EPISODE
120: Two Concerning Ways AI Is Increasing Drama on Teams
This episode explores two emerging ways AI is starting to double the amount of drama happening on teams. The challenge is that those who may be lower in accountability can add more drama to your culture through careless AI use, sending along unprocessed "AI slop" that shifts the burden of thinking and cleanup onto whoever receives it. Meanwhile, your high accountables may be exponentially increasing that same drama by turning judgmental toward colleagues who are still finding their footing with the tool, sometimes writing off genuinely strong work simply because it looks AI-generated. This episode names the emerging problem on both sides and discusses practical ways to bridge that gap, refocus on self-reflection and personal accountability, and bring teams back together instead of splitting into judgment and defensiveness.
Episode Highlights:
00:01:41 – Alex introduces the two ways AI use is increasing drama on teams
00:03:26 – The defining characteristics of AI slop: illusion of progress, shifted burden, receiver disengagement
00:05:01 – How a high accountable mindset processes receiving AI-generated work
00:07:18 – The break in trust that happens when unprocessed AI work lands on someone's desk
00:08:00 – Why self-reflection tools work through visual processing instead of verbal venting
00:11:12 – How AI accelerates the pattern of intellectualizing instead of truly reflecting
00:12:56 – Alex's idea for building self-reflection prompts into AI tools themselves
00:14:07 – The second source of drama: high performers judging others' AI use
00:16:03 – Applying "stop judging, start helping" to AI-era team dynamics
00:18:03 – A real example of a colleague wrongly assuming a photo was AI-generated
00:19:49 – Alex previews his upcoming book, Checkmate to Drama
Link to pre-order Alex's book, How We Could: The Framework to Lead Without Drama, Build Alignment and Call Teams to Greatness for you and your teams:
https://www.realitybasedleadership.com/pre-order
Latest episodes
124: When to Move From Coaching to Performance Management as a Leader
Many leaders struggle with knowing when it is time to coach and when the issues they are experiencing with a team member have drifted into a performance issue that calls for performance management. In this episode, Alex Dorr, CEO of Reality Based Leadership, shares a Reality-Based approach to help you make that distinction, along with several tools to coach or manage performance based on the conversation you need to have.
Episode Highlights:
00:00:18 Why this episode: when to coach vs. manage performance
00:01:06 The dirty secret: the tools only work with the willing
00:03:40 When coaching works and when it doesn’t
00:05:28 The five-step process
00:06:46 Step 1: Diagnose story, relationship, or performance
00:11:40 Step 2: The Edit Your Story tool
00:14:07 Step 3: The Feedback Frame
00:19:43 Step 4: Seven performance conversation questions
00:21:51 The Performance Coaching Agreement
00:26:06 Final reflection: your next right conversation
123: How We Could Book Series Part 3: Leadership Tools to Coach Your Team to Accountability
Get your copy of How We Could for you and your teams today at:
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/How-Could-Framework-Alignment-Greatness/dp/B0GRWV76P5
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-we-could-alex-dorr/1149680412?ean=9798886455168&utm_source=website&utm_medium=book_page&utm_campaign=how_we_could&utm_content=barnesandnoble
Bookshop.org - https://bookshop.org/p/books/how-we-could-the-framework-to-lead-without-drama-build-alignment-and-call-teams-to-greatness-alex-dorr/d73c23906d4a61a0?ean=9798886455168&next=t?utm_source=website&utm_medium=book_page&utm_campaign=how_we_could&utm_content=bookshop
Books-A-Million - https://www.booksamillion.com/p/How-We-Could/Alex-Dorr/9798886455168?utm_content=bookshop
Here is a link to the tools mentioned in this podcast:
SBAR tool - https://info.realitybasedleadership.com/tool
Thinking Inside-the-Box tool - https://info.realitybasedleadership.com/box
Negative Brainstorming tool - https://youtu.be/AV6n69QCVnY?si=q7r_pglJsatIb-l2
Or grab all of the Toolkit tutorial videos, PDF and the new Call to Greatness Toolkit that accompanies the book here:
https://info.realitybasedleadership.com/greatness
In Part 3 of his How We Could Book Club Podcast Series, Alex Dorr shares his favorite quotes, insights, and lessons from the final section of his new book. In this episode, you'll learn three tools that help your team move forward productively even when facing resistance to change and uncertainty. It's a motivating listen for anyone looking to lead their team differently through ambiguity.
Episode Highlights:
00:01:25 - How the book took three years and is packed with real case studies
00:02:10 - Recap: the three parts of How We Could (loving up, calling up, answering the call)
00:04:26 - Introducing Part 3: answering the call to greatness
00:04:51 - Why fear is what really holds people back from taking action
00:07:07 - The three tools for next right action: SBAR, thinking inside the box, negative brainstorming
00:10:34 - When to use each tool
00:13:39 - Deep dive: how the SBAR cuts down workplace drama
00:19:30 - Deep dive: why "thinking inside the box" drives real innovation
00:22:39 - Deep dive: negative brainstorming and the Dr. Smith story
00:27:06 - Wrapping up Part 3 and celebrating the book launch
122: How We Could Book Series Part 2 - Calling People Up to Clarify the Problem, Take Accountability and Build Alignment on Your Team
In this episode, Alex Dorr breaks down his favorite quotes and insights from Part 2 of How We Could. You'll learn practical ways to clean up your thinking, build real accountability across your team, and make sure people are in the right role for what the situation actually requires. This is part two of a three-part series digging into the sections of the book that didn't make the final cut, sharing Alex's exclusive insights to enrich your reading experience.
Pre-order How We Could for you and your team (official release date is September 22nd): https://www.realitybasedleadership.com/pre-order
Episode Highlights:
00:00:18 – Welcome and episode intro
00:01:42 – Recap of Part 1 and transition into Part 2
00:04:04 – Part 2 begins: calling people up to greatness
00:04:22 – Step two overview: cleaning up thinking
00:09:34 – Why the five-step sequence matters (the "secret sauce")
00:14:17 – Diving into clean thinking: ego, stories, and facts
00:20:24 – Step three: accounting for our part in the mess
00:24:41 – Breaking down accountability: account + ability
00:27:30 – Step four: knowing your role in the solution
00:34:05 – Non-negotiables, procedures, and avoiding burnout
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