Cover Illustration of Luke Skywalker, Bruce Lee and Darth Vader generated by OpenArt.AI
Illustration of Luke Skywalker, Bruce Lee and Darth Vader generated by OpenArt.AI
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Tatler Asia COO Parry Singh shares what pop culture has taught him about change management in the age of AI
Some of my earliest childhood fantasies revolved around Star Wars, Bruce Lee and the iconic Bollywood film Sholay.
Those were the pre-internet, pre-VCR, limited TV days of content scarcity. Any story—whether it came from a movie, TV show, book or one narrated by a friend—lingered in our minds forever, because there was little else competing for attention.
While Star Wars and Bruce Lee are globally recognised, Sholay holds a unique place in Indian cinema. This iconic film, inspired by the classic Hollywood Western The Magnificent Seven and Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, blends adventure, drama, comedy and music. Set in a small Indian village terrorised by the infamous bandit Gabbar Singh, Sholay’s narrative and dialogues have become deeply embedded in Indian pop culture.
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In those content-starved days, I could vividly recall every detail of the Death Star escape from Star Wars, every kick from Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon’s Hall of Mirrors fight scene, and every iconic line from Gabbar Singh. I went further, blending these worlds in my imagination—Gabbar Singh teaming up with Darth Vader, while Bruce Lee and Han Solo joined forces to combat their enemies.
These stories revealed a universal truth: every tale has a hero, a villain and victims. This narrative framework isn’t limited to fiction but extends to our personal and professional lives. Missed a promotion? You become both the hero and the victim, with your boss as the villain. A political loss? Your party is the hero, the opposing party the villain, and citizens the victims. We live our lives through these internalised stories.
In the corporate world, different employees interpret the same event through their own stories. A company missing its annual target might see varied narratives of failure, each with distinct heroes, victims and villains. The rise of disruptive technologies like Generative AI (GenAI) amplifies this storytelling.
Above Watch iconic clips from ‘Enter The Dragon’ (Video: Bruce Lee/YouTube, with footage courtesy of Warner Brothers)
Crafting a shared narrative
The rapid adoption of GenAI has created diverse and often contradictory narratives within organisations. Unlike the gradual evolution of the internet, AI’s swift development—particularly through models like ChatGPT—has led to varying perceptions of its impact. This divergence often stems from how AI affects individual roles, leading to contrasting stories about its benefits and risks.
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To navigate this, organisations need a unified story. Employees should have a common understanding of who the heroes, villains and victims are in the AI narrative. Misalignment can lead to confusion and conflict, much like Bruce Lee joining forces with Gabbar Singh against Luke Skywalker in an imaginary crossover.
In the AI narrative, the true victims are the customers. They bear the brunt if a company fails to leverage cutting-edge technologies effectively. Should the company lose these customers to more agile competitors, it risks becoming a victim itself, along with its employees.
The villain in this story is poor customer experience. Companies must harness the power of AI to delight and engage their clients, keeping dissatisfaction—our Darth Vader—at bay.
The hero is the organisation as a collective, as they combat poor customer experience by uniting as an AI-powered team. The content team, with GenAI-assisted production, captivates audiences. The marketing team, utilising AI-powered targeted campaigns, attracts customers. The sales team, guided by AI-driven insights, converts leads and closes deals. The customer service team, with swift AI-enabled responses, prevents discontent. Behind the scenes, the tech team ensures that AI-powered systems operate seamlessly. In this version of a blockbuster, there are many heroes.
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‘Fighting without fighting’
Effective change management involves more than just robust technology implementation plans; it requires compelling storytelling. Management must craft and disseminate a clear narrative, ensuring everyone in the organisation is aligned on the roles of heroes, villains and victims. Regular communication through memos, town halls and other platforms is essential to reinforce this narrative.
Organisations can take inspiration from a scene in Enter The Dragon. While en route to an island, Bruce Lee is confronted by Parsons, a villain who asks about Lee’s fighting style. Our hero responds, “You can call it ‘the art of fighting without fighting’.”
When Parsons tries to pick a fight, Lee, who has no interest in an unnecessary brawl, suggests they battle on a nearby island. Parsons agrees and leaps into a lifeboat to head to the island. But Lee doesn't follow him. Instead, he unties the lifeboat, leaving Parsons adrift.
The art of fighting without fighting allowed him to avoid a confrontation by using creativity to outsmart the villain. Similarly, companies should use imaginative strategies to navigate AI adoption smoothly, minimising unnecessary conflicts and ensuring a cohesive, united approach. And just like that, adopting AI requires not just technical prowess but also effective storytelling to align the entire organisation towards a common goal, ensuring everyone understands their role in the evolving narrative.
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