310: AI Expert: Stop Measuring AI Adoption Wrong (Here's What Actually Works)

Everyone says they're "adopting AI"—but the bills are landing and no one's sure what tokens, logins, or dashboards actually prove. The harder truth: most "AI failures" are human ones in disguise.In this episode of the Learn-It-All™ podcast, Damon Lembi kicks off a new monthly series with Learnit's Chief AI Learning Officer, Christa Hill. In a rapid-fire "agree or disagree" format, they go six rounds on the questions every leader is stuck on.🚀 Get your team into the top 3% of AI users in North America in about four weeks with Learnit's AI Kickstarter: https://www.learnit.com/lp/ai-skills-programIn this episode, you'll learn:Why token usage is the wrong first metric to measureThe hidden cost of the marathon chat sessionWhy "show, don't tell" hackathons beat login counts for tracking real adoption.How to answer the "what's in it for me?" question that stalls adoption in managementAnd much more!Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction: a new monthly series with Christa Hill01:08 - Round 1: Is token usage the right adoption metric?02:00 - Should you track logins and sessions instead?03:17 - Why long chat sessions quietly burn tokens03:56 - Hackathons and "show, don't tell"05:13 - Round 2: Is "just adopt AI" a strategy?06:10 - Raise the literacy floor first07:28 - Why leaders must model the behavior08:52 - Answering "what's in it for me?"11:03 - Ask your AI what it can't do in your job13:00 - The non-binding social contract15:17 - Round 3: If I keep failing, am I doing it wrong?16:23 - The Jenga test for working at the edge17:34 - Does AI stifle critical thinking, or sharpen it?18:18 - The $18,000 mistake and who's at fault21:21 - You own what AI produces23:00 - Christa's Easter-egg swear jar23:30 - Round 4: Do you meet people where they are?24:53 - Christa's honest take on adoption fatigue28:40 - Timeboxing and stacking small wins29:54 - Why there's no finish line30:23 - Round 5: Are the jobs coming back?32:07 - Why the comeback jobs look different32:57 - White Castle and the plumber that fooled Mom35:13 - Round 6: AI adoption or better work?36:51 - Rethinking performance reviews38:08 - Smash or Pass: the tools lightning round38:42 - Claude Cowork (smash)39:26 - Copilot's surprise 10-out-of-1041:47 - Canva (pass, for now)42:49 - Gamma and the death of the fancy deck44:00 - Wispr Flow (smash): throw away your keyboard45:39 - Christa's final challenge: think bigger46:26 - Damon's closing: adoption starts with youAbout Christa Hill:Christa Hill is the Chief AI Learning Officer at Learnit, where she leads the AI Kickstarter program and teaches AI literacy to leaders and teams. She's in live classrooms most of the week, helping organizations move from first exposure to real adoption—and helping leaders navigate the human side of change: fear, resistance, and "what's in it for me?"Resources and Mentions:Soren Kaplan's Inc. article: https://www.inc.com/soren-kaplan/half-of-ai-job-cuts-will-be-reversed-by-2027-gartner-says-heres-the-real-lesson/91361788Learnit AI Kickstarter program: https://www.learnit.com/lp/ai-skills-programWispr Flow (voice-to-text): https://wisprflow.aiClaude &amp; Claude Cowork: https://claude.aiMicrosoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.comChatGPT: https://chatgpt.comCanva: https://www.canva.comGamma: https://gamma.appGreat leaders aren't born. They're always in the making.New episodes of the Learn-It-All™ podcast with Damon Lembi every week.📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: <a href="https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5" rel="noopener noreferrer" ta