Can AI help good managers become great? | 5 key takeaways from our webinar

With managerial duties having doubled since pre-pandemic times* and significant layoffs in 2023 tightening budgets, the pressure to boost profitability while motivating overstretched teams is immense. This surge in responsibilities comes when over two-thirds of employees* express a greater need for support than ever, linking ineffective management to decreased engagement and increased turnover. Given these dynamics, HR leaders have prioritized enhancing leader and manager effectiveness* as the top agenda for 2024.

Responding to these challenges, recent advancements in AI offer promising solutions to revolutionize management practices. To provide insights into this topic, Leapsome ran a webinar highlighting how AI tools can significantly enhance decision-making, personalize employee development, and reduce administrative burdens — allowing managers to focus more on strategic leadership.

Featuring insights from Leapsome’s co-founder Jenny Podewils, AI expert Theresa Fesinstine, and Anthony Onesto, CPO of Suzy, the discussion showcased AI’s potential to transform good managers into great ones by incorporating it into various processes and structures within an organization.‍

Keep reading to see our five top takeaways from this discussion.
‍

* “HR Leaders, Build an Organization of Great Managers (APAC)” — Gartner, 2023

‍

5 key strategies for driving manager effectiveness with AI

Encourage super-personalized coaching and development 

When having development conversations with their teams, managers have a limited range of frameworks and coaching models to draw on based on what they already know. AI can significantly enhance coaching capabilities by providing access to various coaching models and frameworks. 

For example, managers can use AI to review specific issues within their teams and select the most appropriate tools or framework for that situation. AI also offers a safe environment for managers to simulate and prepare for challenging conversations, as they can practice responses and get feedback within a secure environment before the actual conversion happens.

One thing to note is that the AI experience depends on how much context you can provide to the AI chatbot. It can only work as well as it knows you. For managers to use this well, they must layer personal, contextual experience on top of their tooling so that the AI can respond to their team’s specific personalized demands.
‍

Make performance reviews feel like a breeze (instead of a burden)

The traditional process of conducting performance reviews can be time-consuming and distract managers from their daily responsibilities; this is a big issue, considering that managers are already overstretched.

‍AI can automate the collection and analysis of performance data, reducing the administrative burden and allowing managers to focus on turning those insights into action. It can also transform feedback by turning rough bullet points into constructive comments enriched with recommended initiatives.
‍

Cultivate an AI-positive work culture

When it comes to AI, many people feel unsure where to start — but you don’t need to approach this with a grand plan from the get-go! Starting small and scaling up is a practical approach to integrating AI, and it’s much better than doing nothing at all.

‍Encouraging an open dialogue about how AI tools are used, as well as showcasing experiments and their outcomes, can demystify AI and foster a culture of innovation and learning. Antony’s company, Suzy, has regular sharing sessions during all-hands meetings to help employees learn from each other’s experiences and applications of AI.

AI must also be baked into the tools we use daily — otherwise, it can never truly act as a copilot. Companies should consider this when reviewing the software and tools they use.
‍

‍Automate routine manager tasks to focus on strategy‍

AI can streamline many routine HR tasks — like scheduling, feedback collection, and policy enforcement, freeing managers to concentrate on more strategic aspects of their roles. This shift improves efficiency and enhances job satisfaction among managers by reducing their administrative load.

‍

Prioritize data privacy and security 

While AI offers many benefits, it raises important questions about data privacy and security. Organizations must ensure that AI tools comply with data protection regulations and that employees’ privacy is respected. This involves setting clear policies and guidelines on AI usage that balance innovation with ethical considerations.

‍

So… Can AI help good managers become great?

Absolutely! 

Our webinar showcased how AI can help elevate managerial capabilities and underscored the need for thoughtful AI integration — starting from leadership and feeding into the rest of the company values, culture, and workstreams.

‍As we look to the future, AI’s role in management is set to grow, promising increased efficiency and a deeper, more humane approach to leadership that values data and personal insight.‍

This discussion represents just the tip of the iceberg regarding AI’s potential in management. For those interested in exploring this topic further, stay tuned for more insights and resources from future Leapsome events!

‍

🚀 Ready to equip your managers with AI superpowers?

Our new AI Copilot helps you empower managers by making decision-making easier with insights, summaries, best practices, and recommendations.

👉 Sign up for the waitlist