AI Derangement Syndrome

Good Morning!

As AI fever sweeps through every industry, leaders everywhere are asking the same question: how do we actually get our teams to adopt it?

Agile teams stand out not because they have flashier tech, but because they embrace experimentation, flexibility, and continuous learning. Let’s explore what makes the difference between merely using AI and truly thriving with it.

⬇️ Upcoming in this issue

• 🏢🏠️ The Office Tug-of-War | Latest Research

• 🤖 Chasing the AI Mirage: What CEOs Get Wrong

• 🌞 Summer’s Balancing Act: Why Workers Struggle to Log Off

• 🤖 Why Agile Cultures Win at AI (and Others Fall Behind)

Overwhelmed by HR Software Options? 😵

I get it, you've got a lot on your plate and don't have time to become an expert in the ever-evolving world of HR tech.

That's why I recommend SSR's free HR software matching service — perfect for HR teams who need help selecting the right HR tools. After asking you a few quick questions, SSR’s HR experts will tailor a custom vendor shortlist for you and support your buying process.

This is a free service and there is no obligation to choose a particular solution (they are vendor-agnostic), and have a 4.9/5 star rating from the HR teams they’ve helped.

Save yourself time, stress, and guesswork, let SSR handle it!

📰 Latest in HR News

• Gordon Ramsay rants prompt research into abusive bosses

• HR leaders confident in tackling 2025 challenges

• Ghost job ads growing 'common' in recruitment, report finds

• 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Bringing AI Into Your Company

🏢🏠️ The Office Tug-of-War | Latest Research

This year, almost half of knowledge workers say their employers rolled out stricter return-to-office (RTO) mandates. And an astonishing 82% of them report new or expanded RTO rules.

Latest research unpacks a shifting landscape where flexibility, retention, and legal risks collide, leaving companies navigating more than just desk assignments. The more employers push, the more talent seems to resist — and the stakes are only rising.

Key Insights

• 🚨 66% of workers are actively job-hunting due to RTO mandates, with Gen Z (84%) and millennials (79%) leading the exodus.

• 📉 Companies with RTO mandates face 44% greater retention challenges, compared to just 34% at firms without such rules.

• ⚖️ 56% of HR leaders report a surge in legal accommodation requests, as workers push back on new in-office requirements.

• 💰 Two-thirds of employees wouldn’t trade remote work for a 15% raise, while 70% would consider quitting over full-time office demands.

read the full 570-word article here

🤖 Chasing the AI Mirage: What CEOs Get Wrong

CEOs are under crushing pressure from their boards to prove that AI saves money, slashes jobs, and boosts the bottom line. What’s driving this frenzy? Unrealistic expectations, misinformation, and the irresistible dream of quick fixes that rarely materialize.

Key Insights

• 📊 74% of CEOs fear job loss without AI progress, while 66% feel direct board pressure to show hard financial results.

• 🛑 One-third of AI projects are effectively fake, offering no meaningful innovation despite flashy AI labels slapped on them.

• 💡 87% of CEOs mistakenly believe off-the-shelf LLMs can transform work, ignoring the need for costly, specialized training.

• 🤯 Some CEOs think LLMs could replace board members, showing a striking disconnect from the actual limits of current AI tools.

read the full 870-word article here

😄 Comic Relief (HR Edition)

🌞 Summer’s Balancing Act: Why Workers Struggle to Log Off

As summer rolls in, most employees crave more than just sunshine, they’re desperate for work-life balance. Despite this, many feel intense pressure to keep up the same productivity, even as they dream of extra-long lunches, early logoffs, or sneaky three-day weekends.

The tension between wanting to unplug and fearing the fallout is shaping how workers navigate vacation time, office expectations, and even their own well-being.

Key Insights

• 📈 79% of employees feel pressured to maintain summer productivity, even though most crave better work-life balance for well-being.

• 🕶️ Only 37% can fully disconnect on vacation, down sharply from 47% in 2023 — a troubling trend year over year.

• 💸 71% worry they can’t take summer breaks, citing cost, packed schedules, or lack of vacation days as major barriers.

• 🏖️ Managers play a key role in modeling disconnecting, helping reduce time-off stigma and encouraging healthier workplace cultures.

(read the full 620-word article here)

🤖 Why Agile Cultures Win at AI (and Others Fall Behind)

When it comes to building an AI-ready culture, the biggest challenge is getting people to embrace change. Teams stuck in rigid workflows resist, backslide, or fail to see results, even when the tools are available.

But one group stands apart: agile teams, who are three times more likely to fully integrate AI compared to their less agile peers.

Key Insights

• 📊 Fully agile marketers are 3x more likely to implement AI than somewhat agile teams — and non-agile teams aren’t adopting it at all.

• 🧩 Servant leadership, not mandates, drives AI adoption, as teams need support, coaching, and help navigating compliance and change fears.

• ⚡ Autonomy and focused experimentation fuel success, giving teams room to test, prioritize, and improve without getting stuck in decision fatigue.

• 🧠 Agile mindset matters more than practices, ensuring teams stay adaptable, customer-focused, and continuously improving as AI tools evolve.

(read the full 870-word article here)