Can artificial intelligence bring us closer together as humans?

It sounds contradictory. But last week in Budapest, 18 young consultants from an international strategy firm proved that it can.

THE SETTING:

Advanced consulting skills training. 18 consultants, late 20s, two years experience. They know analysis, structuring, presentations.

"But what does really matter in consulting, especially in today's world? Where Claude and ChatGPT can do your analysis. And to be honest, what comes back is pretty good."

What's left? The ability to interact with clients in a way that goes beyond ticking boxes.

THE CASE — VOLLPENSION:

If you've been to Vienna, you might know Vollpension. A coffee house where grannies and granddads bake the most amazing cakes.

But it's not just a bakery. It's a social business — supporting elderly people who are often lonely, often struggling financially. Giving them purpose, structure, a reason to get out of bed.

"We should make that our mission. And I'm very grateful to Vollpension to provide that kind of atmosphere."

THREE PERSONAS:

Edeltraud — A wonderful elderly woman who bakes at Vollpension. Helps consultants understand what it means for a senior to work there.

Veronika — The operational heart. Background in gastronomy. Knows everything about kitchens, organization, detail. She'll answer your questions.

Florian — The visionary. A thousand ideas in two minutes. Throws ideas at you to see if they stick. If you give him a question about strategy, he's off on three different ideas. Doesn't care.

"You need to lock him down on one topic, play creative ping-pong so he starts trusting you. Then he will answer questions."

WHAT HAPPENED:

Monday — Veronika:

One group came with 80 questions. Got through most of them. Didn't build a single relationship.

"You might have gone through all the questions, but you didn't go any deeper to understand Veronica's motivation."

Another group? Took Veronika into the kitchen and had shots together. Built a real relationship. Understood what drives her.

Wednesday — Florian:

Two of three teams scored lower with Florian than with Veronika.

Because what worked with Veronika did not work with Florian.

THE THREE LEARNINGS:

One: Every team failed to address the social business aspect. They treated Vollpension like any other business.

Two: What works with one person does not work with another. You need to read the situation.

Three: In any conversation, you need to build trust and listen — build on answers, not just collect them.

"I could have told them that in a couple of minutes. They probably would have forgotten a minute later. By practicing it, it hopefully sticks."

THE POINT:

60 to 90 minutes of AI conversations taught what no lecture could:

A social business is different. Every interview partner is different. And a good conversation builds on answers — sometimes that means forgetting your long list of questions.

"That's a wonderful example of how RolePlays.ai can enhance human connections."

TRY IT:

Three free scenarios at roleplays.ai. Interested in the Vollpension scenario? Drop Bernhard an email.

LINKS:www.bernhardkerres.com | www.roleplays.ai

#Coaching #Consulting #AI #RolePlays #HumanConnection #Vollpension