20 Jan Leading With Transparency in the Age of AI
Secrets kill. Transparency saves.
In workplaces where trust is already fragile, silence or half-truths can do more damage than any technological disruption. And now, as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace, that principle has never been more urgent.
AI itself is neutral. It doesn’t care about workers, unions, or management. The real question is how leaders choose to use it. Success or failure won’t be decided by algorithms, it will be decided by trust, respect, and communication.
If workers believe AI is being introduced behind closed doors, they’ll resist even if the technology could make their jobs safer or easier.
I’ve seen this firsthand. In one distribution operation I led, we had 500 employees and averaged 300 grievances per year. Within a single year, I reduced the headcount to 205 and the number of grievances to just three annually. The key wasn’t technology or policy; it was intent. By making my intentions clear and giving the union enough time to adjust and communicate, conflict gave way to collaboration.
That experience taught me something simple but powerful: trust isn’t abstract. It shows up in the numbers.
Whether unionized or not, workforce management succeeds when leaders treat transparency and respect as non-negotiable. Workers don’t just react to technology; they react to what it means. Does AI mean fewer jobs, or safer jobs? More surveillance, or more flexibility? Being treated as a data point, or as a human being?
The answers depend entirely on how leaders communicate and involve their people. Ignore the intangibles, and even the best AI rollout will fail.
AI and unions don’t have to be adversaries. The coexistence of labour and technology isn’t a battle; it’s a negotiation. And negotiation is built on trust.
AI will reshape work. But whether it reshapes it for better or worse depends on us.
AI is not the enemy of unions, nor of workers. The real enemy is secrecy, arrogance, and ignoring the intangible fabric of trust. Leaders who honour transparency, respect, and fairness will find that AI can strengthen, not weaken, the bond between labour and leadership.