Insights & Industry Expertise | Karman Digital

#67 - Human Impact & Relationship Intelligence

Written by Monalisa Chanakira | Jun 30, 2026 10:56:43 AM

In episode #67 of PodSpot Jon Pittham is joined by Sarah McDevitt, Senior Director of Partner Strategy, Operations & Capabilities at HubSpot, to explore one of the biggest questions facing organisations today: as AI becomes part of everyday business, what makes human relationships more valuable than ever?

Drawing on the themes of her new book, Sarah introduces the concept of relationship intelligence and explains why the strongest competitive advantage in an AI-enabled world won't come from technology alone. Instead, it will come from the way people build trust, understand context, make decisions and create meaningful connections that technology simply cannot replicate.

The conversation looks at why so much valuable knowledge still exists outside CRM systems and what organisations need to do to capture that intelligence without creating additional administrative burden. Jon and Sarah discuss how AI can help enrich customer understanding, improve decision-making and support better outcomes, provided the right foundations are already in place.

They also explore the practical role of CRM as the foundation for AI, why context is becoming just as valuable as data, and how businesses can start preparing for AI agents by improving processes, encouraging adoption and building trust with their teams.

Whether you're leading a professional services firm, working in financial services or helping organisations get more value from HubSpot, this episode offers practical thinking on balancing technology with human capability. It's a conversation about using AI to amplify what people do best, creating stronger customer relationships and building businesses that are ready for what's coming next.

 

If you’d like to learn more about HubSpot or digital transformation, get in touch. We’re ready to help you unleash the potential of digital in your organisation.

 

Key discussion points:

  • 03:00 – What Is Relational Intelligence?
  • 11:39 – CRM as Foundation & the Context Layer for Agents
  • 15:44 – Judgment Mapping & Process Design
  • 25:00 – Human Capability Consulting & Hybrid Teams
  • 29:00 – Safety, Guardrails & Regulated Industries