How to tackle challenges of digitization in individual lives

1. COLLABORATING SMARTLY, THINKING DIFFERENTLY
Tips & Tricks in Managing Oneself in the Smart Age
I was thrilledwhenIlaidmyhandson a personal computerthatdad boughthome in1999 (livingin a
developingcountrylikeIndia,buying a personal computer was a huge thing during those time with
hardly1% of the populationbeingable toaffordit).Iremember being curious and over-explorative
of the device. It was not just the games on the system that fascinated me but also the excel
spreadsheets that calculated anything that I could think of as a ten year old, word docs that auto
spell checked,PPTsthatcould blink text and images; everything in the device awed me . I was also
intrigued by the way my dad or any other elder used to lightly tap on the side of the CPU or the
monitor two or three times, if the system got hung, as if trying to fix a wire/chip loose contact
somewhere inside.Butforme at that time, it looked like they were punishing the computer (if the
tap was hard) if it didn’t work or encouraging it (if the pat was light) to do the work faster. I have
triedthe same technique manytimes,tappingit,scoldingitand finally muttering good words when
things got restored. This gave me early on a feel that technology was a friend, somebody who
supports mankind and above all, obeys the master’s instructions.
As a tenyear oldI rememberremarkingonce, “Ifeel the computer to be more human, like a friend,
than any other machine in the house - the car, the fridge or anything. If it doesn’t work, I beat it
twice and it starts working!”
More than a decade anda half later,I don’tfeel muchof my earlierecstasyseeinga computer work.
I’ve got used to it. I know it is supposed to do my work. The home PCs have been replaced by
laptops; them by the mobile phones and tablets that are powered by digital assistants who can do
any work for you even as you give voice commands. Command lines have been replaced by voice
instructionsanda replythatcomesto me in the language I speak. Yes, devices have become erriely
human now, so much so that I feel somebody knows my life in and out, better than I do.
While robotslike the onesthat we see in movies and picture posters have not yet found place into
our daily households, miniature forms of them like the mobile digital assistant, the IVR etc. have
slowly started replacing the human interactions that we have had. Mr. H.James Wilson, Managing
Director, IT and Business Research at Accenture in his article in Harvard Business Review defines
robotsas an artificiallycreatedsystemdesigned,built,andimplementedtoperformtasksorservices
for people.Thisdefinitionhas considers bothindustrial robotsthatare primarilyused in shop-floors
and manufacturing to automate manual tasks and the new age service robots that are found in
personal andprofessional settings: a tele-presence robot at work, a robot in the operating room, an
educationalrobothelping studentslearn to write code, a research robotexploring the ocean, a robot
in space helping astronauts make repairs and so on. Service robots are set to be used more and
more as the economy goes on to become more service-oriented and knowledge-driven.
A case scenario:
A company today doesn’t have to hire a personal secretary for its CEO and pay him/her monthly
salary, it just needs to provide the CEO with a mobile device with a digital assistant who will
automaticallyandefficientlyreceive andanswer calls,sorte-mails and respond appropriately, chart
out calendars and send meeting invites and update the CEO (or talk should be more appropriate)
withall relevantinformation.Andall thiscanbe done witha voice similartohumanvoice (evenwith

2. tone variations for selected instances) and greater efficiency. The digital assistant would even be
capable of entertainingthe CEOwithjokes,gamesandalsodosilly-talkwithhimduringbreaktimes.
It will also be able to monitor the CEO’s performance, remind him when there’s a slag and what is
required. And all this, it can do without any break and with just some charging required once in a
couple of days (for not even the time we take to eat two meals!).
And so here goes the job of the personal assistant, replaced by a digital voice. So, is the CEO also
replaceable by a voice or a non-human robot? And what about the other staff?
Yes,it is inevitable thatsome jobswill have togo.Some jobswill become redundant. But there will
alsobe newpossibilitiesandbetter avenues for the ones who are willing to look for it, go for it and
take up the new challenges that world throws.
Learning from History
Aftermaninventedfire andlearntfarminganddomesticationof animals,he learntto cook food and
preserve the extra, thereby freeing a lot of man hours that were earlier spent on hunting and
gatheringfood.Many men would have felt bored and irritated by the loss of their daily chores and
wouldhave resistedtakingto farmingandcooking.But there were many otherswho lookedfor new
opportunities,tocreate newthings and to explore the earth further. This lead to the origination of
newprofessionsinpreviously unknown fields like arts, music, writing, mining, crafts, weaving and
manyothers. Slowlymanlearnedtotrade, one skill forother,helping him amass possessions which
he singly could not have made.
The Industrial revolutionwasanothersuchturningpoint. Redundant and monotonous work fuelled
mainlybytiringandpainful humanlabourwasreplacedbymachinesthatcouldlifttons of weight to
any height, or dig deep into the earth where oxygen was sparse or immerse itself in boiling hot
liquids.There wasplentyof oppositiontothe replacementof humanlabour;resistance to change to
the new ways of manufacturing and production. But like it or not, the change was made and its
consequences inevitable. Man learnt to move from brawn power to brain power, and this was in a
way aided by the advent of machines. This gave rise to a new knowledge-driven economy and to
manynewtechnologiesanddevices –the computers,internet,mobile devices,blue-tooth,nearfield
communications, and so on.
The Digital Revolution
We are the cusp of a third revolution - the technical revolution. The changes this will bring are
profoundandalmostsimilartothe ones that sci-fi movies and science thrillers have written about.
Thisage will see machinesthatcan mimichumanintelligence andfeatures. Artificial intelligence and
robotics have developedrobots that can think and learn like humans do. A robot is programmed to
act to ‘n’ numberof situationsinaparticularway.With technologygoingone stepahead,robotscan
learn from situations that occur multiple times and learn from the responses each time.
While machinesemulatedmanualtasks,artificial intelligence is set to automate mental tasks. With
brawn and brain automated, how can a man distinguish himself from these androids?
Searching Within

3. We have to searchwithinourselvesandmanage ourselvesaswe settoexplore withinastowhat itis
that we have more than justbrawnand brain. In whatways are our brainswireddifferently,that can
never be imitated by a Robo? Or in other words, how better and different can we be from our
machine-programmed clones.
Multi-dimensional Thinking
The abilitytothinkand act differentlyindifferent situations and even in similar ones is a capability
that isprobablyunique toman.A livinghuman doesn’t react in the same fashion to every situation
or even tothe same situationwhenitoccursa secondtime. Whenwe cookthe same dishesmultiple
times,the amountof ingredientsand sometimeseventhe ingredients added often differ giving it a
differentflavoureverytime. We trytoexperimenteachtime we dothe same task to make it better,
faster, easier and more interesting. It is this difference, even if it might just a miniscule that gives
livingitstaste, freesitfrombeingamonotonoustask andleadstothe creation of new and different
items.Robotsandmachinestoowere createdbyman fromthe desire tomake everydaythinkswork
smarter and faster.
For example, each time we read a literary classic, our interpretation of it changes according to the
timeswe live in. Thatiswhya teacheror a manageror anybodyisable to bringdifferent viewpoints
and shades even to the same thing. We do not hesitate to experiment and think out-of-the-box.
Man’s creativity andabilitytothinkfrom multiple dimensions is what helps in the development of
new things, digs new channels of sales and marketing and understands the changing needs to
human living.
Out-of-the box
Out-of-the-box thinking has been propagated in corporate strategy rooms in the recent times to
outdo competition. This is also exactly is what is going to help humans manage themselves in this
new digital age. While robots are programmed to do tasks from within the boxes they are
programmedinand to some extentlearnfrommultipleinstances(the nascentself –learningrobots),
theywill innotime inthe near future (maybe, this century) be able to emulate the critical thinking
and creative thinking capabilities of human beings. Their play will be limited to what has been
programmedforthemby a superintelligenthuman,(roboticscientist) whohashis ways of thinking.
Anotherimportantfeature thatdifferentiatesahumanbeingfroma digital device ishis capability to
bringin multipledimensionstohisthoughprocess.He simplydoesn’tgobynumberanalysisbutalso
correlatesitwithinstancesandconversationsonthe topiche hashad withothers,evenif theymight
be completelyunrelated.Thisabilitytonavigate through unstructured instances and information is
something that differentiates humans from robots. Man has the great capability to understand
innovations and inventions that can rise out of serendipity and use it to his advantage, an aspect
that digital devices will never understand or be able to figure out.
The Power of Dreams
Anotherimportantdistinctionbetweenmanandsmartmachinesisthe ability to dream. Dreams are
what have helped man achieve great accomplishments. John F. Kennedy’s dream to send man to
moonopenedupchannelsof science andtechnology unexplored until then. It is man’s dreams, his

4. determinationand struggle to pursue them that will differentiate him and help him be the master
and the director of the activities on Earth.
Science fictionoftencapturesupondreamsandimaginationof the writer.Manyof things written by
early writers like H.G. Wells have already been made today. The vast and uncommon uses of
technology can help man to think in multi-dimensions to capture areas unexplored before.
The CEO won’t be easily replaceable…
…because he has skills that let him think, manage people and emotions, chart goals, chase dreams
and make decisions in the face of uncertainty.
Search for New Pastures
Every man’s intuitive nature, his ability to think creatively, be empathetic in situations and be
dynamiciswhat differentiateshimfromthe non-living. We’llhave tomake use of the unique human
capabilitiesthatwe have: inventiveness, empathy and an ability to cope with the unpredictable to
find out new types of products and services required and to channel our strength and energy in
buildingupadigital age where the man still is the master. Our belief and faith in a greater strength
that createdand preservesthe universewill alwaysdistinguishusfromthose thatcan’t think,reason
or believe.
Back in the seventeenth or eighteenth century, man would not have thought that computing
machineswould be needed to do basic mathematical operations such as addition and subtraction.
Like the earlyman whowasmore concernedabouthunting,the seventeenthcenturymanwas more
concerned about working in the fields, producing and processing grains and making clothes in
whichever way he knew it. But when machines were invented that could take over his current
responsibilities,he begantothinkanduse hismental powertocreate new thingsthatcould ease his
and others life. That is how computers and smart devices were thought of and invented. This
technology revolution, that we are witnessing, can help humans further his capabilities to invent
things. Nanotechnologycanhelp drive the world though miniscule items, wireless communication
technologycanhelpsave lotof material cost;alreadytime anddistance has been reduced to a large
extent.
In The Definitive Drucker: Challenges for Tomorrow’s Executives—Final Advice from the Father of
ModernManagement (2007), ElizabethHaasEdersheimwrites,“Peter’s ideas were the catalyst that
freed people to pursueopportunitiesthey had neverexpected to have.He liberated people by getting
them to challenge their own assumptions. He liberated people by raising their awareness of, and
their faith in, things they knew intuitively. He liberated people by forcing them to think. He liberated
people by talking to them. He liberated people by getting them to ask the right questions.” [1]
Technologyshouldbe usedtohelpman unlock the doors of the mysteries and new challenges that
he faces.It shouldbe usedtodig deeper,flyhigher, transverse time and distance and to create and
build things that could previously never be imagined.
When smart devices become as smart as man and can do what he is doing now, man will have to
think what more he can do to make his and others life easy. It could exploring the other planets,
looking at creating the essential elements of life like oxygen, carbon etc., or recycling all used

5. material orunderstandingdeath.Itcouldinthe fieldsof advancedscience,inphilosophy,in arts and
literature or travel.
Android-Human Collaboration
But just like the seventeenth century man learned to cope and work with machines, the 21st
/22nd
century man would need to learn to work with robots and smart devices. He would need to
collaborate with these smart machines in his work every day in order to be able to remain
competitive in the market. He’ll need to learn to control them effectively and put them to his
advantage to be able to remainthe controllingcentre.He shouldbe the masterandcontrollerrather
than the smart device beinghismasteranddirector. He shouldstrive toensure thathismemory and
brain power are not lost to overtly use of digital devices to store information, leading to new-age
conditionslike digital amnesia. Optimal andjudicioususe of smartdevices coupledwithourthinking
prowessiswhatwill be helpfulin managing ourselves in the technology era. Technology should be
usedto aidman and augmenthiscapabilities.He shouldnot become overly dependent upon smart
devices, especially to do his thinking.
Continuous & Fruitful Education
Man also needs to continuously educate himself. Continuous education and learning is what will
helphimthinkcreativelyandmulti-dimensionally.Exposinghimself todifferentscenarios willhelpin
identifying new ideas and paths. With the probable reduction in employment opportunities in
certainsectors,the pressure onkids (especially Asian kids) to take science and technology subjects
or engineering will get reduced. Arts, sports, science etc. require capabilities that are difficult for
robots to imitate, including creative abilities, lateral thinking etc., giving these students a better
chance to survive inthe newworld.Ina way we can say itwill leadtomore equitable distribution of
opportunitieswitheachbeinggivena chance according to his/her abilities, education and interest.
Technologycanplaya pivotal role inensuringthateducationreachesevery person who thirsts for it
through MOOCs, online libraries and online teaching methods.
Everybody should be their own CEO
Most companies, in their pursuit for lower costs and higher profits often ignore to train their
knowledge workers.Hence itbecomesessential forthe employeetobe the CEO off hiscareer and to
learnand enhance hisskillswiththe changingtime. In "Managing Oneself," Peter Drucker explains:
Cultivate a deep understanding of yourself by identifying your most valuable strengths and most
dangerous weaknesses; Articulate how you learn and work with others and what your most deeply
held values are; describe the type of work environment where you can make the greatest
contribution. Only when you operate with a combination of your strengths and self-knowledge can
you achieve true and lasting excellence. [2]
My Lesson
Havinglookedatthe changingtechnological andemploymentlandscape,asa researcherandanalyst
I plan to enhance my skill-set particularly with regard to problem solving, data interpretation and
creative analysis.Andjustlikethe tenyearoldwhoonce remarkedthatherhome PC was one of her
greatestfriends,Iintendto collaborate with technology -driven smart machines, technologies and
androids to support me as I try to better myself. I'll also use them to look out for avenues to build

6. new things, start companies and aid in employment and value growth, all assisted by technology.
Technology will be my partner and guide in my quest to managing myself.
References
1. http://www.success.com/mobile/article/peter-drucker-the-father-of-management-theory
2. https://hbr.org/product/managing-oneself/2312-PBK-ENG
 https://hbr.org/2015/05/the-internet-is-finally-forcing-management-to-care-about-people
 https://hbr.org/1994/09/the-theory-of-the-business
 http://www.success.com/mobile/article/peter-drucker-the-father-of-management-
theory#sthash.VaUZq02T.dpuf
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2946704/Cheaper-robots-replace-factory-workers-
study.html
 http://www.quora.com/Automation/If-robots-machines-and-self-service-systems-replace-most-of-the-work-
currently-done-by-humans-what-would-humans-do
 http://www.wired.com/2012/12/ff-robots-will-take-our-jobs/
 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/22/robot-jobs-humans-used-to-do-fight-back
 http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/06/robots-jobs-artificial-intelligence-pew
 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/what-jobs-will-the-robots-take/283239/
 http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-human-jobs-computers-will-never-replace/
 https://hbr.org/2014/12/what-happens-to-society-when-robots-replace-workers
 http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2015/01/reign-robots-how-live-machine-age