Mental Models with AI: Think Better, Decide Faster

Hosts: Mark Smith, Meg Smith

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/754

How to use AI to structure thinking, surface blind spots, and move through complex problems. Meg and Mark show practical patterns: building mental models, running thinking-hat challenges to cut confirmation bias, using AI as a thought partner, debugging code and page issues, automating inbox and workflows, role-playing hard conversations, and rapid research. They share personal wins from branding decisions to rescuing a bee swarm. The episode closes by flagging next week’s focus on ethical decision making and safety.

Join the private WhatsApp group for Q&A and community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0iyXcUVhpl9um7DuKLYEz

🎙️ What you’ll learn

• Use AI to build and test mental models that expose blind spots.
• Run thinking-hat challenges to counter confirmation bias.
• Treat AI as a thought partner to frame better questions and choices.
• Diagnose code and page layout issues fast, then move to fixes.
• Design inbox and workflow automations with Copilot and Power Automate.

✅Highlights

• “How can we use AI to help us solve problems.”
• “AI is not gonna take our jobs, but greedy capitalist will.”
• “We are living in this world that is trying to polarize us all the time.”
• “I like the concept of mental models.”
• “I’m going to ask my dumbest question.”
• “I’m waking up and within three minutes of inbox, it’s empty again.”
• “I’ve got AI. I don’t need to call anybody.”

🧰Mentioned

• Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats
• Zenler https://www.newzenler.com/invite/aeLVdH
• Recipetineats https://www.recipetineats.com/

Connect with the hosts

Mark Smith:  
Blog https://www.nz365guy.com
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy

Meg Smith:  
Blog https://www.megsmith.nz
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/megsmithnz

Support the show

Subscribe, rate, and share with someone who wants to be future ready. Drop your questions in the comments or the WhatsApp group, and we may feature them in an upcoming episode.

✅Keywords:  
ai, mental models, problem solving, strategic thinking, copilot, power automate, code reviewing, confirmation bias, six thinking hats, ethical decision making, chatgpt, beekeeping 

Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith