Trey Malicoat & Associates
Six decisions for a more automated, more human business
A clear direction for technology. A meaningful future for people.
Automation creates capacity.
People give it purpose.
Start with what works, what people need, and what could become possible. These six decisions keep business progress and human adaptation in the same conversation.
DECISION 01
Decide
What future are we choosing?
Name the business outcome and the human outcome you want to achieve. Consider what standing still costs and what the transition asks of people.
Ask your team: What should improve for the business and for the people it serves?
See it in practice
A service team wants fewer overdue responses and more customers who feel understood. Both goals belong in the decision.
DECISION 02
Reimagine
What should automation carry?
Look at recurring effort, available information, reliability, and exceptions. Identify where a person’s judgment or attention remains essential.
Ask your team: What can a system handle, and when should a person take over?
See it in practice
Automated reminders can reduce missed appointments. A person can follow up when repeated absences suggest a problem a reminder cannot solve.
DECISION 03
Prepare
What will people need?
Invite concerns about security, competence, status, and belonging. Clarify what has been decided, what remains open, and how people will learn.
Ask your team: What support would make participation possible?
See it in practice
Before introducing AI-assisted reporting, ask the team what it currently notices while assembling the reports. Plan how to preserve that insight.
DECISION 04
Reorient
Who are we beyond our roles?
Help people name the contribution behind a familiar task or title. Explore how experience, care, imagination, and judgment can remain valuable as tasks change.
Ask your team: What value do you bring that is larger than the task you perform?
See it in practice
A coordinator who knows how customers prefer to communicate can help design a better service experience, even as routine scheduling becomes automated.
DECISION 05
Redesign
How will we work together?
Set responsibilities, decision authority, escalation routes, and time to learn. Involve the people who will live with the new arrangements.
Ask your team: Who owns the result, and what happens when the system falls short?
See it in practice
A team agrees who reviews AI-assisted drafts, who handles exceptions, and how customers can reach someone accountable for the outcome.
DECISION 06
Realize
What will greater capacity make possible?
Put recovered attention into connection, creativity, and collaboration. Review the business results and the quality of the relationships together.
Ask your team: What evidence would tell us the transition is helping?
See it in practice
Time saved on reporting becomes protected coaching time. Leaders track whether coaching occurs and whether it helps employees make better decisions.
It all begins with a curious conversation.
What could this unlock in your business?
In an initial facilitated conversation, we explore your needs, obstacles, limitations, and possibilities. Together, we identify a practical direction for your technology and your people.
Explore your six decisions