Artificial intelligence (AI), and its impact on the administrative profession, seems to be showing up more and more in my news feeds recently. Some see AI as a threat to the long-term relevance of the admin role at the office. Their thinking is that if robots can be trained to do administrative tasks, some lower level corporate positions may be eliminated because of AI technology.
Others see AI as an innovation to embrace and argue that it will never be able to replace an assistant who possesses a high level of emotional intelligence, can anticipate needs by reading body language and decoding personality type, and can diffuse difficult situations in the moment. I like the way Angela Mortimer puts it.
“Executive assistants give organizations a human façade; they’re psychologists, diplomats, human databases, travel agents, mediators, and ambassadors. A real-life executive assistant will bring deductive reasoning, emotional intelligence, a non-linear approach to work and life that is impossible for AI to achieve.”
Last week, I had the opportunity to see AI put to use as an admin’s personal virtual assistant in a webinar by ASAP. It was sponsored by noHold, a company that has created a virtual assistant for admins called Albert AI. You can see for yourself how AI may impact your work, as well as applications you can use it for, by checking out the Albert AI page and creating your own AI assistant.
I believe The Innovative Admin™ has nothing to fear where AI is concerned. If you choose an innovation mindset, consistently engage in activities that develop your skills, stretch your thinking, and expose yourself to new ideas and ways of working, this profession is your oyster. The key is you must be actively engaged in advancing your education in the skills that will keep you relevant in the 21st century office.
Our focus throughout December is continuing education outside the formal classroom setting. Whether you’ve been in the profession for one year or 20 years, professional development is essential to your success. However, with hectic schedules, busy executives, and a never-ending to-do list, finding the time to enrich and advance your skills can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are a lot of training opportunities for admins outside of traditional classroom learning!
This week, we are exploring online training options – both paid and free – that can help you sharpen your skills on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages, and our feature article details some of our favorite choices for professional development.
Do you have any top online training resources to share? We’d love to hear from you! We’ll continue to add to our list and share it with you throughout the month.
Complacency can be a career-killer. Professional development is your responsibility, and with a world of online training options at your disposal, the time to start is now!
Supporting your administrative success,
Julie
P.S. Is project management a pain point for you? This month’s AdminPro Training Series can help! Register now to learn how to create a system for project management, discover how to organize all the moving parts of your project, and much more! Click here for a free preview of this engaging session.
