in some industries, the pandemic accelerated automation trends
Many words come to mind when thinking about how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the economy, but perhaps chief among them is uncertainty. The manifestations of this were everywhere—unemployment spiked, the stock market crashed, and speculation on securities ran wild. A …
December 22, 2021 |
Insights |
Helen S. Cooke
as some management types disappear, project managers fill an important gap
As technology changes how we work, the workforce has evolved in many different ways. One of the major evolving areas is how organizations are managed and controlled. In past decades, layers of management were put in place to supervise and …
Employees working from home are at risk of becoming second tier
The hybrid workplace seems to be here to stay, and many are welcoming this change to a model that mixes remote work with time in the office. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, workers stated a preference to work at home …
September 23, 2021 |
Insights |
Scotty Hendricks
even with recent advances in AI, computers can’t really understand human language
Most of us are familiar with attempts by computers and software systems to understand spoken language—like when you ask your phone to tell you where the nearest sandwich shop is, or ask Alexa to play a favorite song. You’re also …
Bot capabilities are constantly evolving, and it’s unclear what the future holds
Anybody who has worked in an administrative role can attest that certain types of office work are dull or tedious. Filling out standard forms, data extraction, and processing simple data can certainly be unstimulating. These are also fairly standardized activities, …
for now, many management decisions are too complex for AI
Discussions about the economic dangers and potentials of artificial intelligence (AI) tend to center around the ability of AI to do specific, clearly-defined tasks quickly and well. This is of great concern to employees whose jobs solely revolve around doing …
January 22, 2021 |
Insights |
Helen S. Cooke
Gaining experience is more important than your job title
In today’s rapidly fluctuating work environment, opportunities for project management positions may be fewer, but they’re still there. Indeed, capable leaders who can step in and adapt despite the unpredictability are sorely needed. You can build a career even in …
There is hope for the future of automation
Americans tend to believe that technology will save us from everything. That holds for most things except automation, which many fear will lead to economic catastrophe or widespread job loss. A 2013 Oxford Study showing that nearly half of US …
November 23, 2020 |
Insights |
Helen S. Cooke
How to find opportunity when the job market is unpredictable
This is a down market. Jobs are hard to come by, competition is fierce, and even while some jobs are opening up again, there are far fewer than before the slump. So how do you keep your focus and build …
our models of employment don’t work like they used to
In the decades before the gig worker boom, labor law concerned itself almost exclusively with people working either as employees or independent contractors. Those categories define how workers are regulated, taxed, what protections apply to them and the products of …
It's time to build job skills for the future
We’ve all heard how automation and artificial intelligence are going to replace human beings in the workplace, leave millions unemployed, many jobs entirely in the hands of robots, and fundamentally change the workplace forever. Many people are already aware that …
Thoughts on how to become a valued consultant
Many people have chosen the path of being a consultant. Businesses hire internal or external consultants to help them achieve their goals. But sometimes it’s not clear if being a consultant is “a good thing or a bad thing.” Not …