How are you so relaxed on a Friday afternoon when you’re still to write that 21st birthday speech for Saturday night, review the company’s hybrid working policy for Monday, edit the Position Description for the new CPO, and start thinking about the eulogy for your great uncle Tom’s funeral on Tuesday? Not anxious? Clearly you’re a friend of ChatGPT.
Over the weekend I played around with ChatGPT and if you haven’t as yet, here’s the link: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/. Doubters, it’s time to crawl out from under that mushroom and enjoy the bright lights. Seriously, it’s a most exciting development. It’s contagious and it’s going viral in the very best sense of the word.
Here’s what I tried and ChatGPT’s responses:
New chat: Is the waste in producing solar panels worth the energy saving?
Response: A balanced ‘not sure’, but probably over the long run, ‘Yes’.
New chat: How do I make a sponge cake?
Response: Full recipe and instructions
New Chat: I provided a 30 word summary for an HR Manager job advertisement.
Response: A complete and thorough advertisement for final editing with bullet points covering key attributes and responsibilities. (And in 20 seconds).
I’m not alarmed by this. Rather I’m excited, because it leaves us with time for more human interactions, deep problem solving and creativity. Don’t be scared.
And speaking of creativity, across 20 million job ads on LinkedIn, ‘creativity’ was the most in demand skill-set two years in a row. Can it be taught? The jury is out. Can we become more attuned to thinking creatively? For sure. By taking off our blinkers, taking our eyes and minds off the routine daily tasks that consume us, and exploring creative activities, we can open up new ways of thinking.
So, in contrast to the AI machine learning of ChatGPT, one inspiring Australian florist x HR leader x past Slade Group colleague, Edan Haddock, has created a new and thoughtful service for individuals and teams to tap into creative, focused thinking: createfulness.com.au.
As everyday as it sounds to me, I was surprised to learn how few people have the chance to pick flowers or create their own flower arrangements, to stand back and take in the joy of creating ‘a still life’ In Real Life. Some colleagues have never had this opportunity, so by gifting themselves a few hours surrounded by nature, and the reward of engaging their creativity, Haddock has tapped into an important missing ingredient in our increasingly automated and directed work days.
Not in any way as big a shift as ChatGPT will become in process and business enhancement, in its own small way, Createfulness will capture the imagination and creativity of those who participate and just possibly lay a path for more open-minded creative thinking.
Anita is the Executive Director of Slade Group, and a member of the advisory board. In a career spanning roles working in government, not-for-profit, public company and the SME sector, Anita has a broad view of the landscape of Australians at work. Committed to making a difference in her professional and personal life, Anita is a Director of the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing & Ideas, previous Chair of Melbourne Girls Grammar School, and a Non Executive Director of online men’s lifestyle publisher Boss Hunting.
