Alvernia, Greater Reading Chamber Alliance host discussions on the future of work

Keith Dmochowski, Reading Eagle, Pa.
·4 min read

Apr. 29—When Hurricane Florence devastated thousands of homes at a military housing project in eastern North Carolina in 2018, Kathleen Murney was tasked with picking up the pieces.

"The lessons learned for me...people are the most important aspect of any crisis," Murney said. "I can't just care about my team; I can't just care about my family. I have to care about everybody."

Murney and her team had to address the fallout from downpours and unprecedented flooding that caused $172 million in damage to the military facility.

"I thought we were prepared...no one expected the scale of this storm," Murney said. "I think what I found is that calm and honest leadership is key."

Crises can strike at any time, and future leaders need to be prepared — even for anomalies — that was the message that Murney conveyed to a room of students and attendees at Alvernia University's John R. Post Center in Reading.

Murney, a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps, was one of more than 30 panelists that spoke at Alvernia's second annual Business, Communication and Leadership conference.

The event, hosted April 18 by Alvernia's College of Business, Communication and Leadership and the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA), featured a variety of activities throughout the day, including panels, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities.

"GRCA is very proud to be a presentation partner with Alvernia for this event," Lucine Sihelnik, president and CEO of the GRCA said at the event. "Every leader, across all sectors, will be responsible for change on a local, national and global level... Because you matter, and so do I, and every leader and future leader to come, you need to cultivate resilience and invest in your professional development. Today, that is exactly what the conference brings to you."

The theme of the conference was "The Future of Work," a topic that has become increasingly relevant as businesses navigate the seismic shifts in the professional landscape brought about by disruptive events and new technologies.

"The pandemic forced organizations to adopt technologies that fundamentally changed how we work, and what people expect from work," said Dr. Travis Berger, dean of Alvernia's College of Business, Communication and Leadership, in comments to MediaNews Group. "With the advances in AI, questions about the future of certain traditional functional areas continue to be raised. Inviting diverse perspectives, insights, and research about the future of work is critical as we explore our way forward."

AI was the subject of a discussion during a panel moderated by Dr. Spencer Strober, professor of Leadership Studies and Biology at Alvernia.

Strober asked panelists what impact AI would have on teamwork and workplace dynamics.

"I think that places that are heavily reliant on AI are going to have a difficult time maintaining a team dynamic because of the relationships that are necessary to build a solid team," said panelist Jessica Whitmore, research and grants director at DAZA Development.

Michelle Conway, director of student and client service at Alvernia's O'Pake Institute, noted that one of the most Googled questions is "will AI take my job?"

"My answer is no, because of the unique human skills...that are required to utilize and interact with AI, and make strategic decisions," Conway said.

Audience member Halle Guiseppe, director of advancement operations at Alvernia, noted that AI has streamlined tasks for some employees to increase productivity, comparing AI to tools like Microsoft Excel.

"Now I can do all the calculations that it would take an entire (employee) to do, I can do in one spreadsheet like that," Guiseppe said. "I feel like that is where AI can help us."

She said AI can improve team dynamics by allowing people to check their emails to ensure an appropriate tone is being used, for example.

Panels throughout the day explored how developments and changing trends across multiple industries — including cybersecurity, publishing, independent journalism, sustainability, podcasting, and social media marketing — may affect the way we work.

Other activities involved presentations by Alvernia's student entrepreneurs and a leadership case competition, as well as workshops on popular digital tools like Adobe Creative Cloud and Bloomberg Terminal.

Berger noted that the conference was attended by more than 200 participants.

"Thriving democracies need institutions, such as higher education, to provide safe places to engage in meaningful, honest, and civil debate," Berger said. "I am thrilled that our conference offered a welcoming environment that allowed individuals from diverse backgrounds to converge to exchange ideas and research, challenge perspectives and assumptions, and inspire one another to make a positive difference."