15 Sept 2026
When Efficiency Dehumanizes Work
Graham Skidmore, an entrepreneur, activist, and former C-suite executive, explores how AI can help people move beyond busy work and spend more time using the skills that make them valuable. Drawing on his own experience with burnout, he challenges organizations to rethink how people and technology work together.
Tune in to hear his perspective on experiential learning, human connection, and measuring what truly matters. Connect with Graham at SAS Technologies (https://www.sastechnologies.com/) or on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-skidmore/).
Show Notes
[00:26] Introducing Graham Skidmore
Graham shares his journey from 21 years in the corporate world, including as a C-suite executive, to reaching “the height of my success” and “the height of my misery and burnout.” After eight years of self-discovery and healing, he began his second chapter as an entrepreneur, activist, and mystic focused on “providing power to the people.”
[01:47] The Strength of Experiential Learning
He explains why experiential learning is one of the things that “really makes humans their strength.” Referencing the Dean Martin quote, “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgment,” he explores how emotion and lived experience shape decisions and how AI can move beyond “one-size-fits-all approaches.”
[03:47] Using AI to Remove the Busy Work
He suggests identifying the one to three things that represent an individual or team’s real strengths, then using technology to handle the “busy work” and “distraction work.” This gives people more time to apply their subject matter expertise through problem solving, innovation, and generating revenue.
[04:59] A First Principles Approach to WorkHe challenges organizations to stop focusing on “incremental optimization within broken systems.” Instead, he suggests taking a “first principles approach” and asking what the best-case scenario would be if they were “building this company out of our garage right now.” From there, organizations can rethink how people and technology work together.
[06:39] Where Human Connection Creates ValueUsing customer service as an example, Graham explains how focusing on efficiency through chatbots can cause organizations to lose valuable human connection. An upset customer can become an advocate when a person turns their problem into a win. For Graham, “loyalty doesn’t come from programs and rewards and benefits” — it comes from taking care of customers.
[08:29] The Dehumanization of HumansHe identifies the “dehumanization of humans” as one of the worst things that can happen in the AI transition. When employees feel their ideas can simply be replaced with technology, they can become less motivated to bring forward “innovation and invention” and “free thinking,” creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of greater reliance on technology.
[09:27] The 70% That Isn’t the JobLooking back on his career, Graham estimates that he spent about 30% of his time doing his job and 70% “preparing stuff for other people, dealing with other people’s stuff” and supporting work around the work. He explains how automation could free people to spend more time leveraging their subject matter expertise.
[10:37] Measuring What Really MattersGraham explains why organizations need to look beyond “butts in the seat,” busyness, and traditional KPIs. Better technology and workflows can help leaders understand what it looks like when someone is truly leveraging their subject matter expertise and measure the impact that creates.
[12:05] Giving Your Best People the Ability to Stand OutGraham believes that “your best people want that” when it comes to measurement. Objective measures give strong performers the ability to stand out, rather than leaving them frustrated in a subjective environment where their contributions can be harder to distinguish.
[12:41] Where to Learn More About Graham SkidmoreListeners can learn more about Graham’s technology work and his manifesto for the future at SAS Technologies (https://www.sastechnologies.com/). He also shares articles and insights on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-skidmore/).
