CEO: How do I deal with AI-generated slop in my office? I’m not sure my team members are thinking deeply before producing reports with AI.
My Response: Encourage your team to write less, but think more. More importantly, create opportunities for real-time engagement, whether virtually or in person. In the AI era, there is a real possibility that someone submits a report they have barely read because AI generated it. But when people know they will be expected to discuss, defend, and explain their work in a live conversation, they naturally apply greater analytical rigor, even when AI is part of their workflow.
Good People, Chinua Achebe immortalized the wisdom of Eneke the bird: “Since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.”
Leadership must evolve in the same way. As AI commoditizes written communication, paper intelligence is becoming a weaker signal of actual capability. A beautifully written report is no longer sufficient evidence that its author truly understands the subject.
The new managerial challenge is to distinguish generated intelligence from demonstrated intelligence. The latter emerges through thoughtful dialogue, critical questioning, and the ability to reason under scrutiny. I, Ndubuisi Ekekwe, is speaking more than merely relying on reports.
If you lead people, do not rely exclusively on written reports to evaluate performance. Complement them with live discussions, presentations, whiteboard sessions, and problem-solving conversations. In the age of AI, the ability to think, explain, and defend ideas is becoming more valuable than the ability to merely produce polished documents.
At the Tekedia CEO & Director Program, we help business leaders and board members navigate change and build organizations that thrive in an AI-powered world. Begin here
Ndubuisi Ekekwe, MBA, PhD
- The CEO Listener
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