Three tips to start using AI as a communications sounding board

AI tools and executive coaching skills

Leading like a coach requires strong communication skills: asking good questions, resolving conflicts, and providing meaningful feedback. Yet many executives lack these abilities. Traditionally, the best way to develop them has been through human trainers who observe conversations and provide feedback. Given the capabilities of large language models, we wondered if AI-powered tools could become effective sparring partners for sharpening executive coaching skills.

We created a GPT-4-powered tool to provide feedback to executives and tested it with 167 global executives across industries. Our findings: AI-based coaching interventions can efficiently improve essential leadership capabilities.

AI tools can listen to conversations between an executive and someone else. Afterward, the executive asks the tool to assess their communication style. Specific questions yield better outcomes.

Three tips for using AI as a sounding board in your communications

1. Tone and voice

Ask AI to rewrite what you want to say in a variety of tones and voices. See which one works best for you.

2. Choice of words

Ask the technology to flag any phrases you rely on too heavily or any filler words that don’t add to your messaging.

3. Cultural context

Begin a conversation in one cultural context, then ask AI to interpret it into another. This can help uncover hidden assumptions – especially useful when working internationally.