Author: Maren Deepwell

As part of a Masterclass webinar hosted by the Digital Learning Institute, I am returning to my work on digital productivity. Specifically, digital productivity for leaders in the AI-enabled workplace.

It’s an interesting time to think about this topic. The conversation about AI tools and platforms is all about increasing productivity, doing more, faster… with less. But from a leadership perspective, I feel its less about practical productivity hacks and more about exercising judgment. Knowing when to encourage the use of digital tools, and when to step away from screens and focus on the conversation in the room. Or what information it’s OK to share and what needs to remain confidential. Emerging leaders who feel under pressure to perform are particularly at risk of inadvertently sharing private and confidential information in order to find help for writing reports, manage an HR situation or give a presentation.

Part of my research for the book I am writing on is about identifying how leaders develop that kind of judgement, and the requisite critical digital and AI literacies to apply it effectively. Thus the first part of the talk is all about revisiting digital literacy, for leaders, and for staff and for students in the Higher Education context.

Hybrid working has introduced an interesting variable into the workplace for many early career professionals as they experience onboarding and training largely online. Often, there’s no one around to ask questions, so who else do they turn to when they don’t know the answer but AI?

The second part of the talk zooms in on one specific area of digital literacies, namely those skills that relate to digital wellbeing. I am talking about a whole range of skills, capabilities and habits here, from practical strategies for avoiding screen fatigue and digital overwhelm, to building longer term habits that support mental and social health.

From a leadership perspective, these are difficult skills to model, as most managers and leaders are under great pressure to perform. In their effort to meet expectations, modelling a sustainable work/life balance or giving importance to social interaction with colleagues falls away. So despite that fact that many organisations have clear policies for health and wellbeing, the gap between policy and practice widens thanks to the rapid pace of digital productivity.

I have included many free resources for participants to explore and take away, one of which, the Data Detox Kit, is especially helpful in the context of AI and our wellbeing, as well as caring for the planet. Managing resources sustainably is another task leaders have to approach in a wider context, and given how resource intense AI platforms are in contrast to standard digital technologies this will become a bigger concern in the next few years.

The final part of the talk is all about finding inspiration, to work smart instead of harder, and to look beyond technology for solutions. This is probably the part of the talk which is a departure from the wider discourse at the moment. The dominating narrative is all about using AI more, and adopting it more widely, to imagine a better future with AI. My talk offers starting points for alternative futures, and showcases the work of pioneers who are doing just that.

I suppose the reality will be somewhere in the middle, a mix of old and new, and I am excited to add some different perspectives into the mix.