A few days ago I was at a specialist appointment with one of my kids. At some point the conversation turned to teen fatigue across the school week – the kind of bone-tired-by-Thursday feeling that a lot of parents will recognise. The specialist responded in a very matter-of-fact way: “It’s cognitive load”. I thought about that… Read More It’s Not Just the Tech: The Hidden Cognitive Load of the Physical Workplace
I’m trying to walk more at the moment, and walking means alone time, pondering, and ideas… and more writing. The concept of cognitive load has been on my mind, which I think was triggered by a small, unremarkable moment. I was trying to find a file. I couldn’t remember if it was in Teams, SharePoint,… Read More The Hidden Cost of Tool Sprawl: What It’s Actually Doing to Your Brain
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I use AI regularly and benefit from doing faster work, help thinking more clearly on hard days, and getting through content I’d otherwise struggle to start. But I’ve also caught myself wondering… am I building a crutch? Given how passionate I am about Executive Functions, and how… Read More AI and Executive Functions: Is It Helping or Harming You?
I was at the Digital Workplace Conference in Melbourne last week and kept hearing people talk about Skills in Copilot Cowork. It stopped me in my tracks. Not because the concept was unfamiliar, but because I’ve spent the last couple of months exploring and building Skills in Claude. And suddenly the same word was being… Read More Same word. Two very different things. My confusion with ‘Skills’ in AI
Last week was a big one.I moved through analysis, content, ideation… the kind of work that would normally take me days of circling, drafting, second guessing. By Friday I realised I’d pushed through what would usually be a week, or even a month. And instead of feeling proud, I felt… off. Not tired in a… Read More AI overwhelm: when the pace feels… off
Last month I wrote about my first experiences with Claude. I ended that post promising month two would get more interesting. Oh, it did. This month I set myself a comparison activity. I’d already built a personal coaching companion as a Skill in Claude, just as a side project. A test case. Now I wanted… Read More Month two with Claude (and Copilot): the day I built a coach as a Copilot Agent
A month ago, I was given access to Claude at work. To help prepare for further roll out, client work, and grow my understanding of AI in general, I made a deliberate decision: I was going to use Claude properly. Not just dabble. Not just throw it the occasional prompt and see what came back.… Read More Month 1 with Claude: From Curious Click to Skill Builder
Organisations aren’t short on technology. We have collaboration platforms, analytics tools, automation, AI copilots, and more “productivity” features than most people know what to do with. Yet despite the constant investment, many teams still default to old habits, shadow systems, or partial use of the tools designed to help them work better. This isn’t a… Read More Why Employee Engagement Is the Missing Link in Technology Adoption
Support tool or slippery slope? Lately, I’ve noticed more conversations (and questions) about using AI for quick answers, brainstorming, and following ideas at speed, particularly from people with ADHD. I also recently saw some stats about the higher benefit of AI for neurodivergent folk beyond that for neurotypical.On the surface, it makes a lot of… Read More AI, Instant Answers, and the ADHD Brain
The Technology Acceptance Model, or TAM, is basically a way to figure out why people decide to use (or not use) new technology at work. It was created back in 1989 by Davis, and it boils down to two big questions: “Will this help me do my job better?” (that’s perceived usefulness) and “Is this… Read More What is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and how could it help you?