How Change Managers Can Use ChatGPT To Make Life Easier

AI has been getting a lot of attention in recent months, in particular, ChatGPT which is a large language model developed by a company called OpenAI. If you’re a professional working in the change management or communication space, I believe that this tool can be incredibly useful if you know how to use it.

So today, I’m sharing some of the ways ChatGPT can be used to provide an incredible level of support and some key guidelines to get the most out of this technology. I share some useful examples of how ChatGPT can be used to benefit your workflow and organisation and 3 ways I’ve been using this AI program every day.

I share examples of how ChatGPT has been helping me to research complex topics, repurpose content and generate new ideas. This technology is definitely not something we should ever use directly for client work or recommendations but acts more like a brainstorming tool. 

By using some of the key guidelines I share in this episode, you’ll discover how useful ChatGPT can be when you need to be well informed to help you engage with stakeholders or deal with new subject matter and fast-track your content development process.

A lot of people are scared by AI but it won’t replace or replicate the really nuanced, high-level human skills that are essential for effective change management.

This is a really practical episode with tips and prompts that will be immediately actionable for you. If you are a change manager, corporate communications specialist, trainer, facilitator, coach, or engagement specialist, I encourage you to dive in and explore what this incredible technology has to offer. It will be an absolute game changer.

Grab your free copy of the Change Management Meets AI: How To Use ChatGPT To Make Life Easier deck I mention in this episode by entering your details below:

FULL TRANSCRIPT:
[00:01:06] hello, hello, and welcome to the first episode of The New Way Podcast for 2023. It is wonderful to be here. It's so great to be in your ears again. You know, I had originally intended to start releasing new episodes earlier this month, but I got some kind of cold or flu thing. It lasted for ages. I lost my voice.

[00:01:30] Then I sounded like I was underwater. I sounded like a man, and then I couldn't stop coughing. Oh, it's been so annoying. All very, very unhelpful when it comes to podcasting. Anyway, I'm back and we have got so much to catch up on. I'm really, really excited to be connecting with you again. So let's get into it.

[00:01:51] AI has been getting a lot of attention in recent months, hasn't it? And I think it's definitely gonna be a trend impacting [00:02:00] anyone working in the organisational change space this year. And that's why I wanted to talk about it with you now and share some of the ways that I've been using the AI tool that seems to be getting the most attention.

[00:02:12] ChatGPT everyday, specifically in this episode, I'm gonna be sharing ways that the tool can make life easier for professionals working, especially in the change management and communication space. This is gonna be super practical. This episode, everything is gonna be immediately actionable for you. So if you are a change manager, a corporate communications specialist, a trainer, a facilitator, a coach, or an engagement specialist, keep listening because this is very, very relevant to you. 

[00:02:46] But before I dive in, I wanna let you know that I've created a deck called Change Management meets ai, how ChatGPT can make your life easier. I originally developed it for our in-house team of change managers and communication managers, trainers, engagement specialists, all of um, everyone on the team and I've decided it's so important. I wanna share it with you too. 

[00:03:09] So, uh, and of course when I say that, I mean share it. Totally free It's, it's yours to check out and use. Stick with me for this episode, but when you're ready, then head over to ever change.com.au/ai to get a copy of our in-house ChatGPT cheat sheet, with even more ways to use this tool.

[00:03:32] Now, obviously I'm not an AI expert, but I've spent some time experimenting with six different AI tools over the past few weeks, including ChatGPT and it is really, in terms of the tech based ones, it's the best one. And I've come up with a bunch of ways that they can practically assist folks like you and like me too working in the communication and change management space. I've got useful examples as well as some [00:04:00] key guidelines and what's working best for me right now that I wanna share with you to help you get the most out of the tool and just to not waste time. 

[00:04:08] Okay, so let's begin by talking about exactly what ChatGPT is, I know what it's like when you've kind of been hearing terms, uh, but you haven't really been paying attention. So maybe you've heard that name of that tool, or maybe you've heard the term ai, but you don't know exactly what people are talking about. officially speaking ChatGPT, which stands for Generative pre-trained transformer is something that they're calling a large language model developed by a company called OpenAI. It is capable of providing support with writing tasks, uh, including things like information retrieval and idea generation. It can be really helpful, I think. Just to think of ChatGPT, like a tool that can help you find information and answer questions in a more conversational way than a traditional Google search can.

[00:05:05] It's designed to be very user-friendly and responsive to natural language. I'm gonna talk more about this in just a second. but it's kind of like you are able to type your questions in, in a natural way, like you were talking, or, you know, texting with a friend or a colleague in a more conversational.

[00:05:23] ChatGPT also provides kind of more context, I guess, and more explanation than just a typical search engine. And that can be especially useful, uh, if you're looking to learn something new. And I know, quickly getting up to speed with new information is really important for people working in the changed space.

[00:05:43] I think this is a really, really important topic for us to talk about right now because I'm seeing a lot of mixed emotions about tools like these from change in communication managers. Some people seem like they're really curious, some are really excited, and I'm also seeing a lot [00:06:00] of folks who kind of seem to be pretty scared or maybe in denial about tools like this and what it might mean for them and their career.

[00:06:10] I get it, but here's my take. You know, I, I see a lot of people having that conversation. Will AI replace professionals working in the change management space? My answer is no. No. For sure, AI tools like ChatGPT have the potential to support and even kind of augment, lift up the work of professionals in the change management space, but they're not gonna replace them.

[00:06:35] While AI may be really helpful for automating things or, or completing some really operational tasks, maybe even, uh, of course providing data, data-driven insights, that can be really helpful. it is not able to replace or replicate the really nuanced, high level human skills, emotional intelligence, judgment, you know, expertise, things like that, that are really must-haves for effective change management. 

[00:07:05] I'm talking about skills like the ability to understand and influence people, to read the room, uh, to manage conflict, to create genuine connection, and to really tailor strategies and tactics to specific contexts. Of course, having information and knowledge on industry best practices, that's always useful.

[00:07:26] And tools like this, like ChatGPT, are gonna mean knowing the. Theory or the model behind something that's not gonna be enough anymore because information is becoming more and more commoditized. So the rise of AI is a great reminder, that nuanced application of the right theory or the right model at the right time in the right way.

[00:07:51] genuine experience and strategic thinking, creativity, and all of those high order human skills that I just mentioned before, [00:08:00] those are all the most high value proposition for your services, and they always will be. So even though, or maybe because of all of the change managers and communication specialists and engagement leads that I know and talk to have got huge workloads, so far I'm not seeing a lot of folks thinking about how tools like this can help make life easier day to day.

[00:08:24] And so if that's you, my message is, Don't ignore this. Don't avoid learning about this. Don't be intimidated. Smart people are gonna find smart ways to use smart tools like this, and there is a huge competitive advantage in taking that approach. Today I'm gonna help you be one of those smart people. I'm gonna share a few important guidelines that I really encourage you to keep in mind to get the most out of using ChatGPT. 

[00:08:56] First you should never, ever use content that has been directly generated by the tool for client work. Look, as always, you've gotta make sure that everything you do is in line with your workplace policies, whatever site you are on, whatever client you're supporting, whoever you're working with.

[00:09:17] And remember what I just said, you wanna be smart about how you use these tools and directly copying and pasting output, it's just not smart for so many reasons. Next, I really wanna recommend that you never, ever share commercial in confidence, proprietary or client data of any kind in the tool. That's really important.

[00:09:40] There's a lot of reasons why there's a number of intellectual property privacy, cybersecurity, and legal implications that are still being explored and kind of worked out about the role of generative AI in business and in government at the moment. You do not wanna open yourself up to potential threats or copyright [00:10:00] issues or anything like that.

[00:10:01] Okay. Another guideline I wanna share with you is to not make recommendations or decisions based on content that has been generated by the tool, especially if that's all you are basing your recommendations on. Because of the way that it's been designed, ChatGPT might provide different answers to the same questions from time to time.

[00:10:23] It might present inaccuracies as facts and the output can really be impacted by user error. I've seen this firsthand myself. You've gotta keep in mind that this is just a tool and it wants to complete the tasks that you are asking it to, to complete. whenever I've been experimenting with it, I've noticed that if it doesn't know the answer, sometimes it'll tell me that.

[00:10:49] But other times it will literally make stuff up. And when it does that, sometimes it will let me know that certain elements of its response were fabricated, but other times it doesn't. And it just simply presents that output as facts. And so it's up to me to know whether or not that's right or wrong, whether or not that's factual.

[00:11:11] So please be aware of that. I think something else to keep in mind is, ChatGPT output is just based on the data that this tool has been trained on. And the rules sitting behind the tool. Right now, this is not a live feed from the internet, so that means that it's knowledge and its understanding of current events or topics could really be limited to the scope of its training data.

[00:11:39] So you really wanna keep that in mind when you are thinking about the way that you're using this tool. Okay, so that was a whole lot of constraints and limitations and you know, what not to do. Now let's take a few minutes to talk about what you should be doing every time you use the tool.

[00:11:58] I think the first thing is [00:12:00] that anytime you are asking a question, making a request, prompting ChatGPT you really wanna be as clear and specific as possible. That is gonna help the tool understand what you are looking for and provide a more accurate response. I've noticed this in myself. In fact, it's actually really good training to help you become more specific and more clear in your intent and in your language. That's definitely something I've found myself, and I'm sure you'll discover that as well. I also recommend using really conversational plain English. That is how this tool has been designed. It's been designed to understand natural language, so don't feel like you need to be professional.

[00:12:42] It's okay to make your request in a way that feel really natural for you. that's how you're gonna get the most relevant and helpful responses out of the tool. I have found that by using the same tone and language as I would with a friend or with a team member or a colleague in a group chat, that's been really effective for me.

[00:13:03] So that is where I pitch it. also you really wanna keep it simple while ChatGPT can understand really complex questions and it can do amazing things. I've found that it's often best just to keep things simple, really straightforward and to break things down. And that can help make sure that you get a more accurate response and you get it kind of more quickly, that there's less confusion, less massaging and back and forth. So I have found that breaking more complex requests down into a series of more simple questions where I'm asking the tool to elaborate, you know, on a topic kind of step by step to be most helpful. 

[00:13:45] So for example, rather than asking something like, what are the five most common problems new people managers face? And can you please include three talking points for each problem? And can you please make sure that they are appropriate [00:14:00] for people in Australia? Something like that. I break it down. So the first thing I would do, Ask for the top five or top most common problems. Then I would look at the output that ChatGPT provides, and then I pick one of those problems and I ask to elaborate on that.

[00:14:20] And I might ask for, uh, the tool to suggest three talking points on that one problem and breaking it down like that. I've found you get much better output, much higher quality output, much more. now I'm gonna share with you three ways that I am using ChatGPT every day. And I think that you are gonna find it really useful too.

[00:14:43] So my intent here is to inspire you to think about all of the different ways that you might be able to use this tool. So the first way that I've been using it is to research complex or new topics and look, we all know that researching new or complex topics is a really important part of the change management process.

[00:15:03] Let's say that you're supporting a digital transformation initiative. You can use ChatGPT to quickly access an overview of some of the key features of the change initiative that you may not have Experience with. You might ask the tool to explain concepts like cybersecurity or Microsoft teams, or activity based work, something like that.

[00:15:25] And you can quickly drill down and then ask the tool to elaborate on key parts of that bigger or that new concept so you can really get up to speed in a really targeted way very quickly. let's say once you've asked about what the concept to explain the concept of cybersecurity.

[00:15:43] From there you might say, you know, define firewalls, or what is security architecture, that kind of thing. So you can get really targeted with it. Of course that's just one small example of how, using this tool to research new concepts can help you feel really well informed when [00:16:00] you are engaging with stakeholders, or you're dealing with new subject matter. I mean, there's so many times where this is relevant, you know, when you're planning or scoping a change initiative, uh, when you wanna understand those key parts of the initiative or project delivery and even when you wanna understand, maybe something technical or something that you need to develop training materials on or any other kind of resources. So, That can be a really powerful way to use the tool. 

[00:16:25] Another way that I'm using ChatGPT right now is to repurpose content. Of course, everything I said before about never pasting sensitive or confidential or client information into the tool and never directly, you know, just copying and pasting any output that the tool produces. All of that still stands, but something that I've been experimenting with is adding my own content. For example, maybe a transcript of a past podcast episode that I've done into the tool into ChatGPT, and then prompting it to repurpose that transcript into other forms of content. So, for example, I've had success asking the tool to draft maybe a hundred word summary of the transcript or to provide five talking points or to produce an email, anything like that. So repurposing content. Now, this could be something really interesting for you to experiment with if you are responsible for implementing a content strategy as part of the change initiative. 

[00:17:32] Of course and I guess also not just a content strategy, but any kind of capability uplift strategy as well. This is very relevant to that. look, of course you're gonna need to customize, rephrase, massage, tweak any output you get from ChatGPT, but it can be a really great way to fast track your content development process.

[00:17:55] The third way that I'm using ChatGPT is to generate [00:18:00] ideas, and this is really powerful. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that folks working in the change management space need to generate ideas for content in a variety of situations every single day. You know, perhaps you're developing a communication plan for the change initiative.

[00:18:19] Maybe you are designing a content strategy. Perhaps you need to create training materials for employees. or perhaps you need to come up with a useful metaphor to communicate the change story or an analogy, something like that. In all of these situations and a thousand other situations every single day generating high quality creative ideas for content. I know that that is likely to be a very central part of your role.

[00:18:48] I reckon using ChatGPT as a brainstorming partner is one of the most exciting and productive ways to harness the power of this tool. Let's say that you need to create a training session outline designed to teach new employees how to use the visual, you know, the audiovisual system in meeting rooms or something like that.

[00:19:09] ChatGPT can help brainstorm learning outcomes and what to cover in the session. Let's say that you need to develop a content strategy to help roll out a new leadership framework across the organization. Well, this tool will help you come up with a selection of article topics and headlines.

[00:19:28] Perhaps you are supporting the rollout of a new professional development program for all primary school teachers across the country. That's a lot right? ChatGPT could help you come up with some of the biggest challenges that teachers are facing right now, and roadblocks that could stop some of them from participating in that program.

[00:19:47] Imagine how those ideas could help you shape Your change strategy. Like I said, to me, using ChatGPT to help generate ideas is a game changer if you know how to do [00:20:00] it. I have discovered so many more ways that this tool can help make life easier for folks working in the change management space. And I think this is such a competitive advantage that I actually hosted an in-house session with my team on this topic this week. The session was called Change Management Meets ai, how ChatGPT can Make your life easier.

[00:20:22] And in it, I took things a layer deeper for our team. I shared specific success guidelines, the three different levels of using ChatGPT, the master prompt formula that I recommend, and 10 different ways that change managers and people working in that space can use this tool to make life easier. I included use cases for those and specific prompts for each one as well.

[00:20:49] And so far in our chat today, I've only been able to cover two of those in this episode. We put everything together in a deck for the team to use, kind of like, I guess like a comprehensive cheat sheet on how change managers and communication professionals can get the most out of this tool. And originally, The whole focus was that that was just gonna be for our in-house team.

[00:21:10] But I think this is so important right now that I really wanna share it with you too. And of course, like, I mean totally for free. Totally for free. To grab the deck, just head over to ever change. That's one word, everchange.com.au/ai. Just pop your email in the box that you're gonna see on that page and we'll send you the whole deck straight away.

[00:21:34] Like I said before, smart people are gonna find smart ways to use smart tools like these, and I think that this is a great time to be exploring ChatGPT and other AI tools to see how you know how you can best incorporate them into your workflow so that you can be one of those smart people. I hope that this episode inspires you to check it out[00:22:00] you can get a headstart and just grab the deck that I've created for our in-house team over@everchange.com.au slash ai. 

[00:22:08] Thank you so much for joining me today. It is great to be back. I hope that you have a really great week and I'm already looking forward to the next time that we're gonna connect.

[00:22:18] Bye for now and seriously. Go get your copy of the in-house cheat sheet on this stuff right now. Go get it.

CONNECT WITH KATE:

Website: https://www.everchange.com.au/

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