---
id: "action-acknowledge-threats"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ Acknowledge."]
tags: ["leadership", "communication"]
related: ["framework-aware", "quote-fear-or-curiosity", "concept-psychological-needs-triad"]
action: "Openly discuss how new AI tools might threaten workers' roles and self-worth before implementation."
outcome: "Builds psychological safety and reduces quiet resistance."
speakers: ["Erik Hermann", "Stefano Puntoni", "Carey K. Morewedge"]
sources: ["adoption"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-adoption"
originDay: 9
articleStem: "hbr-sig-52-genai-threatening-to-workers"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/03/why-gen-ai-feels-so-threatening-to-workers"
sourceTitle: "Why Gen AI Feels So Threatening to Workers"
---
# Proactively Acknowledge Psychological Threats

**Action:** Before deploying a new Gen AI tool, leaders must explicitly acknowledge that the technology may feel threatening to workers' **competence** and **self-worth**. Open a dialogue about its implications rather than suppressing concerns.

**Outcome:** Builds psychological safety and reduces quiet resistance.

This is the **Acknowledge** step of [[framework-aware]], framed by [[quote-fear-or-curiosity]] and targeting the [[concept-psychological-needs-triad]]. Suppressed concerns tend to resurface as [[concept-maladaptive-coping]].