EQ Has a New Brother – AQ

Success is no longer about IQ; we have agreed on that. Industry is and has been for some time moving more towards EQ: Emotional Intelligence. The ability to be able to interact with other people. The better our EQ, the more we can relate to others with increased empathy to get better results.

There has been so much written on EQ with an increase in speakers, coaches and consultants on the subject. EQ course book and videos are plentiful, and there are very few excuses for anyone not versed in at least some EQ techniques and abilities. Yet sadly, the majority of people I get to meet and chat with could do with an EQ kick up their ass.

But there is a new brother on the block. With the increase in AI and all that is being said about the many tools and bots that are launched each week, and the billions of dollars being invested in new apps and platforms. The IOT (Internet of Things) has developed into the Me-We-It triangle. This new relationship models not only EQ between Me and We but also includes It. The bots, the AI apps and what they bring to the table.

So, once again, we are faced with relationship issues. Some will hate and always will, the bots and AI. Others will tolerate it and avoid direct contact, but those like me have and will continue to develop deep relationships with various tools and bots. This will call for a new intelligence. What I call AQ or Agent Intelligence.

AQ: The ability to interact with a collaborate with a bot of artificial intelligence in a way that the relationship is mutually beneficial and non-toxic. It is about asking politely and saying thank you. Now, some may say that a bot does not care for this either way and will do what we ask without the politeness. But I want to suggest that it is about our relationship with the Bot more than their relationship with us. If we are kind and courteous to others, we get more out; the same applies to bots. It is a mindset, an agreement within the relationship that defines how we work. Does it matter if it is with another human or a bot? It should; it says a lot about who we are.

Footnote: And if the extremists are correct one day and the bots take over and draft kill lists, don’t you want your name on the nice list and not the naughty list?