenges you’re experiencing and help you create a positive and thriving workplace.

Call us at 301-351-9523 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.

It seems like everywhere you look, there’s an article, podcast or discussion about Artificial Intelligence (AI), both positive and negative. But love it or hate it, AI is no longer something agencies are ‘exploring’ or ‘trying out’. It’s becoming a major part of the operational infrastructure. According to a recent study, 55.7% of government organizations now use AI and 42.9% report having formal AI policies in place.

This month, we’ll look at the pros and cons of AI in the workplace. Let’s start on a positive note and look at how AI has transformed the way agencies work. Has your office experienced any of the following?

• Simplifies repetitive tasks and improves workforce efficiency: This is really AI’s forte. It can handle repetitive and boring tasks, streamline processes and ensure consistency. Best of all, it frees up team members to focus on more complex work.
• Saves time and resources: For example, AI can quickly summarize lengthy documents, simplify analysis, perform forecasting, etc.
• Improves decision making: It’s no secret AI can analyze huge amounts of data at incredible speeds. This can help identify patterns and trends, improve forecasting and so much more – all leading to more informed decision making.
• Improves customer service: For example, the IRS is using AI chat- and voice-bots to better answer taxpayers’ questions.
• Enhances engagement through learning and development: For example, AI-driven platforms can identify skill gaps among team members and recommend tailored training programs. It can be another tool in your arsenal to help employees grow and advance in their careers.

And here’s a controversial one: some believe that AI has (or has the capacity to) improve work/life balance. Some feel that AI offers significant benefits by reducing workloads, improving communication efficiency and streamlining tasks, all of which contribute to a healthier work/life harmony. This is probably an area where time will tell.

How has your organization embraced AI? Are team members adapting or are some of them having challenges getting on board? If you’d like to discuss your organization’s specific challenges with AI and how to better support your team members, Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help.

Learn more by calling us at 301-351-9523 or email us at leah@lmja.com.

It’s hard to believe, but 30 years ago, we were debating how the internet was going to transform government. Today, we’re asking those same questions about Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s rapidly evolving and here to stay, whether we like it or not.

While AI can significantly help government functions and potentially save enormous amounts of time and money, there are still a number of cons that need to be addressed. Here are some of the top challenges:

• Potential job loss: This is probably one of the biggest concerns. As AI systems become better equipped to perform tasks traditionally carried out by people, there is a fear that some jobs may become obsolete.
• A skills gap and training needs: Integrating AI into the workplace requires team members to learn new skills and adapt to new technologies. The result can be a skills gap, as not all team members may be prepared for these changes.
• Privacy concerns: A 2024 report by the House Bipartisan AI Task Force flagged privacy protections as a major barrier to AI adoption, particularly for areas like Social Security and taxpayer records.
• The quality and volume of federal data: AI systems need curated and standardized information to function properly and accurately. However, the massive scale and quality of federal data can make this extremely challenging.
• Human oversight to flag mistakes: AI systems aren’t perfect and make mistakes. False positives can delay or deny benefits, such as Social Security payments. Meanwhile, false negatives can allow fraud to slip through. Human oversight, and the training that accompanies it, is a necessity.

Most importantly, AI, despite its many capabilities, can’t offer the same empathy, emotional intelligence and personal connection as a human manager. How is your team handling the adoption of AI in the workplace? Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to discuss the challenges you’re experiencing and help harness the power of AI to create a positive and thriving workplace.

Call us at 301-351-9523 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.