Fit For the Future

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...

Do you have a bad attitude at work? Specifically, do you have a bad attitude about AI at work? If you’re a leader or a manager, having a bad attitude about AI is not just bad for yourself – it’s bad for your team as well. Those bad attitudes are contagious. We should be excited and curious about AI. We should be appropriately cautious about using AI. And we should be unsure about AI because we don...

Adopting AI successfully isn’t about the technology – it’s about your culture. As a leader, your role is not to dictate AI use, but to create an environment where people feel empowered to explore, leverage, and share AI-driven innovations with everybody else. https://swiy.co/go-ai-in-your-team Do you have hidden AI talent in your teams? In the last week, I had two very interesting conversations wi...

If you’re still dragging your feet about adopting AI, don’t! It isn’t some distant future technology – it’s already here, and in five years it will be as normal as smartphones or spreadsheets. Smart leaders are already using it to enhance their customer experience, boost productivity, and make better decisions. And don’t just wait until you’re ready for the technology; you also need to bring your...

When giving your team access to AI, don't wait until you have finalised every policy and governance detail. Like learning to drive, adopting AI works best when people get hands-on experience early. Bring your people along on the AI journey now, to ensure they build the skills, comfort, and understanding needed to integrate AI effectively into their work. Don't wait for the perfect moment - start n...

Your organisation can use AI in two key ways - but it might be using only one. The first is embedding AI into core operations, where it works behind the scenes to streamline processes like loan approvals, insurance claims, and medical diagnoses. The second, and often overlooked, is giving people direct access to AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, AI agents, and deep research assistants. If you’re seri...

Change isn’t easy, and everybody in your team will respond to it differently. Instead of trying to push everybody to embrace change, focus on finding the "bright spots": small success stories where change is already working. By highlighting these successes, you create a culture where change feels possible, practical, and positive. https://swiy.co/go-find-the-bright-spots Whenever a client engages...

How do you stay on top of all the changes with AI? It's evolving fast, and staying in touch can feel overwhelming. Instead of trying to track every new development yourself, find an AI champion in your team and give them the support they need to lead AI adoption and integration. https://swiy.co/go-ai-champion AI Champion: The Role Every Team Needs to Navigate AI I run regular AI Leaders Labs for c...

What do you know about this new Chinese AI app called DeepSeek that’s taking the AI world by storm? DeepSeek, a new app similar to ChatGPT, became the #1 downloaded app on the App Store when it was launched recently. You might have heard about it in technology news, but it’s also in the mainstream media. But how can we separate the hype from the reality? Let’s talk about three things about DeepSee...

As we step into 2025, it’s clear we will have much more change and uncertainty - but also opportunity. Your path to success depends on how well you can lead yourself and navigate your team through the year. Your focus should always be about people first: guiding your team, customers, and yourself through the complexities of the year ahead. It’s not about predicting the future but staying adaptable...

With up to five generations working side-by-side, your workplace is more diverse than ever. This offers many opportunities for collaboration and innovation, but it also presents challenges, like differing attitudes toward hybrid work, financial pressures, and conflicting priorities. If you're a leader who can embrace these differences and foster a culture of mutual respect, you will be better equi...

How do you cope when employees, customers, and other stakeholders are more demanding than ever before? It's impossible to solve every problem, but you can partner with others - even outside your industry - to solve complex challenges and meet rising demands. Use cross-industry collaboration to unlock innovative solutions, share resources, and strengthen your organisation. https://swiy.co/go-cross-...

The future of leadership is about navigating complexity with clarity and purpose. As technology reshapes industries and societal expectations evolve, leaders must foster human connection, champion transparency, and embrace adaptability. Success will come to those who prioritise learning, sustainability, and collaboration, creating workplaces where people thrive. In a time of uncertainty and rapid...

The world is changing faster than ever, and we need teams to be embracing change. But many people are slow to change, reluctant to change, or resistant to change. If that's true for your team, maybe YOU are the problem! Many leaders unintentionally say and do things that create a change-resistant culture. Recognise these words and actions, and replace them with a new mindset and behaviour that enc...