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Congrats, my former manager had exclaimed as he sat me down. Were going to make you a vice president. You now get to oversee these two other teams as well. Its going to be amazing for your career here. I was ecstatic that day when I walked out of his office. Becoming a VP was a huge, highly coveted step at the company. But in the days to follow, my excitement vanished. There was no new paperwork to sign; there was no announcement to the team or broader organization; there was no pay increase. Just a fancy new title and lots and lots more work to do. It finally became clear that I was the victim of a fake promotionalso known as a ghost promotion. Ghost promotions arent a new phenomenon, but certainly more prevalent when companies are cautious about spending more money. According to a recent Mercer study, theres an ongoing decline in annual compensation budgets given heightened economic uncertainty. Gusto research also shows that promotion rates have slowed steadily across all industries over the last three years, with tech seeing the biggest impact. If you cant pay people more to recognize and reward them, ghost promotions may be a creative solution leaders find themselves offering. These hollow advancements are everywhere now, explains Jason Morris, a business expert at My Profit Engine, a specialized link-building agency. Companies have figured out they can keep ambitious employees happy temporarily by changing their title while changing absolutely nothing else. So how can you tell if you have been the recipient of a ghost promotion, or if your manager is actually focused on your career growth in tough economic times? Consider the following ways to evaluate the offer: 1. Figure out if the promotion feels fishy In my case, my promotion came with no organizational announcement, no new paperwork, no new job description. My former boss asked me to absorb two additional teams during a big restructure of the department. He introduced me as a VP in external meetings with much fanfare and encouraged me to change my email signature. To discern if this was a ghost promotion, I went to my trusted network of friends, a few of them who were vice presidents at the company. They shared what a compensation package for a VP should look like, including ranges for base pay, bonus target, and stock grants. They also let me know that at the VP level, you were assigned a financial adviser paid for by the company, which was one of the additional benefits of getting to that level. My boss never mentioned any of those details. A legitimate promotion always involves money talk, Morris notes. If they’re avoiding that conversation entirely, they’re probably hoping you won’t bring it up. Apart from compensation, here are some other questions to consider when evaluating this promotion: Did you receive a new job description with roles and responsibilities? Was there an announcement to the team and the broader department? Did anyone congratulate you or celebrate you? Did you receive a new contract, which includes changes to pay, but also highlights additional benefits you may receive? Reviewing these questions can help you then prepare for next steps when meeting with your boss. 2. Approach your boss on next steps Listen, you should consider yourself lucky Im giving you a VP title, my boss had responded, completely irritated that I was asking the specifics about the promotion a week later. Theres no budget for any of the things you are asking for. And theres no need to tell everyone about it. I felt my throat dry up and a pit in my stomach. His response validated my concerns. Real promotions create ripples throughout an organization, Morris says. If you’re the only one who knows about your advancement, it probably isn’t real. In my case, this wasnt real career growth or advancement; it was manipulation. But its important to know that there may be a case where your boss is focused on supporting your career ambitions. They may be giving you the title now, but putting the promotion in the system next quarter when budgets open up. They may be giving you the title and more job responsibilities now to protect your job if more layoffs are planned. They may be giving you the title now and oversight of the team to make the case for you to receive all the benefits of the real promotion later on in the year. Approaching your boss can give you clarity on what to do next. 3. Use the promotion to your advantage As soon as I determined Id been given a ghost promotion, I was faced with two choices. One was to not accept the promotion, risk my job security, and aggravate my boss further. The other was to accept the promotion and use it to my advantage. I decided to smile, say thank you, and plot my exit plan. I was able to parlay the ghost promotion, and the increased responsibilities, into a strong career story for a bigger, better role externallyone that was a real promotion with all of the benefits I deserved. Sometimes a ghost promotion is actually a giftit gives you the credentials to pursue genuine opportunities without having to wait for your current company to catch up. The key is recognizing when you’re being strung along versus when there’s actual potential for growth, says Morris. If you find yourself in a position where you accept a ghost promotion, use it to your advantage. Use it to find your next opportunity, where youre valued for what you have earnedand deserve.
Category:
E-Commerce
As a technologist, and a serial entrepreneur, Ive witnessed technology transform industries from manufacturing to finance. But Ive never had to reckon with the possibility of technology that transforms itself. And thats what we are faced with when it comes to AIthe prospect of self-evolving AI. What is self-evolving AI? Well, as the name suggests, its AI that improves itselfAI systems that optimize their own prompts, tweak the algorithms that drive them, and continually iterate and enhance their capabilities. Science fiction? Far from it. Researchers recently created the Darwin Gödel Machine, which is a self-improving system that iteratively modifies its own code. The possibility is real, its closeand its mostly ignored by business leaders. And this is a mistake. Business leaders need to pay close attention to self-evolving AI, because it poses risks that they must address now. Self-Evolving AI vs. AGI Its understandable that business leaders ignore self-evolving AI, because traditionally the issues it raises have been addressed in the context of artificial general intelligence (AGI), something thats important, but more the province of computer scientists and philosophers. In order to see that this is a business issue, and a very important one, first we have to clearly distinguish between the two things. Self-evolving AI refers to systems that autonomously modify their own code, parameters, or learning processes, improving within specific domains without human intervention. Think of an AI optimizing supply chains that refines its algorithms to cut costs, then discovers novel forecasting methodspotentially overnight. AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) represents systems with humanlike reasoning across all domains, capable of writing a novel or designing a bridge with equal ease. And while AGI remains largely theoretical, self-evolving AI is here now, quietly reshaping industries from healthcare to logistics. The Fast Take-Off Trap One of the central risks created by self-evolving AI is the risk of AI take-off. Traditionally, AI take-off refers to the process by which going from a certain threshold of capability (often discussed as “human-level”) to being superintelligent and capable enough to control the fate of civilization. As we said above, we think that the problem of take-off is actually more broadly applicable, and specifically important for business. Why? The basic point is simpleself-evolving AI means AI systems that improve themselves. And this possibility isnt restricted to broader AI systems that mimic human intelligence. It applies to virtually all AI systems, even ones with narrow domains, for example AI systems that are designed exclusively for managing production lines or making financial predictions and so on. Once we recognize the possibility of AI take off within narrower domains, it becomes easier to see the huge implications that self-improving AI systems have for business. A fast take-off scenariowhere AI capabilities explode exponentially within a certain domain or even a certain organizationcould render organizations obsolete in weeks, not years. For example, imagine a companys AI chatbot evolves from handling basic inquiries to predict and influence customer behavior so precisely that it achieves 80%+ conversion rates through perfectly timed, personalized interactions. Competitors using traditional approaches cant match this psychological insight and rapidly lose customers. The problem generalizes to every area of business: within months, your competitors operational capabilities could dwarf yours. Your five-year strategic plan becomes irrelevant, not because markets shifted, but because of their AI evolved capabilities you didnt anticipate. When Internal Systems Evolve Beyond Control Organizations face equally serious dangers from their own AI systems evolving beyond control mechanisms. For example: Monitoring Failure: IT teams cant keep pace with AI self-modifications happening at machine speed. Traditional quarterly reviews become meaningless when systems iterate thousands of times per day. Compliance Failure: Autonomous changes bypass regulatory approval processes. How do you maintain SOX compliance when your financial AI modifies its own risk assessment algorithms without authorization? Security Failure: Self-evolving systems introduce vulnerabilities that cybersecurity frameworks werent designed to handle. Each modification potentially creates new attack vectors. Governance Failure: Boards lose meaningful oversight when AI evolves faster than they can meet or understand changes. Directors find themselves governing systems they cannot comprehend. Strategy Failure: Long-term planning collapses as AI rewrites fundamental business assumptions on weekly cycles. Strategic planning horizons shrink from years to weeks. Beyond individual organizations, entire market sectors could destabilize. Industries like consulting or financial servicesbuilt on information asymmetriesface existential threats if AI capabilities spread rapidly, making their core value propositions obsolete overnight. Catastrophizing to Prepare In our book TRANSCEND: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI, we propose the CARE methodologyCatastrophize, Assess, Regulate, Exitto systematically anticipate and mitigate AI risks. Catastrophizing isnt pessimism; its strategic foresight applied to unprecedented technological uncertainty. And our methodology forces leaders to ask uncomfortable questions: What if our AI begins rewriting its own code to optimize performance in ways we dont understand? What if our AI begins treating cybersecurity, legal compliance, or ethical guidelines as optimization constraints to work around rather than rules to follow? What if it starts pursuing objectives, we didn’t explicitly program but that emerge from its learning process? Key diagnostic questions every CEO should ask so that they can identify organizational vulnerabilities before they become existential threats are: Immediate Assessment: Which AI systems have self-modification capabilities? How quickly can we detect behavioral changes?What monitoring mechanisms track AI evolution in real-time? Operational Readiness: Can governance structures adapt to weekly technological shifts? Do compliance frameworks account for self-modifying systems? How would we shut down an AI system distributed across our infrastructure? Strategic Positioning: Are we building self-improving AI or static tools? What business model aspects depend on human-level AI limitations that might vanish suddenly? Four Critical Actions for Business Leaders Based on my work with organizations implementing advanced AI systems, here are five immediate actions I recommend: Implement Real-Time AI Monitoring: Build systems tracking AI behavior changes instantly, not quarterly. Embed kill switches and capability limits that can halt runaway systems before irreversible damage. Establish Agile Governance: Traditional oversight fails when AI evolves daily. Develop adaptive governance structures operating at technological speed, ensuring boards stay informed about system capabilities and changes. Prioritize Ethical Alignment: Embed value-based constitutions into AI systems. Test rigorously for biases and misalignment, learning from failures like Amazons discriminatory hiring tool. Scenario-Plan Relentlessly: Prepare for multiple AI evolution scenarios. Whats your response if a competitors AI suddenly outpaces yours? How do you maintain operations if your own systems evolve beyond control? Early Warning Signs Every Executive Should Monitor The transition from human-guided improvement to autonomous evolution might be so gradual that organizations miss the moment when they lose effective oversight. Therefore, smart business leaders are sensitive to signs that reveal troubling escalation paths: AI systems demonstrating unexpected capabilities beyond original specifications Automated optimization tools modifying their own parameters without human approval Cross-system integration where AI tools begin communicating autonomously Performance improvements that accelerate rather than plateau over time Why Action Cant Wait As Geoffrey Hinton has warned, unchecked AI development could outstrip human control entirely. Companies beginning preparation nowwith robust monitoring systems, adaptive governance structures, and scenario-based strategic planningwill be best positioned to thrive. Those waiting for clearer signals may find themselves reacting to changes they can no longer control.
Category:
E-Commerce
Business is a team sport, and it’s nice to have the camaraderie of laughing, grinding toward deadlines, and even gossiping with your teammates. But when youre the boss, youre not just one of the creweven if youd like the easy camaraderie shared among people who arent calling the shots. What happens when layoffs are approaching, or the company is facing budget cuts? You may feel lonelyyou know whats coming but lack peers to confide in or commiserate with. Then there are the everyday stressors that come with leadership, like giving feedback or telling someone they won’t be getting the promotion. It can be lonely at the top. If you miss being part of the team, here are some actions you can take. Accept your position and the restrictions that come with it As a leader, there are many things you wont be able to share with the folks on your teamand thats just the way it is. For example, you may feel jealousy when you see them laughing and having a good time while youre stuck doing the budgeting. Dont fight these feelings; acknowledge them. Accept the reality that youre the leader, and that many times youll have to stand alone. Find a trusted adviser Even though youre the boss, you still need someone to bounce ideas off of: you cant live in a silo. Find a person who shares your philosophies regarding business, leadership, and people. Establish a consistent cadence and routine for working with your adviser outside of your company. Note that this should be a reciprocal relationship; offer your ideas and opinions to your adviser when asked. Be someone in whom they can confide. Find appropriate times to pop in Just because youre the boss doesn’t mean you cant have any part of the day-to-day team operations. Find instances where you can pop in and be part of the team. Be judicious about thisfor example, you probably dont want to hop in on a meeting the team can handle on their own. An appropriate time to join the team may be when everyone is working toward a deadline and the load is intense. Otherwise, be present, but not overbearing. You have a new team group Even though youre the boss, youre not completely alone. You have new peersother managers, or the executive leadership team. Everything evolves and changes; you can have fun with this new group, too. Look for opportunities to connect, even if you miss your old team. You will evolve as a leader. Being the boss can be a great new opportunity, even if you miss the camaraderie that came without that title. Instead of longing for what was, make the most of your position and forge new relationships among your peers in leadership.
Category:
E-Commerce
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