Insights

Thoughts on change management, innovation strategy, marketing strategy, and the future of work from 18 Coffees.

May 2026 Business Trends: The Whispering Office, Emotion AI, AI in Politics, and a Workforce Shift

Four data-backed business trends shaping May 2026: AI dictation apps reshaping how offices work, emotion AI watching employees without consent, AI moving from a business story to a political and regulatory one, and a quiet but significant shift in how college-educated fathers are dividing their time between home and paid work.

Read More

April 2026 Business Trends: AI Sabotage, the Stability Aspiration, and a Leadership Reset

Three data-backed business trends for April 2026: why nearly a third of workers are sabotaging their company's AI, why Gen Z is romanticizing 9-to-5 stability while struggling to find entry-level roles, and what the Artemis II mission can teach exhausted leadership teams.

Read More

March 2026 Business Trends: AI, Burnout, Change Management

March's trends reveal a common thread: organizations are investing in new technology and strategy without investing in the capacity to change how people work. From AI adoption divides to silent burnout among high performers, these four workforce trends are shaping how leaders navigate 2026.

Read More

January 2026 Business Trends: When AI Promises Meet Ground Truth

CEOs report AI saves them 8+ hours weekly; employees say less than 2 hours. RTO compliance surged as economic anxiety shifted workplace power. Corporate social responsibility rhetoric retreated. January's trends reveal widening gaps between how leaders perceive change and how workers experience it.

Read More
Caleb Gardner Caleb Gardner

Your org chart isn’t ready for AI

While leaders focus on AI skills training, the real disruption is structural. AI agents are becoming actual team members, forcing organizations to rethink rigid hierarchies and create more fluid, responsive structures that operate at the speed of insight rather than bureaucracy.

Read More
Kyle Gilkeson Kyle Gilkeson

The Future of Change Management: Insights from Change Chicago 2025

Explore key takeaways from Change Chicago 2025, where industry leaders discussed the future of change management. From securing a strategic seat at the table to leveraging data and AI for organizational agility, find out how change professionals are redefining their impact and value in a rapidly evolving world.

Read More
Caleb Gardner Caleb Gardner

June 2025 Business Trends

June’s snapshot of the business landscape covers three trends: a 7.5× surge in full-time content-creator roles, Gen Z’s rejection of traditional management tracks, and why brands retreating from Pride campaigns is eroding consumer trust. Read how forward-thinking companies can turn these trends into competitive advantage.

Read More