It was very quiet.
I stood at the front of the room in front of a large group: executives, board members, and committee members. We were there to develop a new three-year plan.
“The future is always changing. What trends and influences do you see in our world today that could affect the way you deliver service in the future?”
Crickets.
Sometimes people are not as aware of their environment as they should be. They’re not sure what is important. They don’t want to look silly in front of their peers. So they say nothing.
Blank paper poses a real obstacle for many (just try writing a book!). People aren’t sure where to begin.
I’ve started doing something new to help kickstart groups like this: I ask ChatGTP the question in advance. Here is a typical sequence:
- What are common strategies for [insert your industry]?
- Which of those strategies has been most successful?
- What are the major issues for hospitals today?
- What are likely to be significant issues in the next five years?
- Please summarize all of the previous responses
This takes about five minutes.
Assuming you’ve read a bit about AI, you know you can’t just take this output, plug it into a PowerPoint slide and call a strategy done. AI is pulling data from a variety of sources, many of which are questionable. That’s perfect for a strategy workshop. Let’s resume the scenario. It’s been quiet in the room too long…
“Who has used ChatGTP or another AI?” A few hands go up. Phew! Some participation!
“Well, I asked this same question of ChatGTP and here are some of the answers it provided. Let me give you the first one. It said that this group should be considering… What do you think?”
And boom you have a discussion. “Ha! That’s ridiculous! Stupid computers don’t know everything!” And the group sets out to prove it. We now have an energized debate about what’s not an industry influence and what we really should be focused on. Sometimes it’s easiest to begin by considering what is NOT the right answer.
You see, I don’t care what AI generates for answers. I just need to spark a discussion and it works perfectly to get the ball rolling. It also serves up answers that the audience might not have considered. It ensures we get as many angles as we can on the future. Try it!
Thoughtfully yours,
Jeff Skipper
