AI is rapidly becoming part of the modern workplace, but learning to work with it isn’t always as simple as adopting another new tool.

For administrative professionals whose careers have been built on expertise, accuracy, judgement, relationships and attention to detail, AI can feel exciting, overwhelming and, at times, threatening. How do you embrace its potential without outsourcing the human intelligence that makes you so valuable?

In this episode of The Admin Avenues Podcast, Candice Burningham speaks with leadership and neuroscience expert Kristen Hansen about what happens in our brains when we encounter significant change, uncertainty and new technology.

Kristen explains why resistance to AI doesn’t mean someone is incapable or unwilling to adapt. Often, it is the brain responding exactly as it was designed to respond when something feels unfamiliar or unpredictable.

Together, Candice and Kristen explore how administrative professionals can move through resistance and self-doubt, reduce cognitive overload and gradually build confidence with AI - without feeling pressured to become an expert overnight.

They also discuss why human capabilities such as emotional intelligence, judgement, organisational knowledge, relationships and contextual understanding will become even more valuable as AI grows more capable.

In this episode:

• Why AI can trigger such a strong emotional response
• What happens in the brain during periods of change and uncertainty
• The difference between thoughtful caution and fear-based avoidance
• Why becoming a beginner again can feel particularly uncomfortable for experienced admins
• How perfectionism and high standards can make experimenting with AI more difficult
• Why women may experience greater self-doubt or hesitation when adopting AI
• What cognitive load is and how to recognise when it has become too high
• How AI can reduce repetitive work without replacing critical thinking
• The tasks administrative professionals can begin exploring with AI
• Why context, judgement and human oversight remain essential
• How to build trust in AI through gradual, low-risk experimentation
• Practical ways to develop confidence without trying to learn every tool at once
• The uniquely human capabilities admins should continue investing in
• Why administrative professionals could become important leaders of AI adoption

The answer isn’t to hand all our thinking over to technology—and it isn’t to ignore AI and hope it disappears.

The opportunity is to create a genuine power partnership: using AI to support productivity and reduce cognitive load while continuing to apply the judgement, emotional intelligence, relationships and organisational understanding that administrative professionals bring to the workplace.

Kristen Hansen will present her keynote, The Power Partnership: Combining AI and Human Intelligence for Better Workplace Outcomes, at all three 2026 Admin Avenues Conferences:

• Sydney — Monday, 12 October 2026 at Doltone House Hyde Park
• Brisbane — Monday, 26 October 2026 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

If AI has left you feeling curious, uncertain, overwhelmed or under pressure to catch up, this conversation will remind you that you don’t need to master everything immediately. You simply need to start learning how to work with it- one practical step at a time.

Find out more and secure your ticket to an Admin Avenues conference to see Kristen in action click here: www.adminavenues.com

Connect with Kristen on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenlouishansen/

To find out more about EnHansen Performance - go to their website here: https://enhansenperformance.com.au

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