Thank you for attending the second session of our Empowering Excellence training series, Developing your Expert Power in Technology and the Future of Work. This session was facilitated by BillingsWorks Steering Committee Member, Dan Carter of PAR Montana. He was joined by panelists Becky Anglin, DNP, RN-Director of Simulation in Medicine and Surgery at the Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine for Rocky Vista University, John Hurd, RDO Equipment Store Manager, and Jordan Gibbs and Steven Scott, founders of Elevora.
Below you will find a detailed recap from the session:
Firstly, the panelists focused on advancements in technology used in the workplace, how it has been implemented to push their teams and processes to become more efficient, productive, and has allowed these organizations to think and do bigger things.
Becky discussed utilizing simulation technology in the healthcare field. She points out how lucky we are here in Billings as RVU is the only medical school in the United States to have this technology. It has allowed her to create immersion rooms to put faculty and students into a wide variety of health care situations, pushing them to use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The technology of these simulation labs is creating better healthcare professionals by providing bigger, more realistic, and more hands-on experiences.
John discussed the amazing advancements that technology has brought to the trades world. It has afforded RDO the ability to provide exceptional customer support services, to track machines, and proactively do maintenance on equipment. Furthermore, the new technologies being utilized in the trades are creating openings for a different workforce. People with different abilities who may not be able to physically operate machinery, often now can because of the technology in the machines. He discussed being able to operate a machine states away from the store here in Billings because of remote operation. This is opening up doors in construction, agriculture and trades of all kinds to hire, manage and run their teams and operations differently.
Steven and Jordan pointed out how AI has revolutionized the way they work. It has supercharged processes in a big way. Changing the way human resources and small businesses run. It has allowed for automation of the “time-sucks,” or menial tasks, providing teams time to think bigger and do more.
Next, the panelists discussed how to utilize technology for management of their teams, and how it can be used as a recruitment and/or retention tool.
The panelists all discussed how technology has changed the way they communicate with their teams. Citing that it has helped them make better data driven decisions in work, has allowed for better organization of information and the ability to provide feedback in a more effective way.
John discussed how utilizing technology in your business really is a talent attraction tool. Employees want to take on new challenges, learn new things and are looking for new opportunities. Becky echoed this sentiment in that students are excited to take part in the simulation labs. It is an attraction tool for the university. Steven and Jordan pointed out that utilizing these technologies also plays a very large role in workplace culture. Using it can help the manager lead better and trust their team. Technology can be an empowering tool that provides transparency on project management, encouragement, and development of strong employees, creating stronger teams in the workplace.
Furthermore, the panelists discussed how investing in using technologies in the workplace can prove to be a huge competitive advantage for business. It can help provide an even higher level of service to the customer. In our current business climate, having a competitive edge is imperative to success.
The panelists gave us some great resources and tools to check out:
- upwork.com, this site connects you to freelancers all over the world. It gives you access to expert talent to fill your skill gaps and control your workflow. This is a great tool for expanding small businesses or organizations who need a task or project done and may not have the capacity to do it themselves or to hire for a full position in that area. What a great way to level up the expertise of your team!
- ChatGPT, this is a great tool for assisting with brainstorming, or to use as a starting point on some projects. Panelists point out to be aware of what this tool is and what it is not.
- Futurepedia, this site is dedicated to empowering professionals across various industries to leverage A1 technologies for growth. The platform offers comprehensive directories, easy-to-follow guides, a weekly newsletter, and a YouTube channel, simplifying AI integration into professional practices. What a great tool to lean into if you are feeling unsure about diving into using AI to help advance your work processes.
- Slack, is a great tool to use to connect your team in a flexible way. Our panelists all noted that using slack assisted them in managing their team from a coaching standpoint and cut down on the need for “micro-managing” their team members. With text, voice, video, and huddle options Slack offers a great way to use technology to level up your workflows.
- com, this is a platform that helps businesses operate their finances more efficiently. Create and pay bills, send invoices, manage expenses and control budgets all in one place.
- Zira, a AI staff management platform to help improve retention and save on labor costs.
- Survey Monkey, for surveys and to help you make data driven decisions in your business
- HubSpot, for project management and communication with clients
- Elevora, Jordan & Steven’s hiring platform
- Profile XT, a hiring tool
Final advice on implementing technology in the workplace
John Hurd- “Be curious, look for optimization, use it yourself and be patient!” “Create a sandbox for your team to play and learn!”
Becky Anglin- “Education, education, education, don’t invest in technology without the proper training to use it.”
Jordan Gibbs- “Lean into what technology can and cannot do. Understand the core competency of the technological product and use it for that. Don’t waste your time trying to use a piece of technology for something it is not good at.”
Steven Scott- “Before actually buying a new technology platform, be conscientious, what are the features, what is the cost, what is the benefit and what is the desired outcome?”