1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 In this episode, AP leader and consultant Nicole returns to join host Grace Berube to discuss how leaders can guide their teams through automation and AI. Nicole explains why this wave of automation feels different from earlier ones like OCR and workflow: instead of replacing discrete tasks, AI is moving into judgment, exception handling, and decision-making, which feels closer to people’s identity. She describes the quiet anxiety leaders often encounter when automation is announced, why pushback is better treated as data than defiance, and how honest, consistent communication builds trust. Nicole also shares ways to keep teams engaged, how to handle a leader’s own nerves, and four steps to take now if a rollout is coming. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE Why today’s automation wave raises different questions than earlier ones, shifting from “what do I do all day” to “what am I here for” as AI, including agentic AI, takes on judgment and decision-making. What to expect when automation is announced, including the quiet anxiety that often shows up as silence, and why leaders should plan their messaging for skepticism and concern about personal security. How to reframe pushback as data rather than defiance, since nitpicking a new process is often anxiety about role and identity that has nowhere else to go. How to have honest conversations about changing roles, including saying what you know, what you don’t, and what you will find out, and why silence and ambiguity invite worst-case assumptions. How to keep a team engaged through change by using influencers as peer champions, delivering small, visible wins, and checking in on how people feel rather than only on training completion. How leaders can handle their own nerves by being open about their concerns, and by shifting the question from “will I be needed” to “what will I need to be good at going forward.” Four steps to take before a rollout: start the conversation early, ask your team what automation means for their roles, identify and empower a champion, and set up a recurring check-in. The IOFM Podcast https://www.iofm.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/43225848/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/43225848