How to Prepare for Technology Changes in Business

Work is changing faster than your org chart—and that’s not a prediction; it’s what I’ve witnessed doing AI-based deployments for 15+ years across Fortune 100's. Did you know that by 2030, AI is expected to automate 45% of current work activities? That sounds terrifying—until you realize that nearly every role I’ve led has changed completely every 2–3 years anyway 🤯 . 🛍️ Let me take you inside a retailer you know. They adopted AI to optimize their supply chain: predictive restocking, dynamic pricing, and warehouse robotics. Yes, automation changed the roles - but it didn’t eliminate them! 💡 The planners became simulation analysts. 💡 The merchandisers became AI auditors. 💡 And those freed from manual grunt work? They started tackling the backlog of work that had been pilin gup. AI didn’t reduce the workforce — it redefined it, and with redefinition comes opportunity – if we choose to take it! (topic of my 3rd #TEDx talk, releasing in May) Here’s the funny, slightly tragic truth: One executive told me they were “fully embracing AI.” When I asked how, he proudly said: “We bought 200 ChatGPT licenses.” That’s like preparing for a tsunami with a kiddie pool. 🤯 The companies winning in this next era aren’t just using AI — they’re training their people to thrive with it. Operative phrase: “training their people” So here’s how to prepare your workforce for what’s next: 🚀 Assess the now. Map roles and skills most likely to be disrupted or augmented. 🚀 Invest in reskilling. Don’t wait for the job to vanish. Train ahead of the curve. 🚀 Foster a learning culture. Create space (and incentives!) to experiment, fail, and evolve. Use AI responsibly. Don’t just optimize. Humanize. Ethics are part of your product now. One last thought: We’re not competing with AI. We’re competing with people who know how to use AI better than us. What steps are you taking to prepare your team? Share below. #FutureOfWork #AI #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #WorkplaceInnovation #SkillDevelopment #EthicalAI #SolRashidi #TEDx

Most technology leaders at larger companies will tell you that implementing AI and generative AI at scale is no small task. Many will also tell you that strong change management is one of several components of a successful implementation plan but the most challenging to get right. As widespread use of generative AI has taken shape, there are a handful of themes I’ve heard consistently about change management as it relates to the technology: ✋🏽 Preparing for resistance: Introducing generative AI may be met with apprehension or fear. It's crucial to address these concerns through transparent communication and consistent implementation approaches. In nearly every case we are finding that the technology amplifies people skills allowing us to move faster versus replacing them. 🎭 Making AI part of company culture and a valued skill: Implementing AI means a shift in mindset and evolution of work processes. Fostering a culture of curiosity and adaptability is essential while encouraging colleagues to develop new skills through training and upskilling opportunities. Failure to do this results in only minimal or iterative change. ⏰ Change takes time: It’s natural to want to see immediate success, but culture change at scale is a journey. Adoption timelines will vary greatly depending on organizational complexity, opportunities for training and—most importantly—clearly defined benefits for colleagues. A few successful change management guiding principles I have seen in action: 🥅 Define goals: Establishing clear objectives—even presented with flexibility as this technology evolves—will guide the process and keep people committed to their role in the change. 🛩 Pilot with purpose: Begin small projects to test the waters, gain insights and start learning how to measure success. Scale entirely based on what’s working and don’t be afraid to shut down things quickly that are not working 📚 Foster a culture of learning: Encourage continuous experimentation and knowledge sharing. Provide communities and spaces for people to talk openly about what they’re testing out. 🏅 Leaders must be champions: Leaders must be able to clearly articulate the vision and value; lead by example and be ready to celebrate successes as they come. As we continue along the generative AI path, I highly suggest spending time with change management resources in your organization—both in the form of experienced change management colleagues and reading material—learning what you can about change implementation models, dependencies and the best ways to prioritize successes.

I spent years navigating the complexities of digital transformation. Here’s the shortcut to save you countless hours! Digital transformation isn’t just about adopting new technology. It’s about changing how we think and operate as an organization. I remember back when I was at Microsoft, leading a team to drive significant change in our sales approach. We faced numerous challenges:   Resistance from teams stuck in their old ways. Difficulty aligning technology with business goals. The ever‑looming pressure of competition driving innovation faster than we could keep up!  But here’s what I learned through trial and error—and a few sleepless nights:   Start with culture: Technology won’t solve your problems if your teams aren’t on board. Embrace a culture that values learning and adaptability. Get everyone involved early in the process!   Set clear objectives: Identify what success looks like for your organization. Are you looking for efficiency? Increased revenue? Improved customer satisfaction? Define it clearly, so everyone is aligned!   Leverage data: Don’t just collect data—use it! Analyze where you stand, identify gaps, and make informed decisions based on real insights rather than gut feelings alone!   Pilot small initiatives: Before rolling out changes company‑wide, test them out on a smaller scale first! This allows you to gather feedback and make adjustments without disrupting everything at once!   Engage stakeholders continuously: Keep communication lines open with all stakeholders throughout the journey—this builds trust and mitigates resistance down the line!   Iterate constantly: Digital transformation is not a one‑time project; it’s an ongoing journey that requires continual assessment and iteration of processes to stay relevant in today’s fast‑paced market environment! By following these steps, I managed to turn initial skepticism into excitement around our digital initiatives. The result? A much more agile team ready to tackle future challenges head‑on! If you're serious about transforming your organization, embrace these principles—you'll thank yourself later!

Imagine you’re the CEO of a bank. Do you have the right people and plan to stay in business for the next decade? Seriously, do you? I believe you need to start with an honest self-assessment before you can effectively evaluate others and create a credible plan. Here's how I would approach this: 1. Questions to Ask Myself: - Can I clearly articulate how technology is changing banking business models? - Do I understand how modern tech companies (not banks) create and capture value? - Can I distinguish between transformative change and incremental improvement? - Do I know what critical questions to ask when evaluating technical proposals? - Can I spot the difference between genuine innovation and tech buzzwords? 2. Test My Decision Knowledge: - When presented with technical proposals, do I understand the strategic implications? - In board discussions about digital topics, am I leading or following? - Can I effectively challenge consultants' recommendations? - Do I understand how different technology choices impact business flexibility today and tomorrow? - Can I connect technology decisions to customer value and business outcomes? 3. Identify My & Team Blind Spots: - What topics do I tend to avoid in discussions? - Where do I find myself deferring to others without understanding why? - Which decisions make me most uncomfortable or uncertain? - What parts of the business do I understand least in terms of digital impact? - Where do I rely on others' judgment without having my own perspective? - How far away is my bank from the most technical ones? And how about compared to a fintech or software company? 4. Reality Checks: - Seek feedback from digitally-savvy team and board members - Have candid discussions with other CEOs who've led transformations (both in and out of banking) - Get unfiltered input from technical leaders in other industries - Test my understanding with trusted advisors who will be honest - Look for patterns in where I've made wrong or late calls in the past

I’ve been a part of several very large technology transitions over my career, including being the CIO at The Walt Disney Company, CIO at Microsoft, and when I was CTO at General Motors. Here’s how that played out across industries: At all three companies, we had a choice: adapt our infrastructure to a very different business model, risk falling behind, or even going out of business. At Disney, we went from making money by selling physical Media (DVD’s and Blu-Ray disks) to streaming. For years, selling DVDs of Disney movies and TV shows was a highly profitable business. But it was clear that wouldn’t last forever. Streaming was on the horizon, and we knew it would eventually take over. That shift required more than just launching a new product—it meant rebuilding much of the company’s internal systems to support an entirely new business model. At Microsoft, we had been selling Office, operating systems, and other technology on floppy disks, and then later on CD-ROMs, packaged and stocked on retail shelves and distributed to corporate customers in nicely packaged versions of Microsoft products they bought as a bundle. Most PC’s came with Microsoft operating system versions pre-installed (identified by a so-called “Certificate of Authenticity” glued on the back of the PC) by the manufacturer. But digital downloads of software as well as cloud computing were clearly around the corner. In both cases, we had to prepare for the changes years in advance, transitioning away from an entire ecosystem that had been built to support physical distribution well before it was the obvious move. At GM, the challenge wasn’t about media or software—it was about speed. When we started, the traditional process of designing a car took 5 years from the time an idea was conceived to the time when the first vehicle came off the end of an assembly line. We set an ambitious goal - to reduce the design-to-production timeline from five years to 18 months. To do that, we digitized every stage of the process, creating a continuous data stream from design to manufacturing. The impact was massive—not just in speed but in quality, efficiency, and competitive advantage. Three different industries, with different challenges, but the same lesson: If you wait for change to be obvious, it’s too late to be a leader in your business. Technology moves fast. The companies that lead aren’t the ones that react the fastest—they’re the ones that see the shift coming and prepare for it before the market demands it.