(Warning – divisive opinion incoming!)
I'm getting sick of people telling me to use AI to automate my processes, create and deliver my training packages and write my social media posts. This goes against a fundamental value I hold in relation to the truth and transparency of my communication and I think we need to be more authentic in our transmissions, now more than ever.
This world is so full of fake filters and unrealistic standards that we are expected to aspire to, achievement of which normally involves the exchange of our hard-earned income and the sale of our mortal soul (or personal data at the very least!) To be an "Influencer" seems to be the goal of a generation and I've lost count of the times I have witnessed people filming themselves pretending to be something they are not or saying what they think people want to hear.
Its not just in the ghastly world of socail media though, how many people have you seen who feel the need to act in a certain way or say certain things when they achieve the heady heights of a senior management position, or conform to some percieved norm of behaviour as defined by the culture of the organisation?
If we are not careful, the constant squeezing of round pegs into square holes will cause permanent social and psychological damage.
We are all unique and this should be celebrated not hidden! As if the mental and physical health benefits of improved self-efficacy were not reason enough, then consider the professional or business perspective;
How can people tell if I or my products and services are the right fit if I’m only transmitting what I think they want to see and hear, or if I’ve used an AI bot to generate my outgoing messages? The ultimate irony of this is that when we skew the truth in order to build trust, it does exactly the opposite and turns people off! Yes there is risk and it's certainly time consuming because trust takes time & effort to build, but it takes eons to rebuild if lost or damamged.
Maybe you don’t need to keep up with the trend, maybe you don’t need to be “on point” perhaps the tides of fashion will sweep the fake and the filtered out to sea and leave the authentic, credible and reliable few standing firm on the shore guiding the weary into safe harbour.
Blimey, that got poetic all of a sudden! Here's the 5 word exec summary version:
Be yourself and be amazing!
Take care people
hashtag#authenticity hashtag#credibility hashtag#transparency hashtag#trust hashtag#selfbelief hashtag#selfefficacy hashtag#CyberdyneSkynet!
