How I Use AI to Elevate Coaching and Drive Strategic Execution
In a world where AI headlines dominate and buzzwords fly faster than strategies land, it’s easy to forget what coaching is really about: unlocking human potential to deliver what matters. I don’t use AI to replace the coaching relationship—I use it to amplify insight, sharpen execution, and earn the right to lead in an age of complexity.
Here’s how AI supports my coaching practice—not as a gimmick, but as a strategic partner in transformation.
1. From Data Chaos to Strategic Clarity
In any coaching engagement—especially OKR rollouts—there’s always a flood of inputs: workshops, retros, surveys, voice notes, stakeholder sessions. Pre-AI, this often meant nights buried in synthesis. Now, with the right AI tools, I can rapidly:
- Identify strategic patterns across teams
- Cluster themes from feedback loops
- Generate draft OKRs and reflection summaries grounded in actual language from the team
- This gives clients faster insight—and more importantly—actionable clarity. As I’ve said in workshops: AI can sort noise, but it’s still the coach who makes the music.
2. Amplifying Reflection, Not Automating Responsibility
Reflection is a muscle, not a checkbox. AI helps structure and prompt reflection, but it doesn’t own it. I use tools like ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini to help teams:
- Explore “what’s really getting in the way”
- Surface conflicting assumptions
- Frame retrospectives that go beyond "what went well"
The AI handles the scaffolding. The human learning is where the real shift happens.
3. Enabling Mid-Cycle Course Correction
OKRs die in the gap between set-and-forget and real-time responsiveness. AI helps me and my clients spot drift early. We can:
- Track leading indicators from OKR software and KPI dashboards
- Flag stagnation in check-ins
- Recommend interventions dynamically—not 90 days too late
- AI makes the feedback loop live. Strategy becomes a conversation, not a commandment.
4. Creating the Space for Human Work
The reality is, coaches drown in admin. AI lets me delegate what doesn’t need me:
- Transcribing and tagging sessions
- Drafting follow-ups and email nudges
- Auto-structuring progress dashboards from OKR data
The payoff? More time spent in high-impact conversations, not formatting slides at midnight. That’s not just efficient. That’s strategic.
5. Training AI to Speak Strategy, Not Just Keywords
This isn’t plug-and-play. I’ve spent months fine-tuning how AI supports my style of coaching—rooted in the principles of Earn the Right, Team of Teams, and outcome-focused OKR thinking. The AI I use understands:
- The difference between outputs and outcomes
- Why alignment beats ambition
- That cultural readiness beats shiny dashboards
I don’t ask AI “what should the OKRs be?” I ask: “What patterns in this team’s language point to strategic drift, or opportunity?” Subtle shift. Big difference.
Final Thought
In the whitepaper AI and Strategy Execution I contributed to with my colleagues at OKR Mentors, we said it plainly:
AI is not the driver. It’s the GPS. OKRs are the steering wheel. Leadership is still behind the wheel.
That’s the mindset shift we need. AI isn’t here to run your business or deliver your strategy. It’s here to help you think faster, see clearer, and act with greater focus.
And if you’re a coach—don’t fear the tech. Earn the right to wield it. Your clients don’t need more tools. They need better guides.