“Listen to the naysayers” — regurgitating my own advice

The advice I gave on this 2024 podcast matches my current argument about AI.

I’ve been speaking out on about how we should be listening to the reluctant adopters and resisters of AI.

The relevant question starts at 14:02:

“What are some best practices you would give as you coach team members in saying, "Hey maybe we pull the plug on this?”

At 15:30 I say:

“Listen to the naysayers. Whenever you start something new, you have those people on the team who are resisting it. . .

We want to listen . . . Take note of those things because their concerns are the things we want to keep an eye on.”

— Kate Sharp | SaaS Therapy Podcast | September 11, 2024

At the time of this recording, I represented a company that taught and led digital change management at the organizational level for America’s top businesses.

We were very tech forward and fast-moving—and we were also very progressive when it came to human-centered change.

I was head of our client-facing teams. In this podcast, I was discussing to rolling out new programs that impacted our team members, customers, and business outcomes. Amid the pressure to move quickly, my best advice was: always listen to the reluctant adopters.

Today, I’m advocate for restraint in AI, for not developing technology faster than we can do so responsibly and ethically, and for listening to, rather than ignoring, or shaming the reluctant adopters.

For references, here are some of the posts and comments I’ve made on Linkedin, from earliest to latest:

1. Reese Witherspoon uncovered the concern for women resisting AI, but in my experience, it's the college-age generation that is decidedly fearful of it.

2. Can someone tell me why I should be less disturbed than I am about this quote from Sam Altman in 2015?

3. If the benefits of the increased productivity can be shared equally, it will be a wonderful advance for all humanity.” When have we ever shared anything equally?

4. “Rachel Cohen, Eventually, we will have to figure out how to make it more sustainable and how to protect jobs." There's valid concern that we won't get there, that AI is built on a myth pushed to us by AI companies acting like empires.

5. Are you also seeing AI resisters shamed or ignored? When did we stop listening to reluctant adopters of technology?

My advocacy is casual and haphazard, as my current focus is on my coaching and Yoga Teacher Training. If you’re interested in helping me take this work to the next level, I’d love to know how you can help.