Anthropic exec uses Claude to coach her team

Anthropic product executive Dianne Penn said she uses the company's flagship AI model, Claude, to prepare for difficult workplace conversations and coach her direct reports. Penn described the approach on an episode of "Lenny's Podcast" released Sunday, and said she has shared it with other managers at Anthropic.

"That's actually a thing that I've been sharing more with our managers, of okay, how do you actually use Claude to make you a better coach, because it's hard sometimes to find the right perfect words, and the models have a lot of perfect and right words," Penn said.

Penn, who has served as Anthropic's head of product management for research and labs since 2023, said she has encouraged team members to use AI to have "better conversations with each other" and be better managers. She built a custom Claude skill inspired by the book "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High." The skill helps her assess whether she is going into the right level of detail for a given situation.

"I actually have a skill that helps me figure out – am I going in the right level of detail given the situation at hand, and actually helping me be a better manager and better supporter for the team," she said.

Penn framed the model as a "thinking partner" that should push back rather than just agree. She said she forms her own point of view first, then uses Claude to refine ideas and brainstorm reactions. The tool, she said, is "almost like individualized personalized coaching."