Words From The Efficiency Experts

There are two types of relationships with technology: digital immigrants and digital natives. Digital immigrants are those who have integrated into technology and did not grow up with it, like today’s older generations. Digital natives are younger people, mostly children and adolescents, who were born into technology. As digital natives are entering adulthood, we’re seeing a shift in the “American Dream.” Young people are becoming more and more detached from tradition. Less people are getting married, buying homes, having children, attending church, or joining political parties, among other things.

First Principles thinking is an idea popularized by entrepreneur Elon Musk, although it has roots with other minds like philosopher Aristotle, inventor Johannes Gutenberg, and military strategist John Boyd.³ First principles thinking is like taking a scientific approach to your thought processes. A first principle was defined by Aristotle as, “the first basis from which a thing is known.”³ As Musk describes, “you kind of boil things down to the most fundamental truths […] and then reason up from there.”² 

It’s true nobody likes change, but it’s particularly frustrating to face changes that seem completely unnecessary. Chris Maher, CEO of OceanFirst Financial, noticed the biggest problem when going digital was a cultural and training gap among employees, “not surprisingly, if you work all day within a bank branch, you don’t personally have a big need to use mobile banking and wouldn’t be an advocate of that technology because it’s not important to you in your life.”

As digital banking continues to grow in popularity, it’s evident that the traditional model of banking is not coming back. Yes, there is still a demand, and therefore need, for in-person interactions and brick-and-mortar stores (read more on that here and here), but many aspects of traditional banking are more than likely gone for good. If the future of banking is digital, we can’t help but wonder, what does that mean for the future of banking jobs?

The introduction of AI and digital technology has “forced banks to realize that human connection is what will set them apart and give them an edge. You can use all the technology you want but without the right people to deliver it, manage it, and embrace those changes, you will fail.”¹ Collaboration, empathy, creativity-- all of these new things are humanistic by nature.