TODAY’S THOUGHTS ☠️

Hey friend 👋,

Its June, like…how…how did we get here so fast?

That’s the current conversation in my head.

As we’ve reached the mid-way point of 2026, I thought we could take some time to pause and reflect on some of the big themes, important conversations and best thoughts of the year so far.

So, today, we’re exploring the best thoughts, playbooks and ideas shared in the newsletter in 2026 so far.

Get your tea or beverage of choice ready 🍵.

We've got lots to discuss!

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IN THIS DROP 📔

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THE BIG THOUGHT 👀

I know roundups are generally saved for the end of year, but I've never been one to follow "the rules".

So... it's been another busy period (aren't they all), and I've been speaking a lot about AI in L&D (as we all are). Yet, in the first half of the year, I've probably been at my most provocative on using AI in work and life.

That's not a bad thing, imo.

There's a lot of noise out there. For the most part, it's the same stuff being spouted again and again with little uniqueness or any worthwhile point of view. Again, my opinion. My goal has been to not add to that.

Instead, I've been trying to stretch thinking on how we choose to use AI both collectively and as individuals. As everyone is using AI now, we have no need to be in stupid debates about who does and doesn't use it. We all do, and if you don't you probably should.

Saying that, this thinking gave rise to quite a number of deep thoughts from moi over these past 6 months.

This one on "How to avoid being 'perfectly average with AI" is still one of my favs. It's a little bit of a warning to relying too much on that magic powder and what could become of you if you don't consider moderation. That thread continues in another piece where I examined the 5 human skills that will matter more in the age of AI. It's not a spoiler to say all of them are uniquely human.

In late March I was finally able to release a piece of research I was tangled in for at least 6 weeks. That was discovering what were the best zero-cost AI fluency courses for L&D pros today. Some say they suffer for their art, and at times, I certainly did for this one. So, if you're looking to get the best learning experience on meaningfully working with AI for little to no money, I went through all this just for you.

Obviously, I decided I hadn't suffered for my art enough because in April, I went on to launch an even bigger project which I'm still pumping out insights on right now.

That came in the form of an in-development 8-part series for my premium newsletter readers focussed on "How to launch a successful AI-powered L&D product in your organisation".

Part one where I unpack The (Hidden) System Behind Every Successful AI Product Launch was probably one of the most popular things I've ever written, and in part 2, I broke down how to align, navigate and manage stakeholders when launching an AI-powered L&D product. I'm telling you, not even Marvel superheroes could keep up with this output.

I'm totally surprised I didn't gas out by this point.

But again, I continue on for my art!

In the last few months, I've been getting deeper into my thinking on thriving with AI. This led me to investigate why you need to know what not to do with AI and thinking out loud on how we all stay sharp + human in this AI era. Both incredibly important topics (biased, of course) and ones I will be expanding on in the rest of 2026.

Of course, that's not everything. But your attention span is probably already melting at this point so here's a listicle of 'everything else' to conserve your brainpower:

That's it for now, folks.

Much more to come in 2026, including my updated playbook on “How to build a modern L&D team” and the “Skills L&D teams need to thrive today” coming this summer.

The newsletter exclusive summer series of live talks on AI and the future of work will continue too.

I have two big guest announcements to share with you in the coming weeks. So, I’m not slowing down at STT HQ.

See you next time.

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VIDEO THOUGHTS 💾

In tis video, I break down one of the most underrated skills in the workplace: distilling complex information into clear, actionable insights.

And now, with AI, this skill becomes even more powerful.

I’ll walk you through how to merge human judgment with AI tools like Notebook LM, Claude, and Gemini to enhance your research, challenge assumptions, and present information in a way that truly serves your audience.

Enjoy 😊.

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