People management in the AI era: why purposeful enquiry is the new power skill for empathy, well-being and harnessing AI
Summary
Workplace wellbeing is deteriorating: mental ill health is now the leading cause of long-term absence and engagement is falling. At the same time, AI is taking over many data-driven and routine managerial tasks, changing what managers need to focus on. Dominic Ashley-Timms argues that the answer is to prioritise human “power skills” — empathy, active listening, purposeful enquiry and coaching — because these cannot be automated and directly improve wellbeing, engagement and productivity.
The article highlights Operational Coaching® (an enquiry-led management style) as a practical way for managers to shift from directing to enabling. Evidence cited includes LSE research showing large productivity and ROI benefits and studies linking improved management to far lower absenteeism, burnout and turnover. Purposeful questioning also helps managers make better use of AI by stimulating human thinking rather than replacing it.
Key Points
- Employee wellbeing and engagement are at historically low levels, with mental ill health a leading cause of long-term absence.
- AI is automating many routine and data-driven managerial tasks, freeing time for managers to focus on human-centric skills.
- Human skills — empathy, active listening, collaboration and purposeful enquiry — are now the new “power skills” because they cannot be replicated by AI.
- Operational Coaching® (an enquiry-led management approach) teaches managers to ask purposeful questions that enable employee thinking and ownership.
- LSE research suggests this management approach can break micro-management habits and deliver very high returns (the article cites a 74-fold ROI figure).
- Better people management measurably boosts engagement, reduces absenteeism and turnover, and lowers burnout risk.
- Purposeful enquiry helps teams harness AI more effectively by focusing on human judgement, creativity and psychological safety.
Why should I read this?
Short and simple: if you look after people or are rolling out AI at work, this article saves you time. It explains why asking better questions and coaching your team matters more than ever — and how that shift can improve wellbeing, lift engagement and make AI actually useful instead of frightening. No buzzwords — just a clear case for upgrading managers’ human skills now.