Every once-in-a-while, there’s a single day that changes the course of history. I’m sure you all know why July 4th, 1776 was one of these history-changing days. But, do you know why 2 months earlier, May 4th, 1776 was one of these days? On that day James Watt used John Wilkinson's perfectly machined piston in the first steam engine. This engine went on to power the industrial revolution and change the lives of nearly every human on earth.
Today I'd like to discuss another revolution that is underway. This technological revolution will require the use of new skills for interacting with machines, and with each other. I like to call it, 3-D leading. In this article I'll share the three factors that feed 3-D leading.
Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we work, and you need to know how fast it’s progressing to be successful.
You need the actual 3-D steps to hone your leadership skills.
You’ll need to know your audience to tailor your guided leading style.
So why do we need these skills now? Is it because killer robots are coming for our jobs? Not really… but maybe. The sheer processing speed of computing is about to change in a really-big way, and it will change the way we work.
In 2016, I created this chart to predict the increase of processing speed in the world’s fastest super computers. So far, it’s been accurate. This is what exponential growth looks like in the short-term. It looks like steady linear growth that we’re used to. But all that is about to change…
Take a look back at the last time segment we just saw. See how tiny it is compared to what’s coming in the next decade? That arrow by the way, is the average processing speed of a human brain. If you think that’s crazy, wait to see what’s next.
Anyone born after 1979, will likely be working with machines that are smarter than they are. The power of these computers will eclipse human capabilities and keep going. Just like the steam engine, maybe another single day will change the course of history…
Between 2027, and 2038 technology will be evolving so fast we'll need to hold on to something to stay grounded! Way back in 2014, it took the world's 4th fastest supercomputer 40 minutes to process just one second of human brain activity. If we break that down in terms of exponential progress however, machines might reach a 1:1 ratio around 2036.
If this happens, if computers can think like we do, we’ll need to adapt the way we work. We’ll need open learning structures that adapt to the learner and subject. AND, We’ll need managers that can engage learning across 5 generations. We’ll need 3-D Leading!
3-D Leading requires 3 key components to guide someone. First, you need the three simple steps to lead the learner. Second, you need to know your learner’s demography and learning style. Third, you need to implement Guided learning for the subject to stick.
First let’s look at the steps 3-D Leading. Direct, Display, Do. Three D’s, quite simple. To illustrate how these steps work, I’d like to share a story from my childhood.
When I was a kid, I remember fishing with my dad. I would always ask him to unhook the fish I caught, until he taught me how. First, he directed me and outlined each step of removing the fish. Then he displayed how he did it using a real fish. Lastly, he had me do it. With a little practice, I got it! Let’s look at the steps in-depth.
Directing is the specific, step-by-step instruction. This could be an instruction manual, training guidebook, or a leader pointing to the exact things to do. This is the most hands-on part of 3-D leading.
Displaying or showing the learner what to do is typically the middle step. After the learner has received specific instruction, showing them a visual can help guide and solidify understanding. Or, if they were trying to do the task, working backwards to the display step can provide further clarity.
Doing is jumping in and doing the task, trial and error, and/or practicing. Knowing how your topic is digested by different learner demographics can help you determine where to start teaching with these three steps.
Let’s look at some examples…
When learning new technology, Baby Boomers tend to prefer specific instructions or tutorials first, and proceed from there. Millennials in this case tend to dive right in and just do. If they get stuck, they’ll watch a video and if that doesn’t help, they read the manual.
On the flip side, when it comes to career savvy, Millennials prefer a highly structured start. Boomers typically dive right in at new organization and work backwards with org charts and meet/greets if help is needed. When these preferences are misaligned between learners or managers, it can lead to frustration. So, like Situational Leadership (SL II), you need to adjust to the topic AND the learner.
But what about Generation Xer’s you say? They tend to start in the middle on both of these subjects and work their way from there. JK, but not really. These can all be over-generalizations of course, but the idea is to learn how to adapt to your learner & subject, be nimble, and find the best way to teach someone on their terms.
Now that we’ve covered the 3-D steps and learner demography, let’s look at guided leading. Often times when a learner asks you a question, you know the answer. Guided leading encourages self-discovery and helps cement the ability to self-direct in the learner.
As managers, we often know what should be done when our teams are faced with a problem. Next time you’re in this situation, pause and think: What question could I ask that would guide the learner to the answer? With the right question, they’ll find the answer, and they may even think of something that didn’t occur to you!
Now you know the 3 elements and 3 steps of 3-D leading. I hope you find these open learning structures useful. The age of exponential AI is coming. Maybe, just maybe, today will be another turning point in history that changes the way you lead… at least until the robots take over.
If you enjoyed this post like/comment to let me know.
Check out my other posts to learn more about Machines Learning:
1) You don’t need to code, to recruit with AI
2) Future-proofing Your Career
3) A.I. Stepping Into Life Series
Follow me on Twitter: @zacengler
Want to learn about how artificial intelligence will impact the future of your career? Find more at zacengler.com OR follow me on Twitter: @zacengler