Every workplace goes through waves of change. Some of it feels exciting. Some can feel exhausting. And some, like adoption of Ai, can feel so big and fast that the natural reaction is to freeze, avoid, or quietly hope it all blows over. (Clue: It’s not going to blow over).
But here’s the thing we all tend to forget. We’ve been here before. Technology has been advancing for years and things that once seemed impossible are now commonplace.
Every major shift in workplace technology has followed the same emotional arc:
1. Suspicion (don’t trust it)
2. Resistance (won’t use it)
3. Experimentation (ok, I’ll try it)
4. Integration (ok, it’s helpful)
5. Dependence (don’t take it away)
Don’t believe us? Here’s a quick blast from the not so distant past.
When email arrived, people said things like: “Why would I type a message when I can just walk over and talk to someone?” and “I just prefer pen and paper”. Today, inboxes run our working lives. We may complain about them, but we couldn’t function without them.
The Internet
Early reactions included: “It’s full of unreliable information.” “It’ll never replace physical libraries.” Now it’s the backbone of every job, every industry, every workflow and it’s in the palm of everyone’s hand.
Smartphones
When smartphones entered the workplace, leaders worried they’d be a distraction. Now they are our calendars, our cameras, our notebooks, our navigation, our everything (maybe even a little too important).
Cloud storage
People immediately resisted the idea of storing files “in a cloud.” “it’ll never catch on”. Now we are so used to the security of knowing something is backed up, even if we still point upwards when we talk about it.
AI is simply the next item of change on this list.
So, why learn to love AI now?
1. Because the world is already changing
AI isn’t coming soon, it’s already here. And the people who thrive won’t be the ones who know the most, but the ones who stay open, adaptable, and willing to learn.
2. Because small steps make a big difference
You don’t need to become an AI expert or automate your entire job. Start small. Try using AI to:
• Draft you a tricky email
• Summarise a long document into chunks
• Brainstorm some ideas
• Create a first draft you can refine
3. Because if you can love AI, it can give you back some time.
Not time to do more work, but time to do the right kind of work, the human work:
• Building relationships
• Solving problems
• Coaching others
• Thinking strategically
• Being creative
The people who start experimenting now, even in tiny, imperfect ways, will feel more confident, more capable, and more in control as AI becomes as normal as an outlook ping or a WhatsApp chime.
Ready to take that first step?
Download our super simple Prompting Playbook for free using the download below. 👇
