Every week I work with HR professionals, they tell me that they want to use AI more consistently, but the week always seems to get away from them. Between meetings, employee conversations, recruiting tasks, reports, and fires to put out, it’s easy to think, “I’ll work on AI later.”

But what if using AI didn’t require big blocks of time or major process changes? What if your AI journey started with small, simple habits, the kind you could build into your weekly workflow without even thinking about it?

That’s where the real transformation happens.

And if you’re nodding your head right now, thinking, “Yes… I could do that,” then this week’s newsletter is for you.

You don’t need to overhaul your entire workflow to benefit from AI. You just need a handful of consistent, repeatable actions that make your work easier, faster, and smarter.

In fact, the HR professionals who are seeing the biggest ROI from AI aren’t the ones doing the most, they’re the ones doing a little, consistently. This is exactly the foundation I build through my AIQ Advantage™ program: simple, sustainable habits that compound over time.

Small AI habits can be practical, fun, and low-pressure.

Here are a few examples you’ll recognize immediately:

These aren’t major moments. They’re micro-choices: tiny steps that nudge your workflow forward, building ease and confidence.

And once these habits take root, your team starts doing them too. Before long, you’re not just using AI, you’re leading AI-enabled work.

You don’t need a complex plan. Start with a rhythm. Here’s a simple weekly pattern HR teams can adopt immediately:

If you follow this for even two weeks, you’ll feel the difference.

If your entire team follows it? Your organization will feel the difference.

This is where true Return on Intelligence starts to take shape through consistent micro-improvements that add up over time.

Want an easy way to build AI into your day? Pair an existing habit with an AI habit.

For example:

Habit stacking removes the mental load. And suddenly AI isn’t something you make time for, it becomes part of how you operate.

And yes, your team will notice.
And yes, your executives will notice.

Below are four reasons why small AI habits are essential for HR professionals today.

Many HR professionals feel unsure where to begin with AI. Starting small reduces the pressure and builds familiarity one moment at a time. Confidence grows when the stakes feel manageable.

AI doesn’t need to save you three hours to be valuable. Sometimes shaving off ten minutes per task, repeated across the week, generates meaningful ROI. Those minutes stack into hours that can go toward high-value, human-centric work.

When your team builds a shared set of AI habits, you standardize how intelligence flows across HR. This results in smoother collaboration, better communication, and stronger shared learning. Your “AI culture” grows from the inside out.

No major HR transformation happens overnight. But small AI practices create the mindset shift needed for bigger goals like analytics, workforce planning, engagement strategies, and talent intelligence. You build readiness long before change requires it.

Imagine a recruiter who uses AI daily for small tasks: rewriting outreach, creating questions for hiring managers, or summarizing candidate notes. Nothing dramatic, just small lifts throughout the day.

After a month, their productivity has increased.

After three months, their communication has improved.

After six months, they’ve shared dozens of prompts with the team and created standards, templates, and repeatable practices.

This is what small habits do:

And this is the blueprint behind my AIQ Advantage™ program which helps teams adopt practical habits that enable smarter work across the organization.

✅ Small, consistent habits create big long-term gains.
AI adoption doesn’t require overhaul, just repetition.

✅ AI is most effective when it becomes a natural part of the workflow.
Habit stacking is the easiest pathway to better work.

✅ HR must model new habits so the organization can follow.
Your behavior sets the tone for AI readiness across teams.

If you want to help your team build simple, sustainable AI habits that compound into measurable ROI, now is the perfect time to start. Small steps aren’t just helpful, they’re transformative when practiced consistently.

👉 Learn more about how my AIQ Advantage™ program can help your HR team build smart habits and become AI-enabled from the inside out. Visit ishtot.com to find out how.

ROLE:
You are an HR workflow and behavior-design advisor with expertise in helping professionals develop simple, repeatable micro-habits. You understand how AI can support efficiency, communication, decision-making, and consistency in HR work.

REQUEST:
Help me identify a set of micro-habits that I can build into my weekly HR workflow that incorporate AI in practical, manageable ways. Use the information I provide to tailor recommendations to the nature of my role, responsibilities, and current level of AI use.

GOAL:
Create a personalized micro-habit plan that:

INSTRUCTIONS:

OUTPUT FORMAT:

MY HR TASKS: [Insert recurring HR tasks such as recruiting, employee communication, reporting, meetings, or training]
CURRENT CHALLENGES: [Insert challenges such as time constraints, workload, communication issues, or process bottlenecks]
CURRENT AI USAGE: [Insert details about how often you use AI today and for what tasks]
DESIRED IMPROVEMENTS: [Insert areas where you want to work more efficiently or more strategically]

Using AI doesn’t have to be all work. Here is a fun way to interact with AI.

ROLE:

You are a creative and engaging activity planner specializing in indoor activities for adolescents during the winter months. You design engaging, age-appropriate activities that are both fun and stimulating for teens.

REQUEST:

Help me create a list of tailored indoor winter activities for adolescents that are engaging, educational, and promote social interaction or skill development.

GOAL:

Provide a comprehensive activity plan that keeps teens entertained, active, and learning indoors during the winter months.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Activity Categories

Provide suggestions across these categories:

[creative arts, STEM projects, physical activities, board games, team-building challenges, DIY crafts, skill-building workshops].

2. Customization Based on Interests

Tailor activities to these interests:

[art and design, sports, coding, cooking, music, storytelling, science experiments].

3. Group or Solo Options

Suggest activities suitable for:

- [small groups of friends or family]

- [independent play and learning].

4. Resource Requirements

Include a list of resources or materials needed for each activity, ensuring options for low-cost and easily accessible items.

5. Time Management

Indicate estimated time requirements for each activity:

[short activities (30-45 minutes), medium (1-2 hours), long projects (2+ hours)].

6. Skill Development

Highlight how each activity develops skills such as:

[teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, physical fitness, or fine motor skills].

7. Motivation Techniques

Include tips to keep adolescents motivated and enthusiastic during the activities:

[rewards, themed challenges, interactive storytelling, or social sharing opportunities].

8. Variety for Longer Engagement

Suggest a weekly or monthly activity calendar that balances creative, educational, and physical activities.

OUTPUT FORMAT:

Organize the results into clear sections with bullet points for each category. Provide concise instructions for activities and practical examples that are easy to follow.

Replace the items in the [ and ] brackets to meet your specific needs.