Redefining AI

*Note: The following text is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.

Bill Berthel: Welcome to the Get Emergent podcast. This is the space where we discuss leadership team and organizational topics and better practices. We like to provide concepts and ideas that you can turn into pragmatic experiments to help you develop your higher potential in your work and in your leadership. I’m Bill Berthell.

Ralph Simone: And I’m Ralph Simone.

Bill Berthel: So, Ralph, we’re going to talk about AI today. That’s a pretty hot topic.

Ralph Simone: Yes, it is. And, you know, I was a front-runner on AI. I have to tell you this. You, in m my old consulting days, I remember this is 1520, maybe 30 years ago, I was talking to my wife about AI, and she goes, what’s that stand for? I said, artificial intelligence. She goes, well, you ought to be pretty good at it because you got what I would describe as artificial intelligence and spades, my friend. So I was always interested in it.

Bill Berthel: But today, we are going to talk.

Ralph Simone: A little bit about artificial intelligence, but I’m looking at it from a little bit different angle, and this may help demystify AI, but applied impact. So when we think about AI and coaching, our, work with leaders, we’re thinking about the applied impact. I think the same thing holds true with artificial intelligence. I think are so nervous, and some of that nervous, probably rightfully so, because there’s a trend that over the next, right? In seven or eight years, millions of jobs will be changing or potentially eliminated.

Bill Berthel: Right, right.

Ralph Simone: But I think that there will be other jobs that will be created, and there will be other opportunities, and I think there will be other opportunities to really get the applied impact out of all this AI buzz. That’s what I’m kind of excited about.

Bill Berthel: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, there are centuries of changes in technology, right. Something usually, you know, is the predecessor to the technology we have now. And there’s often some legitimate resistance to that change. Right. There might be some fear of the way in which I do something is going to go away, or I think in this case, it’s really close to the human element possibly being compromised or taken away from some work.

Ralph Simone: Trey, it was interesting. I hadn’t thought about this, but as you know, and I’m very excited about this year, hopefully have a book coming out slow down to go faster. Yeah, yeah. And the applied impact of utilizing AI in the process. And this is a story that I know you’ve heard before, but I’m probably a better speaker than writer. I, tend to be clearer, perhaps tighter in my spoken word than in my written word. And I remember I’ve been working on this book for a number of years, and a breakthrough came from my son coaching me. He saw me grinding out. I would dedicate 90 minutes, four days a week to work on this because I read somewhere that, you know, if you’re going to write a book, you have to spend time writing every day. And he was looking at me for a while, and he observed, he said, Dad, you look miserable.

Bill Berthel: You were, like, typing away.

Ralph Simone: I was actually handwriting.

Bill Berthel: Handwriting, yeah.

Ralph Simone: So this is really an archaic process. And so he asked if he could take a look at the output. And, you know, my son, he’s kind, but he said, dad, this doesn’t really reflect your thinking around this topic. And he said, I’ve heard you speak about it with passion. You’ve been inspiring, but the words on the page aren’t lighting me up. He goes, would you mind an idea? So this became really the genesis of getting the book done for submittal. He said, why don’t you dictate it and then send it to one of these transcription services? This is the applied impact of AI for me. So it went from something that really sucked, if I can say that word, sure. To something that I am absolutely proud. We’ve submitted to ten different publishing houses, but it was utilizing AI to get me off the dime, and it was actually using it to get something done. So applied impact in this conversation, love it.

Bill Berthel: Because there’s AI likely embedded in that transcription process that helped your process, helped you get to the level of completion for submitting the book.

Ralph Simone: Yeah, we got the first draft, which certainly needed work, and it needed massaging, and it needed some human eyes, but it got me off the dime.

Bill Berthel: Awesome. Awesome.

Ralph Simone: And I often think about another thing he gave me feedback on. Seems like he gives me feedback a lot. I love of to read now, and I think I’m making up for all of the books I didn’t read when I was in high school and college. So he’s heard me say that I read three books a week, and he said that no one cares how many books a week you read, but what they do care about is the reason. I know you read. You read for application, not completion. the other thing about gaining this knowledge and this wisdom is not to complete something or not to line up all the books but is to time have some applied impact. What is something that I can apply from what I read that will drive my productivity, my effectiveness, and how can I share that so that the clients and the organizations we work with can have a similar applied impact? Trey.

Bill Berthel: So I love the reframe of AI to applied impact. It’s benefiting me in the way that it’s reducing the focus on fear of artificial intelligence in the way that here’s another tool that could be useful to me. And if I’m resisting that tool, what does that mean to my value and my work? If I embrace it, what does it mean? I’m sure we all will have different answers in that space, but it really opens up the door for me to look at it in a different light, different perspective.

Ralph Simone: I think a lot of the fear, and I’m not an expert on this topic, comes from this idea that we’re looking at it as either or.

Bill Berthel: Yeah, right, both.

Ralph Simone: And that we often talk about how could we use it to enhance what we already do? How could we use it to let go of some of the routine and ah, monotonous things that prevent us from thinking very creatively. And I think you’re onto something, let’s demystify it, because we want to use AI just like we use anything else for applied impact in the work that we do, for the people that we serve.

Bill Berthel: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, so some of its validated fear, right? This will change the workforce, it will change the way in which we work. Some of it might be unnecessary worry and concern. I get that.

So I’m in the market for a new mountain bike. I haven’t bought a mountain bike in 30 plus years. The technology has changed drastically. And so my previous mountain bike is what’s called a hardtail. There’s no suspension in the back, right. And so all the new bikes are, you know, really plush suspension and they even have electronic shifters now on them. You can get an e-bike, right, that assists your pedaling. And it’s interesting to talk to the experts in this field that, you know, some are like, well, why would you want to go to all that technology? It’s like that you’re not really mountain biking anymore, right, where others are. Like, if it gets you on the bike more, gets you more active, what’s your goal? To be healthier? Yeah, absolutely. Then why wouldn’t you leverage this technology? Because it’ll have you more comfortable and enjoying it more. I’m even seeing my resistance to change in a simple application of a, tool or a toy like that. I think it’s really normal for us, but as soon as someone else can open, give you permission to think about it a little differently. I find that really helpful.

Ralph Simone: Well, so I think when we can shift the focus to wanna, of application and practice in how the tool could be useful for us and to be open to experimenting and learning and run an experiment long enough to tell if it works or if it doesn’t work. But all of this is really focused from my perspective of AI and our coaching and leadership development, applied impact, any tool that comes down the road, let’s get away from the theory and let’s really talk about how we can apply that to make our jobs more effective, more scalable, more impactful.

Bill Berthel: So, Rolf, let me ask you a question that would hit home for us. So artificial intelligence could potentially coach people.

Ralph Simone: no question about it.

Bill Berthel: I think it would challenge the very essence of what we do.

Ralph Simone: Bill, you know this, 15 years ago, we attempted to stand up a company, and I’d like to say we were ahead of our time. And it was called the 24 hourcoach.com dot, right? This was the precursor to using AI. And when we were working with the programmers on this, the guy says, so what would be a, walk me through a coaching conversation. And, you know, the first thing is, what do you want to have as an outcome of this conversation? Or what challenges are you currently up against that you would like to use me as a sounding board?

Bill Berthel: Right.

Ralph Simone: Then the second question was, what have you experimented with? And the third question was, what else would you be open to consider doing? And then the fourth question was, what commitment will you make to address the situation that became what we called the secret sauce. That’s the thinking behind, right? So we actually had this, we never executed it completely, because I’m not sure, you know, probably because we didn’t know enough, but I think that’s fine because I think that reaches more people. It, raises the consciousness and performance of more people. There will still be people that will need to program that. There will still be the thought leaders that will need to come up with the questions that would be asked. But I actually think that that helps raise all boats that makes something like we do accessible to more people. Yes. For me, that’s exciting. That’s exciting. There will still be people that will want to talk with us in person, but I think it creates more of an opportunity for people to get unstuck and to get into action in their life. So I actually welcome it. And I think, you know, I really feel good about the 24 hourcoach.com dot. I think we were way ahead of our time in that thought process.

Bill Berthel: Yeah. So what I’m observing is stepping into this with an abundance mentality compared to the scarcity.

Ralph Simone: I think so. Because, energetically, it will allow us to harness whatever new technology comes up and use it in a way to make the impact that we are intending to make in the world, in our communities, in our organizations, with our families, and with ourselves.

Bill Berthel: Ralph thank you. Thanks, Bill, and thanks for listening. You can listen to a new podcast two times every month here at Get Emergent or wherever you listen to your podcasts. This is where we bring you contemporary leadership topics and ideas balanced with what we hope you find are better practices that you can apply directly to your work and your leadership. Thanks.