Kat Cole assesses the business model of hybrid coaching platforms like Marlowe that blend human interaction with automated feedback.
Disclosure
Kat Cole hid in Hooters bathroom stalls to eavesdrop on candid feedback
“When I worked for Hooters and I was running the training department, so I was a, I don't know, a twenty-four-year-old director of training. For the corporate office, and when I would lead these workshops for managers and for franchisees, whenever we would go o…”
Insight
Cole: Managers need confidential human reflection to process feedback data
“There is still an element of confidential reflection that's needed for a manager to process what they're seeing, even if you give them really great data.”
Insight
Kat Cole: You cannot AI your way out of mommy issues
“You know, something that a Marlowe or any of these companies that are breaking it down into its parts and getting feedback, at some point it requires a human touch, like a one-on-one.
You can't AI your way to like your issues with your mom.”
Insight
Cole: Providing coaching at all levels boosts internal promotions and retention
“Getting people coaches at all levels increases the likelihood that some of your talent moves up from within, and you don't have to go find it externally. And then the retention is higher, and the cultural knowledge is higher, and they're all, it shouldn't be e…”
Insight
Employee feedback frequency should scale directly with the rate of organizational change
“The less change, the less often you need to ask. The more change, the more often you need to ask. So if there's a lot of shit going on, it's a made my day difficult every day, and every day there's change. If it's, you know, a little more spread out, you can d…”
Insight
Kat Cole: Feedback tools require cultural alignment and manager ego removal to work
“If you put in this feedback bot magnet, some MMDD log, Made My Day Difficult log, there must be an accompanying alignment around anyone who is in charge of receiving and acting on the feedback around the attitude, the culture, the removal of ego to the extent …”