The Router's Chair

The situation

You have fourteen middle managers whose main work, by their own time logs, is passing information between teams, preparing status reports and chasing approvals. An AI coordination system now does most of that, and does it faster. Three of the fourteen are among your best people and trusted by the front line; others are long-serving and anxious. The CEO wants a plan within a month and has hinted at cutting the layer entirely. Nobody has told the managers anything yet.

Your decision

What do you do with the routing layer and with these fourteen people, and what do you tell them first?

Make your decision & compare with TRU

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Source context

AI-native organisations no longer need a human routing layer, and the middle-management roles built on routing are being dissolved whether anyone sponsors the dissolution or not.

Vanguard Leadership, Volume 2 · vl2-008, The Unilateral Pivot (vl2-008.c001)

The best white-collar workers are conductors: they set tempo, align actors, and check outcomes.

We Are Entering the NEO Era (article) · canon: We Are Entering the NEO Era, 'What It Means for Jobs'

How would you make your case?

1. State your decision.
2. Explain your rationale in up to 250 words.
3. Identify the evidence and sources you would use.
4. Say what would change your mind within 90 days.
5. Explain what you would not do, and why.

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