Inspiration for Change Catalysts.
July 2026 Newsletter
New Transition Trend:
Technological Uncertainty Touches Us Personally
The uncertainties we are already experiencing in our personal lives and collective reality are being heightened by game-changing technological innovations that are rolling into all areas of our lives--whether we want them or not.
Yes, there's a tidal wave of new things to learn technologically, but I'm more interested in how these new technologies stimulate a whole new set of transitions for us both personally and collectively.
I realize that this all sounds disconnected from our work as Change Catalysts. I invite you to hang in there with me as I lay out the themes I'm seeing from a change perspective. Spoiler Alert: I believe our skills and knowledge as Change Catalysts are going to be needed more than ever.
All parts of our lives are being touched by these changes. Some innovations will no doubt enhance the way we live. Some will likely have unanticipated consequences that cause harm. From a historical perspective, we know that when one technology comes in, other technologies (and the related careers) drop away. Changes in the economic structure often have very personal impacts.
(Keep in mind that these technological changes make up only one source of the enhanced uncertainty that is playing out at this time. There are others. When you combine the interactions of all of these forces of uncertainty, the impacts are unprecedented. Perhaps you are already feeling unsettled by all that's happening simultaneously in our world these days.)
Taking a Look through a Personal Lens
As I pondered this topic over the last couple of weeks while my email situation resolved, my grandfather came to mind as an example -- from a different era -- of how technology changes unfold over a lifetime.
Born in a rustic two-room home in a rural area outside Dublin, Ireland in the late 1800s, he emigrated to the US with his family to settle near relatives in San Francisco Bay Area. To help the family get on their feet financially, my grandfather took on a variety of jobs including driving a horse-drawn wagon to deliver baked goods to being a chauffeur for a prestigious pediatrician and Dean of the UCSF School of Medicine. After graduating college with an engineering degree, he become a mechanical engineer for Pacific Bell where he worked until he retired. One project he was proud of was figuring out how to lay huge phone cables down under the Golden Gate Bridge to bring phone service to Marin County. When he died in the late 1980s at 92 years old, he was living in a time of early personal computers, disposable cameras, and the first, very bulky, mobile phones.
Now think of the technological changes you've experienced in the span of your own lifetime. How have phones changed since you were born? Entertainment options? Games? Computers? Connecting with family and friends? Shopping? Dating? Transportation?
What are our lives going to look like 20 years from now? Fifty years from now? There's really no way to know.
How will these changes impact us as individuals? There's no way to know.
Times of great uncertainty tend to be unsettling, and many don't have much experience navigating all of this at once. Remember how the uncertainties of the 2020 pandemic made their mark throughout the world? My sense is that the era ahead will have profound social and psychological impacts. This is where our skills set and experience come into play.
And now...Here's my original Newsletter
Hi,
As I continue my quest to refresh, align, and strengthen my presence online, I'm becoming more aware of the fundamental technological shifts that are touching all parts of our lives.
Recently, my husband tuned into a documentary about the events and pop culture of The Eighties. One of the segments documented the roll out of the first personal computers. As they interviewed inventors and early adopters, I started hearing echoes of the conversations we are having about Generative AI right now. I am paraphrasing here...
We have invented the technology (PC:AI), but we can't predict precisely how it will be used or how it will change our lives and the world.
As we grapple with the current wave of new AI and other technologies, we generate more questions than answers. This is a key harbinger of a phase of increased uncertainty and rapid change.
At the surface, you might think this shift in technology has little to do with coaching. Au contraire. Historically, we know technology shifts drive tremendous changes in every segment of society. These macro level changes will no doubt transform the way we work, the way we live, the way we relate to each other, and the way we play in ways we can't even imagine in this moment. (Could my Irish grandfather even begin to imagine the way life would evolve throughout his life? There is no way.) Adjusting to these changes in uncertain times calls on skills and perspectives many do not possess. This opens up opportunities for those with our skills and expertise.
In today's section What's On My Mind This Week, I explore how technology shifts of this magnitude impact our businesses as Change Catalysts and the lives of our clients as this new world comes into focus.
On My Mind This Week:
New Transition Trend: Technological Uncertainty Touches Us Personally
It's impossible to know everything about the new waves of technology and how these developments will impact us individually and collectively.
I am the first to acknowledge that I am not an expert in what's unfolding, but I've always found it helpful to notice trends early and explore how they might play out over time. My goal is not to be right...but to be aware enough about the issues that I can support clients as their lives are touched by the themes that exist within a field of enhanced uncertainty.
I realize it is tempting to stay focused on life as it is now, but I have a feeling the ripple effects fueled by these new technologies are going to unfold rapidly in ways that touch us all. I invite you to join me in exploring these themes and extrapolating out to imagine possible impacts on our clients and our businesses.
Technology and Culture
Historically, we know new technology is a catalyst for major cultural shifts. The printing press. The steam engine. Electricity. Telephone. Personal computer. Internet. Smart phones. Social media. Drones. Each game-changing discovery or invention sparked uncertainty, acceptance by early adopters, and then broader adoption. Humanity has been through this cycle multiple times.
Now we are in the early phases of another wave of culture-changing technologies - Generative Artificial Intelligence, Smart Technology, and Robots - where each technology brings its own impacts and ramifications.
Economic, Financial, and Industrial Shifts - jobs, careers, training on new skills, some established industries will falter, while new ones take hold.
Medicine and Wellnness - new research, inventions, diagnostic tools, new impacts on health
Psychological and Social Impacts - relationships, families, mental health, skills to navigate this level of change
Communication and Learning Trends - integrated devices and apps, physical impacts on the brain
Ethics and Integrity Tests - privacy, safety, honoring copyrights, respecting intellectual property
Environmental Ramifications - water, air, energy, noise, ecosystem integrity
As with other eras in history, questions abound.
What inventions, innovations, and improvements will come out of these new technologies and how will our lives change as a result?
At the same time, what are the costs and unforeseen ramifications of this new push?
Who will we become as a society, a global humanity?
How will these technologies impact the people, the environment, the universe?
Now and seven generations from now?
As the public gains access to new tools, the pace of the adoption and evolution of Generative AI, Smart Technology, and Robots make it impossible for most of us (all of us?) to "keep up," which means the questions and concerns that surface can't be resolved...yet.
The Big Picture
It's far too early to know what is in store for the world with this new cycle. (Cue the Uncertainty!)
Beyond what we've already seen, there is likely to be an "unstoppable" stampede of changes coming our way. (Cue the Relentless Change!)
There's no way to know the long-term ramifications of these changes on humans, health, financial systems, wildlife ecosystems, and environment (water, air). (Cue the Concern!)
What guardrails will be put in place to maintain our safety collectively and personally? As I've been exploring this topic this week, I've started seeing actions that bring me some hope:
I've seen more companies (Proton Workspace, DuckDuckGo browser, specifically) taking very explicit stands regarding user rights to privacy and safety. I suspect we will see more and more companies differentiating themselves through their commitments and values.
The citizens and governments of various regions are blocking big data center projects to assess the ramifications on natural resources. Erin Brockovich has created a centralized website that reports on data center projects to increase community awareness and support each community's involvement in requiring companies to create sustainable, secure, and efficient data centers.
For context, only 3% of the earth's water is drinkable (aka potable). If mega data centers contaminate the only water source in a region, especially in areas that experience frequent droughts, then they will literally ruin the community and cause great harm to the residents. Water is not a luxury. It is essential for life of all forms.
A couple of weeks ago, a federal judge approved a $1.5 billion dollar settlement to 93,000 authors whose copyrighted books were used to train Anthropic's AI chatbot Claude without compensation or consent. This is the first of over a dozen cases that have already been filed against Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google. Protecting intellectual property and the rights of creators is essential. [Note: I am a member of this settlement class as two of my For Dummies books were used in this way.]
With increased uncertainty, constant change, and ongoing dynamic efforts to maintain what matters most (for example: privacy, safety, copyright, unique intellectual property [including any workshops, books, ebooks, and models you create], health, and environmental integrity), there's no way to pre-imagine the path we'll be taking going forward.
This new reality makes it impossible to plan, commit to goals, or envision our personal futures. All of the guidance you've ever heard about working a plan to reach a goal flies out the window with this degree of change. We need new ways to navigate changes of this magnitude.
How This Plays Out in Our Lives
For some this time brings very exciting opportunities! You love the adrenaline rush of new adventures, learning new skills, and finding your place in this new way of life. You look forward to riding the wave to see where it takes you.
For others it feels like you are in limbo, unable to see your path forward. Feeling like you are in a constant fog of confusion is unsettling and uncomfortable. You may be worried about keeping your family safe, healthy, and supported during unpredictable shifts in technology and our culture. You may be concerned about the stability of your own livelihood.
For others who are already experiencing the impact, this time can bring up fear, anxiety, and grief as life begins to change around you. Navigating your own mental health and nervous system fluctuations may stretch you as you navigate wide-scale changes.
As a business owner supporting clients, you may be wondering how your services and business will need to change to remain viable. How will new Generative AI tools impact your clients needs for support? You may be wondering how you and your business will weather this time of change? In what ways will your human abilities to provide care, compassion, and support be even more valuable?
Change Catalysts Have a Key Role to Play NOW and into the Future!
Through our training and experience, we are positioned to support clients in navigating both the personal and collective transitions ahead. We have the compassion and empathy to listen, support, and help our clients adjust to potentially unsettling changes while finding their way forward.
However, as a culture, we do not have a good framework, vocabulary, strategies, or map to support people in transitions. Our culture has trained us to ignore, avoid, and resist change...because change is hard. As a result, we haven't developed a nuanced understanding of change as a culture. Without having the words to describe what we are experiencing, we stay isolated and alone -- whether we are Change Catalysts or members of the public.
My goal with my upcoming podcast, ReEnvisioning Change, (and future workshop opportunities) is to enhance our understand of and fluency with personal and collective changes so that we can grow and evolve through these times of great shifts.
Listen Here to a FREE Recording: Coaching in Times
of Increasing Change and Uncertainty
>>>> (Scroll to the bottom of the linked page to find the audio player.)
If you want to enhance your skills now, join me for:
Coaching Clients in Uncertain Times - Starts on Tuesday, August 18
As the scope, intensity, and pace of change continue to escalate in ways we can't always anticipate, it's important for us to understand how high levels of uncertainty alter the way clients navigate change and enhance your ability to talk about changes of this magnitude.
(Now 8 CREDITS*)
Next Class: Tuesdays, August 18 - September 15, 2026
(First Session is 2 hours, Following Four Sessions are 90-Minutes)
If you want to join the course after August 18, please contact me directly.
I’ll take enrollments through Friday, August 21. Listen the recording, answer a series of questions, and you’ll be caught up with the class.