Paul Welty, PhD AI, WORK, AND STAYING HUMAN

· management

Bookmark: Nearly all bosses are ‘accidental’ with no formal training—and research shows it’s leading 1 in 3 workers to quit

Untrained managers drive one in three employees to quit. Discover how effective leadership training can boost retention and workplace satisfaction.

The article discusses the phenomenon of “accidental managers,” highlighting that a significant portion of the workforce—approximately one in four people—hold managerial roles without formal training in management. This lack of training is not merely a gap in professional development but has tangible repercussions, such as contributing to employee dissatisfaction and turnover. Research from the Chartered Management Institute indicates that one-third of employees attribute their decision to leave jobs to poor management, underscoring the critical impact effective leadership can have on retention. The central thesis posits that organizations often overlook the necessity of training managers, treating leadership as an incidental role rather than a skill that requires development. This oversight can lead to ineffective management practices, employee disengagement, and ultimately, organizational inefficiency. Emphasizing structured training programs for managers could not only enhance leadership capabilities but also foster workplace environments conducive to higher employee satisfaction and productivity, aligning with current business needs for adaptability and efficiency. The article implicitly argues for a reevaluation of business priorities in management training to prevent the costly cycle of hiring, training, and losing employees due to preventable leadership failures Nearly all bosses are ‘accidental’ with no formal training—and research shows it’s leading 1 in 3 workers to quit

Why customer tools are organized wrong

This article reveals a fundamental flaw in how customer support tools are designed—organizing by interaction type instead of by customer—and explains why this fragmentation wastes time and obscures the full picture you need to help users effectively.

Infrastructure shapes thought

The tools you build determine what kinds of thinking become possible. On infrastructure, friction, and building deliberately for thought rather than just throughput.

Server-Side Dashboard Architecture: Why Moving Data Fetching Off the Browser Changes Everything

How choosing server-side rendering solved security, CORS, and credential management problems I didn't know I had.

The work of being available now

A book on AI, judgment, and staying human at work.

The practice of work in progress

Practical essays on how work actually gets done.

Dev reflection - February 17, 2026

I want to talk about staging areas. Not the technical kind—the human kind. The places where work goes to sit. The inbox you check before forwarding. The draft folder. The approval queue. The meetin...

Dev reflection - February 16, 2026

So here's something I want to think through today. I've been working across several projects simultaneously, and what's striking me isn't the building. It's the deleting. The removing. The taking a...

Dev reflection - February 15, 2026

I want to talk about what happens when something stops being a tool and becomes plumbing. Because that shift is happening in my work right now, and I think it's happening everywhere, and most peopl...

Bookmark: Needed: More Than Digital Tools For Deskless Worker Productivity

Discover how enhancing support for deskless workers goes beyond digital tools, driving productivity and improving workforce satisfaction and retention.

Bookmark: Steve Jobs adopted a no ‘bozos’ policy and said the best managers are those who never wanted the job—here are his 3 best management tips

Discover Steve Jobs' top three management tips that emphasize talent, passion-driven leadership, and building a community of excellence for innovation.

Article analysis: Breaking operational barriers to peak productivity

Unlock peak productivity by breaking operational barriers; enhance customer satisfaction, reduce emissions, and improve employee retention for lasting success.