Not so long ago, diligent secretaries typed every letter with their typewriters. Made a mistake? Start the page again! Thanks to new technologies, those days are thankfully long gone. Yesterday’s secretaries who switched to the then terrifying and revolutionary computers are today’s assistants. Their job content and responsibilities have evolved along with them from purely executive tasks to exciting substantive and intellectual challenges. The basic tasks that remain are happening faster and faster, more efficiently and more easily thanks to new tools. Artificial Intelligence is basically just an upgrade of that toolbox. Is AI a curse or blessing for your job as an assistant?
AI, already part of our living and working world
Artificial Intelligence is a collective term for all kinds of applications that perform more complex tasks based on data sources. Currently, the hype around Chat GPT dominates the conversation but AI has actually been around for much longer. Just think of Siri or Alexa. It is an integral part of our lives, sometimes even without us knowing it. More and more tools also include an AI component. Just think of Canva, which recently rolled out some particularly impressive and useful AI tools. Will these evolutions make your job as an assistant redundant? Of course not!
AI, streamliner of your workflows
If you critically evaluate the available technology and embrace it with an open mind, AI can be an absolute stepping stone to becoming an even better assistant. So do actively start looking for elements that can make your repetitive work easier and (partially or fully) automate it. That way, you will free up time for tasks that highlight your added value. Tasks such as agenda management and email screening can be handled perfectly by AI. Communication, making contacts, solving problems, thinking along and being creative: AI is not able to do that, but you can!
AI, invitation to empower yourself
AI tools open up a wonderful world that can be overwhelming and sometimes quite frightening. Nevertheless, it is important to look for knowledge and skills with an open mind. In fact, it is crucial to remain relevant as an assistant not only today but certainly also in the future. Therefore, follow training courses and webinars. Immerse yourself in newsletters and articles. Listen to relevant podcasts. Even in your spare time. Mastering these new tools and integrating them into your daily workflow are the only ways to keep up with the technology and continue to add value.
AI offers particularly interesting possibilities. Yet it is unable to replace the assistant of today and tomorrow. To do this, it lacks, among other things, the imagination of the human brain, emotional intelligence and the art of reading between the lines. Only the assistant who does not embrace new technologies will end up being like the secretaries who at the time did not want to exchange their typewriters for computers. The call-to-action is clear!
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In summary, AI is above all a huge wake-up call to get curious about new tools. It is an invitation to develop yourself today to be ready for tomorrow’s realities and business needs. So don’t wait until it’s too late and step out of your comfort zone to integrate appropriate tools into your workflow. That way, you can spend more time and energy on what really adds value.
We wish you a lot of curiosity in your exploration.
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