By Stephanie Holmgren, Vice President of Client Services
We have more workplace technology than ever before. So why does getting one useful piece of information sometimes feel like so much work?
You’re preparing for a difficult conversation with an employee. You open your calendar to remind yourself what the meeting is about. Then you log into another platform to look up the employee. You find their behavioral profile. You open a report. Maybe you download it. Then you pull up your notes from your last one-on-one.
And if you want AI to help you prepare? You may find yourself copying and pasting information into yet another tool, adding context, checking that you haven’t shared something you shouldn’t, and trying to formulate exactly the right prompt.
Click. Search. Copy. Paste. Switch tabs. Cross-reference. Repeat.
By the time you have what you need, you’ve spent ten minutes trying to answer a question that should have taken two.
This is one of the reasons I’m so excited about Obi by The Predictive Index.
Obi isn’t interesting simply because it’s another AI tool. There are plenty of those.
The real advantage is that Obi combines AI with behavioral intelligence grounded in your organization’s existing PI data. That changes how managers can actually use behavioral data in the moments that matter.
The Problem Isn’t Always the Data. It’s Getting to It.
Imagine a manager named Sarah.
She’s about to meet with one of her employees, Marcus, to discuss a missed deadline.
Sarah knows Marcus is a strong employee, and she wants the conversation to be productive rather than discouraging. Her organization uses The Predictive Index, so she knows there are behavioral insights available that could help her understand how Marcus prefers to communicate and receive information.
But Sarah has a meeting in 15 minutes.
She opens Marcus’s PI information.
Then her notes.
Then the project details.
Then perhaps a separate AI tool.
She starts copying and pasting.
“Here’s the situation…”
Then:
“Here’s some information about the employee…”
Then:
“Help me prepare for this conversation…”
The information exists. The behavioral data exists. The AI exists.
But they’re disconnected.
And that friction matters more than we sometimes acknowledge.
When using a tool requires too many extra steps, people stop using it—especially busy managers.
Now Imagine the Same Manager Using Obi
Sarah opens Obi and asks for help preparing for the conversation with Marcus.
Obi can draw on the behavioral information already available within PI, along with the context Sarah provides, to create personalized guidance for that conversation. PI describes Obi as behavioral intelligence grounded in more than 70 years of PI behavioral science and an organization’s actual PI data.
Instead of generic advice like:
“Be clear, empathetic and provide constructive feedback.”
Sarah can get guidance informed by how Marcus actually works and communicates.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
Sarah isn’t being asked to become a PI expert in the five minutes before her meeting. She isn’t trying to interpret several reports or transfer behavioral data between systems.
She can ask a question in plain language and turn trusted behavioral data into practical action.
That’s the game changer.
AI Becomes More Valuable When It Knows Your People
General AI is remarkably useful. But when it comes to managing people, generic advice has obvious limitations.
AI doesn’t automatically know that two people sitting in the same meeting may process information very differently.
It doesn’t know who may need time to think before responding, who prefers more autonomy, who wants detailed expectations, or who is energized by a fast-moving conversation.
PI does.
The PI Behavioral Assessment is a scientifically validated workplace assessment designed to measure workplace behavioral drives. Those insights can help organizations better understand how people communicate, collaborate, make decisions and approach their work.
Obi makes that proven behavioral science easier to access and apply.
That’s an important distinction.
The value isn’t AI replacing a manager’s judgment.
It’s AI helping a manager access the right human insight at the right moment.
This Could Be the Missing Piece in AI Adoption
There is another reason I think Obi is particularly interesting for organizations implementing AI.
We’re asking employees to adopt an enormous number of new tools.
Learn this platform.
Add this extension.
Use this prompt library.
Move this information over here.
Now integrate that system with this one.
Eventually, people get tired.
Successful AI adoption isn’t only about having powerful technology. It’s about making the technology easy and worthwhile to use.
Obi has an advantage because many organizations using PI have already done the foundational work. Their people have taken the Behavioral Assessment. The behavioral data is already there.
Obi helps unlock more value from that existing investment by making those insights easier to use in everyday management.
And PI is moving even closer to the literal flow of work. Obi can be used directly within Slack, including asking questions without switching tabs, while PI says a Microsoft Teams integration is also being explored.
That’s where AI adoption gets interesting.
Not:
“Here’s another AI platform. Please learn it.”
But:
“Here’s intelligence you already trust, available when and where you need it.”
From Behavioral Data to Behavioral Intelligence
For years, I’ve helped organizations use PI to understand their people better.
And one of the challenges has never been whether the insights are valuable. They are.
The challenge is turning insight into action consistently.
A manager may understand someone’s Reference Profile after a workshop and then, three months later, struggle to remember exactly how to apply that information during a difficult conversation.
Obi closes that gap.
The manager doesn’t necessarily need to remember every element of PI terminology. They can describe what’s happening:
“I’m giving this person feedback.”
“My employee seems disengaged.”
“Two members of my team aren’t communicating well.”
“I’m meeting with a new employee for their first one-on-one.”
And Obi can help translate behavioral data into a practical starting point for what to do next. PI currently positions Obi for situations including coaching, difficult feedback, conflict, one-on-ones, performance reviews and onboarding.
That’s behavioral intelligence in the flow of work.
The Bigger Opportunity
I don’t think the future of AI at work is simply about having smarter tools.
It’s about having smarter tools with the right context.
For HR leaders, managers and organizations already using The Predictive Index, that’s what makes Obi worth paying attention to.
The behavioral data isn’t sitting in a report waiting for someone to remember it.
It becomes something managers can actually use.
Before the conversation.
During the workday.
When a team is struggling.
When feedback needs to land well.
When a new employee needs support.
When a manager simply isn’t sure what to say next.
AI may provide the speed.
Behavioral intelligence provides the human context.
And when those two come together, we have an opportunity to make AI not just another tool people are expected to adopt, but an effective part of how better leadership happens.
Frequently Asked Questions About Obi by The Predictive Index
What is Obi by The Predictive Index?
Obi is PI’s AI-powered behavioral intelligence tool. It combines AI with PI’s behavioral science and an organization’s PI data to provide personalized guidance for workplace situations such as coaching, feedback, conflict, onboarding, one-on-ones and performance conversations.
How is Obi different from a general AI tool?
The biggest difference is context. Obi is grounded in PI behavioral science and can use behavioral data available within an organization’s PI environment, subject to PI permissions. Rather than relying solely on information entered into a prompt, it can provide guidance informed by the people and organizational context available to it.
Does Obi use Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment data?
Yes. Obi can use PI behavioral data to provide personalized guidance. The PI Behavioral Assessment itself is a scientifically validated workplace assessment backed by more than 70 years of behavioral science.
How can Obi help managers?
Managers can use Obi to prepare for feedback conversations, coaching, conflict resolution, performance reviews, one-on-ones and other situations where understanding someone’s behavioral needs can improve the conversation.
Why could Obi help organizations with AI adoption?
Obi addresses an important barrier to adoption: friction. For organizations already using PI, behavioral information may already exist within the platform. Rather than requiring managers to manually transfer that information into another AI system, Obi can turn existing PI insights into practical guidance more directly. This can make AI feel less like an additional task and more like part of the manager’s existing workflow.
Is Obi intended to replace managers or HR judgment?
No. PI explicitly positions Obi as a tool to inform human decision-making, not make people decisions on someone’s behalf. AI-generated guidance should be treated as a starting point, with people remaining responsible for judgment and high-stakes decisions.
Want to see what behavioral intelligence can look like in the flow of your work? Talk with the MCG Partners PI team about Obi and how your organization can turn the behavioral data you already have into better conversations, stronger managers and more effective teams.
