How I Stopped Worrying and Hired ChatGPT as My Colleague

by RG Gardner, Consultant & Reluctant Tech Convert

For most of my career as a consultant, I operated under a basic rule: humans solve human problems. That meant no shortcuts, no automation for the sake of it, and certainly no robots in meetings.

Then came ChatGPT.

At first, I scoffed. An AI assistant? Cute. Let it draft social media posts for the interns. But over time, the pressure of doing everything — strategy decks, client research, proposal writing, brainstorming, and internal memos — started to wear me down. I wasn’t working inefficiently; I was working exhaustively. That’s when I made a quiet, experimental hire: ChatGPT.

Here’s how that decision changed my work, my time, and my entire perspective on collaboration.

1. The Mindset Shift: AI Is Not a Threat, It’s a Teammate

Most of us consultants have an internal gatekeeper — the voice that says, “No one else can do this but me.” I had to shut that voice up to make room for something new.

Once I did, I realized ChatGPT wasn’t replacing me. It was acting more like a junior analyst with superhuman patience and zero ego. It could:

• Rapidly distill client background info

• Help structure 100-slide decks with consistent logic

• Draft summaries and outlines based on my notes

• Ask surprisingly good follow-up questions

No eye rolls. No procrastination. Just a machine ready to go at 6 AM or midnight.

2. The Daily Workflow Upgrade

I started slotting ChatGPT into my daily workflow like a real colleague:

• 8:00 AM – Inbox to Action Plan: I’d copy/paste dense client emails into GPT and ask for a summary, tone analysis, and suggested next steps.

• 10:00 AM – Strategy Brainstorming: I’d type in a rough client scenario, and GPT would shoot back a list of strategic options, questions I hadn’t thought of, and even frameworks I’d forgotten.

• 1:00 PM – Deck Drafting: I’d send it the main messages, and GPT would help format slide outlines, titles, and even transitions. A 4-hour job became 1.

• 3:00 PM – Proposal Writing: No more staring at a blank page. GPT gave me a structured first draft, which I could refine with my voice and expertise.

3. How I Made It Work Without Losing My Edge

Let’s be clear: AI can’t (and shouldn’t) replace the human parts of consulting. It doesn’t read between the lines of a board member’s facial expression, or intuit a client’s unspoken fear. But it does help me get to those moments more prepared.

To make this partnership thrive, I followed a few rules:

• Treat GPT like a collaborator, not a tool. I prompt it as if I’m talking to a teammate.

• Edit like a human. GPT’s first drafts are clean, but they still need a polish to sound like me.

• Keep the intellectual heavy lifting. Strategy and vision stay in my domain. GPT helps execute.

4. The ROI of Sanity

Here’s the ROI no one talks about: I stopped burning out.

By hiring ChatGPT, I created space — for deeper thinking, more human conversations, and even time off. I became faster without rushing, smarter without struggling, and calmer without checking out.

And the best part? My clients didn’t notice I had a robot on my team. They just noticed I was more present, responsive, and insightful.

Final Thought: Don’t Fear the Machine. Onboard It.

Hiring ChatGPT wasn’t a surrender to technology — it was a step toward a more sustainable, effective way of working. If you’re a consultant, strategist, or knowledge worker drowning in tasks that dilute your real value, here’s my honest advice:

Don’t fear the machine. Learn to manage it. Like any good teammate, it’s only as valuable as the way you lead it.

So go ahead — promote ChatGPT from “gimmick” to “colleague.” You just might stop worrying too.

RG