Utility managers should not be afraid to explore the benefits that recent advances in artificial intelligence can bring to their frontline employees, a tech company leader told attendees of ReliabilityFirst’s annual Human Performance Workshop.
RF holds the Human Performance Workshop each year to share insights into factors affecting employee performance and suggestions for improving efficiency.
In his introductory presentation, Johnny Gest, RF’s manager of engineering and system performance, noted a phenomenon — what he called “performance drift” — that can develop in complicated organizations. Poor communication from managers, personal health and stress, organizational changes and overly harsh policies can all make it difficult for employees to understand their responsibilities within the system.
Barry Nelson, CEO of FactorLab, a developer of AI systems aimed at workplace improvement, picked up this theme in his own presentation, emphasizing the need for clear communication of expectations in the business world.
“The question is, what can we do to drive consistency [and] predictability with such a complex and dynamic environment?” Nelson said. “And in this particular case, can AI play a role — and not a role like writing an email, but a real role to help you, as leaders, maybe frame the problem or look at the problem in different ways to reduce drift?”
Nelson said AI can give managers a fresh look at their own systems, identify areas of improvement and set targets and benchmarks for success. For instance, an electric utility based in the southeastern U.S. used an AI product developed by FactorLab to improve communication in its safety meetings, leading to a double-digit reduction in the severity and frequency of serious injuries over two years.
Managers can use AI tools to examine their organizations’ communication from various angles, Nelson said. One product can score conversations on a range of factors, such as engagement of participants, level of detail on various topics and the quality of questions. With this information, organizations can work to improve the efficiency of their communication.
He also discussed the role AI can play in improving workplace communications by assisting with the editing of presentations and documents. Nelson gave the example of a daily briefing for frontline workers, in which managers have to keep the attention of employees who may feel bored or preoccupied with preparing for the day, and may zone out without catching important information.
“Technology can play a role in helping us find these pockets [of friction] and then understanding the system and cultural problems in order to fix the pockets,” Nelson said. He mentioned that AI can also help address language barriers, showing a video of a Spanish-language briefing translated into English in real time.
Nelson emphasized that the proper use of AI is not to replace human engagement but to improve efficiency within an organization so employees do not feel overlooked or undervalued.
“We find that the feedback has been incredibly positive from those in the field, because they know someone’s listening. They get the sense that … we care about these conversations, and that we’re trying to help them get better,” Nelson said. “Obviously, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but you would be surprised how many people in your organization are really looking for some feedback that we simply don’t have the human capacity to give at the moment.”
