Leadership and Skills for GenAI Era: From Front Line to Back Office

This IDC Perspective discusses the impact of GenAI on organizations, job roles, and skills development. It highlights how GenAI can automate repetitive tasks, support decision-making, and facilitate AI integration and maintenance. The document explores GenAI's potential to improve knowledge and frontline work and productivity, create personalized learning experiences, and influence change management. GenAI can enhance productivity, support change initiatives, and manage implementation processes.This document advises technology buyers to understand GenAI offerings, data sources, data protection needs, and the potential stress on IT departments. For technology leaders, it's crucial to understand what other GenAI vendors are offering, establish data protection measures, investigate GenAI's impact on workflows and IT departments, and plan for evolving productivity requirements and governance needs."GenAI is expected to revolutionize frontline and back-office work, creating new opportunities and automating tasks, thereby transforming skill requirements and job roles," says Anu Mehta, senior research analyst for IDC's Future of Work practice."GenAI can alter change management for the better, but it will take skill building on the part of change mangers, leaders, and the employees that use the tools to produce change behaviors and results," says Bill Latshaw, research director for IDC's Business Consulting Services practice."As IT skills shortages continue to worsen, enterprises can and should rely on GenAI to avoid some of its worst impacts," adds Gina Smith, Ph.D., research director for IT Skills for Digital Business practice at IDC. "Thoughtfully deployed, GenAI can improve and speed IT training outcomes."