Generative AI is changing the balance of work, reducing the need for task coordination and increasing autonomy across teams. For middle managers, this shift opens the door to new ways of working. But making the most of it requires a clear view of what to automate and who stands to gain. Here’s how to start.
Determine what to automate. Categorize your team’s tasks into two buckets: project management and hands-on work. This gives you a clear view of where AI can step in. Look for tasks that are repetitive, coordination-heavy, or require minimal judgment—those are the best candidates for automation. Then observe how your team interacts with AI tools. If employees are solving more problems independently and collaborating less, that’s a sign automation is working. Use these insights to reduce your own time spent on oversight and redirect your focus toward process improvement or direct contributions.
Determine who benefits the most. AI can be particularly helpful to less-skilled employees, who can use it to quickly learn and improve on their own. That’s good news for managers. Instead of spending hours helping low performers catch up, you can support them in learning how to use AI to learn and upskill. At the same time, study how high performers are using these tools—those strategies can often be shared across the team to raise overall capability. |
