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.
A government content designer explores how to build trust in AI-driven public services through trauma-informed approaches, transparency and ethical design principles.
Explore how mental models in content design must account for vulnerability, trauma and cognitive impairment to create truly accessible services that work for all users, including those in crisis.
Workplace investigations have always been part of the management support landscape. What’s changing now is how these investigations are conducted.
International Management Assistants’ founder Sonia Vanular wanted trainers and speakers to really challenge Executive Assistants to evolve their role, not just have them nodding along.
Government’s plan to extend GOV.UK One Login to council services risks creating new digital barriers for vulnerable residents. Learn how proportionate verification could make local government services more accessible.
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?
Explore the ethical complexities of AI grief support tools from a trauma-informed design perspective. Learn why technology might bridge gaps in care while recognising the irreplaceable value of human connection in healing from loss.
Explore how mental models in content design must account for vulnerability, trauma and cognitive impairment to create truly accessible services that work for all users, including those in crisis.
For developers navigating the shift towards AI coding, the path forward isn’t about competing with AI on coding speed or syntax knowledge. It’s about developing the skills that complement rather than compete with what AI can do.
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.