Vocational success hinges on connection. As AI rapidly transforms every facet of our technological ecosystem, narrow technical expertise—no matter how deep—can make individual contributors much more susceptible to underuse, isolation and irrelevance. In the current environment, skills that were once “employment invincibility cloaks” are becoming outdated every day.
Individuals with a solid generalized understanding of data science concepts and the ability to deploy the right solutions to solve the right problems are well-positioned to come out on top of the AI revolution. I refer to these types of people as “chefs,” meaning they can quickly master new “recipes” for tech success or even whip something up with whatever is available.
The wisest team members invest time into learning the “bigger picture” of their organization and industry, allowing them to tie their work to the company’s strategic objectives. There is also wisdom in joiningIt’s not enough to understand how work impacts business goals or be willing to change things up to help the organization. Tech employees must also be able to communicate with other departments—and, in some cases, customers—about the value of their work.