Workplace Insights by Adrie van der Luijt
Careers aren’t really ladders, they’re more like messy scribbles with occasional moments of clarity. I’ve spent decades watching talented people waste years chasing what they thought they should want rather than what actually suited them.
The posts in this section reflect what I wish someone had told me thirty years ago: that the most successful careers are built on knowing your strengths, acknowledging your limitations and having the courage to navigate workplace politics without becoming what you despise.
Whether you’re just starting out or questioning decades of choices, you’ll find honest reflections on creating a career that works for you rather than burning yourself out for an organisation that sees you as replaceable.
Work-life integration for purpose-driven professionals: A trauma-informed content specialist explains why balance is the wrong goal when your work spans borders and helps vulnerable people.
Five years after the pandemic began, the psychological toll of lockdown is still affecting how people interact with digital public services. This article explains why trauma-informed content design needs to evolve to meet those ongoing needs.
We’re witnessing the end of the traditional mid-tier knowledge worker career. It’s an opportunity to redefine professional value in more uniquely human terms.
The expertise vacuum created by AI poses risks that go far beyond job losses. It threatens to undermine the very foundations of reasoned decision-making within organisations and society more broadly.
A career move can be sideways, diagonal or into territories that aren’t on any organisational chart. The most successful career move isn’t always up.
The EA echo chamber is full of writers, speakers and trainers telling us how to thrive in the workplace. Are there any collective blind spots, any gaps? Can a new trainer or speaker really still add value?
The Senior Managers and Certification Regime forces financial services to prove they’re not harming vulnerable customers. What would happen if government digital projects had to follow the same rules? Drawing on experience with Universal Credit, Cabinet Office COVID response, and other major programmes, this article explores how SMCR would create real accountability for content that works for people in crisis.
Digital inclusion remains an urgent challenge as vulnerable and elderly users face complex barriers to essential services. Learn five strategies for creating truly accessible systems and why AI alone won’t solve these fundamental problems.
Despite decades of digital transformation promises, human customer service interactions have grown by 2% annually. Discover why customer service AI consistently fails to replace human connection and the ethical questions this raises.
The people training your AI chatbots are telling their children never to use them. They’ve seen the rushed timelines, inadequate training data, and ignored safety concerns. They’re experiencing PTSD, moral injury, and relationship breakdowns from the work. If the insiders won’t trust these systems with their 10-year-olds, how are you meeting Consumer Duty obligations by deploying them with financially vulnerable customers?
AI hasn’t created new forms of contractor mistreatment; it’s simply intensified existing patterns. Discover how the excuses change but the bullying stays the same, and learn practical strategies to maintain your professional dignity in the AI era.
Learn how to protect your career and mental health after a failed project. Discover practical strategies from a highly experienced professional who’s survived major project failures while maintaining professional reputation and wellbeing.
The rise of AI is not a threat; it’s an opportunity. To stay relevant, professionals must upskill, build AI literacy, and redefine their roles. Those who do will be more valuable than ever in the AI-driven workplace.
The traditional professional development model relied on a progression that now risks disappearing. Without deliberate intervention, we face not just economic disruption for current mid-tier professionals, but potentially an expertise crisis in the coming decades.
Learn how cultural fluidity becomes a professional superpower in navigating workplace transitions. Discover strategies for transforming imposter syndrome into unique insight across diverse professional environments.
Discover how career risk-taking – whether saying no to prestigious roles or pursuing risky opportunities – can lead to unexpected success. Real-world examples from financial journalism and corporate career decisions.