There’s doing what you have the right to do – and – doing what’s the right thing to do.
[That’s the entire blog]
Simple Thought
Lasting Legacy
Someone I know died last month. I didn’t know him well; he was the founding member of a group of coaches who gather monthly to discuss business and hone skills. He started it some 20+ years ago. I joined in April 2020, at the beginning of Covid. For years they met in person… during my time it’s on Zoom.
My first impressions of this Vietnam Vet were ‘this guy doesn’t have any filters.’ He wasn’t shy to drop a ‘g-ddamn’ or a ‘bullsh*t’ amidst the wisdom he shared in short bursts. He had retired years earlier from an HR career and wasn’t taking on any clients. He had an oxygen tube under his nose. Some months he didn’t attend, because pulmonary fibrosis disrupted his day.
On December 11, 2023, he introduced the group to ‘something new’… an A.I. ‘disrupter’ called ‘ChatGPT.’ After he spoke glowingly of how it would ‘change everything’ including ‘how coaching is delivered,’ I weighed in with: “I don’t see this having an impact before I retire.”
Turns out my analysis might be wrong. I’ve written many blogs about the journey to adapt Large Language Models into my work – and while it has yet to overtake coaching as a discipline, that day indeed might come before I wrap things up.
The coaches group met, as scheduled, this morning… and the entire hour was to share memories of our departed friend.
One person noted: “A lot of people talk about to never stop learning. He lived it.” Another: “He believed each person must advocate for himself.” Another: “He honored ‘holding space’ with everyone he met. That’s why he started this group and several others, including one for people suffering from pulmonary fibrosis, as soon as he was diagnosed.” One more: “His dad was a doctor in a wheelchair who died when he was a teenager. His brother had special needs and died young. He lost a son in a car accident. Life handed him some tough times… and he never stopped trying to help and mentor others.”
During the past year, he let us know that he was using ChatGPT to convert his notes into prose and poems for when he was gone. Someone asked today, “Did he get to finish that book?” Another responded: “He finished it at 10 o’clock and sent it to a handful of us to read. I spoke to his wife, who said they stayed up until midnight talking, then went to bed. When she woke up in the morning, he had died peacefully in his sleep.”
Bruce Anderson made a big ripple in the universe during his 83 years.
Ship Shape
Our nearly 27-year-old daughter said recently: “I don’t have a conversation with dad anymore that doesn’t involve his passion for A.I.” I’ll own that. Seems like I’m using ChatGPT every day to assist with things like how to approach potential executive coaching clients, designing a graphic for PowerPoint, or helping calculate the health care costs when I go on Medicare in June. As a starting point for ideas, it’s become an extension of my creative mind thought partner.
Many businesses are rethinking how we work, travel and solve everyday problems. Here are three leveraging A.I. to unlock new business models:
Truck Parking Club. This as an “Airbnb for truckers” that helps long-haul drivers find and reserve parking spots in real time. Parking is a massive issue in the trucking industry, costing drivers time, money, and energy. TPC steps in to match supply and demand dynamically, creating a marketplace where private property owners offer space and truckers secure reliable rest spots.
Shappi. The logistics startup connects travelers with people who need to send international packages – turning extra luggage space into a valuable asset. Blending trust, efficiency and a gig-economy mindset, Shappi is challenging traditional shipping methods… and helping those who venture from home earn spending money.
Harvey. This A.I. legal assistant helps law firms automate research and draft contracts – and even provide case insights – by reducing mundane tasks and increasing critical thinking time. Harvey isn’t replacing lawyers; it’s amplifying their output by allowing them to be even more efficient and even more strategic, while freeing up time for higher-value client work.
The real value of A.I. isn’t automation, it’s transformation. Much like when leading companies failed to innovate in bygone eras – Westfield buggy whips, Corona typewriters, Fox Photo – the ground is shifting quickly. Don’t bury your head and get left at the (steam engine train) station. Why, our daughter even remembers when we used to go to Blockbuster Video.
Note: Fans of ‘Suits’ likely get the inside joke of Harvey.
Service Error
Part I of II
There are three major players developing Large Language Models: OpenAI, Anthropic, and the one I will call ‘Complexity’.
There are several major players in online video meetings, including MS Teams, Google Meet, and the one I will call ‘Gloom’.
In my continuing efforts to understand LLM’s, I am taking a three-week class on A.I. Having spent many hours on ChatGPT and Claude.ai, I was excited when the trainer shared the attributes of Complexity, especially when he said, “There’s no need to pay for it. Search Google and you’ll find a free offer.”
I did… and discovered that holders of a Gloom account can receive one-year of Complexity. Since I couldn’t find a coupon online, I contacted Gloom and requested one. Here is the response I received:
Thank you for contacting [Gloom] Billing! My apologies for the delay. I understand your concerns regarding the account. I’ll be glad to assist you with this. When the account was purchased from basic plan to annual plan, you should have received a [Complexity] confirmation email within 24 hours. You can reach out to their support at [email] and [website]. Feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns and I will be glad to look into it for you.
I’ve had a Gloom account for many years – and have no memory of that coupon. (Since Complexity wasn’t around when I signed up, it likely didn’t happen.) I then contacted Complexity, asking ‘how can I take advantage of this excellent offer?’ This came back:
Thank you for reaching out, and I truly empathize with your situation regarding the missing code.
Unfortunately, [Complexity] is unable to issue codes, and you will need to contact [Gloom] support again for assistance with this matter. They should be able to help you with obtaining a replacement code.
I understand how frustrating this can be, and I appreciate your understanding. If you have any other questions or need further support, please feel free to ask.
Tomorrow… the rest of the story.
Service Error, cont.
Part II of II
Having received instructions to go back to Gloom to request the Complexity coupon – and with frustration growing – I sent this:
Candidly, as a long-time [Gloom] customer this is frustrating. Seems both organizations are passing the buck. Quite disappointing. Don’t believe I could possibly be the only person in this situation. Seems the two entities need to work together and support your loyal customers.
The reply came back quickly:
Hi, David
Did you received a [Gloom] email to claim [Complexity] offer? It has to be claim from there. Please note that only Free users and Monthly users are eligible for this offer.
My response was immediate:
I’ve been a long-time [Gloom] ‘annual’ customer, so don’t recall seeing that offer. Didn’t know it’s only for monthly users. (Guess you put less value in those who pay up front!) Let’s close this out and I’ll move on. Thanks.
Complexity has a free standard plan. The paid version is $20 per month. I’m not trying to scam them out of 40 bucks to try it for 60 days. I just wanted to use the upgraded model as a comparison to ChatGPT and Claude.ai, both of which I paid for to test.
I discovered three takeaways from this circular dialogue experience:
1. Don’t offer something to newcomers that frustrates loyal customers. (Are you listening mobile companies and streaming services?)
2. Don’t put in place a program that requires your employees to say, ‘You have to contact [the other group] to fix that; my bosses haven’t empowered me to help you.’ (Consider, instead, the Ritz-Carlton approach: ‘You’re authorized to fix a problem for up to $___, immediately, no questions asked.’)
3. Do think through beforehand, ‘What could go wrong with this great idea we came up with and how will we respond when it happens?’ (Or, at least, put in place an internal mechanism for adjusting on the fly… even if I, indeed, am the only person in the world in this situation!)