The new year is starting off with strong indications that analytics focused on work and organizational design are top of mind for large and small organizations, freelancers, and individual contributors. Two activities to share with you now, and then I’ll have more detail as we get into the work:

Background and Policy Next Steps

My colleagues, Chester Spell (Rutgers University), Kate Bezrukova (University at Buffalo), and I are working on a policy report for the Centre for Research on Self-Employment (CRSE): What We Need to Know and Do About the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Freelance Work. The popular press is getting ahead of what we actually know about AI and work. We will start with a foundation of research on psychology, health, and organizational design to understand how AI will likely impact freelancers and the organizations that hire them.

Our initial review suggests that productivity and freelance worker well being will suffer unless education and organizational design keep up with technology advances. In this report we have the chance to suggest what government, policymakers, and organizations can do to help us all prepare to work with AI as both a tool and possible partner. Request for help: Please point me toward leaders who are ahead of the game in terms of their organization’s design and worker preparation as they relate to AI.

Workshop: Analytics and Design for High Performance

I’m thrilled to be attending this workshop on Analytics and Design for High Performance offered by one of my colleagues from the University of Southern California Center for Effective Organizations. Alec Levenson (Senior Research Scientist, CEO) and Alexis Fink (General Manager, Talent Intelligence Analytics, Intel) are bringing their expertise to the Silicon Valley January 17-19. Their research and practice offer exactly the kind of preparation I alluded to above. You can read more about their perspective here, but I’m especially interested in their process for using data to improve work performance and strategic execution. I’m expecting this to be very interactive and a chance to dig deeply into how modern analytics can be turned inward for organizational success -- something I’ve been waiting for (my posts from 2009, 2012a, and 2012b)!

Let me know if you’d like an introduction to Alec.