Tool 05, from chapter 5

Manager Micro-Coaching Cards

Coach: Shift from Mandates to Modeling

Meet your team where they are. Get persona-specific coaching strategies.

What it is for

Five cards, one per persona. Each has a coaching strategy, three conversation starters, the metrics that show it is working, and the watch-outs. Use the card that fits the person in front of you, not the one that fits you.

The question this chapter asks your team

When did a manager here last show their team how they use AI?

How to run it

List your team members. Three to eight is a good number.
Match each person to the persona that best describes them: Innovator, Guardian, Skeptic, Practitioner or Strategist.
Rate your own coaching readiness on the three scales.
Read the card for each persona on your team. Pick one conversation starter per person.
Have the conversations this week. Keep the quick response guide to hand for the objections you will hear.
Track the success metrics on each card, and come back to the watch-outs after a month.

The worksheet

Laid out to be printed and written on. The squares are for ticking, the rules for writing.

Who is filling this in

Name

Organization

Your role

Date

Your team

Enter the names of the team members you want coaching strategies for (3-8 recommended), and the persona that best describes each.

Tracker
Row	Team member	Persona
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

The five personas

Which persona best describes each team member?

Innovator Already experimenting. Excited about AI. Could teach others.
Guardian Veteran. Values experience. Cautious about change.
Skeptic Resistant. Needs proof. May voice concerns.
Practitioner Frontline. Knows workflows. Practical mindset.
Strategist Senior. Needs business context. Wants to understand impact.

Coaching groups

High-Support Need extra attention and reassurance. Skeptic.
Empowerment Ready to lead and mentor others. Innovator and Strategist.
Bridge Need practical, workflow-focused support. Guardian and Practitioner.

Your coaching readiness

Quick self-assessment to personalize your strategies. Rate each from 1 to 5.

How comfortable are you with AI tools?

Not at all

Very comfortable

When experiments fail, I focus on...

What went wrong

What we learned

I adapt my style based on who I'm talking to

Rarely

Always

Scoring

Average the three. 4 or more is High. 3 to 3.9 is Moderate. Under 3 is Developing. The second scale is your growth mindset, the third your adaptability.

High You're well-prepared to coach your team through AI adoption!
Moderate You have a good foundation. Focus on building your own AI skills to better support your team.
Developing Consider upskilling yourself first. Your team will learn from your example.

My average

My readiness

The cards

One per persona. Read the card for each persona on your team.

Innovator

Already experimenting. Excited about AI. Could teach others.

Coaching group: Empowerment

Coaching strategy

Channel their enthusiasm. Give them stretch projects. Position them as internal champions and peer mentors.

Conversation starters

What AI experiments have you tried recently?
Would you be interested in leading a lunch-and-learn?
What tools do you think could help the team most?

Success metrics

Number of peers mentored
Internal presentations delivered
Pilot projects launched

Watch-outs

May move too fast for others
Could create shadow IT risks
May dismiss legitimate concerns

Guardian

Veteran. Values experience. Cautious about change.

Coaching group: Bridge

Coaching strategy

Honor their experience. Show how AI enhances rather than replaces their expertise. Involve them in risk assessment.

Conversation starters

What concerns do you have about AI in our work?
How can we make sure quality standards are maintained?
What workflows should we protect from disruption?

Success metrics

Quality metrics maintained
Risk assessments contributed
Process improvements suggested

Watch-outs

May slow down adoption unnecessarily
Could influence others negatively
May feel threatened or undervalued

Skeptic

Resistant. Needs proof. May voice concerns.

Coaching group: High-Support

Coaching strategy

Address concerns directly. Provide data and proof points. Give them a voice in shaping AI guidelines.

Conversation starters

What would you need to see to feel more confident about AI?
What risks do you think we should be aware of?
Would you help us create our AI usage guidelines?

Success metrics

Concerns voiced constructively
Guidelines contributions made
Gradual increase in AI tool usage

Watch-outs

May spread negativity if unaddressed
Concerns may be valid. Listen carefully.
Don't dismiss as just resistant

Practitioner

Frontline. Knows workflows. Practical mindset.

Coaching group: Bridge

Coaching strategy

Focus on practical workflow improvements. Show time savings. Start with their biggest pain points.

Conversation starters

What tasks take up most of your time?
Where do you see opportunities to work smarter?
What would make your day easier?

Success metrics

Time saved on routine tasks
Tools adopted for daily work
Efficiency improvements reported

Watch-outs

May need hands-on training
Could revert to old habits under pressure
May not see the bigger picture initially

Strategist

Senior. Needs business context. Wants to understand impact.

Coaching group: Empowerment

Coaching strategy

Connect AI to business outcomes. Discuss competitive implications. Involve them in strategic AI planning.

Conversation starters

How do you see AI impacting our industry?
What strategic opportunities does AI create for us?
What should our 12-month AI roadmap look like?

Success metrics

Strategic AI initiatives championed
Business cases developed
Cross-functional AI projects sponsored

Watch-outs

May want to over-strategize before acting
Could create analysis paralysis
May not engage with tactical details

Quick response guide

The objections you will hear, and a response for each.

Common objection

Suggested response

“AI will take my job”: AI is a tool to enhance your work, not replace you. The goal is to free you from routine tasks so you can focus on what requires human judgment and creativity.
“I don't have time to learn new tools”: Start with just 15 minutes a week. We'll focus on one tool that saves you time immediately, so the investment pays off quickly.
“I don't trust AI outputs”: Healthy skepticism is good! AI outputs should always be reviewed. Think of it as a smart first draft that you improve with your expertise.
“This is just another tech fad”: AI is fundamentally changing how work gets done. Organizations that adapt now will have a significant advantage. Let's explore together.
“My work is too complex for AI”: AI works best on parts of complex work: research, drafting, analysis. You bring the judgment and nuance that makes the final product excellent.

Do this week

Match every name on your team to a persona.
Pick one conversation starter per person and have the conversation.
Show your team one way you used AI this week. That is the chapter's question answered.

All seven tools