Fit For the Future

https://swiy.co/go-most-ai-projects-fail Coincidentally, just in the last week, three seemingly unrelated things happened, but they are all connected. First, according to some research published by MIT Media Lab, where they surveyed leaders across many organisations and industries, a staggering 95% of AI projects failed. They didn’t meet their goals – whether they were for productivity gains, bott...

Whether you’re excited or anxious about AI, there’s a more useful way to look at it: as your intelligent assistant. You’re still in the driving seat and choosing the destination – and AI helps you get there faster, safer, and more efficiently. With this mindset, you use AI to unlock better outcomes without losing control. https://swiy.co/go-intelligent-assistants How do you think about AI in your...

You’re probably hearing a lot of news about AI, from many people with many perspectives. For example, with its environmental impact, some people say it’s saving the world, others claim it’s ruining it. Obviously (or maybe not?) the truth is somewhere in between. And that applies to everything else AI-related, too. As a leader, you’re not expected to know everything, but you do have to manage how y...

As a leader, you might think AI job losses are only a future problem, but your team might be already thinking about them now. With real headline news of organisations replacing people with AI – even those known for valuing their employees – your team might be quietly worried, wondering if they are next. That’s why you must acknowledge those concerns, start open conversations, and help your people...

AI agents have arrived, and they can do far more than just answer questions – they can act on your behalf. That opens up incredible opportunities, but also brings new risks for yourself, your team and your organisation. Even if you already have AI policies and guidelines in place, you need to update them now for agentic AI. https://swiy.co/go-ai-agents-are-here Are you ready for AI agents? This is...

https://swiy.co/go-from-chatbots-to-chaos Are your AI guardrails, policies, and guidelines up to date or out of date? In 2022, Jake Moffatt needed to fly to Toronto for the funeral of a family member. Before booking a flight with Air Canada, he checked their rules to qualify for a bereavement fare. The helpful Air Canada chatbot assured him he could buy a ticket, fly, then request a partial refund...

How are you using AI to enhance your customer experience? Broadly, AI can help in three areas: Interface, insights, and infrastructure. And all of them are to do with enhancing – not eliminating – the human touch. Let’s look at that with an analogy of the old-style deli owner, who knew everybody who came into their shop. I knew somebody like that, way back when I was a kid. 1. Interface I would so...

You might be doing future planning to understand how the world is changing – that’s good. You might even be adjusting your plans based on what you learn – even better! But are you also changing HOW you plan? Many leaders miss this change, and it can make a huge difference to the quality of your plans. Things like AI, hybrid work, and generational diversity in your teams all bring new tools and ins...

If you want to know where to look to understand the future, don’t forget the people already in your team. Everybody brings unique perspectives and lived experiences that could shape smarter decisions and sharper strategies. The best leaders listen to external voices, but also actively include their team in learning about, shaping, and creating the future. https://swiy.co/go-yes-theres-an-i-in-team...

When you’re facing an uncertain future, it helps to know what’s around the corner and over the horizon. That’s the skill of foresight, where you spot the trends, signals, and shifts that could reshape your world. Before asking “Is this an opportunity or a threat?”, first figure out what’s actually changing - and then evalute that to make strategic choices. https://swiy.co/go-foresight-first When y...

If you're a leader, you should be thinking about what's next in your industry, but are you also scanning the horizon to see what’s happening outside it? The best leaders think deep, wide, and far to understand what will affect them now and in the future. https://swiy.co/go-deep-wide-and-far In October, I’m speaking at the Bus Industry Confederation’s annual conference, and a few weeks ago I had th...

About sixty years ago, MIT Professor Joseph Weizenbaum built a chatbot, named ELIZA, that could act like a psychotherapist. It was programmed to look for key words and phrases typed by a person and reflect their words back to them in its responses. Despite its simplicity, many people were so taken by it they started treating it like a real doctor. On one occasion, Weizenbaum’s secretary asked him...

You want to do the best for our customers, but sometimes you’re restricted by internal factors, like time, budget, geographical location, IR rules, staff availability, scheduling rosters, and floor space. You can’t fix all of these problems, but you might be surprised just how much you can address using AI. Done right, AI can shift customer experience from system-driven to truly customer-centered,...

AI is all around us - and we see it in everyday life in our supermarkets. Large retailers like Coles and Woolies have been building AI into their operations for years, and show what's possible when you apply AI to enhance the customer experience. If you're exploring AI for your own organisation, use these examples to learn how to deliver faster, smarter, and yes, even a more human service. https:/...

Even if you have invested in good customer service and worked on building a smooth customer experience, there’s a new layer you can’t ignore: customer intention. AI lets you predict what your customers might want - even before they tell you - based on their behaviour, habits, and even the behaviour of other customers like them. Using this data to improve your customer experience makes you more rel...

If you suspect or detect job candidates using AI in your recruitment process, do you see that as a red flag or a green light? If you reject them, you're pushing away exactly the kind of forward-thinking, problem-solving people you actually want on your team. More and more job seekers are using AI to explore careers, find opportunities, tailor their CVs, and even prepare for interviews. These are t...

The best employees have more options than ever, which means your employer brand matters more than ever, too. You need a strong employee value proposition (EVP), which has three parts: the internal culture people want, your own promotion of that culture, and what other employees say about you. https://swiy.co/go-talent-chooses-you I recently bought a book about cricket (Why? Because I’m a cricket t...

What are you doing to attract the best people to your team and organisation? I was speaking recently at a leadership forum about the future of work, for leaders across many industries and sectors. At the networking drinks after my keynote presentation, one attendee asked me some AI software he had seen recently. He said one of their challenges is candidates using AI in the recruitment process. And...

We're all drowning in data! But data is the core feature of so much decision-making now, especially when combined with AI. But are you using your data - REALLY using it - to inform your decisions? Like it or not, leaders need to be data-literate now, and know how to use data to gain insights and drive decsions. https://swiy.co/go-drowning-in-data Are you making data-based decisions? I was speaking...

You know that change is constant, but are you truly preparing your team to thrive in it? One important piece of building a culture of change agents is adopting, promoting, and supporting a learning mindset. This is more than offering occasional training. It’s about helping your people go deep, broad, and far, in their learning and development. https://swiy.co/go-leading-learning Do you have a lear...

Your people are already using AI - but they might not be telling you about it, because they are worried you will think they are lazy, incompetent, or cheating! If they are afraid to tell you, that's YOUR fault - and a huge missed opportunity. https://swiy.co/go-ai-secrets Somebody recently asked me whether I thought there’s too much hype about AI. I said yes, and he immediately jumped on that and...

In the war for talent, money is important, but not enough. If you're serious about attracting and keeping top talent, look at other drivers - including flexible work. In Iceland, 90% of employees now enjoy a four-day workweek, working fewer hours with no pay cut and no loss of productivity. In fact, productivity went up, well-being improved, and workplaces became more equitable. https://swiy.co/go...

Do you have a workfluencer in your team? And if you don't, maybe you should! If you have a culture you’re proud of, workfluencers are powerful brand voices for you - helping attract the right sort of talent, long before an interview. It’s time to support, nurture, and trust the people already championing your workplace. https://swiy.co/go-workfluencers In a nutshell, a workfluencer is an employee...

As a leader, you need to be regularly scanning the horizon and planning for the future. But if your people aren’t inspired to bring that plan to life, it won’t go anywhere. Strategy without execution is like a car without fuel. For real progress, you need to engage your team and connect your plan to meaningful work. https://swiy.co/go-from-planning-to-progress You might have big ideas and a clear...

Strategic change often stalls after the initial excitement fades, especially when the change involves future scenarios that might be uncertain, unknown, or challenging. Instead of letting all that strategic thinking go to waste, focus on small, immediate actions that fit into existing workflows rather than creating extra work. Don't just inspire people in the moment; start building a culture where...