Annelie Gullström is a thought-leading digital strategist and visionary change leader with a passion for business transformation and innovation. A true intrapreneur who decided to try luck as an entrepreneur. She is currently the CEO and Founder of Future Proof Your Business (FPYB). In this Voices & Choices interview she shares her insights on balancing remote and in-office work, the apps and tools she relies on, tips for integrating AI into daily tasks, and what constitutes an ideal onboarding experience for new employees.
1. How many days per week do you prefer to work from home and why?
Honestly, that depends from week to week depending on what I’m working on. For me, the most important is that I have the freedom to choose. I love hybrid working and mix office and distance working including working from cafés and public places.
2. What is a hidden treasure among apps for you — a favorite application of yours that might be unknown to many?
From a personal perspective, I wouldn’t survive without Shazam. I love music and use it everywhere constantly. I think the same goes for the wine app Vivino. From a work perspective, I’m “note-addicted”. I do everything in Notes. It’s not a hidden treasure but so many people don’t use it.
3. Any tips on how to use AI in daily life or work? What is your company policy around it?
I use AI every day both in my work and in my personal life. Earlier today I had problems with the camera in a Zoom meeting. Instead of trying to figure it out or google it I asked ChatGPT and got great answers. I use it for everything from input to writing texts and translations to create pictures for keynote presentations. I also do charts with stats, prompt for input to strategy work and more. At home, I use it for recipes and instructions for the washing machine etc. Most often it works better than Google.
4. What's your most important work tool, making you productive?
Well, that must be the computer in combination with the mobile phone. I belong to the people who grew up at work before computers and mobile phones were introduced. Say no more ☺ But jokes aside. If we take it, one step further and talk about “features” as a tool I think Grammarly is amazing and saves me time and improves my language. Makes me more professional.
5. What career tips would you give your younger self?
Be patient and keep yourself updated on new trends. Be curious and don’t get stuck in old habits and legacy. Try to embrace change and don’t let it scare you. It's a choice between accepting the future handed to you or engineering and steering the future you desire.
6. What is your view on employee choice, i.e. flexibility for employees to choose their hardware and software?
Well, honestly, I look at this from two perspectives. On one hand, I think it is important for the employee to be able to choose the hardware and software they are used to and feel comfortable with because that will make them feel secure and most likely save time and lead to better efficiency. However, I can also understand if an employer needs to have rules from a cost and administration perspective. And I once was forced to use appliances I was not used to. At first, I was frustrated, nervous and a bit annoyed. But when you don’t have a choice and just let go with the flow, it doesn’t take that long to adapt to new tools. So given that, of course, I prefer the flexibility to choose but I don’t have a problem with that if I can’t.
7. What is an ideal new employee onboarding experience?
Oh, I have had quite a lot of those. The best ones are when a manager has prepared a list of people you should meet and where there is a pre-defined process of what you need to know and understand. Everything from how the culture works and how to book meeting rooms or handle expenditures to meeting someone from management explains the vision, mission and overall goals of the company.
Have you read? Voices & Choices #17: Interview with Jacob Rudbäck - CEO and Founder of Yepstr
"Voices and Choices" is a weekly interview series where we dig into how top talents, founders and leaders work and what makes them productive.
