If your organization still views HR as the compliance cops standing by to squash complaints about an AI mandate, this episode is going to upend that thinking. David sits down with Tim Fisher—Head of AI at Black & White Zebra and longtime observer of organizational behavior—to dissect the real challenge of AI adoption in business. What he’s learned from being an “HR outsider” is simple but staggering: most companies are treating AI like a tech rollout when the real work is massive human change at scale—the kind of transformation HR has always lived in, even if others failed to notice.

From the cavernous disconnect between what HR is being asked to do with AI and what they’re actually equipped to do, to why HR leaders must be at the table before strategy is set (not as cleanup crew), today’s conversation strips away the myth of AI as just another productivity tool. Tim and David map the human, technical, and leadership gaps that are shaping every AI effort today—and why success in 2026 will look nothing like a rushed compliance sprint.

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You can count system uptime down to six decimal places and predict when a machine will fail — but when it comes to your employees, you’re flying blind. You track turnover, burnout rates, engagement scores — but those are all lagging indicators, the wreckage after the crash. You’ve no real idea what’s happening beneath the surface: who’s sliding into despair, clutching exhaustion, or on the edge of burnout. If you wait until the metrics hit “bad,” it’s already too late.

Today’s guest, John Moore, pulls back the curtain: “state of mind” isn’t fuzzy, academic fluff — it’s the most predictive risk factor you've been ignoring. And if you treat your workforce like a homogeneous mass, you’ll keep missing the parts that matter: the micro‑cultures. Because what actually shapes behavior is not enterprise‑wide culture slogans, but the day‑to‑day dynamic between a manager and their team.

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Most leaders are waiting for a perfect AI strategy. Meanwhile, their teams are already experimenting — just not out in the open. Charlene Li joins me to talk about the real blockers to AI adoption inside organizations, and it’s not the tech. It’s fear, control, and a lack of imagination.

We unpack why chasing ROI misses the point, how cultural mindsets shape our fears, and what it really takes to build AI fluency across your team — starting with yourself. If you’re still stuck in “pilot mode,” this conversation is your wake-up call.

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• Connect with Charlene on LinkedIn
• Check out Quantum Networks Group

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