Humaning: The Role of People in an AI World

Episode Summary

In this compelling episode of The Digital Transformist, host Michael LaVista sits down with Beth Rivelli, CEO and coach with over 20 years of experience spanning technology and leadership development. Their conversation explores a fascinating concept that Beth calls "humaning" -- the critical human skills that become even more valuable as AI automates routine work tasks.

Beth brings a unique perspective as someone who bridges multiple worlds: technology project management, coaching, and fitness instruction. She shares insights from her journey from web developer to project manager to executive coach, explaining how AI's advancement in handling administrative tasks is actually creating more opportunities for human connection, creativity, and leadership. The discussion delves into the nuanced decisions and "messy" human judgment calls that experienced professionals make instinctively -- skills that are difficult to automate and even harder to teach. This episode is essential listening for leaders navigating the balance between AI efficiency and human-centered leadership in their organizations.

Key Takeaways

• Reframe AI adoption strategy: Instead of asking "what AI tool can help with this problem," start by envisioning your ideal optimized outcome, then work backwards to identify the right technology solutions
• Focus on "humaning" skills: As AI handles administrative tasks, professionals must amplify their uniquely human capabilities like coaching, relationship building, and creative problem-solving
• Recognize invisible expertise: The best project managers and leaders make countless micro-decisions that prevent problems -- work that often goes unnoticed when done well but becomes obvious when absent
• Embrace the coaching mindset: Whether you're a formal coach or not, developing coaching skills like asking clarifying questions and challenging assumptions becomes increasingly valuable in an AI-augmented workplace
• Invest in grit and encouragement: The ability to motivate teams, provide emotional support, and help people work through personal challenges that affect their performance remains purely human
• Bridge multiple disciplines: Like Beth's combination of technology, coaching, and fitness instruction, professionals who can connect different fields and perspectives will have distinct advantages
• Prepare for the human skills gap: As younger workers grow up with AI assistance, there may be an increased need to deliberately develop human judgment and decision-making capabilities

Notable Quotes

"If a project manager is good, you're not really gonna notice because people only notice when things go wrong in a project. But when they go well and they're just smooth, there's almost this -- they take it for granted like, oh, this is how it was supposed to go, right? But it's happening because there's a lot of those decisions, split second decisions being made."

"The project manager, with AI fully enforced doing some of the administrative work, will now spend most of their time coaching and supporting the team, maintaining regular conversations with key stakeholders and cultivating a high performance culture."

"What if we actually design our ideal and we create a vision for what that optimization would truly look like? And then that mindset not only leads into adoption but also innovation because then what could we create from that angle?"

"A lot of what project managers can bring to a team is grit and the idea of, you know, we have to pull through this and it can't be pushed, it needs to get an encouragement or a pull or kind of calling them up to be their best self. That seems like an extremely human thing."

About the Guest

Beth Rivelli is the CEO of her coaching company and brings over 20 years of experience across technology and leadership development. Her career journey began as a web developer and evolved through project management to executive coaching. Beth describes her professional life as an arch with coaching as the keystone, supported by her technology career on one side and her work as a CrossFit coach on the other. She regularly speaks and conducts workshops on the intersection of AI and human leadership skills, helping organizations navigate the changing landscape of work. Beth was inspired by Christina Wallace's concept of life as a "human Venn diagram," embracing the intersectionality of different skills and experiences in modern careers.

Topics Discussed

• The concept of "humaning" and amplifying human skills in an AI-driven workplace
• How AI is transforming project management from administrative work to coaching and relationship building
• The invisible expertise and micro-decisions that experienced professionals make daily
• Reframing AI adoption strategy around vision and outcomes rather than tools
• The coaching mindset and its application in technology leadership roles
• Career intersectionality and building expertise across multiple disciplines
• The potential skills gap as younger workers grow up with AI assistance
• Specific examples of automatable tasks versus irreplaceable human judgment
• How to identify and develop the "grit" factor in team leadership
• The evolution from web development to project management to executive coaching
• Real-world examples of coaching team members through performance challenges
• The importance of asking clarifying questions and challenging assumptions in leadership roles