My Robot Boss

Episode 6: How AI Is Changing Our Career Choices, Motivation, and Identity with Dr. Alexis Hanna

In this episode of My Robot Boss, I talk with Dr Alexis Hanna, a management professor at the University of Nevada Reno whose research explores how people find meaningful work and how AI is transforming that process. We dive into how AI is reshaping vocational interests, why some jobs are far more exposed than others, and how identity and motivation shift when technology starts doing the tasks we rely on to feel competent and fulfilled. We also talk about gender differences, student reactions to AI, and what leaders can do to support employees who feel anxious or unsure about the future of their roles. Top 5 Highlights from Alexis 1. The least exposed jobs to AI based are social and hands-on roles like teachers, nurses, and tradespeople, while high-knowledge and business roles are among the most exposed. 2. People’s sense of identity is tied to the tasks they enjoy at work, and AI can threaten or enhance that identity depending on how leaders redesign roles in an AI-world. 3. A gender trend in the classroom: more male students eagerly embrace AI, while many female students hesitate because they want more human connection in their work. 4. Job crafting with AI can actually improve fit and motivation by letting people offload tasks they dread so they can spend more time on what they love. 5. The most important future leadership skills may be empathy, relationship building, and supporting employees’ self-motivation as roles change rapidly. Learn more about Dr. Hanna's work: * Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexi-hanna-830b6884 * Hanna et al. (2024) paper on Interests and AI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2024.104012 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2024.104012]. * UNR faculty page: https://www.unr.edu/business/faculty-and-staff/hanna-alexis [https://www.unr.edu/business/faculty-and-staff/hanna-alexis] * Analytics, Recruitment, and Careers (ARC) lab website: https://arcresearchlab.com/ [https://arcresearchlab.com/]

Episode 5: Dr. Katina Sawyer on Leading for Wellness in the Age of AI

What does it take to build healthy workplaces? In this episode of My Robot Boss, Dr. Katina Sawyer joins Devon to explore how technology is reshaping leadership, trust, and well-being at work. Katina’s research reveals why “generator leaders” - those who actively create energy, trust, and connection - will become even more vital in an AI-driven future. Together, they discuss: * Why wellness programs alone can’t fix burnout and how leadership behavior is the missing piece. * What “person-centered planning,” adapted from Carl Rogers’ psychotherapy, teaches us about leading with curiosity and care. * Why the best leaders listen to understand, not to fix. * How to balance efficiency gains from AI with the need for genuine human connection. * What younger generations really think about working in AI-heavy organizations and why companies should pay attention. Key Quote: > “Leaders can be healing forces at work — but only if they stay curious, compassionate, and human.” — Dr. Katina Sawyer Learn More about Katina and her work: * LinkedIn:  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katina-sawyer-7b447425/]Dr. Katina Sawyer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katina-sawyer-ph-d/] * Book:  [https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Wellness-Create-Culture-Everyone/dp/1265125534]Leading for Wellness [https://a.co/d/cUpp60c]  [https://a.co/d/cUpp60c] * Workr Beeing Podcast [https://workrbeeing.com/podcast/] Subscribe to My Robot Boss wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation about how AI is transforming leadership, performance, and the human experience at work.

Episode 4: Dr. Anna Tavis on Performance Management in the Age of AI

In this episode of My Robot Boss, Dr. Anna Tavis joins Devon to discuss how AI is revolutionizing performance management and leadership. Anna’s groundbreaking Harvard Business Review articles on performance management were named HBR Must Reads and Her latest book, The Digital Coaching Revolution [https://a.co/d/7Jp6pz3], explores how technology is scaling coaching and transforming how we grow, measure, and experience leadership itself. Together, Devon and Anna dive into: * How performance management evolved from annual reviews to continuous feedback. * Why AI offers both promise and peril — enabling real-time insights but risking surveillance. * The central role of trust, transparency, and privacy in the age of data-driven performance. * How digital coaching is democratizing development across entire organizations. * Why “human-in-the-loop” leadership is more critical than ever. Key Quote: > “It’s not about technology — it’s about intention. Tools don’t transform organizations; people using them thoughtfully do.” – Dr. Anna Tavis Learn More: * LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annatavis?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Dr. Anna A. Tavis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annatavis] * Book: The Digital Coaching Revolution [https://a.co/d/9oG0BQF]  [https://a.co/d/9oG0BQF] * NYU Coaching and Technology Summit [https://www.sps.nyu.edu/about/events/human-capital-management-department-events/coaching-and-technology-summit.html] Subscribe to My Robot Boss wherever you get your podcasts to explore how AI is transforming leadership, performance, and the future of work.

Bonus Episode: A Hidden Cause of Burnout - and What Happens When AI Enters Leadership Roles

From the stage of the 2025 Columbia University Coaching Conference, My Robot Boss host Devon McConnell shares her award-finalist talk. Drawing on four years of research at Oxford and her work with coaching and therapy clients, Devon discusses a hidden cause of workplace burnout: the absence of someone who truly has your back. She explores how attachment science reframes our understanding of leadership, trust, and emotional labor—and what changes when AI begins taking on those relational roles at work.

Episode 3: Dr. Adam Sandell on the Cost of Caring and the Future of Work

What happens when your work is a calling—but the job starts to grind you down? In this episode of My Robot Boss, Devon speaks with Dr. Adam Sandell—ER physician, writer, and former human rights lawyer—about the paradoxes of purpose-driven work. From his remote post on a First Nations reserve in British Columbia, Adam shares a deeply human view on what it means to help others, the cost of caring, and why burnout is often a byproduct of meaning. We explore: * Why people in mission-driven roles struggle with boundaries * What AI can and can’t replace in high-empathy professions * The promise and perils of AI in medical settings—from scribes to decision support * How feedback and coaching from AI could transform how we work and grow * The rising difficulty (and necessity) of having hard conversations—and whether AI can help Whether you’re in healthcare, social impact, education, or just thinking about what a “good” working life really means, this conversation will resonate. Read more of Adam’s work at www.adamsandell.net