WHEN TECHNOLOGY CHANGES THE JOB, WHAT MUST STAY HUMAN?
Lu Pillar: Design Sustainable Work and Communicate Clearly
Toolbox time: About 5 minutes
Use this if: AI, automation, remote operation or new technology is changing how work is done, what people are responsible for or what skills the crew needs.
THE POINT
When technology changes the work, protect the human capability the work still depends on.
AI and automation can make work safer, faster and more efficient. But changing the task can also change how people learn the job, where important knowledge sits, who makes decisions and what skills workers will need in the future.
The question is not only whether technology can do the work. You also need to consider:
What work still needs a person?
What do people still need to understand, even if they no longer do the task themselves?
What skills could people lose if they no longer learn this part of the job by doing it?
What does the change mean for the people whose jobs are affected?
You don’t need to answer all of this at a toolbox. But you do need to notice when the change is bigger than simply introducing a new tool.
WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE
Automated machinery takes over work that used to be done manually.
Vehicles, cranes or other equipment are operated remotely or autonomously.
Cameras, sensors or software identify faults, hazards or quality issues.
Automated medication dispensing systems in hospitals prepare or issue medicines that staff previously handled manually.
Hospital technology monitors patients or flags changes in their condition, while clinicians still need to interpret what it means and decide what happens next.
A system starts deciding how work, equipment or jobs are allocated. People now rely on a system without understanding enough to recognise when something is wrong.
New workers no longer get experience doing the tasks that used to teach people how the job really works.
A role changes or disappears, but there is no clear plan for what happens to the people doing it.
Responsibility becomes unclear because everyone assumes the technology has it covered.
TALK ABOUT IT
Pick one piece of technology that is changing the work.
Ask: “Now that this technology is here, what has changed about the work?”
Then: “What do we still need people to understand or make the call on?”
And: “If the technology does this part now, what skills could people lose over time?”
Listen to the people closest to the work.
They may see practical risks, gaps or changes that are not obvious from the technology itself.
USE THESE WORDS
When technology is changing part of the job, try: “This technology is changing [task or part of the job]. It can help with [purpose], but we still need people to understand [knowledge], make the call on [decision] and be responsible for [part].”
Then ask: “What skills could people lose over time?”
If you don’t know the answer: “I don’t know yet. I’m going to take that further before we make this a normal practice.”
DO THIS
Choose one change already affecting the work. Be clear about three things:
What the technology is changing.
What people still need to know, judge or be responsible for.
What needs to be looked at more closely.
If the change affects roles, skills, staffing or how people learn the job, take it further.
That is a work design issue, not something to solve in a five minute toolbox.
CHECK NEXT TIME
Ask the people doing the work: “Which parts of this job are now done by the technology, and which parts are still ours to check, decide or act on?”
Then ask: “What do we still need to know or be able to do if the technology gets it wrong, stops working or something unusual happens?”
Listen for different answers.
If people are unclear about who makes the final call, what needs checking, or what knowledge and skills are still needed, that needs to be sorted. Also pay attention to changes in training, roles, staffing or how people build experience. Those are signs the change may need a broader look, not just clearer instructions.
KEEP THIS IN MIND
Technology can change the task without removing the need for human judgement. People may still need to:
Notice when something does not look right.
Respond when conditions change.
Understand the process well enough to question the system.
Make judgement calls.
Check quality.
Manage risk.
Maintain or repair equipment.
Understand how different parts of the job fit together.
Take responsibility for the final decision.
Good technology use is not just about what the system can do. It is also about making sure people still have the knowledge, judgement and skills the work depends on.
NEED MORE SUPPORT?
Lu offers two next step options.
Run It gives your crew practical tools to work through the issue.
Embed It provides independent support to understand what is driving the problem, tailor the response and help the change stick.
