There are surprising similarities between managing AI agents and managing direct reports. An agent is like having a smart, eager recent MBA graduate with extremely high competence and aptitude, but little initial context and experience.
Your ability to manage both is directly related to how much time you’re willing to invest in front-loading the context, standards, and expectations that will improve your work together. Similarly, failing to think through your broader needs and leverage points could result in you bringing on too many (or too few) team members.
Managers who don’t give clear direction and feedback to human teams will also struggle with agents—and might be quick to blame the technology. But the bottleneck was never the team, and neither is the agent. The truth is that this is a blessing in disguise for managers looking to level up. An agent isn’t going to give you the benefit of the doubt like an employee might. And that’s a gift.
Willie Jackson is a talent strategist, facilitator, and speaker who works with organizations that invest in the human side of high-stakes change.