Have you heard something? The rise of robot coaches

Hello, please let it work.

This week I enjoy conversations with readers both in the FT.com comments section and in the email.

Here is one fun example. I write that leaders need to be wary of staff who copy their boss’s hobbies. Freelancer Bob reminded me that this is nothing new. Some staff smoked to spend time with the manager. Someone mentioned an episode of a friend who Rachel does this.

Meanwhile, Smiley sent out a link to a 2010 article about “The Secret Society of Workplace Smokers.” I don’t think there are enough smokers to do that anymore (is there?), but I love going down these rabbit holes.

Go back to smoking cessation in 2025 and read about the rapid rise of AI coaches as a frontline defense to help managers deal with it. And in office therapy, you will hear about your boss, who needs to change his style to become a CEO.

Have you heard something? How AI coaches help managers deal with it

Last week, when I wrote about the need to train and maintain the skills of managers on a large scale, I didn’t doubt one of the solutions to the large-scale problems of poor and overwhelmed managers (according to Gallup, 44% of them have not been trained at all).

With human names like Nadia in Valence and Aimy in Coachhub, “Coachbots” believe that they represent quick and inexpensive solutions to the huge problems of badly trained and untrained managers. My prediction is that it’s correct to be cheerleaders for this kind of virtual handheld, but I found this to be a subtle topic. (In other words, don’t @Me.) One report valued the global online coaching market at $3.2 billion in 2022, and was projected to reach $11.7 billion by 2032.

My colleague Emma Jacobs recently wrote a great feature in FT about the broader advantages and disadvantages of using AI on a large scale to coach staff. (They suspect they are worried about their future, but the current trends suggest that high-end human coaches have nothing to worry about. CEOs and senior leaders will always get more support than the bots can offer.)

Meanwhile, to get an idea of ​​who uses coachbots and what they are doing, I met Parker Mitchell, founder and CEO of Valence, who started his company in 2018. Initially, I created technical tools to improve teamwork. “The idea was that the team is a new unit of creative work.” The idea took off and, according to Parker, they learned a lot from their early clients about the challenge of creating a change in workplace culture. When the large language model arrived, Valence was ready. “We believe that what people want is basically personal assistants who understand them and can act as their behalf. We have built it to understand you not only by giving you an answer, but by asking you questions.”

The ad group, WPP, uses Valence’s coach Bot and WPP’s Chief Human Resources Officer Lindsay Pattison. “We currently have thousands of employees using Nadia for a variety of needs, including career planning, conversation role-playing, team management, and interpersonal management.

The WPP staff uses Nadia in 36 different languages. Overall, Valence offers services in around 70 languages. For global employers, AI coaches can potentially be a huge benefit. “Coaching isn’t always offered, whatever your native language is, and there’s anecdotal evidence that people who may not have traditional educational qualifications find it more comfortable to talk to AI coaches.”

Valence has begun to think that AI coaches will be a cost-effective alternative to executive coaching, but their real-world users often focus on instantaneous help. You’re on the way to work as a quick preparation for the lead, whether reaching out to guidance and support before a tricky meeting or using an AI coach in your future car.

*Do AI Coachbots transform management? I think so, but I would like to hear your opinion, especially if you disagree with me 🫣: isabel.berwick@ft.com

US workplace insights: the end of the ORG chart?

Is AI going to put an end to traditional organizational charts also known as “Org Chart” or Organigram? AI agents may take our place in the hierarchy. Kevin Delaney, editor-in-chief of Charter, the future of Workmedia and Research Company, says that if work is done by agents who can autonomously complete a series of tasks, he will challenge traditional charts. “If you no longer live in humans, but you live in agents in addition to humans, you can question whether your organization can be configured differently,” Microsoft’s senior research director Alexia Cambon told Kevin.

Alexia suggests that “work charts” are more relevant and communicate work carried out by either an AI agent or a human. She points to a Hollywood model. In the Hollywood model, a team of experts is assembled for the production and disbands after the film or TV series is completed.

Office Therapy

Problem: Our boss is applying for promotions to run the entire organization. (We are a nonprofit/third sector.) Retiring CEOs have a relaxed, smart style. Our bosses wear old jumpers, date glasses and bad shoes. The word “dress for your next job” was made for him. The interview will be coming soon and we want him to get a job. Can you say anything? If we manage it, what kind of look should we suggest?

Isabel’s advice: As a fashion fanatic follower, this may be my favorite reader’s question. Can you design interview formats, conversations about the people on the panel? . . What is he going to wear? It highlights how important it is to wear clothes for the CEO role. Assuming you manage it, FT Associate Fashion Editor Carola advises that your boss or others looking for style upgrades at work start with accessories, such as better glasses, good bags, smart shoes and more.

“Glasses can really improve or downgrade your look. I’ll head to Cubitts, an optics store with frames so good that you’re not really wrong, and choose something with dark acetate or turtle shells that suit your face shape.” Meanwhile, the bag “important: On my journey to work, you’ll see many melancholy rucksacks that look good for mountain climbing. Instead, I’ll choose a tote or a neat rolled backpack from a place like Porter Yoshida.

Regarding clothing, if you need a suit for your interview, stick it in blue instead of blue instead of grey. “Try navy or rich blue,” says Carola.

Five Top Stories from the World of Work

Gen Z is back in the office. The full office, where many people are in touch, and time with managers, is embedded in the corporate life of young workers.

Grapples’ Publishing with Where to Draw the Line of AI: 2025 With the release of FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year, Andrew Hill will talk to authors and agents about the impact of AI on research and writing. It’s still early on, but the debate is intense.

Moral Ambition: Rutger Bregman on Different Types of Success for the Smart Worker: We reviewed a book that challenges us to think differently about what we want to achieve in our work life. Bregman shows how one person, or a tight team, can change the world for the better.

ECB staff say the banks promote the wrong people, according to the survey, only 19% of European Central Bank staff who responded to the union’s survey thought the bank had “did do a good job promoting the right people,” writes Olaf Storbeck. Many thought that knowing the “right people” was preferred instead.

IKEA plans to seduce city residents at its store on Oxford Street, London. Tomorrow, IKEA (an old Topshop building) in central London will open, written by Laura Onita, and aims to guide Swedish retailers to “live, work, socialise for their customers.”

One more thing. . .

I know WhatsApp and Signal Groups have changed workplaces, politics and more, but Semafor’s Ben Smith caught “group chat that changed America.” He is revealed, and most importantly, the “Chatham House” signal group, with thousands of members. He suggests that “the most important place where a stunning reorganization against Donald Trump was shaped and negotiated, and the only most important place where Silicon Valley and new rights were formed.” At the heart of that is all venture capitalist Mark Andreesen and senior Silicon Valley figures.

Supported internships: Great ideas

Fairshot, a social enterprise cafe and training scheme at Covent Garden in London, is a great place for work meetings. (I was first taken to my patron, Yasmin Jones Henry.) Fairshot trains young adults with autism and learning disabilities as baristas and cafe assistants, and then often works with businesses to support sustainable employment in the hospitality industry. Do you know that the young people in London may benefit? Fairshot is recruiting the next cohort of ages 16-25, starting in September. More details can be found here.

*Do you know of other schemes like this? I’ll soon return to this theme: isabel.berwick@ft.com

Words from the working IT community

In response to last week’s newsletter, Happy Managers = Happy Staff, there are many emails highlighting the important role managers play. I liked this suggestion from Susannah Haan, a corporate governance advisor.

“Overall, in my view, I believe that training first-time managers is mandatory and companies need to report the training they provide. This is a differentiator for those seeking employment and may be interested in investors. I understand that some companies disclose training time and training costs. (e.g. from Chief Learning Officer/People analysis).

Before you log off. . .

Observers, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, has been sold to Turtle Media, a new media organization known for its newsletters and podcasts by the Guardian. The turtle is now rebranded as an observer. As a fan of both publications, I would love to see how this works. Given that about a third of the observer’s staff is believed to have gotten the redundancy package, I’d like to see how this works. I especially like the daily sense maker current affairs email of turtle/observer: Sign up here.