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February 28, 2025 • 19 mins

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🎧Listen to the FULL ‘Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution’  BOOK for free 👉 here

In this episode of the Habit Mechanic podcast, Dr. Jon Finn delves deeper into the role of the Human-AI Coach, continuing from part one of this mini-series. He explores the critical importance of brain state management, explaining how cognitive performance—the essence of what makes us human—is the most valuable asset we have in today's fast-paced, AI-driven world. Dr. Finn outlines how becoming a Human-AI Coach allows you to guide others in optimizing their brain states, ultimately enabling them to become high-performing thinkers and better humans.

Through a step-by-step breakdown, you'll learn the core responsibilities of a Human-AI Coach: 

i) assessing brain states; ii) guiding individuals through effective Brain State management; iii) and helping them build sustainable; iv) performance-enhancing habits. 

He shares a case study from Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution that illustrates how Human-AI Coaches can help individuals, teams, and organizations thrive in the AI era. Whether it's focusing on individual optimization, team integration, or cultural transformation, Dr. Finn highlights how this emerging coaching role will be essential in supporting the next generation of high-performers.

Plus, Dr. Finn introduces key coaching strategies, like the Success Cycle, and offers practical tips to implement these strategies with your clients. By mastering these techniques, you’ll be prepared to guide others in navigating the intersection of human intelligence and AI tools, ultimately transforming their performance and their lives.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, habit Mechanics.
It's Dr John Finn here.
I hope you're having a greatweek so far.
So this is the part two of howto become a human AI coach, and
in part one you learned aboutwhere that role fits into the

(00:20):
workplace, and I genuinely thinkthat becoming a human ii coach
is going to be the mostimportant role in the workplace.
It is the least automatablething and it is central for
helping people's brains to workwell, and our brain power what
we call our cognitiveperformance is our most valuable

(00:44):
asset.
You know, people get thattowards the end of their life,
where their cognitiveperformance naturally declines,
but also people get theseterrible diseases like dementia
and alzheimer's and all thiskind of stuff, and that really
hits home.
How, how important are ourcognitions, our thoughts and the

(01:04):
ability to control them Inother words, our cognitive
performance is.
But they're also essentialright now, wherever you are in
your life, because they are theessence of what makes you a
human being, but they are alsothe thing that drives your
ability to add value in your ownlife and to add value to other

(01:29):
people's lives, which is how wemake money.
Ultimately, we we exchangevalue for money, and money is
essential for paying themortgage, putting food on the
table, etc.
So I I see that the most vitalskill humans can learn is, I
think, right now already, but,and increasingly, um, almost

(01:56):
every day in the world thatwe're living in, it is brain
state management, and that meanspeople are going to need other
people to not just give them theknowledge about what brain
state management is, but to helpthem to actually change their
behaviour and habitualise betterrecharge states and better high

(02:21):
charge management, etc.
So take their brain stateprofile from wherever they are
right now, on that continuumfrom having a cross-the-bare
profile through to asharpening-up-an-arrowhead
profile, and that's what youlearn about in Chapter 8 of

(02:42):
Train your Brain for the AIRevolution, which is the human
eye readiness, self brain stateassessment.
Wherever anyone's score is,they're going to need help in
terms of getting a better score.
That's why we have coaches,that's why we have experts and,

(03:02):
in the context of our biggerthinking about helping people,
which is what we're passionateabout, we know that actually to
help people properly, we want to, first and foremost, show them
how to work on themselves soalmost and show them how to work

(03:26):
on themselves, so almost,refining what they learn from
our books, from our tools, fromour training as they apply it to
themselves.
And essentially, that's whatthe first the the first four

(03:47):
steps of train your brain forthe ai revolution do.
They show you how to put thisfour-step system into practice
for yourself.
But then, like I said, mostpeople will get it, will get
understand what to do, but theywon't be able to do it
themselves.
They will need support.
And therefore, the question iswell, what does a human AI coach

(04:11):
actually do?
Well, they do the same thingthat we map out in the four
steps of train your brain forthe AI revolution, but they help
others to put that intopractice.
And, of course, to help othersput into practice, you've you've
got to be working on yourselffirst and foremost, but that's

(04:32):
all that it is.
So it's taking those first foursteps and it's putting it into
practice to help others.
Now, of course, when we trainour coaches to become certified
habit mechanic AI edge coaches,then we also go deeper than
train your brain for the AIrevolution.

(04:52):
We've got loads of other toolsthat we train our coaches on,
but the premise is the same.
We're taking people throughthis journey of measuring their
brain states, doing thatintelligent self-watching, then
starting to target.
What are the most importantthings for them to be working on
?
And that's the sort of taskdirector work.

(05:13):
Then giving people thatcontainer so they can manage
every 24-hour period better.
That's the willpower story.
And then helping people toactivate the habit building plan
.
And there are then other toolswe can start to layer on top of
that and we can take that sameapproach not just for the

(05:34):
individuals, but also for teamsand also for businesses.
And it's so, so key torecognize actually what you are,
if you want to become a humanAI coach, is you are a cognitive
performance coach, but thatlanguage might feel a little bit

(05:54):
well.
What does that mean?
It just means cognition, justmeans thinking, and we want to
help people to behigh-performing thinkers so they
can be healthy, happy and attheir best.
And our vehicle to help peopleto do that is brent step
management.
So what I'm gonna, what's gonnafollow, is I'm gonna share with

(06:19):
you um chapter 27 of Train yourBrain for the AI Revolution.
And remember, you can actuallylisten to the full version of
Train your Brain for the AIRevolution inside of the Hammond
Mechanic University app.
It is also available on manyaudiobook platforms, the more

(06:45):
and more each day as it gets, asthe distribution just um well,
as the distributors start tomake the book available on their
own platforms, but you canlisten to it in the app for free
.
But this is chapter 27, so thisbuilds on what we learned in
the last podcast, where wefocused on chapter 26.

(07:05):
So, yeah, this is 27, and itjust sort of shows you
step-by-step, practically whathuman AI coaches do, and I just
genuinely believe that human AIcoaches will become the most
important professionals in theworkplace, because without our

(07:26):
brains working well, nothingelse is going to be good in our
lives or our businesses.
So this is the key.
So, yeah, hope you enjoy it andlook out for the next episode,
which will be part three of thislittle mini-series, chapter 27,

(07:46):
.
Teaching Others to Thrive in theAI Era.
Sarah watched her colleagueJames staring at his screen,
surrounded by the same AI toolsthat had once overwhelmed her.
An accomplished engineer, jameshad the potential to be a
brilliant automator, but hisfragmented brain states were

(08:07):
holding him back.
The frustration in hisexpression was all too familiar.
She remembered.
That's when I knew helpingothers optimise their brain
states wasn't just anopportunity.
It was becoming essentialessential.

(08:31):
This is where your journeyexpands beyond personal mastery.
As organisations worldwidestruggle to implement AI
effectively, they're missingsomething crucial Experts who
understand how to optimise humanbrain states for this new way
of working.
This isn't about teachingpeople to use AI tools.
It's about helping them buildthe habits that make human AI

(08:52):
collaboration natural andeffective.
The key to this method's success, sarah observed, was focusing
on brain states and habitsrather than technology, states
and habits rather thantechnology.
Instead of another AI trainingsession, I could show people how
to match their natural energypatterns to different types of

(09:13):
work, optimize their focus anduse AI tools strategically
during different brain states.
Three levels of impact thathuman AI coaches can make.
First, individual optimisation.
Second, team integration.

(09:35):
Third, cultural transformation.
Here's each area in more detail.
First, individual optimisationHelping others identify their
optimal brain states, guidingthem to draft their first FAM
story and willpower story,supporting them as they craft

(09:55):
their first habit building plan.
I started with simple things,sarah shared.
When I helped James create hisfirst willpower story, we
focused on identifying hisnatural high-charge times, those
morning hours when his thinkingwas clearest.
Just matching his importantwork to these peak times and

(10:19):
using AI to handle routine tasksduring energy dips transformed
his productivity.
Second, team integration.
Coordinating team brain statesfor optimal collaboration.
Creating shared brainenergy-aware meeting protocols.

(10:40):
Building supportiveenvironments for high-charge
work.
The power of team awarenessbecame clear, sarah explained.
Once everyone understood brainstates, they naturally started
coordinating their collectiveenergy patterns.
They'd schedule creativemeetings during shared

(11:01):
high-charge times, used AI tohandle routine tasks during
energy dips and planned coachingconversations when people had
the right energy for deepthinking.
Third, cultural transformationEmbedding brain states into
organisational strategy anddecision making.

(11:22):
Creating company-wide policiesthat support brain state energy
optimization.
Building brain stateunderstanding into leadership
development programs.
The real transformationhappened to our workplace
culture, sarah explained.
Leaders began making brainstates part of our company DNA.

(11:45):
They changed performancemetrics to value energy
management, invested in toolsand training to support optimal
brain states and recognizedteams who consistently delivered
high-impact work by matchingtasks to their peak brain states
.
More importantly, they createdan environment where people felt

(12:10):
safe to optimize their ownperformance and support others
in doing the same.
Common challenges and solutionsas Sarah helped more people
optimise their brain states, sheencountered several common
challenges.
Understanding these helps yousupport others more effectively.
Challenge 1.

(12:31):
The technology focus trap.
People often fixate on AI toolsrather than their brain states.
The solution is to start withthe human AI readiness brain
state assessment.
Once they see how their energyaffects their work, ai's role
becomes clearer.
Challenge 2.

(12:52):
The quick fix expectation.
People want immediate resultswithout building habits.
The solution is to begin withtiny changes that show quick
wins while building towardlarger transformation.
Challenge three theall-or-nothing mindset.
People think they must masterall AI tools immediately.

(13:14):
The solution is to focus onoptimising one brain state at a
time, gradually introducing AIsupport your coaching framework.
Let's explore the three keyelements of effective coaching.
Element 1.
Build trust and understanding.
Help map individual brain statepatterns.

(13:35):
Listen and show genuine care.
Understand current AIchallenges.
Element 2.
Guide habit development.
Start with personal fam storiesand willpower stories.
Connect daily habits tomeaningful goals.
Create sustainable change plansusing the habit building plan

(13:58):
framework.
Element three establish supportsystems.
Have regular check-inconversations.
Create accountabilitypartnerships.
Build shared team practices.
Sarah's journey to teaching.

(14:18):
At first I just shared thewillpower story tool Sarah
explained, but I quicklyrealised the success cycle that
transformed my own performancewas exactly what others needed.
I'd guide them through eachstep systematically.
Let me share how Sarahapproached each step of the
success cycle.
Step one measurement.

(14:39):
We'd start by having them tracktheir brain states for a few
days and complete the human AIreadiness brain state assessment
.
This gave us a clear baselineof their current patterns and
challenges.
Step two planning with the taskdirector.
This was about more than justtasks.

(15:01):
We'd start by creating theirFAM story, helping them see how
optimising their brain statesconnected to their biggest goals
and ambitions.
Once they had that vision, we'didentify their ice sculptures
and ice cubes.
Creating their first willpowerstory focused on optimizing

(15:23):
their morning hours.
Having their FAM story madethis planning more meaningful
because they could see how eachsmall improvement moved them
toward their larger goals.
Step three optimization withthe day designer.
Once they saw results fromtheir morning routine, we'd

(15:44):
gradually expand to designingtheir full day around their
brain states, matching tasks toenergy levels and using AI tools
strategically.
Step 4.
Automation with the routineengineer.
We'd build triggers and systemsusing the habit-building plan

(16:04):
framework that made their newpatterns automatic rather than
effortful.
This was crucial for sustainingtheir transformation, even
during challenging periods.
What amazed me was how thissystematic approach worked,
whether I was coachingcolleagues, entire teams or
senior leaders.

(16:25):
Sarah explained the successcycle anchored by the F story,
gave everyone a clear path fromstruggling with AI tools to
thriving alongside them.
Your next steps.
Just as Sarah discovered, yourjourney to helping others is
guided by the success cycle.

(16:46):
Let's break this down into fourclear phases.
Phase 1.
Start with measurement.
Help your first person completethe brain state assessment.
Guide them in tracking theirdaily patterns.
Document their current AI toolchallenges and opportunities.
Phase 2.

(17:08):
Move to planning.
Remember the task director'ssaying the foundation determines
the height.
Guide them in drafting theirFAM story and Ice Cube and Ice
Sculpture lists.
Help them create their firstwillpower story focusing on
morning hours.
Show them how to match Ice Cubeand ice sculpture tasks to

(17:32):
brain states.
Phase 3.
Progress to optimisation.
Remember the day designerssaying planning transforms
energy.
Help them expand theirwillpower story to cover the
full day.
Guide them in using AI toolsstrategically.
Help them design supportiveenvironments for high-charge

(17:56):
work.
Phase 4.
Build toward automation.
Remember the routine engineerssaying systems beat struggle.
Develop triggers that make goodhabits automatic.
Help them create their firsthabit-building plan.
Help them build resilientroutines that last.

(18:17):
Remember your role isn't to bea technical expert.
You're a guide, helping othersoptimise their most valuable
asset their brain states in anAI-augmented world.
As you master this process withindividuals, you can expand to
teams and eventually wholeorganizations.

(18:38):
As Sarah discovered, when youhelp someone master their brain
states and build effectivehabits, you don't just improve
their performance, you transformtheir life.
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