The New Team Equation: People + People + AI

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Just two years ago you could picture teamwork as a group of people sitting around a circular table—sharing ideas, debating, learning, disagreeing, and ultimately creating results together. Human beings interacting, working toward a common outcome.

Just two years ago you could picture teamwork as a group of people sitting around a circular table—sharing ideas, debating, learning, disagreeing, and ultimately creating results together. Human beings interacting, working toward a common outcome.

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Now there’s a new chair at that table. In it sits an AI agent. What is that AI agent’s contribution? And, maybe more importantly, what impact will this new teammate have on the relationships between the rest of us?

Now there’s a new chair at that table. In it sits an AI agent. What is that AI agent’s contribution? And, maybe more importantly, what impact will this new teammate have on the relationships between the rest of us?

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The old team equation was people + people = results. The new equation is people + people + AI = results.

The old team equation was people + people = results. The new equation is people + people + AI = results.

Early Warning Signs

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Scholars at Columbia Business School found that over-reliance on AI can reduce the value people place on human skills , which in turn erodes trust in relationships.

Scholars at Columbia Business School found that over-reliance on AI can reduce the value people place on human skills, which in turn erodes trust in relationships.

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And Harvard Business Review recently reported similar risks: employees say much of what AI produces feels like “workslop” —low-quality work that leads teammates to trust each other’s work less and spend more time cleaning up after one another.

And Harvard Business Review recently reported similar risks: employees say much of what AI produces feels like “workslop”—low-quality work that leads teammates to trust each other’s work less and spend more time cleaning up after one another.

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It appears AI is likely to present at least these challenges to workplace relationships:

It appears AI is likely to present at least these challenges to workplace relationships:

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  Decreased trust between colleagues

  Decreased trust between colleagues

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  Reduced facetime with colleagues

  Reduced facetime with colleagues

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  Devalued human skills and work

  Devalued human skills and work

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  Inefficiencies (and frustration) due to “workslop”

  Inefficiencies (and frustration) due to “workslop”

Safeguarding Connection

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One way to guard against the relational consequences of AI is to protect moments of connection—informal conversations, quick check-ins, and side comments—because they contribute to trust, cohesion, and results.

One way to guard against the relational consequences of AI is to protect moments of connection—informal conversations, quick check-ins, and side comments—because they contribute to trust, cohesion, and results.

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Leaders need to protect the space where humans do their best work—debating, dialoguing, disagreeing, and building on each other’s ideas. That’s where innovation happens. For example, leaders can promote dialogue by:

Leaders need to protect the space where humans do their best work—debating, dialoguing, disagreeing, and building on each other’s ideas. That’s where innovation happens. For example, leaders can promote dialogue by:

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  Setting AI Boundaries. Be explicit with your teams. Use AI to speed up the groundwork, then use each other to test, challenge, and refine those ideas. AI can accelerate the process, but it’s the human back-and-forth that makes the work meaningful, accurate, and new.

  Setting AI Boundaries. Be explicit with your teams. Use AI to speed up the groundwork, then use each other to test, challenge, and refine those ideas. AI can accelerate the process, but it’s the human back-and-forth that makes the work meaningful, accurate, and new.

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  Adopt Daily or Weekly Stand-Ups. Host a ten- to fifteen-minute check-in where each team member shares what they’re working on, one challenge they’re facing, and any help they might need. These rituals spark side conversations and reinforce that people—not AI—are the first stop for problem-solving.

  Adopt Daily or Weekly Stand-Ups. Host a ten- to fifteen-minute check-in where each team member shares what they’re working on, one challenge they’re facing, and any help they might need. These rituals spark side conversations and reinforce that people—not AI—are the first stop for problem-solving.

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  Pair Work Over Solo AI Use: Instead of having everyone individually draft with AI, assign pairs or small groups to review AI outputs together. The review process fosters shared accountability, sparks debate, and keeps the work social.

  Pair Work Over Solo AI Use: Instead of having everyone individually draft with AI, assign pairs or small groups to review AI outputs together. The review process fosters shared accountability, sparks debate, and keeps the work social.

Build Relationship Intelligence

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Another big lever for leaders is building relationship intelligence—the people + people part of the equation.

Another big lever for leaders is building relationship intelligence—the people + people part of the equation.

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Relationship intelligence is about knowing what drives yourself when things are good, why you react the way you do when things aren’t good (conflict), and learning the same about the people you work with. When you have better relationship intelligence, you can improve how you work together—not just how well you small talk over lunch.

Relationship intelligence is about knowing what drives yourself when things are good, why you react the way you do when things aren’t good (conflict), and learning the same about the people you work with. When you have better relationship intelligence, you can improve how you work together—not just how well you small talk over lunch.

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Our research at Crucial Learning found that nearly half of a team’s performance can be explained by the strength of relationships—measured by things like: I feel understood by my teammates, we resolve conflicts quickly, and I respect them even if they’re different from me.

Our research at Crucial Learning found that nearly half of a team’s performance can be explained by the strength of relationships—measured by things like: I feel understood by my teammates, we resolve conflicts quickly, and I respect them even if they’re different from me.

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Enable your people to get to know each other beyond swapping stories about hobbies, favorite sports teams, or the latest show you binge watched. All fine, but what do you need to learn about them that would have the greatest impact on results? What makes them get defensive? What gets them excited? What drives them at their core?

Enable your people to get to know each other beyond swapping stories about hobbies, favorite sports teams, or the latest show you binge watched. All fine, but what do you need to learn about them that would have the greatest impact on results? What makes them get defensive? What gets them excited? What drives them at their core?

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That’s where the Crucial Teams® course and the Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®) become practical. The SDI helps teams map out three things: their core motives, their go-to strengths, and their patterns in conflict. Instead of guessing why a teammate reacts a certain way, people gain a shared language to explain differences and use them productively.

That’s where the Crucial Teams® course and the Strength Deployment Inventory® (SDI®) become practical. The SDI helps teams map out three things: their core motives, their go-to strengths, and their patterns in conflict. Instead of guessing why a teammate reacts a certain way, people gain a shared language to explain differences and use them productively.

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When leaders equip teams with this kind of understanding, they don’t just prevent breakdowns—they build the foundation for trust, resilience, and performance. And that’s what safeguards the people + people side of the people + people + AI equation.

When leaders equip teams with this kind of understanding, they don’t just prevent breakdowns—they build the foundation for trust, resilience, and performance. And that’s what safeguards the people + people side of the people + people + AI equation.

The Bottom Line

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If leaders take measures to strengthen relationships and increase connection, they may be able to mitigate potential negative effects of AI on relationships while benefitting from the productivity and efficiency gains it can offer.

If leaders take measures to strengthen relationships and increase connection, they may be able to mitigate potential negative effects of AI on relationships while benefitting from the productivity and efficiency gains it can offer.

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This new teammate at the table doesn’t have to weaken us. Used wisely, it can free us up to be better humans and better teams.

This new teammate at the table doesn’t have to weaken us. Used wisely, it can free us up to be better humans and better teams.