Episode #5: Developing an AI Mindset – AI After 50

Welcome to another episode of AI After 50, the podcast for experienced professionals looking to develop their AI skill set and stay professionally indispensable. I’m Mark Tennant, and if you’re over 50, you’re in the right place to become AI-literate, AI-confident, and AI-empowered.

This week, we’re expanding on our previous discussion about AI as a behavioral shift and diving into how to develop an AI mindset. Embracing AI isn’t about mastering technical skills—it’s about making AI an everyday thinking partner. From keeping ChatGPT open at all times to using AI for deeper insights into personal growth, work efficiency, and decision-making, we’ll explore how to shift your mindset to work with AI instead of just using it as a tool.

Plus, I bring back Sol, my ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode assistant, to discuss how AI can help us become smarter together. Stay tuned for practical strategies, a weekly AI exercise, and key takeaways to help you integrate AI seamlessly into your routine.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• AI should be treated as a conversational partner rather than just a machine
• Having AI open and ready at all times helps develop new work habits
• Verify AI information before trusting it - the human element remains crucial
• AI complements human skills like judgment and empathy while handling repetitive tasks

📝 EPISODE BREAKDOWN

• 00:00 Introduction to AI After 50
  00:28 Developing an AI Mindset
  00:42 Premium Show Notes and Subscription
  01:11 Recap of Episode #4
  02:03 Expanding the Behavioral Shift
  02:24 Using AI in Daily Life
  03:51 Warnings and Human Element
  04:22 ChatGPT's Role and Features
  06:47 Conversation with Sol on AI Mindset
  14:44 Exercise: AI as Your Daily Thinking Partner
  17:05 Conclusion and Weekly Exercise

💡 HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES "AI isn't here to replace you, but here to work with you." "Start by staying curious and open minded. Embrace small, manageable steps."

🔍 PRACTICAL EXERCISE AI as Your Daily Thinking Partner (7-Day Challenge): Try AI as Your Daily Thinking Partner for seven days.

Pick a real-world challenge, ask AI for help, and reflect on how it improves your decision-making.

Let me know how it goes!

Pick a daily decision or problem

Choose something real and relevant to your life

Can be work-related or personal

Ask AI for help

Frame your question as if talking to a trusted colleague

Use either text prompting or voice mode

Reflect and take action

Consider new ideas sparked by AI's response

Apply suggestions to your daily life

Repeat for seven days

• Commit to the full week
• Reflect on how AI helped your decision-making

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EPISODE #4: AI is a Behavioral Shift, Not a Technological Shift

Is AI a technological revolution, or is it really about behavior? In this episode, we break down why adapting to AI is less about mastering the technology and more about shifting your mindset—especially for professionals over 50. I’m joined by Sol, a ChatGPT Advanced Voice,, to discuss how AI isn’t just a tool you use when you need it, but a coworker and thinking partner that should always be in your workflow. We also explore how moving beyond the traditional “Google search mindset” can help you integrate AI into both your personal and professional life.

Plus, I share a real-life story about how AI saved me over $500 on a dryer repair, and we dive into practical strategies to help you build the habit of using AI daily. Stick around for this week’s exercise, where I introduce the ERA framework—another powerful prompting tool to add to your AI skill set.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• AI adoption is more about changing behaviors than learning technology

• Success comes from treating AI as a conversational partner, not just a search tool

• Personal use cases help build comfort with AI before professional applications

📝 EPISODE BREAKDOWN

⏳ - 00:00 Introduction: AI as a Behavioral Shift

⏳ - 00:19 Welcome to AI After 50

⏳ - 00:36 Podcast Goals and Show Notes

⏳ - 01:43 Recap of Previous Episode

⏳ - 02:07 Exploring New Prompt Frameworks

⏳ - 03:32 Special Guest: Sol Discusses AI Behavioral Shift

⏳ - 05:46 Practical Tips for Adapting to AI

⏳ - 07:42 Real-World AI Success Stories

⏳ - 10:28 Creating Aha Moments with AI

⏳ - 10:58 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

⏳ - 12:41 Weekly Prompting Exercise

⏳ - 14:05 Conclusion and Next Steps

💡 HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES

"AI isn't something you have to learn, like coding - it's something you get to learn, like a new way of thinking." [35:40]

"AI is a tool that works with you, not just for you.]

🔍 PRACTICAL EXERCISE

The ERA Framework (Expectation, Role, Action):

Expectation: Create HR policy documents for manufacturing company

Role: HR policy expert

Action: Create three documents:

• Paid time off policy (eligibility, carryover rules, procedures)

• New benefits package

• Spanish translations of key HR forms

ERA Framework

Expectation, Role, Action

Expectation: Describe the desired result.

Role: Specify ChatGPT's role.

Action: Specify needed actions.

Example: HR Example

Prompt:

You are an HR policy expert tasked with updating company policies for a midsize manufacturing company. Create three well-structured documents: (1) A clearly written Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy covering accrual, eligibility, carryover rules, and request procedures; (2) An engaging New Benefits Package Overview summarizing health, retirement, and wellness benefits in easy-to-understand language; and (3) Professional Spanish translations of key new hire forms (W-4, direct deposit authorization, emergency contact forms). Ensure all documents are clear, compliant, and accessible, using bullet points and simplified language where needed. The Spanish translations must be accurate, culturally appropriate, and suitable for Latin American employees.

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RESOURCES MENTIONED

• WorkLab Podcast by Microsoft

Show: Worklab with Molly Wood

Guest: Conor Grennan on Moving Beyond the “Search Engine Mindset”

Link: https://bit.ly/conor-grennan-worklab-podcast

• ChatGPT Advanced Voice

• Google Doc to Start Your Own Prompt Library (recommended)

EPISODE #3: What AI Can Do, and the World is NOT Ready - The RISEN Framework for AI Prompting

AI is becoming 'table stakes' in 2025. Learn how to structure your AI prompts effectively using the RISEN Framework to get better results from AI language models.
Episode Highlights

[1:22] - Why AI literacy is critical for professionals over 50: Key stats from an AARP survey.
[4:45] - The current state of AI models: What they can already do and why it matters.
[8:10] - OpenAI's "Operator": A breakthrough in autonomous task performance.
[11:45] - Introducing the RISEN Framework: A simple, adaptable prompt structure.
[18:12] - Practical exercise: Using RISEN to create a blog prompt for a greenhouse business.
[23:40] - Why Perplexity.ai is your new go-to research tool (and how it differs from ChatGPT).
[27:15] - A call to action: Make 2025 the year you become AI-literate and indispensable in your field.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Only 7% of professionals over 50 have AI training according to AARP [08:45]
• Current AI models can already handle complex tasks like data analysis, content creation, and autonomous web tasks [12:30]
• The RISEN Framework provides a structured approach to AI prompting [24:15]

📝 EPISODE BREAKDOWN [00:00] - Introduction and episode overview [07:30] - Current state of AI literacy and adoption rates [11:15] - Capabilities of current AI models [15:45] - Introduction to Perplexity.ai for research [24:15] - The RISEN Framework explained:

• R: Role (specific focus)
• I: Instructions (clear task direction)
• S: Steps (specific steps to follow)
• E: End Goal (desired outcome)
• N: Narrowing (constraints and limitations)

💡 HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES "AI is going to be 'table stakes' here in 2025, certainly by the end of the year." [09:15] "Success with AI comes down to finding that sweet spot between the capabilities and complexity and human expertise." [35:20]

🔍 RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Perplexity.ai - Recommended research tool
• ChatGPT - For content creation and tasks
• RISEN Framework by Kyle Balmer

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• Additional prompting frameworks
• Extra exercises and tips
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⭐ PRACTICAL EXERCISE Complete RISEN Framework Prompt:

Role: Act as a product manager for ABC home greenhouses, a leading manufacturer of residential greenhouses.

Instructions: Write a blog article announcing the new ABC home greenhouse model designed for year-round growing in compact spaces.

Steps:

• Write an attention-grabbing headline about sustainable home growing
• Open with a compelling first sentence about food self-sufficiency
• Include three concise paragraphs covering:
  • Key features and innovations
  • Value proposition
  • ROI for home growing
• End with a clear call to action for pre-orders

End Goal: Generate pre-launch excitement and inquiries from target customers

Narrowing:

• Keep language clear and factual
• Avoid marketing buzzwords
• Target homeowners interested in sustainable living and growing their own food

Thank you for tuning in! Remember, becoming AI-literate isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share AI After 50 with your friends and colleagues. Let’s keep learning, keep prompting, and make 2025 your year of growth!