✅ AI to become "ride-along" expert for employees in 2026

"Fatigue" is the word of the year in the workplace, according to job and career platform Glassdoor, noting a 41% increase in mentions by employees. Glassdoor attributes this fatigue to political tensions, lingering inflationary pressures and AI-fueled uncertainty and disruption. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant recommends distraction and reframing as evidence-based strategies to avoid burnout at work.

In 2026, AI will evolve from a tool to a daily collaborator for employees, predicts Snowflake Chief People Officer Arnnon Geshuri. This shift will transform HR by making AI an always-on expert that personalizes support, reshapes the employee lifecycle, and handles routine queries. HR will need to focus more on strategic initiatives and developing AI-native employees who can effectively leverage AI as a partner.

It's good to get your teams out of their comfort zone, but the goals you set for them can become toxic if you don't provide the necessary resources, frequently change them or team members feel criticized, no matter how hard they work to achieve them, writes leadership development expert Tim Jackson. Focus instead on fewer, bolder goals and provide team members with the resources and encouragement they need to reach them, Jackson advises.

Tech-enabled HR projects often fail due to unclear goals, underestimating the scope of change, poor governance and ineffective communication, writes Trevor Dunne. To clarify goals, the first step is to align the primary desired outcomes with the overall strategy and vision, writes Dunne.

When Ariana Huffington was running "Huffpost," the news website she founded and later sold, she broke a cheekbone when she collapsed from exhaustion, an episode that made her embrace a healthier lifestyle and give up hustle culture. Now, in her 70s, the founder of Thrive Global says she's careful how she spends her time. "For instance, if I say yes to a breakfast meeting that drains me, I'm also saying no to the things that actually help me be productive and creative and engaged. Being able to say no -- without apology -- is an essential skill," Huffington says.

US employers plan to keep salary increases flat in 2026, with an average merit base salary increase of 3.2% and an overall increase of 3.5%, according to a Mercer survey. Most employers plan to distribute increases evenly rather than focus on employees with in-demand skills.

US companies are showing caution amid economic uncertainty, as CEO exits dropped 25% in October from the previous month and are down by a third from October 2024, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The top reasons for CEO exits remain planned successions or transitions to advisory roles, indicating companies may be less willing to embrace leadership change amid uncertainty. Meanwhile, job cuts surged in November, up 24% from a year earlier, with year-to-date cuts at their highest since 2020.

Matt's take. Stability is essential for any organization, so it comes as no surprise that companies are hesitant to embark on a leadership transition as macroeconomic, policy and geopolitical uncertainties continue to mount. However, it seems somewhat counterintuitive that companies have been so willing to shed workers at the same time, something that's bound to introduce instability and generate change. Layoffs are a near certainty amid uncertainty, as organizations enter survival mode and cut costs, but it's surprising to see so many of them so far this year.

"Addie, Addie, look!"

I looked down at the note my grandson had scrawled in his pad of paper, snort-laughed and shook my head. He grinned proudly up at me. 

"Know what that is, Addie?"

"I do."

"What??"

"Don't make me say it."

"SIX SEVEN!" he shouts, pumping his hands up and down and screaming with laughter as I roll my eyes.

I owe my mother an apology for all the weirdness I put her through. 

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