The challenge of 2nd generation businesses #1

 

Conflict between 2nd generation owners and 1st generation staff. 

If you are the 2nd gen, and these uncles and aunties have known you since you were a kid, it may not be easy for you to ask them to change the way they work. "We have be operating this way for years and we have been fine." It is hard for people who have worked in the same company for 20 years to get out of their comfort zone. Also, some have strong egos. What can a young 2nd gen do? 

Start with the soft approach. Respect the elders. Build relationships and trust. If you have known them for years, it helps with this approach. If you want change, they need time to gain confidence in you. Build your credibility and prove your capability and sincerity before pushing for drastic changes. Let them feel listened to. Despite all the above, you still need to be prepared that some may not be willing to change or may not be capable of change. Then you eventually have to proceed without them. 

Are you using Artificial Intelligence intelligently?

 

AI is here to stay. It is going to help us in many ways, and make life better for us. Unfortunately as we learn to use it, we are now also misusing it in many ways. Do you notice some social media personalities who post very consistently and write long, comprehensive articles? They churn these out regularly, and after a while, you realise it is mostly the same content. You realise you are not reading a social media post, just a generic advertisement. 

I recently had a WhatsApp conversation with a person who found me through a community of business owners. At first I was curious about how he found me and how we could potentially collaborate. However I quickly realised I was talking to an AI bot which had probably scoured some database and found my name amongst many others, and blasted messages to a large group of people to initiate such conversations. 

When we use AI, we have to keep in mind the value we want to create. If what we use it to create is of little value, then we are wasting other people's time. In our busyness and pursuit of efficiency and time-saving, never lose sight of value.