Call A Time Out

Written By Jeremy Utley

“Wait a minute. WAIT. Time out.”

The interruption startled me. I was just about to make a personal disclosure I to a new colleague. I had said, “I’ll say this privately: …” when the, “Wait a minute. WAIT. Time out.” interruption came.

Ise Lyfe — not only as the Founder and CEO of Lyfe Productives, but also as a community organizer, justice advocate, and educator — has clearly learned how to establish psychological safety.

“I’m safe. Whatever you’re about to say, you have to know: I’m never repeating it. Not later today, not in ten years. Never…”

An unexpected relief washed over me.

“Oh, and thank you for your trust in me. Now go ahead, what were you saying?”

There’s so much to unpack there, but I’m just going to let it sit.

Worth reading it again and not just memorizing the script, but asking yourself: is it true?

Related: Create Psychological Safety
Related: Court Approachability

Click here to subscribe to Paint & Pipette, the weekly digest of these daily posts.

Featured
From Authorship To Stewardship
From Authorship To Stewardship

This Week: Guest Post from Brice Challamel , Head of AI Strategy and Adoption at OpenAI — If AI can draft the memo, build the deck, and prototype the product, what exactly is the professional's contribution? Brice says it's not "less" — it's "different." Read his case for the shift from authorship to stewardship.

It's a Skill, Not a Pill
It's a Skill, Not a Pill

A 40% quality boost, available to anyone. Taken up by fewer than 3% of the workforce (and that number is going down, not up). At Wharton this week, I accidentally said the thing that explains why.

Your AI Dashboard Is Lying to You (And What to Measure Instead)
Your AI Dashboard Is Lying to You (And What to Measure Instead)

The engineer who experiments with 40 prompts shows up on the dashboard. The finance manager who quietly kills three recurring reports doesn't — even though she's the one who actually changed. A guest post from Logitech's Head of Global AI.

The Rising Opportunity Cost of Being Human
The Rising Opportunity Cost of Being Human

AI can make you 100x more productive at work, and make being present at home feel 100x more expensive. That tension isn’t just personal weakness. It’s a new economic reality.

Are You More of What You Value?
Are You More of What You Value?

I almost moved a family trip for two business opportunities. That moment made me ask a question I think every AI power user needs to sit with: What if your biggest AI risk isn’t bad output, but a misallocated life?

I Have a Team (A Collection of “Wherewithal Moments”)
I Have a Team (A Collection of “Wherewithal Moments”)

I'd been stuck for weeks — not because the technology wasn't available, but because I hadn't thought to ask. I've started calling these 'wherewithal moments.' They're hard to manufacture. But they compound.

Do You Feel The Pain Of Idle Agents?
Do You Feel The Pain Of Idle Agents?

Most people treat AI like a better search engine. The few who've broken through treat it like a team that never sleeps. If you don't feel the pain of idle agents, you haven't grasped what's available to you.

Diversify Your Bets
Diversify Your Bets

Finance 101 says diversification — holding a broad range of investments from safe bonds to growth equities — is the best way to reduce your risk and maximize return. So why is your AI strategy all municipal bonds?

The Imagination Ceiling: Why 70% of Your People Are Stuck on AI
The Imagination Ceiling: Why 70% of Your People Are Stuck on AI

AI adoption is plateauing. I analyzed 5,000 anonymous survey responses looking for the culprit. I found it. And it's not what I expected.

Close the Loop
Close the Loop

A senior executive called to tell me my talk was "one of three ingredients in the best idea I've ever had." That almost never happens. Here's why it should.

Jeremy Utley
Previous

Embrace Constraints
Next

Normalize Growth