ARTIFICIAL intelligence or AI has captured headlines for the past several years, but it was the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 that literally made it a household name.
In fact, according to The Work Trend Index by LinkedIn and Microsoft, the value of AI is recognized at the leadership level in the Philippines. Based on the survey, 89 percent of Filipino leaders believe their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive. This puts the Philippines ahead of global and regional counterparts that were also surveyed.
However, everywhere, people were — and remain — hugely concerned about the erosion of career paths and the threat of being replaced by AI-powered robots. This is especially seen in the business process outsourcing industry (BPO) recently, where fears of being replaced by AI were expressed.
The value of AI is recognized at the leadership level in the Philippines where a survey says that 89 percent of Filipino leaders believe their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Organizations in the Philippines need to have in place a robust communications strategy to address these challenges.
In short, AI is powering a crisis of confidence for many organizations. As every good communications professional knows, in any crisis, the key is to communicate, communicate and communicate.
Strategic communications plans
Everyone resists change, and even when it promises long-term benefits, naysayers will undermine the best intentions, while others may go out of their way to sabotage what an organization is trying to implement. An effective communications strategy is key here.
At the end of the day, employees, partners and all stakeholders must understand “why” an organization is embracing new innovations or technology, such as AI. Strong execution will not only help address fears, uncertainties and doubts but also foster buy-in, ultimately propelling the organization forward.
Art of storytelling
The strategy should be clear, straightforward and, most importantly, simple enough for everyone to understand. In the world of any crisis or change in communications, we say everyone — from the pantry to the boardroom — must be able to understand it. So, the first step is to develop your overview or vision statement — and like all good messages, the storytelling must share the direction, the problems to be solved, and the anticipated benefits. Remember, we are talking about a technical adoption, so be cautious of sliding into tech-speak and jargon, which will be a put-off for everyone except the already converted.
Explain how AI aligns with the organization’s culture and vision, and how it can positively impact operations by improving efficiency and enhancing customer engagement or service. While maintaining consistency, this high-level narrative must be relevant to the needs and concerns of all your stakeholder groups.
Different strokes for different folks
Staff may be most concerned about job security, and the widely publicized adoption of AI in call centers is an obvious concern for the millions of people working in the sector. Teachers, lawyers, and other professions have concerns, and rightly so.
Partners may be worried about the expectations that AI adoption will place on them. Will they need to invest in technical skills and new infrastructure to maintain the collaboration?
Investors and regulators have their own very specific set of concerns and questions regarding long-term stability, compliance, privacy, and, of course, the expected returns on investment.
All of these concerns are valid, and when developing content for the communications roll-out, understanding these worries in advance is vital. Equally important is knowing the benefits that each group will gain from AI adoption: where in the organization these benefits will be seen, who will see them, and when they will materialize.
Communicating for success
The leader’s voice. To gain buy-in for any change, it is imperative that it is endorsed by the company’s leadership. There is no better voice for the vision statement than that of the national or regional head of the organization. Various platforms can be used to communicate the message and strategy, and few forums are better than an initial “Town Hall” meeting. A well-presented pitch — remember, this is essentially a sales job to “sell” the audience on a positive response — sets the direction for the AI adoption or transformation journey.
Cascading the message. Mini Town Halls set up for regional offices or even functional teams, led by the relevant manager or VP, must reinforce the same vision. It’s important to provide the tools necessary to ensure no one strays off-track. At the same time, managers can delve into department or country-specific concerns, but they must be prepared to respond to the inevitable questions.
Maintaining the flow. Hearing something once or twice is never enough. Let’s face it — after the Town Hall, once everyone is back at their desks or in the pantry, various questions and concerns will arise across the corporate grapevine. Knowing this, these concerns are best managed through a series of well-crafted and timely staff newsletters and in-house communication platforms. Here, you can introduce other voices to support the overall direction, highlight the benefits of AI adoption, share case studies, and maintain the hard-earned positive momentum.
Being proactive
At the outset, we recommend proposing small focus groups with key stakeholders to share the vision and realities, but most importantly, to gather the initial feedback from the ground. A leadership announcement that addresses some of these concerns upfront will go a long way to quelling any future negativity and also provides a great chance to identify other voices across different teams who can help cascade the message.
As with any change, gaining the buy-in from all stakeholders is crucial. By creating a clear, tailored narrative for the organization, and then offering customized deep-dives and feedback opportunities for each group, you can enable a smoother and more cohesive transformation to drive the organization forward.
Embracing AI
AI is here to stay, and resistance is futile. Tech-savvy staff are likely already using AI tools independently and on their own initiative — ignoring this will only alienate these early adopters, and it will be too late when everyone realizes that the competition is striding ahead with the help of AI. With a clear communications strategy, you can help the business pivot for growth.
Nolan Ovinis is the director and senior consultant at Priority Consultants, a regional marketing and communications firm operating across Southeast Asia and India focusing on technology and professional services.
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