Thought-provoking Things Worth Sharing - Issue #159
Anyone Overwhelmed Yet?
The last time I sent something to your inbox was two weeks ago, yet there seems to be six months’ worth of news. There has been so much, whether you want to talk about politics, world events, weather, or AI.
Welcome to this week’s collection of thought-provoking things. For each issue, I’ll share information about careers and workplace culture, mental health in the workplace, talent development, and important information about privacy, security, and legal tech.
You can find out all about me here - Mike McBride Online.
For example, in Baton Rouge, we had the second-highest snowfall total ever, and that night, we had the second-lowest temperature ever. A week later, it was almost 80 degrees Fahrenheit—a near-record-high temperature for the day.
Yet, that whiplash pales in comparison to the political news in the US and the flood of AI updates that many of us are expected to keep up with personally and professionally.
For example, last weekend, I spent a lot of time researching the Microsoft Copilot rebrand and launch for personal users and trying to understand the questions and confusion generated. Early Monday morning, I was asked whether I had looked at DeepSeek. It was not said with the expectation that I had; it was merely a question, but it hit me hard.
It never ends. There is always something else to read, test, research, etc.
I can’t make it stop, but I can ensure I’m taking care of myself and letting other people tell me about new tools instead of feeling like I must try them all out.
This edition does not include DeepSeek information. Others have it covered, and that’s the beauty of the Internet: Someone has it covered and can help us learn. I don’t have to harm my mental health doing everything.
Speaking of which, who do you follow to keep up with all things AI? Drop a suggestion.
Careers and the Workplace
These are risks when it comes to employee retention and engagement. Treating your employees as if they could only be the best of the best is not dealing with reality, and most employees will not enjoy working for a boss who has trouble with reality. It is implausible that everyone in the organization is an exceptional hire. Accept that. It's OK. Companies have worked with many average folks who do a solid job for decades. It works and allows you to reward and recognize exceptional achievements instead of always downplaying them.
I’ve been telling you this for years. Learn to communicate and tell stories! - Using Communication Skills To Build A Stronger Career.
I will drop this here - Remote Companies Grow Twice as Fast.
Artificial Intelligence
Is AI on the Internet of Things Path?
The real question is not whether they add it but how. The Internet of Things created many insecure devices because people slapped an internet connection on things that weren't needed without considering making them safe or usable. Networks got hacked through fish tanks, and people were terrorized by someone taking control of their smart homes. Forcing internet connections on everything turned out not to be so great.
Will forcing AI into everything have a similar result?
Linked - Microsoft Reduces Office's Functionality to Push You Towards Copilot
Hey, look, Microsoft isn't just putting Copilot everywhere and forcing personal users to opt in and pay more for it; they're also turning off features that Copilot can perform instead for anyone who opts out, like Smart Lookup.
This Copilot rebranding was so bad I had to put out a newsletter special edition for it:
I agree with this, but someone should ensure millions of managers get the memo before firing the humans. - The Human Edge: How AI Can Assist But Never Replace
Mental Health in the Workplace
Linked - Always On Guard: The Mental Health Cost of Cyber Threat Awareness
It can be exhausting and stressful. Although the constant stream of information and change might be what life is like in our world, this doesn't make it less impactful on our mental health.
In case you need a reminder, Changing jobs is a big move, but it’s worth considering if your workplace is toxic.
Reference material - Article: Prioritising mental health: A guide to building supportive work cultures.
Also this:
Privacy, Security, and Legal Tech
This is too often overlooked for something identified as too often overlooked years ago - Insider Threats: The Overlooked Risks of Departing Employees and Sensitive Data.
Oh no - Employees Enter Sensitive Data Into GenAI Prompts Too Often. Is this a training issue to help explain how AI tools work or a general lack of understanding of sensitive data?
Data breaches haven’t gone away. Let’s face it: our data has been breached so many times. Do we pay attention to notifications any longer? - Near-Record Number of Compromises, Reports ITRC.
This could be a thing to worry about. Who am I kidding? What isn’t a thing to worry about these days? - Get ready for Shadow Agentic AI in 2025!
That’s all, folks. If you found something interesting in this week’s newsletter, please share it with your friends. It’s the best way to help support the effort I put in each week to share this with you.