Using AI to Elevate Manager Effectiveness at Pendo, With Mandala Helping Lead the Way

‍By Jessica Jolley,  Head of Global Talent and People Programs, Pendo

The role of a people leader continues to evolve. We are moving fast, supporting nearly 1,000 employees, and looking for ways to scale our support for people managers in a consistent, practical way that doesn’t add noise or complexity. Mandala's AI Coach helps us move in that direction. It fits the way we work, it matches our pace, and it gives employees meaningful support at the moment they need it. 

The Reality of Scaling People Support

Pendo serves more than 13,000 customers across all industries, and we believe software should evaluate their experiences. When we evaluated our own processes, we asked how we could apply that same thinking to employee support, feedback, and development.

My work at Pendo has centered on building systems that help people learn, grow, and lead with clarity. That focus is shaped by my experience at the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and co-founding Generation Titans, where I saw firsthand how the right tools and structures can expand access, strengthen leadership, and scale impact without adding unnecessary complexity. 

Mandala supports that same approach by combining personalized coaching with practical tools managers can use in real time. For example, a manager can ask for support around a difficult compensation question, and Mandala will offer it using the context in our Core Values.  That level of reach is something we cannot scale through traditional means.

‍

What Impressed Me About Mandala

My work at Pendo has centered on building systems that help people learn, grow, and lead with clarity. That focus is shaped by my experience at the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and co-founding Generation Titans, where I saw how better tools and better structure can expand access, strengthen leadership, and scale impact without adding friction.

Mandala also helps managers prepare for difficult moments that often slow teams down. Managers just simply start a chat with Mandala AI in Slack. Whether it is feedback, performance, or conflict, the tool provides frameworks, practice scenarios, and guidance directly back to the manager. This reduces friction, improves alignment, and strengthens the quality of conversations that drive performance.

The blend of AI-enabled coaching with neuroscience-based learning was another differentiator. Their recent “Power of Pause” session helped our managers better understand stress patterns and how to show up with more stability and presence. The combination of technology and human-led learning is what makes this partnership effective.

I do not expect perfection from any vendor. What we look for is partnership. What impressed me about Tarun and the Mandala team is how quickly they learn and customize. They do not hand off software and disappear. They ask questions, adapt, and stay close to the real problems we are trying to solve.

That level of partnership matters more to me than a polished product with no flexibility.

What My Team Experienced With Mandala

Our People Team piloted Mandala first, and the experience speaks for itself. One manager describes it as "having a thought partner sitting in my computer," someone who helps her frame difficult conversations and document challenges faster and with more clarity. When her team faced morale dips, she turned to Mandala to navigate those moments with more confidence.

Another manager nicknamed the coach "Manny" because the relationship feels personal. For one particularly tough conversation, Mandala helped her script the approach and then gave her the best advice: "Now, do not fill in answers for this person, just let this person talk." As they put it, "I got the best output out of that conversation than any uncomfortable conversation I have ever had." It is not replacing human connection. It is making managers better at the moments that matter most.

‍Looking Ahead: A New Model for People Development 

As we plan for 2026, our goal is to expand Mandala’s reach beyond managers, and into all teams at Pendo. Better coaching, clearer expectations, and stronger leadership behaviors create measurable impact. The outcomes show up in manager effectiveness and more confident decision-making.

Mandala represents a new model for people development: personalized, scalable, and grounded in real work. It supports employees in the moment they need it and helps managers grow in the flow of work. For too long, we've had to choose between personalized support (expensive, hard to scale) and programmatic learning (scalable, but generic). Mandala bridges that gap. It provides personalized coaching that feels human, at a scale that traditional coaching could never achieve.

If you're a people leader at a high-growth company navigating similar challenges, I'd encourage you to explore what Mandala can do. We're just getting started, but I'm already seeing the impact.

And if you want to talk more about what we're building at Pendo, feel free to reach out. We're always looking for great people to join our team.

Learn more about careers at Pendo at www.pendo.io/careers