Ep161 - Staying Human at Work: Play, Capacity and AI with Dara Simkin and Tâne Hunter

We welcome Full Stack Human co-authors, Dara Simkin and Tané Hunter to speak about why growing burnout and overwhelm are systems problems, not personal resilience failures. They explain how Stone Age brains are overloaded by Godlike tech - constant notifications, meetings and targeted media - keeping people in fight-or-flight and reducing creativity and judgment. Dara argues that optimisation and “achievement syndrome” add pressure, while play is a biologically grounded mindset that supports connection, curiosity and sustainable performance. They share ways leaders can integrate play through permission, mental and physical space and simple prompts, plus “yes, and” communication to build psychological safety. Looking ahead, they emphasise protecting human capacity and leaning into uniquely human creativity and agency as AI expands.~00:26 Burnout Is a Systems Issue01:51 Why Work Feels Weird03:45 Play as a Mindset08:18 Stone Age Brains at Work11:56 Achievement Syndrome and Hacking14:07 Micro Moments of Play18:05 Wobbling the Jelly20:50 How Leaders Enable Play24:37 Yes And Leadership29:58 Future of Work Is Human~ResourcesWebsite: https://www.culturehero.co/full-stack-human-bookBook - Full Stack Human: https://www.amazon.com.au/Full-Stack-Human-Mindset-Technology/dp/1394346255Connect with Dara Simkin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dara-simkin-culture-hero/Connect with Tâne Hunter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanehunter/