Episode 258: HR News: The Great Flattening and the AI Future of Middle Management with Blair Doran 

by | Jun 25, 2026 | Episodes | 0 comments

In episode 258, Coffey talks with Blair Doran about the “Great Flattening” of middle management, AI adoption in HR, and the thawing job market’s impact on employee retention.  They discuss the Great Flattening and the causes of middle management cuts; the risk of losing institutional culture and coaching capacity when middle managers are eliminated; poor selection criteria for promoting individual contributors into management roles without leadership training; AI adoption shifting employee self-service away from managers and freeing them for strategic work; HR’s evolving role in understanding business operations rather than acting purely as a compliance gatekeeper; state-level AI employment law developments in Colorado, Illinois, and New York amid federal disparate impact uncertainty; confidentiality and trade secret risks when employees use AI for brainstorming and content creation; a recent study comparing passive AI cut-and-paste use versus active AI collaboration on employee engagement and output quality; job security concerns and the thawing job market’s effect on long-tenured employee retention; and proactive employee engagement strategies to prevent turnover before it becomes a retention crisis.

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Blair Doran

About Blair Doran

Blair Doran is the founder of Good HR, a consulting firm that helps small and mid-sized businesses build practical, people-focused HR programs that support growth while staying compliant. With more than 15 years of HR experience, Blair partners with leadership teams across a variety of industries on everything from employee relations, compliance, benefits, compensation, and leave management to recruiting, manager development, and organizational strategy.

What sets Blair apart is her ability to make HR approachable. She believes HR shouldn’t just be about policies and paperwork—it should help businesses make better decisions, build stronger teams, and create workplaces where employees can do their best work.

As a trusted advisor to business owners and executives, Blair is known for bringing a practical, real-world perspective to today’s workplace challenges, helping organizations navigate everything from complex compliance issues to evolving workforce trends.

When she’s not supporting clients, Blair enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and toy poodle, Teddy, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Contact Blair Doran

www.goodhumanresource.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdoran

https://www.instagram.com/goodhrllc/

 

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