Hey there,
Does your org feel something different as AI rolls in smoother in some spots and strangely tense in others? A few shared and improved rhythm between COO and HR can keep things stable while giving you guaranteed optimal work.
Spend a minute to see how a structured COO–HR operations involving the use of AI is able to make your whole company feel stable.
In this issue:
Playbook of the Day
15-Minute Daily AI Risk & Wins Debrief for COOs
Goal: Catch risky AI agent behavior early and cut toil.
Who: COO/Head of Operations, security lead, and one AI/product owner per major workflow. Same time daily.
Before the debrief (3 mins):
AI-Driven Wins: Each leader notes 1–2 places where AI or automation removed toil or made security a clearer business enabler.
Machine-Speed Risks: Each leader flags 1–2 items where alert overload, manual work, or AI-driven threats are blocking growth or resilience.
During the 12 minutes:
4 mins: Each leader shares one proven AI-driven win, one risk, and one example of security as growth booster.
8 mins: Review “machine-speed risks” and “blocking growth” items; assign one concrete action/owner per item.
Rule: No security theater, no tool shopping, these are only moves that strengthen the operating backbone.
Latest News
AI Turns Security Into Ops Superpower 🔒
Published: 01/21/2026
7AI’s statement on the “Top 30 Chief Innovation Security Officers for 2026” highlights security leaders operating at agentic security’s significant feats , where AI improved from promise to production and defense must run at machine speed. This shows how these CISOs turn security into a business booster.
Upside: If you own the COO Intelligence program, this will give you a concrete model for what modern security leadership should look like inside your operating system. You are able to see how top organizations position CISOs as strategic partners to operations and product, using agents for efficiency.
Impact: Treated as a strategic guide, this empowers COOs to justify optimizing security into core intelligence compilations alongside data and finance, through the demonstration of visionary leaders and AI agents transform a expense burden into a foundation of AI-driven innovation, work speed, & competence.
🧑💼 Generational Conflicts As Risk Metrics
Published: 01/27/26
Forbes highlights new research showing U.S. employers lose an estimated $56 billion in productivity annually to Gen Z–Boomer conflict, with AI adoption at the center of the tension as Boomers say Gen Z’s AI focus harms relationships, while Gen Z says Boomer resistance kills innovation and costs deals.
Upside: For COOs and HR, the piece offers a simple ‘maybe, just maybe’ empathy framework, encouraging both sides to reinterpret frustrating behaviors as generational context and mutual learning opportunities, combining Gen Z’s AI-enabled efficiency with Boomers’ experience on relationship skills.
Impact: By treating generational friction as an operational risk, leaders can design interventions as AI becomes more allowed, cross generation mentoring, and communication training to reduce turnover intent on both sides and convert conflict into a performance and knowledge advantage.
🤖 HR Tech as the First Line of AI Defense
Published: 01/27/2026
SHRM’s ‘Executive Download’ explains how HR platforms are becoming the main sector where AI and work design intersect, as investors back models that aim to augment, not replace, people. It also highlights daily data showing that while most employees report AI time savings, much of that benefit is wiped out.
Upside: If CHROs and COOs lean into this change, HR tech can evolve into a real productivity engine by pairing AI tools with skills development, job redesign, and new HR roles focused on AI adoption, governance, and people analytics. Allowing leaders to offload repetitive, data tasks. Focusing on crucial roles.
Impact: Organizations that treat HR tech as the solid, strategic AI foundation, and not just operations. These will be better positioned to transform AI from errors and rework into a core driver of enterprise performance, trust, and talent advantage. Those that don't risk falling behind as AI exposes HR’s blind spots.
Prompt of the Day
SAHP Bidding Risk Radar Prompt
Trigger Event | Action | Use Case Example |
|---|---|---|
Start of the week. | Check Homes England updates, rent convergence deadlines, loan guidance. | Loan caps: £10M-£150M. GLA now 80% weight on Social Rent. |
48 hours before bid deadline. | Flag grant-per-unit gaps, EPC C cost assumptions, S106 risks. | Leeds £42k GPU vs. £38k avg. Manchester EPC budget £8k, quotes £11k. |
When GPU shifts >10% in region. | Track competing bids, land inflation, Homes England signals. | West Midlands GPU £35k→£39k. HE wants 500+ units. Consolidate 3 schemes. |
After allocation/loan results. | Document winners' models, quantify our gap, adjust strategy. | Liverpool won at £36k GPU via council JV. We bid £41k solo. Secure JV next. |
Month-end before Feb window. | List ready schemes, flag gaps, rank risks by unit impact. | 1,840 units ready. Bristol delayed (340 units). Newcastle £18M loan risk. Defer Bristol. |
Prompt
Act as my SAHP bidding risk radar. Based on this snapshot of our pipeline schemes, GPU benchmarks, loan applications, and upcoming deadlines, (1) flag the top 3 bid execution or allocation risks for the next 30 days, (2) show me early warning signals to watch this week from Homes England updates, regional competition, and cost movements, and (3) suggest 2–3 concrete mitigation steps I can assign today to protect our February submission or improve our competitive position.
The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel.
One last Thing
AI operations can be a strategic window, not just a survival exercise. Becoming strict on roles, guidelines, and workflows can lessen rework, reduce burnout, and quietly raise the standards on how your whole system runs.
The real leverage comes when you start to become strict on AI roles, guidelines, and workflows between hurdles.
Until next edition,
Chloe Rivers
Editor-in-Chief
COO Intelligence
P.S. Interested in sponsoring a future issue? Just reply to this email and I’ll send packages!