Need an answer? Ask AI. It’s fast and super accessible.
But what happens when that convenience becomes a habit—and we stop asking each other?
Researchers writing in Harvard Business Review call this “relationslipping”: the weakening of working relationships when team members substitute AI for one another. Those skipped conversations can cost us opportunities to understand each other’s expertise, build trust and coordinate our work.
You can take steps to counter AI convenience. Here are three tips to strengthen your connection skills—and your working relationships.
First: Make human interaction a daily priority.
Look for opportunities throughout your workday to connect with others. Call a colleague. Start a Teams conversation with an open ended question. Stop by someone’s workspace when they’re available and strike up small talk by asking “How’s your day going?” Don’t wait for someone else to initiate an exchange.
Second: Seek a teammate’s feedback.
Before automatically opening AI, consider who could help you think differently based on their experience and judgment. Ask, “How would you approach this?” Listen to their reasoning. Give them a chance to broaden your perspective—and deepen your understanding of what they know.
Third: Show appreciation for the exchange.
Let others know their insights and time mattered. Tell them, “Your perspective helped me rethink my approach.” Specific feedback reinforces the value of connecting—and encourages the next conversation.
Sounds basic? These skills take practice. My alma mater, Syracuse University, has introduced The Relationship Lab, an immersive undergraduate course that combines relationship science with hands-on practice in communication and collaboration to build skills for creating meaningful connections.
Establish your own training routine. The next time you reach for an instant answer, pause. Is there a person whose experience could help you—and a relationship you could strengthen by asking?
Then go ahead. Make the connection.
Check out Dulye & Co.’s latest Career Compass Podcast, The Best Questions to Ask in a Job Interview. And follow me on Instagram for more tips to advance your career!
For a while, conversations about workplace culture seemed to fade into the background as organizations raced to implement AI and other emerging technologies.
Now, culture is back on the lips of leaders grappling with AI’s impact on the workplace.
Respected author and leadership advisor Linda Hill of Harvard Business School urges leaders to keep their focus on human dynamics amid this technological transformation. Speaking on the July 20 edition of Marketplace Morning Report, Hill encouraged leaders to “really focus on building a culture where people will be able to work in the new ways required to use these (AI) tools to make a difference to customers and other stakeholders.”
I couldn’t agree more. But…
Culture building isn’t a solo act delegated to the CEO or senior leadership team.
Yes, leaders set the tone. Culture, however, is shaped every day by the words, actions and decisions of front-line employees, middle managers and executives alike. Everyone has a role to play.
I learned that lesson firsthand during my years as a corporate communications leader at GE.
Many managers assumed my title made me solely responsible for communicating business strategy and performance. My role certainly included designing communication processes, coaching leaders, developing tools and evaluating effectiveness.
Yet those resources only created value when employees, managers and executives embraced shared ownership of communication. Real impact came when people—regardless of title, tenure, level or function—actively shared information, asked thoughtful questions and offered constructive feedback during team meetings, town halls, one-on-one conversations and performance reviews.
The same principle applies to culture in the AI era.
Leaders can establish the vision, but they cannot build a thriving workplace culture on their own. They must loosen their grip and invite others into the process—not as spectators, but as contributors—by:
That inclusive approach is the foundation of the Spectator-Free Workplace™ that Dulye & Co. has championed for decades.
AI may be transforming how work gets done. People, however, will always determine how well organizations perform. Culture is a shared responsibility—and one of an organization’s greatest competitive advantages.
Want to know more?
