With the implementation of AI on the rise, many companies are starting to see the unparalleled potential this new technology can have on their skill development strategies and training methods. While current processes are often generalized for ease and efficiency, the introduction of GenAI offers an incredible opportunity for personalized learning.

Amid the excitement surrounding AI innovation, it’s easy to focus solely on implementing new resources and overlook existing gaps. While AI is a powerful tool for developing critical skills and practical knowledge, it falls short of cultivating the essential soft skills supervisors need to lead their teams effectively.

Where AI shines

Personalized training using AI

GenAI requires minimal input to generate highly detailed responses. By leveraging GenAI, companies can create high-quality training content tailored to their specific industries and roles. GenAI can form the foundation of new training programs, encompassing text, design, and evaluation, enabling leaders to focus more on leading their teams and less on training them.

Staying relevant

GenAI enables companies to transform ordinary training content into something extraordinary with minimal effort and expense. Developing training content is often operationally and financially challenging, and once created, it is rarely revisited or updated. GenAI offers the advantage of continuously updating training materials, sometimes even incorporating current events for added relevance.

Active feedback 

In the current “train, implement, and evaluate” model, companies lose significant time and productivity by identifying areas for improvement too late. Typically, employees receive identical training content and then proceed with their roles. Supervisors can better identify professional development needs after a period, usually 30 days to a year.

Integrating GenAI enables continuous evaluation during the training period. This approach helps identify strengths and areas for growth early, allowing for targeted additional training to reinforce strengths and address growth areas promptly rather than months later. This method ensures a more efficient and effective training process, enhancing skills in real-time.

Pathstream’s “Tough Talks” Simulations are a prime example. These simulations present real-world scenarios, allowing associates to practice skills at scale without a human in the loop. Unlike traditional subjects like history or chemistry, soft skills, people skills, and emotional intelligence require practical application to master. You can memorize strategies, but real learning happens through practice. 

The “Tough Talks” simulation provides a safe, interactive environment for employees and supervisors to practice and refine their communication skills for handling difficult conversations. Simulating real-life scenarios enhances their ability to navigate challenging workplace interactions, improving team dynamics, conflict resolution, and overall workplace productivity.

 

 

Where GenAI falls short

Soft skill building and connection

While utilizing GenAI to enhance training methods is undeniably a powerful tool in developing supervisors, the content alone does not ensure success. It reaches its full potential when paired with human coaching. Supervisor training benefits immensely from a combined approach, particularly in developing human skills. 

Our Professional Certificate Program in Leadership & Management for Customer Contact Leaders pairs professional coaching with skill-building and AI conversation simulators. This integrated approach helps supervisors hone important competencies like emotional intelligence, leadership stability, coaching direct reports, autonomy, mindfulness, and leading in an AI-enabled world. By blending the efficiency of AI with the nuance of human interaction, we unlock greater motivation and practical application of these essential skills.

 

 

Self assessment

GenAI training integrates adaptive learning to progressively build learners’ knowledge and competencies, starting with foundational concepts through diverse media forms before advancing to more specialized skills. This approach personalizes the educational journey, adjusting content based on learners’ evolving needs and proficiency levels, particularly in critical areas like data analytics. By incorporating assessments at strategic points, the training dynamically aligns with individual learning curves, ensuring a more effective and responsive learning experience.

However, the effectiveness of GenAI training hinges on expert collaboration to ensure the generated content meets specific educational goals. Pathstream’s recent study highlights a notable gap in supervisor training, suggesting that adding GenAI training without expert guidance could overwhelm supervisors, exacerbating the challenges in the “messy middle.” Therefore, introducing GenAI as part of a comprehensive strategy that includes expert input and targeted support can empower supervisors, enhance team management, and foster overall organizational growth.

Biases

Yes, that’s right—biases. Although generative AI doesn’t function based on emotion or past experiences, it does output results based on a pre-existing data set, which it utilizes to create “opinions.” Over time and through positive feedback, even GenAI will tend to output answers that are heavily influenced by past answers. Diligence should be taken to ensure that tendencies are not created while utilizing GenAI, which may marginalize subsets of your workforce.

 

A New approach for comprehensive training

Companies must implement strategies that deliver a competitive edge in today’s competitive society. By combining GenAI with human coaching, companies can train their supervisors like never before. Utilizing GenAI to create personalized, consistently relevant, and actively changing training content specific to your operation while validating and implementing that training using your existing employees can be a game changer.

This could involve utilizing AI to simulate practice scenarios and identify improvement areas, coupled with personal support to help provide context and develop the soft skills necessary for exceptional service and leadership. Blending the efficiency of AI with the nuance of human coaching is the key to unlocking your team’s full potential and seeing results like never before.

A Combined effort

Pathstream is a mission-driven organization founded on the premise that tremendous, unrealized economic and human potential exists within an organization’s frontline workforce.

We are dedicated to empowering employees and supervisors to thrive in their careers by providing motivation, support, and the necessary skills to achieve their goals. Our innovative platform integrates personalized professional coaching, practical skill-building programs, and comprehensive career pathing – enabling organizations to provide effective, end-to-end support for their frontline workforce while benefiting from improved retention and in-role performance. Learn more by contacting us.