Highlights – 24 June

Our new report on AI, Artificial Intelligence; Real Leadership: The management imperative in AI adoption, seems to have struck a nerve, gaining a huge amount of international coverage – from The Scotsman to Yahoo Finance USA and The Manila Times. The research revealed a shortage of managers and leaders with the skills and confidence to turn AI investment into tangible gains. One issue is adoption at the top: only 13% of managers strongly agree that senior leaders are actively using AI tools.

Resistance to AI can permeate an organisation. It’s natural to fear change, especially when it’s coming as thick and fast as AI adoption, which also carries unknown implications for working life and society. If your employees are resisting AI, have a look at this week’s newsletter, in which the CMI community shares tips for helping people overcome their blockers.

Unfriendly reminder

Now to a more ancient issue: language. Petra Wilton, CMI’s director of policy and external affairs, has appeared in an article in Metro exploring how the phrase ‘friendly reminder’ is increasingly viewed by professionals as passive-aggressive, rather than polite. If that’s given you pause, read the article to see what Petra recommends saying instead. 

CMI’s finding that 82% of managers lack formal management training is also gaining international attention. The knock-on effects of organisations’ reliance on accidental managers include burnout, poor performance and staff turnover. 

Petra also spoke to Times Radio about new research showing that nearly a third of UK workers have left a job because of a toxic workplace culture. Petra highlighted how poor management – which encompasses behaviours like manipulation, taking credit for employees’ work, imposing excessive workloads and setting unrealistic deadlines – is a key factor in driving people away. 

Enjoying the privilege

Moving on to managers doing the opposite, this week’s newsletter includes the highlights of our most recent Leadership Lounge event. Dame Amanda Blanc, Aviva’s group CEO, spoke with CMI chief executive Ann Francke OBE CMgr CCMI, stressing the importance of recognising leadership as a privilege and remaining agile and curious, among other things. 

You can also read a profile of our Chartered Management Consultant of the Month, Maria Fairbank-Azcarate MCMI ChMC, who manages in a challenging field with no margin for error. She shares why becoming Chartered was the perfect way to take stock of her achievements – and how the accreditation even managed to impress her 94-year-old grandmother.

Inclusive and intentional

Continuing the theme of leadership done right, we also feature an extract from the book Neuroinclusion: A Guide for Managers and Leaders, in which authors Liv Blaney and Sam Pringle explore Deloitte’s inclusive leadership model, designed to ensure everyone can thrive. 

One way to make the workplace more inclusive is to allow flexible working. Hybrid working has become an established norm for many roles in recent years. But it can bring some drawbacks – not least when workers feel they are being dragged into the office for no good reason. In this week’s newsletter, we examine how to bring the intention back, ensuring people’s commutes really count.

Finally, an additional tip for the heatwave affecting much of the UK this week: go easy on people – and keep the cool drinks flowing.

Best,

Matt Roberts CMgr FCMI

Director of membership and professional development, CMI