Empowering your team with AI tools can unintentionally reduce their autonomy due to what’s termed the “Autonomy Paradox.” Instead of making independent decisions, team members may become overly reliant on approvals, revealing underlying incompetence in decision-making. AI disrupts three psychological conditions necessary for autonomy: competence, autonomy, and relatedness, but the primary issue is competence.
To address this, organizations should adopt the “Eight Arms Framework,” encouraging distributed intelligence like an octopus where team members make independent choices while coordinating effectively. Delegation in the AI era involves providing intelligence, not merely authority.
Promoting continuous resynchronization requires effective information sharing, shared metrics, and peer learning. Transitioning from decision-maker to enabler is essential. Implementing changes gradually, starting with pilot autonomy for a few, fosters a culture of accountability and psychological safety. Ultimately, organizations that leverage AI for autonomy over control can enhance adaptability and create a learning-driven environment, leading to more intelligent, coordinated teams.
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