Hi there,

The smartest managers I know aren't waiting. They're already using AI to save hours every week.

If you're wondering whether it's safe to use AI at work, you're not alone.

I was amazed to read that according to Deloitte, nearly one in three UK employees are already paying for their own AI tools because their companies haven't caught up with policy or training.

But leadership means moving ahead thoughtfully—not waiting. AI is moving through the world of work like a rocket, and if you wait, you're going to get left behind.

This is even more important because I've found that the best way to learn AI is to experiment with it.

In this week's video I'm sharing three safe, practical ways to use AI at work, based on what I've tested in my own workflow and with clients.

Let me tell you where I started.

At first, I was randomly prompting ChatGPT, watching YouTube tutorials, and trying to implement what I found. I learned a few things—but I was fishing. There was no structure, and not much value I could use day to day.

Then I flipped the question:

Instead of "What can AI do?", I asked "Where am I wasting time right now that AI could help me with?"

That changed everything. In the video I explain what happened.

Here are three things you can try this week that have made it consistently into my workflow:

1. Firstly, Work in the safe zone If you're using a free tool like ChatGPT or Claude, avoid putting anything sensitive into your prompts. Use "Person A" or "Client X" instead of real names. Masking your input still gives you useful answers without any risk. If you have a paid tool, make sure you turn your data privacy settings on—it's not automatic.

2. Make follow-ups frictionless One of my biggest time drains used to be meeting follow-ups. I knew they were important—I just hated doing them. Now, I record a quick voice note after the meeting, paste the transcript into my AI tool, and ask for a summary. What used to take 15 minutes now takes three.

3. Don't start with a blank page Whether it's a team update or a stakeholder email, stop starting from scratch. Jot rough notes or speak into your phone, then let your AI tool shape the first draft. You'll still tweak it—but you'll get there faster.

I break all of this down in this week’s video: 3 Safe Ways to Use AI at Work (That’ll Save You Hours) watch it here​

This is the first video in a full series designed to help managers experiment with AI confidently and practically. Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’d like to follow the full series as it unfolds.

Got questions or challenges with AI? Just hit reply — I respond to every message.

Have a great week.

Best,

Helen

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