Sunday Mile - September 14th

The future of work is changing — here’s what’s happening, why it matters, and what to do about it.

September 14, 2025

🏁 Starting Line

“Knowing what’s silent lets you lead the conversation.”
Insight doesn’t always make noise — sometimes what people don’t say aloud reveals what’s really shifting. This week we dig into the hidden dynamics of AI at work.

🎯 Tactical Edge
Gen Z Driving AI Culture

A new survey shows that Gen Z workers are helping older colleagues use AI tools. According to International Workplace Group, nearly two in three Gen Z respondents say they share AI tips with older coworkers; overall, 86% of surveyed workers say AI has improved their efficiency.

Why It Matters

Culture often flows from the ground up. When younger team members take initiative, they bridge gaps in adoption and reduce resistance — which accelerates learning across the whole org. Efficiency gains compound: what one person figures out can spread informally.

Mile Advantage

If you’re in a multi-age team, ask Gen Z colleagues what tips they use, document them, and share them in your team chat or wiki. If you’re newer, offer to share what you find — even small hacks create ripple effects.

💻 Tech in Motion
Caution & Guidelines in AI Adoption

A new Ipsos survey for The Guardian shows UK workers are hesitant to speak openly about their use of AI at work. Only ~13% report discussing it with senior staff, while 33% avoid mentioning it at all due to fears of judgment. Many also report that their companies lack AI usage guidelines.

Why It Matters

When people use AI in silence, there's no shared learning, accountability, or best practices. This leads to inconsistent quality, unrecognized risk, and missed opportunities for cohesion. Teams may be using powerful tools, but without structure, their true advantage is diluted.

Mile Advantage

If you use AI at work, be transparent where possible — even informal sharing of what you use, how, and what pitfalls you’ve noticed. If you lead, push to establish or clarify AI usage policies/guidelines: what’s permitted, what’s reviewed, and who handles oversight.

🏃‍♂️ Macro Mile
Rising Supply, Rising Risk

The International Energy Agency reports that global oil supply is rising faster than expected in 2025, largely due to expanding output from OPEC+ and non-OPEC nations. The forecast now expects supply growth of about 2.7 million barrels per day this year, which is exceeding demand growth and putting pressure on inventories. Also, oil prices slid ~2% recently as concerns over global oversupply and weaker U.S. demand outweighed geopolitical risks.

Why It Matters

For businesses, rising supply means input costs could fall, especially for transportation, manufacturing, and energy-intensive sectors. But oversupply also breeds volatility — any disruption (sanctions, supply chain, political instability) can swing prices rapidly both upward and downward. Companies assuming stable or rising oil could be caught off guard.

Mile Advantage

Run stress tests in your financial models: one scenario with lower energy costs, another with price spikes. Review contracts, supply lines, and fuel expense assumptions to see how sensitive your margins are. Watch for IEA reports, OPEC+ decisions, and major demand signals (like U.S. economic data) — they’ll likely give early warning on which way things swing.

🔭 Next Up
Gen Z & the AI Culture Shift

New-data from Gen Z & Workplace Intelligence shows younger employees aren’t just passive adopters — they are teaching older coworkers how to use AI tools. This shift is helping bridge feature gaps and speeding up adoption.

Why It Matters

Culture often follows the path of ease: the quicker a group adopts and normalizes tools, the faster they become standard. Gen Z’s influence can lower resistance, create peer learning, and reshape expectations around skill ownership. For those not leading with this change, it may feel like they’re always reacting rather than influencing.

Mile Advantage

If you’re a Gen Z or younger employee, embrace this role: share what you’ve learned, run small internal demos, offer tips to colleagues. If you manage, recognize and reward these knowledge-bridgers, formalize mentorship or peer support in AI tools, and ensure training flows both directions.

🏅 Mile Marker

What’s silent this week matters: what you hear from younger co-workers, what people avoid saying about AI, what assumptions you’re making about space. That’s where your edge comes from.

📚 Sources
⚠️ Disclaimer

Sunday Mile provides information for educational and informational purposes only. All opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. We are not liable for any actions taken based on the content of this newsletter. Sources are credited and linked to their original publishers.