Michael Hogan’s Post

Building Emotionally Intelligent Teams in the Age of AI Introduction As artificial intelligence takes over more routine and manual tasks, the differentiator for successful organizations will increasingly be human qualities—particularly emotional intelligence (EI). While often discussed at the individual level, EI at the team level is just as critical. By fostering trust, inclusion, and shared understanding, emotionally intelligent teams outperform others. Today, AI can play a supportive role in helping leaders nurture these dynamics. Key Details • Team Emotional Intelligence Defined • According to Vanessa Urch Druskat, team EI is a set of habitual routines or norms that address key social needs in group settings. • These include: • Feeling genuinely accepted, known, and valued. • Engaging in constructive discussions that build shared understanding. • Having a real sense of influence and agency within the team. • Why Team EI Matters • Strong team dynamics can determine whether projects succeed or fail. • Teams with higher EI communicate more effectively, handle conflict better, and foster resilience. • Emotionally intelligent teams are more innovative and adaptable—qualities essential in fast-changing markets. • How AI Can Help • Collaboration Insights: AI tools can analyze communication patterns to flag imbalances in participation or emerging conflicts. • Sentiment Tracking: Real-time sentiment analysis helps leaders gauge team morale and intervene early. • Bias Detection: AI can highlight inequities in meeting dynamics, ensuring all voices are heard. • Personalized Support: Tools can suggest tailored strategies for individuals to build empathy, self-awareness, and collaborative skills. • Balancing AI and Human Skills • AI acts as an enabler, not a replacement for emotional intelligence. • Leaders must ensure data-driven insights are paired with genuine human connection. • The ultimate goal: build teams where members feel valued, understood, and empowered, supported by AI-driven nudges. Why This Matters In the AI era, technical excellence alone won’t guarantee success. The real competitive advantage lies in building emotionally intelligent teams that combine human empathy with AI-enabled insights. Leaders who harness AI to strengthen collaboration and inclusion will not only boost performance but also create workplaces where people genuinely thrive. I’ve had the privilege of reaching over 17 million views in the past year, sharing daily insights with a network of 26,000+ followers and 9,000+ professional contacts across defense, technology, and policy. If this topic resonates, I welcome you to connect and continue the conversation. Keith King https://lnkd.in/gHPvUttw

🚀 FRAMEWORK PAPER RELEASE 🚀 Beyond Surface Collaboration: How AI Enhances High-Performing Teams The evidence is clear: The 80-year Harvard study, Google's Project Aristotle, and Gallup's workplace research all point to the same truth—relationships aren't just important for business success; they're the foundation on which everything else is built. Yet as AI reshapes how we work and communicate, most leaders are missing a critical insight: The organizations that thrive won't be those with the best AI tools—they'll be those that use AI to strengthen rather than replace human connection. 📊 The data is compelling: Teams with psychological safety outperform high-talent teams lacking connection Relationship-focused leaders deliver 2x better results than those prioritizing only technical skills Companies with engaged employees see 23% higher profitability—and engagement is fundamentally about relationships This groundbreaking paper reveals: ✅ Why AI amplifies rather than eliminates the need for strong relationships ✅ How to design AI systems that build rather than erode trust and connection ✅ Practical frameworks for maintaining authentic communication in an AI-enhanced world ✅ Evidence-based strategies for using AI to strengthen team psychological safety Led by Jordan Loewen-Colón, PhD with exceptional research from Ana D., Lucas Erb, Arijit Goswami, Charis Loveland, Nancy Vigil, and MEL SELLICK, this paper is both deeply evidence-based AND immediately actionable. The future belongs to organizations that recognize relationships as their competitive advantage + AI as the tool to amplify human connection, not replace it. 👉 Download the full framework paper: https://lnkd.in/gD6Cdiuv #AIForHumanFlourishing #AIFrameworkReport #ResponsibleAI #HumanConnection #AI4Good #WorkplaceRelationships #FlourishingatWork What's your organization doing to ensure AI strengthens rather than weakens your team relationships? Share your thoughts below. AI Alt Lab, AIExperts.com

🚨 New Report is Out 🚨 Beyond Surface Collaboration: How AI Enhances High-Performing Teams In the coming weeks we’ll break it down into bite-sized insights you can actually use. Think of this as your guided tour: 🔍 For Employers: What risks should you watch as AI reshapes team communication? (Hint: trust and burnout are on the line) 💡 For Developers: Which design principles make AI a bridge to trust, not a barrier? (Think empathy by design, not just efficiency) 📊 For Policymakers: What levers can you pull today to ensure AI strengthens connection instead of eroding it? Stay tuned as we unpack the findings, spotlight surprising data, and share practical frameworks from the report . This isn’t just theory it’s a roadmap for those building, deploying, or governing AI who want to amplify the human connections that make us thrive. 📖 In the meantime, dive into the full report: https://lnkd.in/gD6Cdiuv 🔔 Follow @AIAltLab and AI for Human Flourishing to catch the series.

Excited to have contributed insights about human-AI interaction/synthetic relationships to AI for Human Flourishing, part of the Harvard University Flourishing Network. This paper focuses on relationships and communication and explores how AI might help build rather than erode psychological safety and trust in the workplace. Shout out to this amazing team Jordan Loewen-Colón, PhD (lead), Lucas Erb Arijit Goswami Charis Loveland Nancy Vigil and working group lead Tamara Lechner. #AI #HAI #ResponsibleAI #AI4Good #WorkplaceRelationships #FlourishingatWork ASU College of Global Futures

AI and humans are on a journey that is shaping our future realtime. The facts are: ✅ Teams with psychological safety outperform high-talent teams lacking connection ✅ Relationship-focused leaders deliver 2x better results than those prioritizing only technical skills ✅ Companies with engaged employees see 23% higher profitability—and engagement is fundamentally about relationships The paper below is a framework for how AI enhances high-performing teams so they can #flourish. Thank you AI for Human Flourishing and Tamara Lechner for these insights! 💡 Take a 👀 below if you want to leverage this knowledge for your competitive advantage.

AI is great with processes. Humans are great with people. The best change managers are great at both. I’m happy to admit I use AI all the time. It’s become a mix of my mother, my best friend, my assistant and, sometimes, my therapist. It acts as a sounding board, gives me career and practical advice, fixes my mistakes, and even offers pep talks when needed (a well-timed “Eva, this is an excellent thought...” never fails to lift my mood). At an excellent Earth2Mars webinar on AI and Change Management yesterday, the presenters suggested that as AI takes on more support tasks like scheduling, summarising, and drafting, the role of change managers is shifting. Instead of being seen as “support,” we are increasingly valued for the risk lens we bring. And that makes sense. Because for all its capabilities, AI is not human. It doesn’t feel emotions, sense cultural nuance, or understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a big change. That human connection and understanding still need to come from humans. This is where change managers offer real value: designing solutions for people. We empathise, we listen, and we anticipate the emotional reactions that come with change. Managing those reactions and the risks tied to them is where change management really shines. I’m sure others can relate. Where has AI freed up your time, and where has human connection made all the difference? Worth a quick read: The Human-AI Partnership: Finding the Right Balance, which highlights how AI is brilliant with process and data, but humans bring empathy, judgment and cultural understanding.

A colleague of mine --> Julie Develin 🍌 <-- recently wrote about Invisible Input, the human effort behind AI outputs that often goes unrecognized. It got me thinking... AI is reshaping how we work, and fast. Not just in terms of speed and output, it's also changing how safe people feel to experiment. Every prompt, every half-baked idea, every "bad draft" now leaves a digital footprint. And when the machine remembers everything, does the human hold something back? Psychological safety has always been the underpinning of innovation. If we don't protect it in this race to implement AI, we risk trading real creativity for risk-averse compliance. Question to leaders: How is AI changing the way your team feels about taking risks? I unpack this and more in my latest Substack --> The Quiet Cost of AI Collaboration https://lnkd.in/eNGcF7R5

Recording meetings and summarizing transcripts with AI tools feels efficient. But could it lead to unintended consequences for your team? A recent Harvard Business Review article suggests that when people know they’re being recorded or transcribed, they often hold back. Spontaneous ideas, honest feedback, even casual moments that build trust can vanish under the weight of “the record.” Before hitting record or using transcription tools, ask:  What’s the purpose?  Will this help?  Will it change how people show up? As an alternative some platforms offer the option of AI summaries. At Zennia, we believe tech should enhance collaboration, not stifle it. Small habits, especially when modeled by leaders, shape culture. Let’s be intentional. 💡 What’s your take? Are recordings and AI summaries helping your team collaborate better, or changing how people participate in meetings? Let’s discuss. 👇 https://lnkd.in/e_ZgRCPP https://lnkd.in/gUjqzsP8 #Leadership #FutureOfWork #PsychologicalSafety #MeetingCulture #ZenniaWorks

60 years ago (!) social psychologist Robert Zajonc found that people performed simple tasks better in the presence of others, but worse on complex tasks if they had an audience. So, maybe the takeaway for today is: It's OK to record virtual meetings if the meeting's purpose is simple or it involves tasks that the participants are well-practiced on, but to use caution if the team is working on complex or creative tasks.

Recording and AI summaries can absolutely save time, but efficiency is not the same as effectiveness. If people stop sharing honest feedback or creative ideas, the “savings” may cost far more in lost innovation and trust. I think the key is intentional use. Leaders need to be clear on why they are recording, and how the data will (and will not) be used. Curious to hear from others: do you see AI summaries as enhancing collaboration, or do they risk creating a culture of caution?