It is essential to know where we want to go. Otherwise, we will end up very fast, very far away in a place we don't want to be."
- Ana Melikian

In this episode, Ana Melikian delves into the second crucial mindset shift needed to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for positive and sustainable change. Ana challenges the common "do more with less" philosophy that dominates the business world, highlighting its risks for driving burnout and disengagement. Instead, she presents a compelling framework—the burnout-engage matrix—mapped across energy and connection, to help us assess where we stand and how to move towards energized, purposeful engagement in our work.

Ana invites us to reflect on the real impact of AI: Are we simply trying to squeeze more productivity out of ourselves and our teams, or are we intentionally using new technologies to create a better future? Through practical examples and her signature four-quadrant matrix, Ana explains how we can avoid the burnout trap and instead leverage AI to amplify our positive impact while safeguarding our well-being.

She underscores that navigating the 'hundred-foot AI wave' is not a solo endeavor, but a team sport—requiring diverse voices and shared commitments from technologists, HR professionals, leaders, and frontline workers alike. By adopting a new mindset and working together, we can build a workplace culture that sustains both high performance and human connection.

Let’s dive in!

This week on the MINDSET ZONE podcast:

00:00 Experiment: Why am I so tired?

01:13 Introducing the second AI mindset shift

02:25 The "do more with less" trap in AI adoption

03:40 Productivity gains: What do we do with saved time?

04:56 Burnout prevention and the "Why am I" experiment

06:13 The four-quadrant burnout-engage matrix explained

08:31 Mapping energy and connection

09:47 Understanding the burnout

12:59 Moving teams to the engaged zone

14:20 Surfing the AI wave as a team sport

15:13 Leveraging AI together for a better future

16:36 Next episode teaser and closing thoughts

Meet Your Host:

Ana Melikian, Ph.D., advises leaders on how to amplify impact while avoiding burnout. She is passionate about teaching others how to unlock their human potential using simple and powerful approaches such as her P.I.E. method.