Your AI Agents Need Performance Management, Too

Summary

AI agents are becoming part of the modern workforce, but organizations need to manage them with the same intentionality they apply to human talent. The article explains that successful AI adoption is not simply about implementing new tools; it requires organizations to rethink workflows, capabilities, leadership, and the relationship between people and technology. Leaders must understand AI themselves, develop existing domain talent, and create ways of working where humans and AI collaborate rather than simply automate tasks. AI agents also require ongoing performance management. Organizations should know how many agents they operate, who is accountable for them, what value they create, and when an agent should be improved or retired. Business owners who use agents in their workflows should generally take responsibility for their performance, supported by organizational guardrails, standards, and lifecycle management.