Technology advances faster than anything I have seen in my lifetime. I often think about my mother and the stories she shares of the depression era -- being entertained by the radio as a child, later enjoying her first family television and keeping in touch with friends through what we now call "snail mail." The technological changes she experienced in one lifetime are incredible. Today, she shops without leaving her home and uses a smartphone to text her grandchildren. And then I ponder what I will still see in my lifetime. After all, the world's largest movie house, Netflix, owns no physical movie theaters.
There is no denying that the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" is upon us. In fact, that is the theme in Davos at the upcoming 46th annual World Economic Forum. In these discussions, we have to remember that technology is a tool, not a person. We live on an earth with billions of people. Human beings who need good, old-fashioned human interaction at times, unbound from the cloud or cyberspace. While technology makes our lives more comfortable, more connected, and even sometimes through healthcare breakthroughs, longer, it can't replace everything.
Two questions come to mind: Are there non-visible things happening to humankind as these technological advances take us to new places? And, is technology causing growing inequities and disparities?
Besides the obvious physical differences at my company's office -- video conferencing rooms for global meetings, hotel space for telecommuters, smaller workstations with more efficient technical gadgets -- there are underlying workforce differences that aren't as visible. Many of our new hires, a lot of them Millennials, can sometimes learn faster and navigate a career ladder more quickly. Advances in technology have given them access to more information, and at a faster pace. They grew up with 24/7 access to people and information globally at their fingertips.
With these technological advances comes a need for real culture shifts in organizations. For instance, how do we address entire generations that are used to instant feedback as it relates to more traditional performance cultures where we provide feedback only once or twice a year? While technology makes our work environments more global, faster and more efficient, there's a need to work harder and faster to ensure the "human" component doesn't become displaced.
This is one of the reasons that connecting with our communities is so important to our employees at Covestro LLC (see previous post: People Development With a Social Conscience). Employees are given paid time off to volunteer, and they use it. What they gain from this experience can't be replaced by technology -- leaving the office to physically visit a school or a community organization, and receiving firsthand a smile of appreciation.
As unbelievable advances in technology continue, are we leaving some people behind? What about the students and adults in rural areas or from socio-economic backgrounds who don't have access to some of these technological advances? Can they keep up with those who do? Having 24/7 access provides global information that translates into new connections and networks. After all, access equals advantage.
On the flip-side, there are tremendous amounts of philanthropic dollars globally being directed at providing access to those who may not have it. But even with that, there are disparities. Adults and children still struggle with social and emotional well-being issues. Technology can't fix that, but people can.
Technological advances will continue to connect us globally, improve education, improve industrial processes, transform medicine, allow innovation and open doors to new possibilities we don't even know exist yet. But, in celebrating these advances, let's not replace humanity with technology -- we need both.
For the second conversation in our Purpose@Work series -- a discussion designed to explore how we can infuse a deep sense of purpose into our work -- we're going to focus on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the theme of this year's World Economic Forum in Davos.
How are you using technology to elevate purpose in your organization, community, or project? Let us know at PurposePlusProfit@huffingtonpost.com or by tweeting with #PurposeAtWork.