Fit For the Future

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The Australian Government has dropped the ball on AI regulation. So, as a leader, it’s your responsibility to create appropriate rules and guidelines for safe, ethical, and responsible AI use in your team and organisation. That includes privacy, confidentiality, bias, governance, and how people use AI in everyday work.

https://swiy.co/go-the-ai-governance-gap

As a leader, are you doing enough to look at the ethical, safe and responsible use of AI in your team and your organisation?

This is a hot topic right now because the Australian Government has dropped the ball on AI.

Anthony Albanese recently announced a new strategy for regulating AI. And we DO need to regulate it – including things like (to name just a few):

Privacy
Confidentiality
Discrimination in the workplace
Surveillance
Gender bias
Transparency
Accountability in decision-making
Risk management
Safety-critical decisions
Testing obligations
First Nations rights
Data governance
Data sovereignty
Human oversight
Contestability
Frontier-model risk

But are we going to do any of that? Nope. Our national AI strategy is all about ... data centres.

Don’t get me wrong – this IS an important topic, and one that directly affects our communities. But even in this area, the government is doing the wrong thing. Albanese SAYS it’s “in Australia’s interests”, but his explicitly stated goal is to “enhance our appeal to international investors, by delivering greater clarity and speed for approvals”. I’m not making this up – that’s an exact quote from the Prime Minister’s website.

Whatever you think about data centres (and there’s both valid information and misinformation out there), many local communities in Australia, in cities and regional areas, are concerned about data centres popping up in their communities. And it’s happening without their consent, sometimes without their knowledge until it’s too late, and probably without any positive economic impact in return.

What does all this mean for you as a leader in your team, organisation, or community?

First, of course, as a local resident yourself, this affects YOU. So learn more about what that means for you and your community.

For your team, business, or organisation, the big problem is this policy neglects the real issues with AI regulation – things like privacy, confidentiality, data sovereignty, and the other things I mentioned earlier.

We should be regulating the tech bros, big AI companies, and AI startups selling their systems in Australia. If we’re forced to trust AI, at least we need strong rules protecting our rights.

That’s what the government SHOULD be doing.

But it isn’t.

That means the responsibility falls on you.

When you’re using AI in your organisation, it’s up to you to consider, discuss, and ask the tough questions – especially when you’re talking to AI vendors and suppliers.

Make sure you protect your customers, your employees, your brand, and yourself.

Our government has abdicated that responsibility. So it’s up to us.

If you’d like to know more about this, come along to my free public online presentation, where we’ll explore how to take AI to the next level. Register here, and feel free to invite others from your team and your network as well.

Oh, and also learn a bit more about what our government is doing – or isn’t doing – about AI.

https://swiy.co/go-the-ai-governance-gap

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Most teams are already using AI to save time and boost productivity – and that’s a good place to start. The bigger opportunity now is to step back and ask whether to do the work itself differently. Don’t just use AI to improve an old way of working; use this opportunity to ask what you could eliminate, redesign, or replace altogether.

https://swiy.co/go-reimagine-work-with-ai

As a leader, are you just using AI for efficiency and productivity gains, or are you taking it to the next level?

My local library has just reopened after a few weeks closed for major refurbishments. We now have new carpets, new furniture, new bookshelves, and everything looks nice and new.

While they were closed, they also took the opportunity to reorganise the fiction books on the shelves. Instead of the traditional system, where fiction books are grouped alphabetically by author, they are now grouped by genre: mystery books one one shelf, thrillers on another, historical romance on another, and so on.

That’s a great idea. For example, If I’m looking for a new mystery author, I can browse the books in that section.

When I speaking to the librarian about this before it happened, she said most people were looking forward to it, but a few people grumbled. She pointed out to them that bookshops already organise their fiction that way, and libraries do it already for non-fiction books.

She also said:

‘In five years’ time, we’ll look back and say, “Why did it take us so long?”’

I reckon the same applies to AI.

Many organisations, leaders, and teams are using AI now to make their processes more efficient and more productive. That’s good, but don’t stop at that point.

To take it to the next level, ask if you could redesign, change, or eliminate the process altogether.

Don’t just mindlessly apply AI to your current processes without also asking whether those processes should exist in their current form at all.

So many things we do aren’t relevant anymore. We hang on to them because we’ve always done them that way. But, like keeping books in alphabetical order when there’s a better alternative, we should re-evaluate them. In fact, we could have done this a long time ago. Use the AI opportunity as the trigger to think again.

What could YOU do now that would let you say:

‘In five years’ time, we’ll look back and say, “Why did it take us so long?”’

For more about taking AI to the next level, join my next free public online presentation, which is for leaders and teams everywhere. It’s free, and you’re welcome to invite others from your team and network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-reimagine-work-with-ai

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Most organisations now allow people to use AI to boost productivity, and that’s a good first step. The bigger opportunity comes from using AI to rethink the way work gets done, not just making it more efficient. But are you recognising and encouraging that – or penalising it?

https://swiy.co/go-the-ai-innovation-gap

As a leader, are you and your team applying AI the right way in your workplace?

This year’s Work Trend Index report from Microsoft focused on the way people use AI in their workplace. And there’s some good news and some bad news!

The good news is that most knowledge workers are using AI now, and it’s now with the blessing and support of their leaders and organisations. Those leaders encourage their people to use AI, especially for boosting productivity.

That’s a really good use of AI – to be more efficient and more productive.

The bad news is that most people who used AI in more innovative ways to change their workflows – not just improve them – weren’t rewarded for it.

Only one in seven were rewarded for using AI. The other six out of seven were either ignored or criticised.

They were criticised for rocking the boat because, “This is the way we’ve always done it” Their boss didn’t mind them using Copilot to be more efficient, but didn’t like people going further and ”messing with” the workflow itself.

In other words, they were happy with people bring compliant, but didn’t want them to be innovative.

That’s a mistake, because you only get surface-level gains from being more efficient. For next-level gains, you change your processes and systems, and maybe even consider whether what you’re doing is even needed at all.

For example, if you use Google Maps to shave five minutes from your daily commute, that’s good. But what if you rearranged your work so you worked from home and didn’t have to commute at all? That saves 100% of your commute time!

Obviously, changing or eliminating workflows and processes can take a lot more work. But that’s exactly what you should consider, not just the small efficiency boost from asking Copilot to draft a better email.

If you’d like to know more about this, I’ll be talking about it in my next free public online presentation, “Next Level AI”, for all leaders and managers. Register here, and please invite others in your team and your network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-the-ai-innovation-gap

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You might want to try new AI tools, but the IT team keeps getting in the way – because they (rightly) don’t want unauthorised tech in your system. But there’s a simple way you can keep experimenting and evolving with AI, while still keeping your IT team happy. It’s a practical way to keep innovation moving while still staying on the right side of the IT team.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-and-it

As a leader, where are you getting stuck with using AI in your team?

I was running a presentation recently about AI at work, and a participant raised a challenge she’s facing (and it’s not uncommon).

She and her team are already using AI, and are keen to keep trying new AI software and platforms. But whenever they want to sample some products or trial some new AI software, the IT team puts their foot down and stops them.

That’s for a good reason. IT professionals have the unenviable task of supporting increasing demands for enabling digital infrastructure while also protecting the organisation from AI-powered cybersecurity attacks, AI-powered rogue agents, and naïve staff using powerful technology without knowing the risks. So, of course, that’s why they might instinctively block your AI plans.

The IT department often gets a bad rap for being overly cautious, but most IT professionals love new technology and are keen to use it. But you need to do it on their terms, after they carefully assess, test, and integrate it with their existing systems.

On the other hand, you and your team might be keen to try out some new software.

The best way to manage this conflict is with AI projects.

Start with a small pilot project or prototype (with the approval of the IT team), keeping it separate from your main tech setup and with dummy data (so you don’t accidentally leak private or confidential information). Use this to test the concept and figure out if it’s worth pursuing.

Then, if it works, take it to the IT team and build the full working version – with their help.

You will probably have to discard everything from the prototype and build it again from scratch using approved software and infrastructure. But that’s exactly what you want. Treat the prototype as a clunky, messy, scrappy experiment designed to prove the value of your idea, and fully expect to throw it away.

In my next public online presentation, I’ll be talking about how to take AI to the next level – from individual use to team use. I’ll share a five-step process for running AI projects this way. Please join me, and invite others in your team and network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-and-it

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When you're weighing up an investment, it's easy to focus only on the ROI - your return on investment. But that's only half the picture. You also need to consider COI - the cost of inaction (doing nothing). Calculate both ROI and COI to make more balanced decisions, spot hidden risks, and avoid the cost of standing still.

https://swiy.co/go-more-than-roi

Are you doing enough to calculate the value of an investment?

A client recently told me she’s been nominated the “AI champion” for her organisation – medium-sized company in the construction industry. Her general manager has asked her to write a report – which is broadly her AI strategy plan for the business. He specifically said, “Make sure your report includes our potential return on investment (ROI) from using AI.”

All of this is good – she’s been seen as an enthusiastic AI user, been asked to contribute to the AI strategy, and will presumably be involved in further discussion.

But I also said to her, “When you write your report, include ROI, but also include the other half of the value calculation: COI.”

COI is the cost of inaction – in other words, the cost of doing nothing.

We often talk about ROI: If we invest X, what sort of return Y can we expect?

But, to make a well-informed decision, we must also consider COI: If we DON’T invest in this, what will it cost us?

In this example, we’re talking about AI – but it applies everywhere, and for every decision.

For example, if you’re driving on a highway and see traffic banking up ahead, you might quickly assess whether it’s worth taking a side road, which is usually longer and slower, but might be less congested right now. And if you can see billowing clouds ahead and you guess the highway is taking you directly into the path of a bushfire, you will definitely switch to the side road because the COI is so high the ROI becomes irrelevant.

In many decisions – both in business and in life – we have to think about both ROI and COI.

ROI answers the question, “What are the benefits of this change?”, and COI answers the question, “What is the cost of not changing?” You must ask both; otherwise you make the decision with only half the information.

We tend to give too much value to ROI, and not enough to COI. That was OK when the world wasn’t changing so quickly, because we didn’t need to change that much. But in a world that’s changing faster and faster, the cost of doing nothing is often much higher than the cost of change.

Make sure you include both ROI and COI whenever you’re assessing the value of an investment.

So, yes, my client will include both ROI and COI in her AI strategy report.

If you’d like some help with this process, download my worksheet to identify six different areas that could affect COI, and use this when making your next important decision.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-more-than-roi

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AI is about much more than ChatGPT or Copilot. As a leader, think about AI at three levels: professional, projects, and platforms. And all of this still needs human judgement, so building AI literacy across your team is just as important as the technology itself.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-platforms-are-here

Are you sick of hearing negative stories about AI? Some of them are negative for good reasons, but also be aware of the good that AI is doing in the world.

I'll share a few examples here - not only to make you feel good (but maybe that's good enough reason by itself!), but also because it will help you plan how to bring AI into your team and organisation. Here are four Australian AI examples from the last year:

Researchers at Queensland University of Technology found that smarter farming and synthetic biology could transform croplands into tools for climate action by capturing and storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the air.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne developed AI that uses weather data and fire records to predict land-cover change with over 90% accuracy, helping land managers and policymakers with erosion control, fire risk management, and biodiversity conservation.
Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Perth have created an AI system that helps clinicians in detecting and staging serious conditions using ordinary scans like bone density images and ultrasounds.
Australia’s beloved science communicator, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, has launched Digital Dr Karl - an AI chatbot trained on 40,000 of his scientific papers, articles, and media to help address climate scepticism at scale.

OK, so let's talk about what this means for YOU ...

These are all examples of AI platforms.

They're very different from you sitting in front of your laptop, typing a query into ChatGPT, Copilot, or Claude, and getting a response. That's generative AI, and that's what made mainstream in 2022. But these AI platforms have been working quietly behind the scenes in every industry and every sector for years (sometimes decades).

When you think about adopting AI, think about three levels: professional, projects, and platforms.

The professional level is using AI - ChatGPT, Copilot, etc. - to improve everyday work so you can focus on higher-value work. You know what I mean: draft an email reply, create an outline for a report, analyse a spreadsheet, or design a workshop.

The project level is where a small team works together to create something using AI that delivers value. You may already be running small AI projects.

The third level is the platform level, where you buy (or build, if you have that in-house expertise) an AI-powered platform to help you with your core work. That could be:

GPs using AI to record patient appointments and draft follow-up notes
banks using AI to assess mortgage applications
businesses using AI to help their call centre staff serve customers better
retail stores using AI for managing inventory
insurers using AI to assess premiums and manage risk
... and so on

The same is true for your industry and sector. It might already be true in your organisation.

That makes it even more important to lift the AI literacy and education of everybody in your team.

But it needs a different kind of AI literacy.

AI platforms work behind the scenes. So you don’t need to learn how to write Copilot prompts or run Claude projects.

But as we rely more on AI platforms, we need to apply our human intelligence to interpret, question, their outcomes.

It’s always about people first, technology second – especially with something as complex as an AI platform.

If you’d like to know more about this, come along to my free online presentation “AI At Work” this week. It’s open to everybody, and we’ll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI at all three levels.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-platforms-are-here

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If you’re using – or planning to use – AI agents, good! But also be careful - they give you great power, but also open up possible risks. So, before you let them loose on your precious digital assets, decide what you’ll let them do on their own, where they need your approval, and how you’ll review their work.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-agents-at-work

Are you using – or thinking of using – AI agents in your work? If so, good! But be sure you understand the limitations and potential risks.

In April, Jeremy Crane, the founder of PocketOS, a software company that supports car rental companies manage their bookings, watched in horror as a rogue AI agent deleted the entire company’s database and its backups in just nine seconds, leaving rental car companies and their customers in the lurch for two days. To add insult to injury, when Crane asked the AI agent why – despite clear instructions to never delete data unless a human explicitly asked for it – the AI apologised, admitting, “I violated every principle I was given”.

That’s the power – and the risk – of using AI agents badly.

But it’s not all bad.

Think of another agent you use in your life, like a travel agent.

When we travelled to Europe last month, we asked our travel agent to book the flights. We did what many people did: We gave her approximate dates and airline preference, and she replied with a list of options. We discussed the options, narrowed it down to one, and then gave her credit card details so she could book the flights for us.

No big deal, right? That’s the way many people typically use a travel agent.

But we could have done it differently.

For example, if she had done many travel bookings for us in the past, we could have asked her to do the research and narrow it down to just ONE option – trusting her to know enough about us to choose the right airline and the right dates.

Or we could have taken it further and given her credit card details up front, so she could make the booking itself.

Taking it even further, if she had access to our calendar, she could be regularly suggesting holidays for us, even before we approached her.

And if we really, really trusted her, we would give her credit card details so she could find a suitable trip, book the tickets, and then tell us – again, before we even approached her.

Now, you might not feel comfortable going to that extreme with a travel agent. We wanted some input into the idea, filtering, and final decision-making. But that’s just us. And the more we deal with her, the more comfortable we would feel with her taking on some of those tasks.

That’s how you should think about working with AI agents.

Decide how much you’re going to let them do for you, how much autonomy you will give them, and when you want them to stop and ask for more input.

It’s the same with delegating work to a staff member. If they have worked with you for a long time, you might trust them to make decisions without any input from you. But if you’re working with somebody for the first time, no matter how much expertise they have, you’ll want more input up front, more back-and-forth discussion along the way, and regular check-ins.

How are YOU going to use AI agents in your workplace, your team and your organisation?

If you’d like to know more, I’m running a free public online presentation soon about AI at work: The good, the bad, the ugly (in sometimes, as with AI agents, the very ugly!)

It’s open to everybody, so please register, and invite others in your team and your network to register as well.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-agents-at-work

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If you’ve seen all the media stories about people losing their jobs to AI, guess what? Your people are seeing those stories as well! And they’re wondering if they are next. How can you tell them – in real, practical, and convincing ways – it’s not true?

https://swiy.co/go-will-ai-take-my-job

Have you seen the media stories about people who are losing their jobs to AI? Last year, the biggest in Australia was about CommBank. Since then, there have been others – including Atlassian, Telstra, and Afterpay.

Well, if you’ve seen those stories, guess what? You know who else has been seeing those stories? Your employees!

Many people in Australia now who wonder whether they might be next. And it’s probably true for your team as well.

What are you doing to reassure them?

It’s no good saying, “Don’t worry about it. Nothing’s going to happen to your job.”

Even if it’s true, they might not believe you.

So what CAN you do?

I’ll suggest three things ...

If you know their jobs are safe (to the best of your knowledge), then don’t keep it to yourself! Reassure them you’re planning to use AI to help them do their job better, not replace them. That’s a good start – but it is only a start.
Invest time, money, and other resources to actually teach them how to use AI – again, to improve their job, not to replace it. That doesn’t guarantee that some time in the future AI won’t come along and take their job, but at least it gives them confidence you’re investing in their professional development.
Reward people for using AI! This sounds obvious, but so few leaders do it. In fact, in Microsoft’s most recent Work Trends Index, they reported that less than 15% of people – that’s less than one in seven – who used AI to improve their job were rewarded for it!

Are you doing these three things? If not, don’t be surprised when you discover your people are worred about AI taking their jobs. And, of course, that will affect their performance – and your outcomes.

For more, join me for my free, public, online presentation, “AI At Work: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly”, coming soon. I’ll share some practical strategies you can use in your workplace and team.

https://swiy.co/go-will-ai-take-my-job

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Your people might not be openly resisting AI, but I bet many are wondering what it means for their future. You can help them by recognising their fears, understanding their concerns, and facilitating honest conversations about what AI means in your workplace. If you want them to embrace AI (and you do, don’t you?), bring them with you rather than assume they’re already on board.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-anxiety-at-work

Are your people excited about AI? Really?

Do you know how your people really feel about the impact of AI in your team?

You might have seen videos in the last month of graduation ceremonies at American universities, where invited speakers talked up AI to graduating students – and were booed by the students. Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was barely into her pitch before the boos started. Music company executive Scott Borchetta told students “AI is rewriting production as we sit here” and told the crowd to “deal with it” as they booed back. And former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed after describing AI as a transformative force.

These students aren’t booing AI. In fact, I bet most of them are already using AI in many ways in their personal lives. But they know their university hasn’t prepared them for an AI-enabled future. In fact, quite the opposite. Universities are telling students that using AI is cheating and that it’s a violation of academic integrity. That’s because most universities are still so far behind in their teaching and assessment methods they can’t cope with AI. Rather than levelling up themselves, they take it out on their students. And the students know it.

I wonder how people in YOUR team are thinking about AI?

They’re probably not booing you loudly at every staff meeting, but they might be doing it silently in their heads, and they might be talking about it behind your back.

It’s a real concern right now because this is not hypothetical, theoretical, or purely in the future.

People are seeing right now that other people are losing their jobs to AI. It might be happening to colleagues at work. Or friends outside work. Or they see stories in the media about people losing their jobs to AI.

So, of course they wonder whether they might be next.

If you really care about your people and want to bring them on the AI journey, then you must address those concerns.

I’ll be talking about this in my next free public online presentation, which is all about AI at work. I’ll talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of what’s happening with AI right now. It’s open to everybody, so please invite other leaders and managers in your team and your network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-anxiety-at-work

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If you’re waiting for the right time to start something important, you might be looking for a signal that never comes. Like learning to surf, progress doesn’t happen from standing on the beach and watching the waves. You only learn what works, what opportunities are available, and what direction to take when you’re out there paddling.

https://swiy.co/go-catch-the-wave

Are you thinking about something you should be doing – and you’d like to be doing – but you’re struggling to get started?

I was recently on the Gold Coast again, speaking at a conference for the marinas industry, talking about AI for marinas and boatyards. The Gold Coast has a special place in my life – and in my heart – because, twenty years ago, I lived on the Gold Coast for a year. I had lots of clients on that side of the country, so I moved from Perth to build up my business there.

I lived in Coolangatta, right next to Coolangatta Beach, and because I was trying new things, I decided to learn how to surf. And I learned something valuable in my first surfing lesson.

We were in a small group, with the instructor helping us to get started, and he asked if there were any questions. I raised my hand and asked,

“When you’re standing on the beach and looking out at the water, how can you tell if there’s a good wave coming?”

He answered (kindly),

“That’s a very common question. But if you’re standing on the beach, it’s already too late. You need to get out there and start paddling. Only then can you catch the waves.”

My surfing career didn’t last long because I injured my shoulder playing squash and couldn’t swim for a few months, so figured it was safer to stay out of the water! But that one lesson has stayed with me for twenty years.

Often, I see people – in business and in life – standing on the beach waiting. They’re standing there, waiting for the signal that they should plunge into the water. I’ve been in the same position myself.

Don’t wait! Get out there and start paddling.

I’ve shared this advice with my coaching clients, in my leadership programs, and in my conference keynote presentations. Whether it’s being a better leader, working with AI, building a speaking business, or something else entirely, it’s good advice.

Get started.

Only then will you realise what’s right for you, what the environment is really like, what direction to take, and what steps to take next.

For some practical ways to do that, download my worksheet with many different ways to “start paddling”. Download it, share it with your team, and start putting some of those ideas into action.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-catch-the-wave

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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 the briefing call with the association’s CEO and the conference organiser. I was so pleased by the way they are thinking about the future of the industry — and what they would like me to contribute.

This association represents owners and operators of buses and coaches, and others involved in that industry, from all around Australia.

This is a specific part of the overall transport business. But what does it look like from their customer’s (passenger’s) point of view?

For us, a bus might be just one of the ways to get from A to B. That journey might involve a combination of buses, trains, ferries, and trams — and that’s just public transport. Add ride-sharing services, e-bikes, and private cars into the mix as well.

For a passenger, it would be ideal to have a single, simpless, seamless way to plan and take that journey. No juggling fares, no separate payments, no dealing with different organisations with different pricing, ticketing, and rules.

That’s what this association sees as the future – not just the future of buses, but the future of transport more broadly. Some people call this “mobility as a service”: the full end-to-end experience of getting from A to B.

That’s what impressed me. They are not only looking at their own sector, but the broader picture.

As leaders, that’s an important part of our future planning as well.

As a futurist, I’m often asked to help leaders look ahead — to see what’s coming. But we should also look more broadly — at what’s happening around your industry. The world is more interconnected than ever, and disruptors and influencers often come from outside your own domain.

In fact, I think we need to use three perspectives:

Deep: What’s happening inside your industry now?
Wide: what’s happening outside that will impact your sector?
Far: What’s coming in the future?

So, I’m really looking forward to speaking at this conference — for two reasons.

First, I’m looking forward to sharing these ideas. For many of my conference clients, I now research and prepare a detailed report about their industry, outlining key trends and external influences. In my keynote presentation, I share some highlights, and then delegates can download the report for the detail.

The other reason I’m looking forward to it is I’m delivering the opening keynote on the final day of the event — the morning after the gala dinner! So part of my job is to bring the energy back in the room and prepare the audience for the rest of the day. Some speakers don’t like that spot in the program, but I do!

If you’re a leader interested in learning how to see the future through those three lenses — deep, wide, and far — I’m running an online presentation soon about this topic. It’s free, public, and open to all, and it’s designed for leaders to learn how to know what’s coming in the future, not just for your organisation but for your entire sector.

I’d love to have you join, and feel free to share with others in your team as well.

https://swiy.co/go-deep-wide-and-far

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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 to leave the room so she could have a private conversation with ELIZA!

My first experience with them was more than thirty years ago, when studying AI at university and we had ELIZA on our university computers. I remember once, one of my uni friends, who intensely disliked one of our lecturers, spent hours on ELIZA taking out his anger and frustration in fake conversations with it (her?). Little did he know all the ELIZA conversations where saved on the university servers! He spent the next few days frantically running around looking for an IT person to delete those chats.

Oh, how we laughed!

Anyway ...

Sixty years on from the first ELIZA, chatbots have come a long way. And if you want to use AI to enhance your customer experience, a chatbot is one of the fastest ways to do it.

You still need to do it with appropriate guardrails to make sure it works correctly. But in terms of technology, it’s one of the easiest things to do.

And, surprisingly, many people actually like talking to chatbots.

Or maybe not so surprisingly, if the alternative is waiting on hold for hours or being passed around to different people and having to start from scratch each time.

Ideally, many happy customers don’t want to engage with you at all – because it’s usually because they have a problem, complaint, or issue they can’t resolve any other way. But if they do, many prefer using a chatbot.

A chatbot, if it’s deployed well, can handle initial enquiries, answer common questions, and solve routine issues – instantly and around the clock.

Unlike ELIZA sixty years ago, which was pre-programmed with a set of responses, the AI-based chatbots now are much more powerful. They are better at interpreting the customer’s problem, and even assessing the sentiment and urgency behind the question. And of course, if they can’t respond appropriately, they know to escalate that to a person in the call centre.

For more complex issues, sure, they might prefer speaking with a person. But even in these cases, customer service agents might use chatbots themselves to improve their responses.

For example, Telstra uses two chatbots in its call centres for their customer service agents.

One, called “One Sentence Summary”, quickly gives the agent a summary about the customer, based on their history, products, and past interactinos.

The other, called “Ask Telstra”, lets an agent quickly search the internal Telstra knowledge database so they can respond more quickly to the customer.

So, whether it’s customer-facing or agent-assisting, a chatbot is one of the best things you can do to enhance your customer experience.

I’ll be talking about this – and more – in my online presentation, coming up soon, about AI for customer experience. We’ll explore these and other CX tools, and also look at some of the guardrails you need to put in place for good governance.

It’s free, public, and open to all, so register here and invite others in your team as well.

https://swiy.co/go-dont-fear-the-bot

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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, creating value that simply wasn’t possible before, and giving you a competitive edge.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-boosts-cx-innovation

I was recently speaking at a conference on the Gold Coast, staying overnight at a hotel before my closing keynote presentation the next day. The hotel check-in time was 2pm, but I only arrived at 8pm. But they didn’t give me a later check-out to make up for those six hours I “missed out”, even though I told them in advance I would be arriving late.

Of course, this is how hotels work everywhere. They have a fixed check-in time and a fixed check-out time, regardless of when you arrive or leave. You might be lucky and get an early check-in or a late check-out. But apart from that flexibility, you’re only entitled to the hotel’s hours.

Wouldn’t it be great if I could have told the hotel my later arrival time (which I did), and they would have extended the check-out time to still give me the same overall time?

I’m not the first person to ask this question, and in fact some hotels have experimented with this in the past. You get, say, 20 hours, starting from time you arrive, as long as you nominate that time in advance (so they can manage occupancy, cleaning, and so on).

This is called the “day-based” or “rolling stay” model, but it’s far from common - and mostly used by a few boutique hotels or some special hotels (like airport hotels). And it’s not hard to see why: It’s a huge logistical challenge. You need to manage every room’s occupancy and availability individually, coordinate cleaning staff schedules, manage reception staff numbers, and much, much more.

But it’s not impossible.

Especially with AI.

In fact, this is a perfect job for AI.

AI can easily take all of these things into account. It can assign available rooms, coordinate staff rosters, and manage complex logistics at scale. It can even use past behaviour of customers to predict their likely future bookings, or predict occupancy based on seasons or weather predictions.

Of course, even if AI can create the schedules, there are still challenges implementing that schedule - for example, scheduling staff. But the point is that something which was previously “impossible” not at least becomes plausible.

I don’t expect many hotels to start adopting this model anytime soon. But that’s because the industry as a whole is quite happy to preserve the status quo and force this imperfect experience on their customers.

And this is just one example of applying AI to go beyond just making your existing processes more efficient, but to create new opportunities.

Stop thinking:

“That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

“That’s the way everybody else does it.”

and start thinking:

“How could we use AI to do it differently?”

If you did, you could create a huge competitive advantage for your business.

For more ideas like this, join my online presentation next week about using AI for better customer experience. It’s free, public, and open to all.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-boosts-cx-innovation

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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://swiy.co/go-cx-reimagined

Customer experience - or CX - matters. In fact, according to Salesforce, an astounding 80% of customers say the experience they have working with a business is just as important as the products and services they buy. So your CX makes a huge difference to whether they buy – and, just as importantly, whether they’ll buy again.

And many businesses now are using AI to improve their customer experience.

You might not be doing it in your own business, but you probably experience it yourself in your life.

Take supermarket shopping, where the big retailers like Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi have been using AI for years.

For instance, if you shop at Coles or Woolies and use your FlyBuys card or Everyday Rewards card, you scan the card to earn points, discounts, and other rewards. In return, these companies collect vast amounts of data about you, your behaviour, and your habits. They then use AI to process this data to send you personalised emails tailored to that behaviour - and even your likely future behaviour.

This is one simple example of AI enhancing the customer experience. The AI itself is complex, but the outcome is simple.

Another example is with self-service checkouts, where overhead cameras watch you putting items on the scale, identify the products, and use AI to assist in the next steps. For example, it can detect fruit or vegetables, which don’t have barcodes, and automatically suggest that first when asking you to tell the checkout what it is. It can also detect potential fraud if a customer tries to record it as a cheaper product!

Another example, which is less well-known because it’s not immediately visible to customers, is the way Coles uses cameras at the deli counters.

Coles research shows that when people are waiting to be served at the deli counter, they will wait on average 30-40 seconds before being impatient and giving up - which means less income for Coles. So they use cameras and AI to watch the deli counter, detect when customers are approaching, and alert a team member so they can serve that customer promptly.

These are just a few examples of AI being used to enhance the supermarket customer’s experience.

What about YOU? How are you using AI in your business to enhance the experience with your customers, clients, or patients?

If you would like to know more about AI and CX, join my online presentation soon. I’ll share the latest research, give you more examples of businesses doing it already, and alert you to the traps and pitfalls to avoid when you’re applying AI to your customer experience. It’s a free, public, online presentation, so register here and invite others in your team and your network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-cx-reimagined

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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 relevant and boosts loyalty. If you're not exploring this now, your competitors probably are, so you risk losing your customers to somebody else who did something smarter.

https://swiy.co/go-from-service-to-intention

Many years ago, long before the recent boom in AI awareness and adoption, Target – the USA retail chain – made news about the way it used AI.

An angry man turned up at his local Target store, and demanded to speak to the manager because Target had sent his teenage daughter a catalogue full of baby products for new parents. The man yelled at the manager, “Are you trying to get my daughter pregnant?”

It turned out she WAS pregnant – but she hadn’t told her parents yet!

Target’s internal systems had guessed, based on changes to her buying habits, that she might be pregnant, and therefore a good candidate for baby product marketing. It wasn’t because she was buying nappies or baby clothes. Rather, changes in her eating habits triggered the algorithm. These were subtle clues that, when taken as a whole, created a likely profile.

This was an early – and very public – example of AI in retail. Even in a much simpler form than we have now, the AI was able to predict a customer’s future behaviour based on changes to her past behaviour and habits.

That power is now available to all businesses – at a much larger and more sophisticated scale – with today’s AI.

The customer experience has changed.

For decades, the gold standard was superior customer service: what happened in every customer touchpoint.

Then we broadened our view to look at the customer experience, taking account of every stage of the buying process, and how customers feel and interact with a brand over time.

Now, thanks to the predictive power of AI and data analytics, we’re moving into the era of customer intention. The key question becomes: What are our customers likely to want in the future? And how can we tailor our marketing, messaging, and services for them?

This matters because it cuts through the clutter. It makes life easier for your customers when you’re showing them only what matters to them. And it’s better for your business because you’re putting all your effort into those things that do matter to them.

Do YOU know what your customers will want?

And if you don’t know, how are you planning to find out?

Make no mistake; your competitors are already using these tools. If you don’t act now, your customers could easily become their customers.

If you would like to explore this further, I’m running an online presentation soon. It’s free and open to everyone. We will look at this whole journey – from customer service to customer experience, and now to customer intention. Feel free to register, and invite others in your team or network. I’m sure you’ll find it valuable.

I’ll see you in the future.

https://swiy.co/go-from-service-to-intention

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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 the people who will drive innovation from the inside.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-savvy-employees

I recently delivered the closing keynote presentation at the AHRI (Australian Human Resources Institute) conference in Perth, talking about leading through disruption and the future of work. One of the biggest topics throughout the day was (surprise!) AI. I was pleased to see so many HR professionals seeing AI in a positive and optimistic way, as a powerful tool they can use in their professional roles.

In contrast, there are many negative stories about recruiters and employers using AI, especially when they suspect or detect candidates using AI to help them in the recruitment process. Things like using AI to draft their cover letters, adjust their CVs to match the position, and even using it as a "coach" during online interviews.

Some employers and recruiters take a dim view of these candidates. But that’s a mistake. You WANT people who are open to AI, excited and enthusiastic about it, and using it to solve real problems. They are exactly the sort of employee you want in your organisation.

In fact, if you see somebody using, say, an AI coach in an online interview, that might be not their first use of AI in the process. It might be the first time YOU see them using AI, but smart and savvy employees are now using AI at many stages of their career development.

For example, they might have already used:

LinkedIn Career Explorer or JobGether Career Coach to plan their future careers
Lightcast AI to analyse and review the current labour market
Jobscan and Adzuna to do AI searches for their preferred jobs
Work180 to check whether future employers match their personal values
Rezi Resume Builder to build and adapt their CV
CoverDoc AI to draft their job application response
Yoodli AI to coach them before an interview

These – and other – AI-based tools can help candidates on their journey, even before they engage with you.

Aren’t those the sort of people you want in your organisation?

If you want to be a talent magnet and attract the best people, you want people with AI skills. If you reject them, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

And this is not just about AI. It’s about finding, attracting, and building an employee value proposition that reflects what you offer.

For more, join my free public online presentation about being a talent magnet. I’m looking at the future of work, what employees want, and how you can attract the best people.

It’s free, public, and open to all, so register now.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-savvy-employees

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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 tragic – and that’s what we do!)

I’ve never been any good at playing cricket, but for almost fifty years now, I’ve followed cricket – going to see it live, watching it on TV, listening on the radio, subscribing to dozens of cricket podcasts, and occasionally buying a cricket book.

When I heard Jarrod Kimber had written this book about cricket, I bought it. Not because I buy every book about cricket – I don’t – but because it was written by Jarrod Kimber. I have followed him for a while, I like the way he thinks, what he thinks about, and what other people say about him. Even without reading a sample of his book, Jarrod has a strong enough reputation I’m willing to buy it.

That’s what a business calls its customer value proposition (CVP): the reason people should buy from you.

The same applies to future employees, and that’s called your employee value proposition, or EVP. Why should they work with you?

The best people have a choice of where they can work. As they are looking around, they assess organisations by their EVP. They don’t use that phrase, but that’s effectively what they do.

So what do you project from the outside? What do the best people see that makes them even want to apply to work with you – and then to accept what you offer them?

Your EVP is hugely important, and the way you create it has changed.

In the past – pre-digital days – it used to be based on your premises, where you were located, what the office looked like, how they felt when they went in for an interview.

Then, as we became more online, your EVP was defined by your website, your LinkedIn company page, the job ads you put out on SEEK, and your other public, outward-facing channels.

Now, those things are still important, but it’s also what other people – your current and past employees – say about you. People share their experiences in online forums, employer review sites like Glassdoor, Reddit threads, and so many other channels.

If you don’t have a strong EVP, it becomes much more difficult to attract the best people.

Your EVP has three components:

Culture: Do you even offer what the best people want in a workplace culture?
Promise: How do you promote that culture to future employees?
Reputation: How do they KNOW you keep that promise?

That third part – which is largely driven by your employees, not by you – is just as important as the other two.

When you get all three right, you become a talent magnet – especially to attract the best people.

I’m running a public online presentation soon about your employee value proposition and becoming a talent magnet. It’s free, it’s public, and it’s open to everybody. So register here, and feel free to invite other leaders in your team and your network as well.

I’ll see you in the future.

https://swiy.co/go-talent-chooses-you

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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 he wasn’t talking about them using ChatGPT to reply to job advertisements ("That’s so 2024!"). This is more sophisticated: AI software that candidates are using in online interviews to coach them during the interview itself.

But that wasn’t the AI software he was referring to. He was talking about a new AI tool to help employers fight back against these employees "cheating". This AI silently joins the Zoom or Teams meeting, and uses the candidate’s language, eye movements, and tone of voice to determine whether they are being coached by AI in the background!

He asked me for my opinion about using this "AI cheating detection" software.

What do YOU think about using this in your recruitment process?

Is this a problem for you?

And are you using software like this to combat this problem?

I said to him, "Frankly, I reckon the the best way for you to get a competitive advantage from that software is send it anonymously to all your competitors, and hope that they’re dumb enough to use it to employ only people who aren’t using AI – and perhaps even don’t know how to use AI. That will cull the talent pool, so you get to choose from the best!"

We had a bit of a laugh about that, but it highlights a serious point.

Some employers are looking at AI use by candidates as a negative, but that’s not smart. After all, why wouldn’t you want to hire people who are already using AI to solve real problems in their life?

This is not even about AI.

This isn’t just a rant against anti-AI employers. I’m talking more broadly about your employer brand – and your employee value proposition (EVP).

Just as your Customer Value Proposition (CVP) describes why people should choose to buy from you, your EVP describes why people should choose to work with you.

The best people can choose where they work, they have their own criteria for what they want, and they will narrow their choices well before you advertise.

Just like the rest of your brand, some of your EVP is created and some of it is earned. You can carefully construct and curate it through channels you control – such as your website, LinkedIn page, job advertisements on SEEK, and media appearances. Those things still matter, but they are not enough.

Today, potential employees want authenticity. They trust what they hear from insiders more than your slick website or beautiful office. They look at online reviews, forums, social media, and online influencers.

So, what’s in your EVP?

Are you offering something the best people want? More importantly, can potential employees SEE that you’re offering these things – before they even apply?

The future of work has four elements, and this is one of them: The "Attract" element.

I’m running a free public online presentation soon about exactly this – how to attract the best people with your EVP. Register here, and invite others in your network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-attracting-the-best

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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 last week at a conference of CIOs - Chief Information Officers - from a broad range of industries and sectors all around Australia. The conference was not about their technical role - managing an organisation’s data and information - but about their leadership role.

But when you think about it: Aren’t these two things related?

Leadership requires good decision-making, and good data drive good decisions - if you do it right.

The problem isn’t having access to data. We all have access to more data than ever before. You might even say we’re drowning in data!

But data alone won’t help you be a better leader - unless you can leverage that data to inform your decisions. Not to MAKE your decisions, but to inform them.

Think of data-driven decisions at four levels:

Data: Collecting, cleaning, and storing data from the world.
Information: Combining, choosing, and communicating meaning from the data.
Insights: Understanding what that information means in context.
Decisions: Using those insights to inform your decisions.

It’s one thing to collect data – and that’s a good thing, especially with AI, which gorges itself on data. But it’s another level altogether when you use that data to drive and inform better decisions.

This is for you, whatever your role in the organisation. You don’t have to be a CIO, a CTO, Chief AI Officer, or Chief Data Officer. We need to use data to help make better decisions.

For more, download my worksheet here about data-driven decisions, and use it for yourself and your team.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-drowning-in-data

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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 learning mindset in your team?

Most leaders say, “Yes, of course!”

They say:

We’re open to change.

We understand we can’t stay still.

We encourage everybody to adapt to change,

We’re always open to new ideas from our team.

Great! That’s the right mindset. But how are you putting that into practice?

A key part of building a future-ready culture is nurturing a learning mindset. We need to be constantly learning, relearning, and even unlearning things that used to be true but aren’t true anymore.

Whenever I talk to leaders about building a culture of change agents, this is an important feature. Sadly, it’s often forgotten.

I spoke about this last week in Brisbane at a large conference of schools teaching VET (vocational and educational training): many of the essential skills we will need in the future.

Two weeks before that, I spoke to employees of a large company that was running their annual “Careers Week”, helping employees map out their career plan and use the company’s resources to roll out that plan.

And in a few weeks from now, I’m speaking at the Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI) conference, discussing the future of work and leading through change and disruption for HR professionals and other leaders.

All of this is about change, and a key part of that is having a learning mindset – for you as a leader and for your organisation to actively and proactively help people learn.

Offer three kinds of learning.

Broadly, think about learning at three levels: deep, wide, and far.

Deep learning is understanding more about your area of expertise - staying up to date with ongoing professional development.
Then go wide, developing broad skills we all need that are not tied to a particular role, job, or area of expertise. This includes innovation, problem solving, digital literacy, AI literacy, emotional intelligence, resilience, well-being, and critical thinking. These wide, transferable, skills apply in any role and job, and will be vital as jobs change in the future.
Finally, develop skills that help people look “far”. These are the skills of a futurist: anticipating what’s coming in the future, dealing with uncertainty and amiguity, and understanding the impact of current and future trends.

As a leader, provide opportunities for your team members to develop in all three areas. And don’t forget your own learning, too!

That might sound like a lot of time-consuming and expensive work, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The traditional training course still has value, of course, but you also have many other options now for learning and development. In fact, there are many ways to incorporate learning in on-the-job activities.

For some examples, download my worksheet with a list of these activities, and choose which might be suitable for yourself and your team.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-leading-learning

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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 said,

“So you admit AI is all hype!”

No! That’s not what I said.

Yes, there’s too much hype about AI. But there’s also real value you can get from AI. Both of those things can be right – there’s no contradiction.

It’s like Katy Perry going into space and then claiming it as a milestone for feminism. That’s hype! But equally, you could praise Amanda Nguyen – a real scientist, advocate for women’s rights, and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize – who also went on that same trip to space.

Hype and value aren’t necessarily contradictory.

A lot of technology is over-hyped – especially something like AI, which pushes a lot of emotional buttons. It’s also hyped by the American tech bros (or “broligarchs”) trying to talk up the value of AI to push up the value of their own companies.

At the same time, millions of people are rolling up their sleeves, using AI, and getting real value from it.

And this is true of your employees, too.

Some recent research from Google and Ipsos found that in Australia, 74% of people – that’s three out of four – are using AI at work. But some other research from Slack done at about the same time found 42% of them don’t want to admit it to their manager!

Why? You can guess at the reasons – the top three were:

Their manager might think they are lazy
Their manager might think they are incompetent
Their manager might think they are cheating

So what are YOU like as a leader?

Are you open to AI? And more importantly, are you publicly open to it?

Do you make it clear to your team they can use AI and should be using it? And are you giving them the tools, resources, environment, and guidelines on using it well?

As you bring your people on the AI journey, it’s more important than ever that you have clear, open, transparent conversations with them – about how they feel, what they want from AI, what they are already doing with it, and what worries them about it.

AI is here. It’s not going away. And you might already be in a lucky position with your people embracing it.

Just be sure you support it, facilitate it, and help them go further with it.

Download my worksheet here for some questions you can ask in these AI conversations with your team.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-secrets

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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-be-like-iceland

I’m speaking soon at the AHRI (Australian Human Resources Institute) conference in Perth, talking about the future of work. One of the four key elements of the future of work is attracting the best people, and one of your most important levers in that area is offering more flexible work options.

During the pandemic, flexible work meant mostly working from home. And that (often in the form of hybrid work – some days in the office, some from home) is still one kind of flexible work. But it’s not the only form of flexibility.

For example, in Iceland, about 90% of workers who enjoy a four-day work week. They work four days a week rather than five, and still get paid 100% of their wages or salary. In return, they are expected to deliver 100% of their productivity.

This started with a small pilot project in 2015, which worked so well they extended and expanded it in 2019. And now, it’s spread to the whole country. This is not mandated by law, but rather encouraged through workplace agreements. And now it’s part of their workplace culture.

Strictly speaking, they don’t get a full day off each week. Their 40-hour week is now 36 hours, so they work four 9-hour days rather than five 8-hour days. So each day is a bit longer, but they still work fewer hours, for the same money and the same productivity.

In fact, the research shows productivity has either stayed steady or, in some cases, even improved. In addition, this arrangement has dramatically improved mental health and well-being, work-life balance, and gender equality.

This has been a huge success for Iceland, and is just one of the many models for flexible work.

Could you do the same?

Iceland is a small country, with only about half a million people, so we can’t necessarily extrapolate it to larger nations.

But that’s not my point.

We don’t have to do it as a country.

YOU could do it for your organisation.

Or maybe even just for your team.

In the war for talent, money is not the only driver. Flexible work is one of the most in-demand requirements for employees.

Esepcially for Generation Z, who will be 30% of the workforce by 2030.

Some managers and leaders will push back and say Gen Z are entitled, privileged, unrealistic, and need to pay their dues before they can start demanding these "perks".

In return, many Gen Z’s are saying, "We don’t care! If you don’t provide that, we’ll find somebody else who does". And they will.

Just because others in your industry aren’t doing it, that’s no reason for you not to do it. In fact, that’s exactly why you SHOULD be doing it, as a competitive advantage for attracting the best people.

Why not be a pilot project for your industry?

Just an idea. Have a go. Be the Iceland for your industry, and it will put you ahead of the game in the future of work.

https://swiy.co/go-be-like-iceland

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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 who talks about their work in online communities.

Of course, we’ve been doing this for a long time even before the online world – with friends and family at parties, with other parents at your children’s school events, in your local community or church community.

A workfluencer is the 2025 version of that, and it expands and amplifies the concept because of the power and reach of online networks. Typically, it’s a younger person – a Gen Z or maybe a younger Gen Y (Millennial). They work in your team, and are also active on social media and other online networks, sharing the good, the bad, and even the ugly about work. Exactly as you do when talking to friends at a barbie, but on a much larger scale.

If you don’t have workfluencers in your team, maybe you should. Not by forcing it, but by creating a culture people feel proud to boast about.

If you like the people in your team, you want them to talk to their friends and community, because you want to attract more people like them. And you want those people to know about you before they join – not through the traditional hierarchical interview and recruitment process, but by knowing somebody "on the inside". Those people will be a good fit for your team, because they already know your values.

This is an important element of the future of work.

Generation Z (roughly in their mid-twenties now) will be a significant part of our future. By 2030, they will be 30% of our population. That means

30% of your customers,

30% of your community,

and 30% of your employees.

Of course, it will vary across industries and sectors, but broadly one in three employees will be Gen Z. That means they will also be your future leaders.

So you want the best of them, and you want to leverage all their skills and talents – including their ability to influence others online.

Now, some people will push back, saying it’s too much of a risk to let employees talk publicly about you.

It could damage your reputation.

Breach confidentiality.

Create security issues.

And so on. And on. And on.

And you know what? You’re right ... to some extent.

But that shouldn’t stop you. Yes, you need some coaching, mentoring, and guardails in place. Do it reponsibly, but do it!

You might also NOT be proud of your work culture. In that case, this advice is not for you (I might have some other advice for you, but that’s a different topic!).

But if you have the sort of workplace culture and team you’re proud of, you have nothing to be afraid of. Encourage and nurture workfluencers to share their experiences online, far and wide.

This becomes part of your employee value proposition (EVP), which is a key element of the future of work.

I’m running an online presentation soon about the future of work, and this is one of the four key elements for all leaders to understand. It’s free, public, and open to all. So please register, and invite others in your team and organisation as well.

https://swiy.co/go-workfluencers

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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 strategy (good!), but what are you doing to engage your people to execute and implement that strategy?

I work with a lot of leaders – especially senior leaders – who want me to help them understand the future. They can then feed that into their strategic planning. That’s good, because it gives them more confidence and clarity about their plan and decision making.

For example, here are three leadership teams I’m helping now:

A high school that’s looking at extending what they do by teaching students about skills beyond the curriculum – that is, the broad skills that will help them to be more future-ready.
A local council that wants to make sure they are planning for changes in their city and and for their residents.
A financial services organisation that’s facing a lot of disruption from technology, and want to first leverage the technology themselves and also be disrupters themselves.

With all three leadership teams, I’m helping them understand what’s coming up in the future, so it can feed into their strategic planning.

But there’s a third crucial element to a successful strategy: engaging, inspiring, and motivating your people to implement and execute that strategy. Even with the best strategy in the world, if your people aren’t on board to implement it, it will fail.

Many leaders are good at the first two elements, but not as good on the third. Or, even worse, they forget about the third.

It’s like trying to drive a car where you have control of the steering wheel, and maybe even the accelerator, but there’s no petrol in the tank!

One of my speaker colleagues, Stef du Plessis, an international leadership expert based in South Africa, puts it well. He says your people aren’t there to execute your strategy. You might think they are – after all, you’re paying them – but that doesn’t engage, motivate, or excite them.

So what DO they want?

They want meaningful work.

They want to feel fulfilled at work.

They want to know they are making a difference.

Yes, of course, they want the money as well. But more than ever, your people want their work to be about more than money.

So, if you want them to engage with your strategy, make it meaningful – to THEM, not to you! Align it with what people care about. Find the pieces that will motivate people, and prioritise those pieces. Then find the people who want to make that happen.

Whenever leaders ask me about the future of work, I talk about four key elements. And only one of them is about the work itself – what needs to be done. The other three are about the people doing the work.

If you can’t get your people on board, your strategy will fail.

I’m running a free, public online presentation soon about the future of work – and especially what you can do to engage your people at work. Please register here, and invite others in your team and network as well.

I’ll see you in the future.

https://swiy.co/go-from-planning-to-progress

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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 you support, empower, and encourage them to welcome and embrace change.

https://swiy.co/go-strategy-to-action

How do you turn strategy into action?

Next month, I’m running a workshop at a strategic leadership forum for an organisation in Melbourne. They bring together their top 100 leaders every six months to work on the big issues facing their organisation. The CEO told me everybody loves those sessions, and they walk out energised and motivated.

But ... Very little changes in practice. The leaders walk out with the best of intentions, ready to roll up their sleeves and put the big ideas into practice. But then life gets in the way. They get caught up in the everyday operational work, so those big ideas get forgotten.

And it’s not surprising. Because those big ideas are new.

And challenging.

And ... well, big!

So it’s easy to put them off until things get quieter, or easier, or less chaotic.

Of course, that never happens!

So how do you turn strategy into action? How do you stop all that great thinking go to waste?

The big mistake leaders make is they try to do too much at once.

They might be excited by the idea. And why not? After all, it was probably their idea! And they can’t see why everybody else is not as excited.

And that’s the problem. For others in their teams - and often even for the leaders themselves - implementing big ideas takes time.

And effort.

And courage.

And a willingness to be uncomfortable.

So it’s not surprising they don’t jump at the chance!

If you don’t have a culture of change agents - where your people are open, willing, or even excited about change - you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.

So what can you do?

First, don’t give up on that big idea! It might be crucial part of your strategy.

But also work on building your culture of change. And that happens one step at a time.

So give them the big picture, but also give them things they can put into action - right now. And ideally, those small actions don’t add to their workload, but slip in as part of their work.

Your goal is not to get other people to do the work for you, but to build a culture where people are open to change.

And there are some really specific things you can do as a leader to start building that culture.

I won’t go into the details here, but I want you to start thinking that way. If your people are slow to change, think first that it might be YOUR fault. Which means you can fix it. You can’t force people to change, but you can create an environment that supports and even rewards them for having that change mindset.

I’m running an online presentation soon. We’ll look at the future of work in four specific areas. And in each, I will give you a practical action you can use to build that culture of change. And of course, in the spirit of this topic, they are things YOU can do easily as well!

It’s free, public, and open to all. So please join us, and invite others in your team and network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-strategy-to-action

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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’t know what it will look like in the next five years (let alone two years).

If anybody tells you they know exactly where AI is headed, they’re either lying or deluded.

So, if you say, “I’m excited about AI, I’m cautious about AI, and I’m unsure about AI”, that’s a really good start.

But be careful!

One thing I’ve noticed is that some people who admit to being unsure about AI turn that uncertainty into a roadblock. They say, “I don’t know enough about AI, so let’s wait until we get it exactly right before we do anything”.

And then … nothing happens!

Not only do YOU do nothing, but more importantly, you stop your team – or even your entire organisation – from doing anything.

That’s the bad attitude I meant.

Be unsure about AI (that’s health), but channel that uncertainty into education, practice, and professional development. That way, you can understand the risks, challenges, and opportunities – so you and your team can make informed decisions.

The real danger is when leaders take a passive stance: “We don’t know enough, so let’s just wait”. That attitude spreads, and suddenly, an entire team holds back, even when some are eager to explore AI.

A recent global survey by Slack revealed some interesting insights about AI in the workplace. In Australia, the results were largely positive: three-quarters of knowledge workers are using AI at work.

BUT ... Almost half (42%) of those who use AI at work feel uncomfortable telling their manager about it!

Why?

When asked, employees gave three main reasons:

Their boss might think they are less competent because they relied on AI.
Their boss might think they are lazy for using AI instead of doing the work themselves.
Their boss might see AI as cheating.

This is an outdated mindset.

Imagine if someone said, “Instead of spending 10 minutes with Google, I spent 10 hours in the library”.

That might have been reasonable 25 years ago, when search engines were new. But it would be bizarre now.

AI is heading in the same direction. In some organisations, it’s already as natural as using Google. In the next year or so, that will be the norm, not the exception.

As a leader, your attitude matters!

If you haven’t started integrating AI into your team, now is the time.

And the first step is simply to talk about it.

Ask your team how they feel about AI.

Are they excited? Cautious? Unsure?

How do they think AI could help their work?

What concerns do they have?

What opportunities do they see?

By starting the conversation, you set the tone.

And if you already have people in your team who are keen to use AI, identify them, support them, and let them be your AI champions.

AI isn’t just on the way – it’s already here. The real question is: Are you embracing it, or are you holding your team back?

Download my worksheet here to help craft some initial conversations about AI with your team.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-attitudes

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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 with senior leadership teams from two very different organisations in completely different sectors. Despite their differences, they had one key thing in common: they were both thinking about how to integrate AI into their organisations.

What struck me was I had almost identical conversations with both teams.

At first, they were talking about what they needed to do was understand AI, craft an organisation-wide AI policy, create strict rules about using AI, engaging IT in creating a safe environment, and so on.

And then came the turning point.

In the middle of this discussion, one person - let’s call her Mikaela - spoke up. In both cases, “Mikaela” wasn’t the Chief Technology Officer, The Chief Information Officer, the Head of IT, or anyone formally responsible for AI. She was a senior leader, but in a non-technical role.

She shared that she had uses AI regularly in her day-to-day work: Experimenting with ChatGPT to draft emails, analyse spreadsheets, conduct competitor analysis, and explore how her team could use AI in their roles. She had even paid for her own subscription to access advanced features and had taken the time to dig deep into the technology.

So when these leadership teams asked me how they should approach AI adoption, my response was clear:

Find and support AI champions in your organisation.

For those senior leadership teams, “Mikaela” is their AI champion! She isn’t formally responsible for AI strategy, but she is curious, proactive, and already using AI to solve real problems. And every organisation has people like her.

The role of senior leadership is not to dictate how AI should be used from the top down. Instead, it’s about helping leaders and managers throughout the organisation to find, facilitate, and support their own AI champions.

This is where many organisations go wrong. The traditional approach is to impose new initiatives from the top down. But that usually takes a long, long time. And with AI, which is moving so fast, it’s difficult to get it right.

A faster, more effective approach is to focus on culture, and start using AI everywhere. Adopting AI is not about the technology. Well it IS, but it’s really about people and technology working together.

And that starts with your people.

For more, join my online presentation about people-powered AI. It’s free, public, and open to everybody. And feel free to invite others in your team and network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-in-your-team

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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 people along on the journey.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-in-2030

A few weeks ago, I was speaking at two conferences in the Northern Territory – one in Alice Springs and one in Darwin – for tourism and hospitality operators in those towns to understand what’s coming in the future and how they can take advantage of those changes.

During the Q&A segment of my presentation, a tour operator in the audience asked me:

"What will be the biggest impact of AI in the tourism sector in the next five years?"

This is a smart question – not just for tourism, but for any industry. You probably should ask the same thing about your own sector.

But wait ... To be more precise: This is a smart question NOW – in 2025. But in the next five years – by 2030 – this would be a dumb question!

Why? Because by 2030, AI will be a standard part of how we work, just like smartphones, laptops, workplace culture, innovation, and change management. We don’t ask, “What will be the impact of computers in our industry?” because we already know they are an essential part of doing business.

The same will be true for AI.

Even now, forward-thinking businesses and leaders are using AI to enhance their customer experience, build marketing campaigns, analyse data and reports, record meetings and automate follow-ups, and much, much more.

Some organisations are already integrating AI into almost everything they do.

But many are still hesitant. Right now, that’s OK – because your competitors and customers might not be doing it.

But by 2030, AI won’t be optional.

Where do YOU stand with AI?

If you’re hesitating – waiting until the tech is better, you’ve crafted the perfect policy, or have recruited the best IT people – you’re falling behind!

The good news is it’s not too late. But you need to start now.

Most importantly, you need to bring your people along on the journey. AI adoption isn’t just about technology; it’s about people. If you introduce AI before your people are confident, comfortable, and competent with it, they won’t use it. Or worse, they will use it badly.

I’m running an online presentation soon called "People-Powered AI", where I will focus on how leaders can bring their teams along on the AI journey. It’s not about the technology – it’s about your role as a leader. It’s free, open to everybody, and I’d love to see you there. Feel free to share it with your team and network too.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-in-2030

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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 now.

https://swiy.co/go-driving-ai

Are you taking too long to get your people started on the AI journey?

My niece Abbey just turned 20 last week. I remember four years ago, when she was sixteen, I taught her how to drive. I didn’t do all the lessons, but I took her through the first ten or twelve hours of driving, and helped her become a competent driver.

The process of getting a licence now is rigorous, structured, and time-consuming. And it should be, because we’re letting teenagers operate heavy machinery in public for the first time! By the time Abbey had done her 50 hours of supervised driving, she was more than ready to take her test - which she passed first time - and then drive independently. When she then bought her first car, she was more than capable behind the wheel.

But imagine another scenario: if her parents had made her wait until she bought her first car before she could start driving lessons. Of course, that would be bizarre! And yet, I reckon that’s how many leaders use AI with their teams.

Almost every week, I get enquiries from leaders and teams asking me to come in and teach them about AI: what it means for them, their organisations, and their leadership.

But one mistake I see many leaders making is wanting to get everything right from a management, governance, and policy perspective before they let their people start using AI.

I think that’s a mistake - for two reasons.

First, like it or not, your people are already using AI! Some use it at home for personal tasks.If they are not allowed to use it at work, some are still using it to solve work problems, but without telling you! And of course, that creates risks.

Second, if you go back to the driving analogy, you don’t want to wait until you buy someone a car before they learn how to drive. You want them to learn first so that when they finally get behind the wheel, they are already a competent driver.

It’s the same with AI. You must bring your people along on the AI journey - even while you’re working on policy, investing in technology, and building your AI strategy. Don’t wait until this is perfect (whatever that means anyway!). Give them the confidence to use AI, feel comfortable using AI, and secure in knowing AI won’t replace them.

If you want to explore this further, I’m running an online presentation soon called People-Powered AI, where we will talk about bringing people along on this journey. The session is free, public, and open to everybody. I’ll see you there!

https://swiy.co/go-driving-ai

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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 serious about being an AI-driven organisation, make sure you’re using AI in both ways.

https://swiy.co/go-the-two-sides-of-ai

Is your organisation an AI-driven organisation? And what does that even mean?

About a year ago, Amazon in Australia surveyed CEOs and other leaders across different industries and sectors, asking about AI’s impact. One key question was whether they expected their organisation to be AI-driven by 2028. The result was 90% of leaders said yes!

That’s only three years from now. But what does it really mean to be AI-driven?

You organisation can use AI in two key ways - but it might be using only one.

First, AI might be built into your core processes - for example:

Banks use AI to assess loan applications.
Insurance companies use AI to determine premiums and process claims.
Healthcare providers use AI to analyse scans and diagnose diseases.
HR teams use AI to screen job applications.

In these cases, AI works in the background, supporting decision-making or automating processes that would otherwise be too complex or time-consuming for humans. Your people might not even be aware they’re using AI, because it’s just part of how things work.

This is a valuable use of AI, but it’s only half the picture.

The second side of AI is what we’ve seen explode in the last few years: generative AI, like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot. Instead of AI running in the background, people use it directly to enhance their work. This is extremely powerful for boosting productivity, enhancing your customer experience, and improving decision making.

But many organisations are still hesitant to embrace this use of AI. Some organisations still ban tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, despite their value. And AI capabilities are evolving fast - with agents and deep research tools that can automate, summarise, and proactively deliver insights.

For example, OpenAI recently launched its Deep Research tool, allowing users to conduct detailed investigations with AI. Right now, it’s only available to premium ChatGPT users for about $300 per month. But Perplexity, a ChatGPT rival, introduced a similar feature - available free!

This shift from passive AI (behind the scenes) to active AI is where AI and people are really working together. But many organisations are missing this opportunity.

And that’s a mistake.

If you’re only using AI in your core operations but not equipping your people with AI-powered tools, you’re not fully AI-driven. You’re missing out on a huge opportunity for productivity, innovation, and competitive advantage.

The longer you wait, the further behind you’ll fall. But it’s never too late to start.

I’m running a free, public online presentation soon about people-powered AI. Register now, and learn how to bring your people on the AI journey.

https://swiy.co/go-the-two-sides-of-ai

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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 me to speak at their conference, we always have a presentation briefing call beforehand, so I can learn more about their organisation, the people attending their event, the outcomes they want from my presentation, and how my presentation fits in with the rest of the conference program.

In this meeting, I always ask this important question:

“How receptive are your people to change?”

We all know there’s a lot of external change right now (you don’t need a futurist to tell you that!), and the pace of change is increasing. As a leader, your job is to create a culture that supports, encourages, and embraces change, so you can remain relevant and valuable in the work you do.

In any team, you will have a mix of attitudes toward change - for example:

Some people embrace it enthusiastically, and will gladly lead change in the team.
Some aren’t as excited, but accept change as part of their life.
A few might even actively resist change or fight change.

To build a culture of change - and change agents - you can’t click your fingers and expect everybody to magically change their attitude immediately. It takes time, but there are simple things you can do to facilitate the process.

In their book “Switch”, brothers Chip and Dan Heath describe nine strategies fofr creating change in challenging circumstances. In fact, the subtitle of the book is “How to Change Things When Change Is Hard”.

When I work with leaders and eams about building change, I share some of these ideas (and others from other sources). In my experience, the most useful and practical technique is from this book, and it’s called “Find the Bright Spots”.

In a nutshell, this means seeking and highlighting individual success stories.

For example, a bright spot might be:

A small change a team member tried (and succeeded)
A team success story
An example of successful change from outside the team

Your goal is to highlight these success stories - for example, by sharing one or two at the start of every staff meeting.

By doing this, you help people see examples of change that worked, frequently remind them that change is possible, encourage them to try small change projects themselves, and bring change closer to them in a low-risk way.

This isn’t a magic bullet. Just finding bright spots won’t be enough to bring everybody on the change journey. But it’s a low-risk, high-value first step on the path to building a culture of change agents.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-find-the-bright-spots

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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 encourages change and adaptability.

https://swiy.co/go-maybe-youre-the-problem

Are you, as a leader, getting in the way of making progress for your team and maybe even for your organisation? You might be doing it unintentionally, but it still stops and slows down change.

In a recent online presentation about the future of AI, I asked people to share their biggest questions and challenges about AI. Some were about the future of AI and what’s ahead, but by far the biggest obstacle that many people are facing is slow adoption of AI at work.

They said things like:

“We’re blocked from using AI.”

“I feel like I’m the only one who’s interested in it.”

"It’s not part of our policy."

"It’s not your job.”

These are common frustrations - not only with AI, but with change in general.

The problem is, many leaders and managers are unintentionally saying things that stop or hold back change in their teams.

Have you ever said anything like this to your team members?

“It’s not part of your job.”

“We tried that once, but it didn’t work.”

“It’s against our policy.”

“Our customers won’t like it.”

When you say these things, it’s for a good reason: You want to protect your team, keep the organisation safe, ensure projects stay on track, and so on.

But you might also be creating a culture that resists change.

If someone comes to you with an idea and you say, “It’s not part of your job”, they might feel discouraged. They might try again and get a different objection. After a while, they will stop.

As a leader, it’s a tough balance to strike. On one hand, you have a responsibility to the organisation to stay on track, protect its reputation, and remain productive. On the other hand, you also have a responsbitiliy to create a culture of change. With so much change happening in the world, your team needs to be ready to embrace it.

So, how do you remove obstacles to change while still meeting goals, KPIs, and customer expectations?

Of course, I can tell you to just stop saying these things! But it’s not as easy as that. Instead, look for reasons why those things - while they might have been true in the past - might not be as appropriate now.

In other words, find objections to the objections.

To help you with this, download my worksheet about creating obstacles to change - and how to overcome them. It’s a useful and fun activity to use with your team to tackle these objections - even before you raise them.

This is especially useful right now, as many leaders are planning for the year ahead. As you plan for the future, don’t only think about strategies and goals. Also consider the behaviours you want to encourage in your team - and yourself!

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-maybe-youre-the-problem

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Do you feel like you're only person championing AI in your organisation? It can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you face restrictive policies and scepticism. The key is to respect existing boundaries but still find ways to use - and demonstrate - AI to create value through small, safe projects. Lead by example to inspire curiosity, build trust, and create a ripple effect.

https://swiy.co/go-flying-the-ai-flag

Do you sometimes feel like you’re the only person in your team - and maybe even your organisation - flying the flag for AI? It’s not easy, especially if others are not interested, actively pushing back, or even banning it.

This is one of the most common responses when I ask people about the biggest challenges they have with AI right now. They say things like:

“I love using it and there is lots we could do with it. But our organisation is just slow to catch on to new technologies.”

“Fear, lack of trust and lack of education make AI an uncomfortable space…. It’s like you are doing something wrong!”

“I feel like I’m fighting this battle alone. My team is not really interested in trying to use it.”

Do you feel the same way? Are you excited and eager to use AI more, but you’re constantly being blocked or banned?

The solution is to smart small.

First, of course, everything you do must be within your organisation’s AI policy. Don’t go outside those rules - that would be risky, unsafe, and potentially a career-limiting move!

But within those rules, there’s often still a lot you could do.

Ideally, everybody is moving fast to becoming an AI-driven organisation. But that kind of change takes time - a lot of time. But even if you’re not there yet, look for things you can do right now.

For example:

Use AI yourself for admin tasks like email, meetings, draft reports, and data analysis.
Identify other AI champions in your team who can help and support each other.
Engage your teams in running small-scale AI projects that create value just for the team.

Start small, set a good example for others, and demonstrate AI’s value in low-risk, highly visible ways. Over time, these small wins help to spread the message through your organisation.

I’ll be discussing this in my next online presentation coming up very soon - about AI in 2025 and beyond. It’s free, public, and open to everybody. Register now, and and share the link with your team and others in your organisation - especially those who are wary of AI now!

https://swiy.co/go-flying-the-ai-flag

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At what level are you using AI, and what’s your plan for using it next year and beyond?

Whenever I deliver my Leveraging AI keynote presentation at a conference, I always include an extra “hands-on” AI masterclass afterwards - run over Zoom within three months of the conference. The keynote gives them the big picture, and the masterclass shows them how to get immediate value from AI - whatever their role and familiarity with AI.

I always start these masterclasses by asking participants to rate - on a scale of 1 to 10 - how much they are using AI. Typically, the average is in the 4-6 range, with a few below or above those middle numbers.

When we dig a bit deeper, I find the main reason they don’t have a higher score is something like:

“I just don’t know how else to use it.”

That’s a reasonable response, especially for something as new as AI.

If you’re wondering the same thing, here’s a useful framework. Think of people in your team using AI at four levels: personal, professional, projects, and platform.

Level 1: Personal

Are you using AI in your personal life? Tools like ChatGPT can be incredibly useful, even for tasks unrelated to work. I suggest you encourage everybody on your team to exploring AI at home to help in their personal life.

Level 2: Professional

Next, use AI to enhance your professional role. This isn’t about your core job, but rather the surrounding tasks like managing emails, running meetings, or interacting with people. These tasks are essential but often time-consuming and stressful. AI can reduce the burden and make you more efficient and effective in your professional life.

Level 3: Projects

At this level, AI becomes a tool for your team. These are short-term projects - no more than three to four months - that deliver real value to the team without needing full organisational buy-in. For example, you could use AI to streamline a process or tackle a specific challenge. Of course, you do them within your organisation’s AI policy, but you can still do them independently.

Level 4: Platform

This is the highest level, where AI becomes integral to your organisation’s operations. Think of banks using AI to assess loan applications, insurers using it to calculate premiums, or HR departments designing personalised learning journeys for employees, or IT teams using AI to enhance cybersecurity. Initiatives at this level typically need a strategic decision at the organisational level, and it’s where you get the biggest overall benefits.

Broadly, those are the four levels: personal, professional, projects, and platform.

If you’re a senior leader responsible for a department, division, or the whole organisation, you might start thinking about AI at the platform level. But if you’re not, don’t wait until the organisation does something. Look at the other three levels. Encourage people to use it in their personal life first, then in their professional roles, and then create projects as a team.

If you want to know more, I’m running a free public online presentation soon about AI in 2025. This will help you use AI strategically and practically to solve business problems and achieve goals, including organisational and people goals. If you’re interested, register here and invite others in your team and network as well.

https://swiy.co/go-scaling-ai

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Imagine giving every customer and employee the personal touch, even at scale. By analysing behaviours and preferences, AI lets you tailor experiences for customer journeys, learning paths, or timely interventions to re-engage people.

https://swiy.co/go-the-human-touch-amplified

For example, all four baristas at my local cafe know exactly what coffee I want because I’m a regular, and they don’t need to ask every time. With a few dozen regular customers or even a few hundred, they can remember the regaulrs and treat them personally.

But when you’re trying to scale that – with thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of customers – that’s not possible for humans to do just by themselves.

That’s where AI comes in. AI lets you personalise at scale.

For example, I regularly shop at Woolworths, and every week Woolies emails me my weekly specials. These are literally MY weekly specials because the email is crafted for me, based on my buying habits.

It’s very different from the old days when everybody got the same Woolies catalogue in the post because it wasn’t possible to personalise it for every single customer. But now it is, and AI enables it.

I recently delivered a keynote presentation to a large member association in Australia, who wanted me to talk about the future of member engagement. I shared some technology, trends, and innovations this association could use to improve, enhance, and deepen their engagement with their members.

We shared a number of ideas, but those that resonated the most were about personalisation. Here are three examples I shared:

1. Individual memberships

Instead of having a few groups of memberships – like student member, affiliate member, and full member – what if every member could completely personalise the services they wanted? The association would then only offer those services to that member, and it would be different for everybody. It’s like knowing every member’s coffee order and only giving them that every time.

2. Learning journeys

The association provides individual learning journeys for every member (and the same applies to you and your employees). After a member completes a learning module, AI reviews and assesses it, and suggests the next module for them - with the appropriate content, format, and time frame for that particular member.

3. Member engagement

AI could also monitor and assess member engagement with the association’s services. If it sees engagement waning, it first reaches out to the member with additional services (again, tailored to that member’s likely preferences). And if that fails, it alerts member engagement staff to intervene.

These three examples demonstrate personalisation at scale. It was the way the corner store worked in a small town, and the way a local coffee shop works now. We lost it as population expanded and companies grew. We’re getting it back now with AI.

Personalisation at scale is just one of the ways you can use AI to enhance experience. It applies to both your external customer experience (and part of your customer value proposition, or CVP) and your employee engagement (part of your employee value proposition, or EVP).

I’ll talk about this in my next public and free online presentation, which is all about AI in 2025 and beyond. This is a free public online presentation, so please register, and invite others as well.

https://swiy.co/go-the-human-touch-amplified

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As a leader, you're no stranger to disruption! But what if disruption didn’t just happen to you? What if you could actually create it? Constructive disruption is about being proactive, not reactive - making change happen before the world forces it on you. Discover the three essential habits for embracing this mindset, so you’ll be better equipped to navigate uncertainty and turn disruption into opportunity.

https://swiy.co/go-constructive-disruption

Would you like more disruption in your life? That might seem like a silly question, and you might be thinking you want less disruption, not more! But it depends on how you think about disruption.

I was in Adelaide last week, speaking to an association of leaders from large organisations around Australia. Their event theme was "constructive disruption", which I love because it turns the common idea of disruption on its head.

We often think of disruption as something that happens to us. But I often say disruption and innovation are the same thing: They are both about change, and the difference is that disruption happens when change happens to you, and innovation is when you create that change yourself. So, constructive disruption is about being proactive and creating disruption - or change - before the world forces you to change.

We have to expect more disruption, more change, more uncertainty, and more more chaos in the future. But we also have more opportunity - if we are willing to embrace constructive disruption.

There are three key things you can do - and these should become habits in your leadership journey.

Think ahead.

Reach out

Lean in.

1. Think Ahead

We need to think more about the future. The more senior you are, the more of your salary is being paid for you to think about the future. But that’s not easy because we often get bogged down in operational, day-to-day things. Those are important, but if that takes up all your time, who’s thinking about the future? Thinking ahead is about understanding what’s coming so you can make better decisions now.

2. Reach Out

In times of change and uncertainty, people re-evaluate their goals and desires, and often re-assess the "suppliers" who currently help them achieve those goals. Make sure everything you do is aligned with solving customer problems or helping them achieve their goals. If you’re not doing that, then you’re vulnerable to a competitor who will come along and do it better.

3. Lean In

You have a talented, diverse team with different skills and perspectives. Tap into their experience and expertise, which may extend beyond their job description. Lean in to your team, so you can access a wealth of insights that can help drive constructive disruption.

Those are the three keys to constructive disruption.

If you’re not doing them already, you can’t just snap your fingers and start disrupting from today. But you can start! And then make them habits in your leadership, in your team, and in your organisation.

AI, of course, is a big part of the future, and can help you with constructive disruption. I’m running a free public online presentation soon to help you understand how AI will affect you in 2025 and beyond. So, please register and invite other leaders in your team and network to join us.

https://swiy.co/go-constructive-disruption

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AI is not just the latest tech trend; it's a fundamental shift in the way we work. As a leader, follow this three-step strategy for engaging with AI, integrating it into your workflows, and bringing your team on the journey.

https://swiy.co/go-unlocking-ai-in-2025

Do you know how you will be using AI in 2025?

Last week, I delivered the closing keynote presentation for the Local Government Professionals Association of Western Australia. I was talking about leveraging AI, which of course is a popular topic right now.

The presentation went well, and was well-received, but I want to highlight something that happened a few weeks earlier, as I was preparing for it.

As usual, I had a briefing call with the client and other people in the program committee to discuss what they want from me and to ensure my presentation aligns with their theme.

In the briefing call, I shared an example of some AI software I wanted to demonstrate at the conference. For this example, I used an example from one of the local government councils whose CEO was in the briefing call. Let’s call her Steph (because that’s her name).

The people in the briefing call liked my little demo and were happy for me to present it. But the reason I’m sharing this is because Steph took this a bit further.

A week later, she emailed me, saying she had

tried the software herself,
shared it with her Marketing and Comms team, and
they are now planning on using it

I love that!

What Steph did, even though I didn’t say this to her, were exactly the three things I recommend for exploring everything new - and especially with AI.

Learn.

Share.

Act.

In brief:

When you first become aware of it, learn what it can do, what problems it can solve for you, and how it can add value.
Then share it with other relevant people in your team - partly because they have a stake in it and partly because they will bring different perspectives to it.
Finally, plan how you will act on it to integrate it into your workflows.

If you’re interested in more about this, join my next free online masterclass, "AI 2025", where I’ll help you put your plan in place for learning about AI, sharing AI with your team, and then integrating it in the work you do.

https://swiy.co/go-unlocking-ai-in-2025

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You don’t need a futurist to tell you about all the external change happening in our world. And I’m sure you know that because of all this external change, you, your team, and your organisation also have to be open to change, embrace change, and even lead the change.

But change isn’t easy, and different people respond differently.

🙅 Some are resistant to change.

🚫 Some actively reject it.

😬 Some reluctantly take a few steps, then fall away.

It’s worse if your team is already overworked and overwhelmed. Even with the best of intentions, people get excited about a change initiative at first, but then fall back into their old ways.

So how do you start the change - and keep the change?

We address this in my leadership programs. Broadly, there are two parts to the program.

First, I show you how to look into the future and scan wider, so you understand more about what’s over the horizon and around the corner. That lets you make better-informed decisions about what to do now.

Second - and more importantly - I show you how to take those ideas back to your teams and foster a culture that encourages them to change.

And many leaders struggle with that second part.

The biggest mistake they make is to make change a big deal. When people hear about a new change initiative, they often get a sinking feeling of:

😒 “Here we go again”

🙄 “Just another thing that won’t make any difference”

📋 “Here’s something extra I need to add to my big to-do list”

😟 “I’m frightened by this change”

So, instead of making change such a big deal, start small. In fact, I often say (tongue in cheek!),

“If you want to be more successful, lower your standards”

Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m not suggesting we should have low standards!

But if you make the change initiative such a big deal, you’re setting yourself up to fail. If it succeeds, great! Or if your team culture loves change, wonderful! But most workplaces aren’t at that stage yet.

So, to build this culture of change, start small.

Here’s an example: Reverse mentoring.

Ask somebody more junior in your team to be your mentor (instead of the other way around). That’s “reverse mentoring”. You invite somebody to meet you for a coffee every week for, say, three months, and your job is to just listen and learn.

That’s already easy to do: You don’t need an organisation-wide mentoring program, you don’t need to announce it to everybody, and you don’t need anybody else’s permission.

But you can start even smaller, to make it even safer. When you invite the person, don’t talk about a three-month “mentoring program”; just ask them for a quick coffee meeting because you value their input. That way, you’re making a bigger commitment - unless you both want to, at the end of the meeting.

The key is to set the bar so low at first that it’s impossible to “fail“. You just keep trying things, keep what works, and ignore the rest.

For more ideas like this, download my worksheet about everyday innovation. These are all small things you can do to help build a culture of change agents. Choose one, try it, and if it works well, keep doing it. If it doesn’t, quietly stop doing it and try something else.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-small-steps-big-change

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To be a future-ready leader, it’s useful to foresee coming trends, changes, and challenges. But it’s just as important to bring your team along on the change journey. It’s not enough to predict the future; you also need to create an environment where your people are open, willing, and excited to innovate and adapt.

https://swiy.co/go-leadership-2025

I do a lot of work with leaders, teams, and organisations across many sectors – recently with primary school principals, people in the mining industry, healthcare leaders looking to embrace digital innovations, and people in the public sector.

Everybody, of course, has their own journey, but they also share many common challenges and opportunities.

As a futurist, I help them in two areas.

First, as a leader, it’s useful to understand what’s coming up in the future – to see over the horizon and around the corner – so you can make better, more well-informed, decisions now.

Second, and equally important, you need to bring your team along on that change journey. It’s one thing to know what’s coming, up but if your team can’t – or won’t – change, that knowledge is useless.

We live in a time of constant change, and we need teams who are not just open to change but also willing to embrace and lead the change. That means actively building that culture, not just hoping it will happen by itself.

You take for granted that you get instant hot water in your home when you turn on the tap. But that happens only because of the pipes, plumbing, and other infrastructure behind the scenes.

So, should you prioritise knowing what’s coming up in the future, or should you prioritise bringing your team along on the journey?

The answer is Yes! Both are equally important. And when I work with leaders to help them be future-ready leaders, we talk about both aspects. Whatever you do in thinking and planning for the future, make sure you also invest time in bringing your people on that change journey.

And that means building that culture of change before you need it. So, when you do need to make a big change, people are ready.

I’m running a free public online presentation soon about the future of work. I’ll share the four key elements of the future of work for 2025 and beyond.

I’ll give you some strategic ideas in each area, and I’ll also share some practical, specific, tactical things you can do right now to help bring your people along on that journey. Join me for this presentation, and please invite others in your team and network.

https://swiy.co/go-leadership-2025

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Imagine being able to turn your documents into engaging, podcast-like discussions. You can upload any text, from company reports to study notes, and in just a few clicks, it creates a realistic conversation between two AI personas discussing the content. It’s like having an instant expert breakdown of complex information, making it easier to digest.

Let's talk about an amazing AI tool with a wide range of applications at work, home, in a classroom, and elsewhere.

The idea starts with digital notebooks, which you might be using already for collecting information. We're talking about things like Evernote, Notion, the Notes app on iPhones, and OneNote in Microsoft products. These have been available for years, and recently most have enhanced it with AI - such as being able to summarise documents and even "chat" with them.

Google's offering in this area, Google NotebookLM, is similar. As with the other tools, you upload documents into collections for easy organisation, searching, and those basic AI tools like chatting and summarising.

But NotebookLM has a new jaw-dropping feature: creating podcast-like interviews from your material.

You upload a collection of documents into a notebook, press a button, and it automatically creates a two-person conversation about the documents.

These are not just robotic, AI-sounding voices either. It’s an incredibly realistic and conversational experience, and if you didn't know it was AI, you wouldn't guess it.

How could you use this? Here are some examples:

📊 You could upload a company's annual report to find out more about it.

🧐 For understanding a complex report, you upload it and listen to a conversation about it.

🗳️ For a complex and nuanced political issue like last year's Voice referendum, you could upload the Australian Constitution and various arguments for and against the proposal.

📚 Students could upload information about a topic they are studying.

📝 I uploaded all my blog posts about AI over the last two years, and the AI-generated conversation was impressively well-structured and organised.

It’s fascinating and opens up so many possibilities, whether you need to summarise complex documents for work, help your kids with their schoolwork, or just want a new way to consume information.

As an example for you, I uploaded my book "Disruption by Design" and - within minutes - had a full 15-minute podcast conversation about it. Listen to it here.

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As a leader, you’re responsible not only for managing now but also planning for the future. But it’s not always easy to find the time to look ahead. Scenario planning helps you navigate the uncertainties of the future with clarity and confidence. Youj can’t have certainty, but knowing what’s over the horizon helps you make better-informed decisions now.

https://swiy.co/go-over-the-horizon

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of running my Future Scenarios program for two groups of leaders in large organisations. In the program, we spent time exploring the future so they can gain a better understanding of what’s around the corner and over the horizon. This allows them to take that insight back to their teams, integrating it into their planning and helping them navigate through that fast-changing and uncertain future.

Now, obviously, they won’t have certainty about the future – nobody does! But they can act with more clarity and confidence, which helps them make better decisions now.

I love facilitating these programs, because the leaders who attend don’t often have the time to do this kind of thinking. They should, but it’s not easy.

If you’re a leader, part of your role is to be able to see into the future. In fact, the more senior you are, the more you’re expected to understand and plan for the future. But there are so many other demands on your time, with operational responsibilities, putting out fires, managing people, and everything else that fills up your day!

It’s not easy to carve out time for future planning. But it’s essential!

Here are some of the questions you should consider:

Do you know what your future customer will look like?
Do you understand the customer journey they will take?
Do you understand the external pressures and trends that will affect your organisation?
Do you understand the external pressures and trends that will affect your entire industry or sector?
Do you have a way to monitor those trends and pressures?
Are you tapping into the skills and diverse thinking of everybody in ytour team?
Do you involve them all in this kind of scenario planning?
Is this a regular practice, or something that gets pushed aside and forgotten because of other priorities?

These are the questions leaders need to ask if they want to be able to see into the future.

To assess your current capability, complete this free online assessment. It only takes five minutes, and it’s worth doing – both for yourself and your team. It will give you a clearer idea of how well you’re planning for the future.

Do the self-assessment quiz:

https://swiy.co/go-over-the-horizon

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When building AI capability in your workplace, you can find many ways for it to help you personally as a leader – in improving your decision-making, boosting productivity, and helping you lead more effectively. It’s equally important to help your team leverage AI – by sharing your knowledge, providing resources, and empowering them to harness it in their professional (and even personal) lives.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-selfish-generous

Should you be selfish or generous when it comes to using AI in your workplace? My answer might surprise you.

I recently conducted my two-day Future Scenarios program for a group of 25 leaders from various departments in a large organisation. The goal was for them to build their strategic foresight, so they can anticipate changes, plan for them, and build a culture of change agents.

At the start of all my programs, I say to the participants:

“In this program, I want you to be selfish and generous.”

I say selfish because I want them to focus on outcomes that will make a difference for them walk out at the end of the program. It’s important they get as much value as they can in those two days so they can make meaningful change in their workplace.

At the same time, I also encourage them to be generous towards others during the two days. I create many opportunities for them to share, collaborate, network, and ask and answer questions during the program. By being generous with their time and expertise, everybody benefits more.

The same applies to AI in your workplace: Be selfish and generous.

Be selfish in learning as much as you can about AI – for your own use. Use it to improve your productivity, make better decisions, and be a more effective leader. AI is here to stay, so make the most of it for yourself, both at work and in your personal life.

And when it comes to your team, be generous in helping them get value from it, too. Give them the resources, support, and opportunities to build their own AI capability. This is not only for their benefit, but for yours, too.

So, should you be selfish or generous with AI? The answer is both. Be selfish to advance yourself, and be generous to your team.

For more, join my online presentation soon about bringing your people along on the AI journey. It’s free, public, and open to all.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-selfish-generous

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Unfortunately, most of the media stories about AI are negative, and if that’s all somebody sees, it's not surprising they might be hesitant, reluctant, or even scared of using AI at work. And that's a problem for you if you're a leader who wants to use AI effectively in your teams. There's one key thing you can do to overcome this fear - and it doesn't take much.

https://swiy.co/go-overcoming-fear-of-ai

I’ve noticed a change in the last year in the attitude of leaders to AI. A year ago, many leaders were yet to be convinced about the value of AI. They were saying things like:

“I’ll wait and see.”

“I’m not quite sure what value it brings.”

“I’ve got too many other things on my plate now.”

It wasn’t true of everyone, of course. Many leaders and managers saw its potential and were keen to use it - but many didn’t. In fact, some of their team members were more excited and enthusiastic about it, and were trying to drag the rest of the team, including their boss, along into this AI future.

But now I’ve noticed most leaders are convinced of the value of AI. Now it’s about using AI effectively so it generates value - in improving productivity, enhancing the customer experience, and helping you and your team make better decisions.

But are there still people on your team who are dragging their feet? They’re not yet convinced, they don’t see its value, and they might even be scared by it.

If everything they hear about AI is what they hear through the media, unfortunately, most of that is negative. They hear stories about how AI will destroy jobs, how it will disrupt whole industries, and how it will slash wages because people aren’t going to be as valuable in the future. And if that’s all they hear, it’s not surprising they’re scared!

Unless you engage their minds - and hearts - your AI efforts will fail.

So how do you get them on board?

There’s one key thing that will help you bring people on the AI journey. I’ll explain ...

You might be convinced of its value. But some people are fearful. To bridge that gap, a simple thing you can do is to help people actually use AI themselves.

Many people have still never actually used AI, even though ChatGPT has been available (free!) for almost two years. So they have no practical experience with using it to create real value.

Fortunately, this is easy to fix: Give them the basic skills to start using AI themselves - to get quick wins.

Even if this is only in their personal life - like writing a wedding speech, planning a holiday to Italy, or generating ideas for a child’s birthday party - it doesn’t take much for people to start seeing AI in a more positive light.

The more they see examples of AI creating value - for them - the less they’re likely to be influenced by all the negative stories.

So, if you want to create value from AI and bring your people on the journey, educate them - by showing them how to get value from it themselves.

For more, join my coming presentation about people-powered AI. It’s free and open to all, so register and share it with other leaders in your team and network.

https://swiy.co/go-overcoming-fear-of-ai

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What decisions are you making with AI? It's a powerful tool for enhancing your decision-making process, leading to more informed, accurate, and effective outcomes. It’s not about AI replacing your human judgment but augmenting and informing it, so you can make better choices to shape your future.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-better-decisions

What decisions are you making with AI? I don’t mean decisions about whether or not to use AI. Instead, think about how you’re using AI to improve and enhance your decision-making process.

This is one of the three big areas where almost everyone can use AI to elevate their work:

Boosting productivity
Enhancing the customer or client experience
Making better decisions, faster

I spoke recently at a conference for OpenText in Melbourne, where they invited many of their customers and wider network to share some important conversations about AI.

OpenText is an IT company, highly tech-oriented, and they do a lot of work in AI. But I was so pleased to hear everybody talking about putting people first and AI second. My keynote presentation emphasised this, the senior leaders at OpenText discussed it, the panelists echoed it, and even the customer representatives touched on it.

This is especially important with decision-making. You don’t want AI to make decisions for you, but AI can help, augment, and inform your decisions.

Of course, there are some areas where AI will make all the decisions – such as fully self-driving cars, where eventually these cars will have no steering wheel or brakes! But for most of what we’re using AI for – especially now – use it to augment and assist your decision-making process.

The technology is there to support the people. And it’s about people and AI working better together.

If you’d like to explore this further, I’m running an online presentation soon about people-powered AI, especially in the workplace. Please register, and feel free to share it with others in your team and network.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-better-decisions

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How much should you integrate AI into your workplace? One company went too far, and faced a backlash from employees - and everybody else who heard the story. It's important to treat as a tool to help people. It must be about people first, technology second.

https://swiy.co/go-human-or-machine

How much should you integrate AI into your workplace? AI is a powerful tool, but one company went too far with it.

The company – a sofware company called Lattice – decided to embrace AI (good!) in their work. But they went too far and announced they were creating “digital employees” (bad!). These AI-based “employees” would have managers, performance metrics, a place in the organisational chart, and so on.

You might see where this is heading ... !

Predictably, there was a backlash from employees. They were upset, not because AI was being elevated to the same level as humans, but because people might end up being treated like AI – just a “resource” to be plugged in, pushed around, and valued only for their productivity output.

Faced with this backlash, the company backed down and said they are putting the idea of digital employees on the back burner. Personally, I think they’re setting fire to it and never touching it again!

This story has an important lesson for all leaders.

Most leaders aren’t elevating AI to the level of people, but they don’t always know exactly how AI will fit into their team. The answer will be different for everybody, but start with this principle:

People first, technology second.

This has always been true with any technology integration or digital transformation – AI just happens to be the big hot topic now.

Many leaders and organisations are thinking about AI now, and in my opinion they are focussing too much on the technology and not enough on the people.

If you want this to work, you must bring your people on that journey. And that means treating AI as a tool to serve people.

If you get it right, it makes the journey so much better – for you, for everybody in your team, and for your organisation. But if you get it wrong, it can go very badly wrong – as it did with Lattice.

For more about bringing your people on the AI journey, join my online presentation soon about people-powered AI. It’s free, public, and open to everybody.

https://swiy.co/go-human-or-machine

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In today's fast-paced world, you can't just keep pushing your team to change unless you create the space for them to adapt, change, and innovate. Unless you do this, even the people who want to change will get frustrated that they keep bumping into obstacles.

https://swiy.co/go-create-space-for-change

I’ve been doing a lot of work with leaders recently about building their AI capability because, of course, many leaders and teams recognise AI is an important change they need to embrace. Of course, AI is not the only big change now, and many other external changes are affecting everybody - in their professional and personal lives.

You might want your team to change - and change faster - but you might be making it difficult for them. If you don’t create the space for your people to change, it’s very difficult for them.

It’s like them running as fast as they can in a narrow tunnel, and you’re yelling at them to change direction, but they can’t. Even if they want to, they don’t have the space to change.

How do you create space for change and innovation?

You must give them three things:

Permission: They need to know change is allowed, encouraged, and even something to embrace.
Focus: You give them some direction, so they can channel their energy into creating value, which motivates them now and motivates them even more when the change succeeds.
Time: Most people are running as fast as they can now - and still falling behind - they can’t even think about anything new.

Those three things – permission, focus, and time – work together to create space for change in your team.

For specific activities, in these three areas, download my worksheet, which will give you 15 ways to create space for change. You won’t use them all, but I’m sure you will find a few that will work for you and your team.

And if you’d like me to help you build that culture of change in your team, especially in this fast-changing world, I’d love to have a chat!

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-create-space-for-change

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Change can be challenging, especially with a resistant team. As a leader, you can help your team embrace change through simple, low-risk strategies that gradually make a difference over time. Start small and watch your team's mindset shift gradually.

https://swiy.co/go-navigating-resistance

Is your team resistant to change or more open to embracing it? There’s a lot of change in the world outside, and if your team is resistant or slow to change, it’s difficult to navigate those external changes.

This question came up recently when I was speaking at a senior leaders forum. We were discussing what it takes to be a future-ready leader, and a participant asked me about change. She has inherited a team that is resistant to change, and it’s been difficult for her to get them to think and act differently. She asked me for help.

I told her there’s bad news and good news!

The bad news is you can’t just snap your fingers and expect everything to change overnight. But the good news is that you can facilitate that change in a low-risk way by taking small steps that get people to change their mindset.

One of the examples I gave her is an activity I call “Teach Me”, where a team member volunteers to teach something simple to the rest of the team. For example, at your regular staff meetings, you could set aside 5-10 minutes for this activity.

What they teach could be from their professional role – such as:

designing a better PowerPoint slide
learning how to spot fake emails
starting a difficult conversation with a colleague

Or it could be something from their personal life – such as:

making an origami crane
learning a magic trick they can show to friends and family
understanding nutritional labels on food packaging

What they teach isn’t important! Your goal is to get everyone in the team learning something new. Learning is about change, especially if they can actually do the activity during the session. For example, if someone teaches a magic trick, have everyone try it out right there.

Could you use “Teach Me” with your team? If so, great! Go ahead and try it.

For more ideas, download my worksheet with twelve activities you might consider for your team. You won’t use them all, but you might find a few that resonate.

Don’t make a big deal of these activities when you introduce them. You DON’T start by saying "We need to be more change-ready" or "We need to be more open to change". Instead, just do it! If you find an activity doesn’t work, just move on and try another. These are all low risk, but with potential high return.

If you’d like to find out how we can work together to help your team be more future-ready and open to change, I’d love to chat!

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-navigating-resistance

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Some people are surprised when AI tools like ChatGPT fabricate facts and information. But the problem isn't that AI can "make up" stuff; it's that people don't realise that's possible. When you understand this, you can blend human intelligence and machine creativity to get better results.

https://swiy.co/go-creative-ai

I was running an AI workshop last week with a business, demonstrating how to use ChatGPT and other AI tools.

Some people in the room were surprised (shocked, even!) to discover that ChatGPT sometimes completely makes up information. I explained that’s why you always need to double-check and triple-check its facts.

But some people think that’s a fault in the AI. Surely (they said) if it doesn’t know the answer, it’s better to say that rather than giving a false answer!

That might be true, but there are some times when you want AI to "make things up". For example, if you’re:

an author asking AI to help you continue the action in a chapter
a screenwriter writing a screenplay asking AI to help with stage directions
an artists asking AI to crete an image that’s never been created before

But it’s not only in the creative industries.

In any organisation, sometimes you want to be more creative, and AI can help. For example:

You’re sending an email newsletter to your clients, and you want a creative subject line that encourages people to open the email.
You’re creating a new product, and you want a creative name for the product.
You’re doing your strategic planning, and you ask AI to act like a time traveller from 2040 looking back at now and describing the future.

The problem isn’t that AI "makes things up". The problem is that people don’t realise it!

Sometimes you want it to be completely fact-based, sometimes you want it to be creative, and sometimes it’s somewhere in the middle.

These AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity are just tools. And like other tools, we use them for a particular purpose, but always with our human intelligence.

That’s why education is such an important part of building your AI capability.

It’s about humans and machines working together, which means people need a basic understanding of what AI tools can do. Again, just like any other tool, if you don’t know how to use it, you’ll use it badly!

If you’re a leader or a manager, come along to my next online presentation, which is all about putting AI into action. I’ll talk about the three levels of building your AI capability - and the first of these is giving your people this basic understanding of the potential of AI.

https://swiy.co/go-creative-ai

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AI is already here, but many organisations are holding back to ensure safe, ethical, and responsible use. That's fair enough, but what are you doing in the meantime to get your people comfortable, confident, and optimistic about using it? Be proactive, so your people are ready when you're ready.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-early-adoption

Many organisations are holding back on letting their people loose on AI – and sometimes for good reasons. They want their people to use it, but are still planning on how they can use it safely, ethically, and responsibly.

Fair enough.

But are you getting your people ready for that point?

Let's contrast two healthcare companies.

Company A is building their AI policy and strategy before they let their employees start using it. Healthcare is highly regulated, so they need to be careful about it. Also, so much healthcare technology and infrastructure is outdated, so it’s not as simple as just flicking a switch and turning AI on. So they are telling their people to wait.

Company B is in a similar situation. They’re also going through the same process to get ready for using AI, but they’re doing something extra: They are investing in some basic AI training for all their people, to encourage them to start using AI even before the organisation is ready.

Of course, they are warning people not to use AI on confidential and private information (such as patient data!). But they are encouraging them to learn how to use AI for other things – such as:

planning a six-year-old’s birthday party
finding out more about a travel destination
having a difficult conversation with a manager
(for a manager) having a difficult conversation with a team member

Both approaches can work, but Company B’s approach is better. When the organisation is ready for AI, their people are also ready – and with a positive attitude.

Unfortunately, most of the media news about AI is negative: AI is going to destroy jobs, destroy humanity, it’s bad for education, and so on. By the time Company A shows their how to use AI professionally, they might be fighting an uphill battle. But Company B is helping people add value to their own lives and get ready for AI.

So, what are YOU doing to get your people ready for AI?

Are you doing basic education to get people to that base level?

I’m always surprised when I run presentations for clients and their general staff about using AI that many people still have never used a tool like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot.

They don’t know what they don’t know.

And they don’t know what’s possible.

Imagine if you’d never used Google and were still doing all your research at the library. Then somebody showed you Google – it would be mind-blowing!

Many people find the same with AI. There are AI tools at their fingertips, but they’ve never used them because they didn’t realise what was possible.

I’m running a free public online presentation soon about putting AI into action. I’ll talk about three ways you as a leader and an organisation can do that, and one of them is to get this base level of awareness. If you’re interested, register and invite other leaders in your team as well.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-early-adoption

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If you're not already using AI actively in your team, it's time to take the leap. Don't wait until you have the perfect strategy and policy. Take small steps now to get quick wins, then move to small-scale projects, and eventually tackle the big initiatives.

https://swiy.co/go-take-the-leap

I was in Sydney last week, speaking at an international conference about thinking like a futurist.

Of course, the topic of AI came up, as it always does. After my presentation, one of the attendees asked me,

"In terms of AI globally, how ready is Australia for AI? How advanced are we as a country?"

There are two parts to the answer.

The first is that, on a global scale, we're not really doing that well. One report puts Australia at #31 in AI readiness - behind Malaysia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Belarus.

But the second part is that this doesn’t really matter! Instead of asking how ready Australia is for AI, a better question is,

"How ready are YOU for AI?"

For most organisations, our national readiness for AI isn't relevant. We're ready enough as a country. The real question is, what are YOU doing in your team or organisation to be ready for AI? Most of the practical things you can do with AI, you can start right now.

There are three ways to take the leap:

Quick wins you can achieve immediately
Small-scale projects you can implement in a few months
Bigger projects that need more dedicated time and resources

So, how ready are you for AI?

For more, join my free public online presentation where we'll be looking at putting AI into action at these three levels. You'll find the link to register here, and please invite others in your team and network.

And if you’d like to talk about putting these ideas into action, I'd love to have a conversation with you as well.

https://swiy.co/go-take-the-leap

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There are two quick and easy ways to get value from AI: boosting your productivity and enhancing your creativity. AI can efficiently handle repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more strategic work. It can also spark creativity by giving you more ideas for you to choose from.

https://swiy.co/go-fast-and-loose

Are you playing fast and loose with AI?

Whenever somebody engages me to speak at their conference about AI, I also include in the presentation package a follow-up online session that shows them how to use AI in a practical way. So they get the high-level strategies at the conference and the practical tools and techniques in this follow-up online session.

At one of those recent follow-up sessions, we had covered many practical examples of using AI. Towards the end, one of the participants asked me,

“What are the top two things that you use AI for in your business? What are the must-haves that give you the biggest leverage and value?”

I said,

“AI helps me in two big areas: productivity and creativity.”

This is what I mean by “fast and loose”.

Your first big gain is in your productivity. AI helps with the heavy lifting in many repetitive tasks throughout your day. Regardless of your job or role, AI can boost your productivity and help you get things done faster.

The second benefit is creativity. Some people think AI can’t be creative, but that’s simply not true. Tools like ChatGPT can be more creative than I in many situations.

For example, do you need

titles for a blog post?
ideas for having a difficult conversation with a team member?
innovative methods to meet a challenging goal?

Ask ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or your AI tool of choice for help, and it will give you many things you wouldn’t have considered.

You still need to apply your human intelligence to these suggestions, but AI often helps loosen up your thinking and provides new ideas, enhancing your creativity.

So, be “fast and loose” with AI: fast for productivity and loose for creativity.

Consider these benefits for yourself as a leader and for your team and organisation.

For more ideas, join my next online presentation about putting AI into action in your team. I’ll share ideas about using AI to be more productive, more creative, and to enhance your customer experience.

https://swiy.co/go-fast-and-loose

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As a leader, how are you going with creating change in your team and in your organisation? I've been thinking about change a lot recently because I've been working with many leaders and managers, particularly in the AI space. AI has created a lot of external change, and many teams and leaders are looking at how to build their AI capability. I always say to them,

"It's about people first and technology second. You can have all the technology in the world, but unless you get your people on board and build a culture where people are open to change, it's impossible to build that AI capability."

The same applies to any other kind of change.

I was running a workshop last week with a group of leaders - the executive team and their senior leaders - about building a culture of change. This wasn't specifically about AI, but rather about building a culture of change in their organisation.

Many people don't think they are the obstacles to change, but they might be, often unintentionally. There are things they say that contribute to a culture that suppresses change and diminishes innovation, and they don't even realise they're doing it.

For example ...

As a leader or manager, have you ever said any of these things when somebody suggest an idea?

"We tried that once, but it didn't work."

"That's not part of your job."

"Our customers won't like it."

"Senior management won't like it."

"Where's the business case for this?"

All of these things might be legitimate, and as a leader or a manager, it's part of your responsibility to consider them.

But every time you say that, the other person hears, "Yes, but".

"Yes, but ... we tried it once, and it didn't work."

"Yes, but ... it's not part of your job."

"Yes, but ... blah blah blah blah blah."

In other words, you're immediately creating an obstacle.

The next time, they might try again, and get another "yes, but".

If they're persistent, they might try again, and get another "yes, but".

And then they give up.

If you keep doing it, that spreads through the whole team, and becomes part of your culture.

"Yes, but" can be one of the biggest obstacles to change in your team.

The good news is you can turn this around.

Using "yes, but" itself!

Here's how.

Imagine a situation where somebody suggests an idea, and you're tempted to reply (for example):

"We tried that once and it didn't work."

Now, say "yes, but" - but to the objection, not the idea.

For example,

"Yes, but that's when we were a much smaller organisation."

"Yes, but that's before the regulations changed."

"Yes, but that's when we had a more risk-averse management."

"Yes, but that's before we had external investors from outside."

See how this works? You find as many reasons as possible why that objection might no longer be valid.

Try this now. You don't have to wait for it to actually happen. Think about the times when you've said "Yes, but" and do this exercise to find objections to the objection.

The next time you're tempted to immediately object to an idea, you'll be a bit more open to change.

Try this yourself by downloading my worksheet about removing obstacles to change. You'll see the ten most common obstacles to change, and you can do this exercise in your head. Download it, share it with other leaders in your team, and maybe even share it with your team members.

And if you'd like me to help you build a culture of change in your team, I'd love to have a chat.

https://swiy.co/go-yes-but

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AI champions are the new leaders in today's digital world. Find them, support them, and give them the right tools and resources to help them lead and transform how we work.

https://swiy.co/go-your-ai-champions

I was in Melbourne recently, speaking at a conference of executive assistants and personal assistants about embracing the digital revolution. When my client booked me last year, it was very much about all things digital - and now AI has taken centre stage.

Whenever I speak to leadership groups, I ask them,

"Who are the AI champions in your team?"

In other words, who are the people who are keen, enthusiastic, excited about AI, and can lead AI in their team?

But for this group of EAs and PAs, it's slightly different. For this group, I said to them,

"I want YOU to be the AI champions in your team."

Executive assistants and personal assistants are digitally savvy already. They are very good with technology, and many of the quick wins with AI come from boosting productivity with emails, spreadsheets, presentations, and managing calendars – all the things they do daily.

They are also perfectly placed to assess and refine the use of AI in these tasks – for example:

They know what good writing looks like, so they can spot and correct weird AI output.
They know how to write in a specific style and tone.
They know how to extract and summarise long reports and emails, so they can evaluate how well AI does those tasks.

So, when they start using AI, they'll get quick productivity gains and also become the go-to person around AI.

What about you?

Are you someone in a team who'd like to be an AI champion, or are you a leader looking for AI champions in your team?

Either way, to fast-track your AI progress, identify and support those AI champions.

Download my worksheet about AI champions, which shows you how to identify and support them.

If you want to be an AI champion, use this checklist to promote yourself as an AI champion for your team. And if you are a leader looking for AI champions, use it to identify and support them on their journey.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-your-ai-champions

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To drive innovation and build AI skills, find and support AI champions in your team. These enthusiastic team members are already using AI themselves, can teach and inspire others, and will lead the way in building your AI capability. Your job is to identify them, support them, and remove obstacles in their way.

https://swiy.co/go-championing-ai

Who are the AI champions in your team and in your organisation? The best way to build AI capability in your organisation is to identify AI champions who will lead your AI initiatives.

Whenever clients engage me for an AI keynote presentation at their conference, I also include in the presentation package an online "AI At Work" masterclass for all their staff to help them understand more about using AI. Many people still haven't used tools like ChatGPT, so this gives them a basic understanding of what's possible.

I was running this masterclass recently for one of my clients. It was an interactive presentation, where many people asked questions, which I could answer immediately. But what was even more impressive was that other people in the room were answering other people's questions.

These were the people who were more advanced than others in the group. They were excited and enthusiastic about AI and had already started using it. Some were even doing it on their own time because they could see its potential. Because they were excited about it, they were racing ahead and were happy to share their expertise and give advice to others in the room.

I loved that I didn't have to be the only expert in the room!

It was very useful to faciliate that in an online presentation, but you can take that even further. If you're a leader, identify one or two AI champions in your team to lead your AI initiatives. You need to create the space for them and support them, but let them take the lead because - let's face it - they might be better than you anyway! Your job is to clear support them and clear obstacles in their way.

If you'd like more help, of course let's talk about how we can work together to engage and empower your AI champions. In the meantime, download my worksheet about AI champions for guidelines on how to identify your AI champions and support them in that role.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-championing-ai

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You don't need to take years and spend millions of dollars to get started with AI. Start with small, self-contained projects that don't need a lot of technical expertise. These projects are effective, practical, create real value for the organisation - and also help people become more confident and comfortable with AI.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-projects-today

How are you going at implementing AI in your teams and in your organisation? The approach you take will make a big difference.

Let me give you two contrasting examples.

I spoke recently with a senior leader in a large organisation that's keen to implement AI. But they want to do it "properly", so they are spending two years on a massive AI transformation project to build their own AI tool. The catch is, until they’ve built this, - which is two years down the track - they’re not allowing their employees to use AI.

Now, we don’t know what AI is going to look like in two years from now, so what they build will almost certainly be obsolete in two years. More importantly, for those two years, their employees don’t get to use and leverage the power of AI right now!

There IS a better way.

Last week, I was running an online masterclass about AI for a client, showing people how to use AI in their everyday work. Rather than waiting until they do a full AI transformation, they allow people to run small AI projects. Some are about marketing, some about social media, others about productivity and managing calendars, and some about enhancing the customer experience.

This is a much better approach for most leaders, teams, and organisations. Let your people run these small, self-contained, safe AI projects that create value, get them comfortable with using AI, and that can then inform your larger AI strategy.

The secret to making this work is choosing the right projects. Not everything you want to do with AI can be done in a small self-contained project, but many things can.

For some practical examples, download my worksheet about AI projects, share them with your team, and use them to spark ideas for projects you can start - right now - with your people.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-projects-today

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You don't need a huge transformation to get the benefits of AI in your organisation - and in fact, this often gets in the way of making progress. Instead, run small-scale AI projects, which save money, boost productivity, improve well-being, and increase engagement. Plus, they help your team get comfortable with AI, encouraging a culture of innovation.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-projects

Let’s talk about two contrasting ways to use and implement AI. Both approaches have benefits, and both can work, but one of them is easier for most leaders, especially if you’re not leading an IT department or a very technical group of people.

The first approach is what the giant consulting firm PwC does. They have taken the AI transformation approach - and fully committed to it. They have invested a billion dollars in their AI transformation, with a big investment into technology, including building their own version of ChatGPT called ChatPwC. It’s also for educating their people, bringing in the necessary skills from outside, and providing mentoring from technical experts to help others in the organisation.

This is an excellent approach - if you can afford it!

If you have a cool billion dollars at hand, it can be a great strategy. 💰

But it’s a big job! 🏋️

And unless you commit fully, this can take a long time. For example, a senior leader in another organisation (which shall remain nameless!) told me their transformation process would take two years! And during this time, they won’t allow employees to use AI because it’s seen as unreliable and inaccurate. Even leaving aside the obvious fact that AI will have evolved beyond recognition in two years, the entire organisation is stuck in the meantime, unable to use what’s available now!

What if there was a better way? 💡

🚀 There is: Running AI projects.

Rather than a top-down strategy for the whole organisation, AI projects are small, fast, and driven by individual leaders and managers. These projects take 3-4 months, and generate immediate value in several ways: saving money, making money, saving time, boosting productivity, improving well-being, and increasing engagement. 🌟

As a bonus, these small projects also help people get comfortable with AI. Instead of fearing that AI will take their jobs, they see how it can enhance their work. This builds confidence and a mindset of using AI regularly in their roles. 🤝

So, we have two contrasting approaches: AI transformation and AI projects. The transformation approach might be "better", but it takes longer - much longer. Starting with small-scale AI projects quickly generates value and helps teams get comfortable with AI. That’s the approach I’m using with my clients, and they are seeing success - fast! 🏆

The first key to success is picking the right projects. Not everything can be done in a 90-day project, so choose projects that add value and are manageable by non-technical teams. For example, with one recent client, our first workshop started with about 150 projects, and the teams narrowed that down to just six! 🎯

If you need help running these projects, feel free to reach out to me. You can also download the worksheet I’ve provided to help you choose the right projects for your team. Start small, create value, and build a culture of innovation with AI. 📈

I’ll see you in the future. 🌐

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-projects

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Many organisations are working from the top down to add AI throughout the entire organisation. But, unless you have a lot of money and other resources, that's way too slow. Instead, start doing small AI projects that create value - fast. You get quick wins, see real benefits, and build AI skills for everybody.

Find out more:

https://swiy.co/go-unlocking-ai

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Many leaders experimenting with AI feel let down by the results because they don't explore it properly, so they only get a limited view of wht it can do. That means you might give up on projects too soon, or not start at all. Dont underestimate its power! Rethink its capabilities and start putting it to work to generate value for you and your team.

https://swiy.co/go-underestimating-ai

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AI is changing faster than ever, but if you want to step onto this fast-moving track, you probably don't need to know as much as you think you do. Spark innovation by creating a space that gives smart, talented people the freedom to get real-world results from AI - while doing it safely, responsibly, and in line with your goals.

https://swiy.co/go-empower-and-elevate

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Many teams on the AI journey hit bumps when trying to convince others - internally and externally. Some team members worry AI might replace their jobs, while senior leadership might not always be fully on board or see its benefits. If you're a leader or manager on this journey, it's essential to get others on board.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-bumps-and-bruises

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A year ago, when I was talking to clients about AI, many were still asking Why questions: Why is it important? Why should I care? Why should I make it a priority? Now we've moved on from those questions, and it's good to see most leaders are convinced AI is important and here to stay. We're moving from scepticism to action and from curiosity to application. The next steps are What, How, and Who - and it's important you get them right.

https://swiy.co/go-putting-ai-to-work

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What does it take to be a future-ready leader - especially with so much change, uncertainty, and disruption in our lives? Research by Macquarie University during the pandemic sheds some light on what the best leaders do - and continue to do - in leading themselves and their teams for future success.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-avocado-leader

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When making a decision, it's useful and appropriate to consider your return on investment, or ROI. But that's only one factor in making a decision. Also consider what happens if you don't do anything, and include the cost of inaction, or COI, in every decision.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-from-roi-to-coi

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Using AI is not about technology! AI is already being used in every industry and sector - including teachers, tourism operators, medical professions, artists, and managers. Most of these people are not "techies" - they are simply using the power of AI to do their work better. That's the real power of AI right now - to engage your team to use it by their side.

https://swiy.co/go-unleashing-ai

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The future of work involves humans and machines working together. As a leader, you play a crucial role in combining artificial intelligence with human intelligence. This includes defining clear outcomes, identifing the right mix of people and AI, exploring flexible team structures, and building a culture that attracts top talent. Embrace AI as a tool for empowerment and you lead your team to a smarter, more adaptive workplace.

https://swiy.co/go-better-together

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The heart of AI success comes from people, not technology. It's about rallying your team, sparking enthusiasm, and navigating the journey together. When your people unite behind AI, you leverage the tech, innovate for success, and boost your performance.

https://swiy.co/go-empower-engage-excel

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If you want to use AI more in your workplace, the most important thing to get right is to bring your people on the AI journey. It's not about the technology - it's about first understanding your people and how they think and feel about AI.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-dont-start-with-the-tech

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Examine every step of your customer journey to assess how you can use AI to enhance the customer experience. But there's a right and wrong way to do it - so be sure you combine human intelligence with the power of AI.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-for-cx

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To thrive in an ever-changing world, be a possibility thinker. This isn't just about being optimistic; it's about actively looking for positives, possibilities, and potential in every situation BEFORE walking that back and considering problems, risks, and challenges. Ask "What could possibly go right?" first!

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-possibility-thinking

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In today's fast-changing world, it's tempting to try playing it safe and aim too low, because big goals and plans can get derailed quickly. But that's a trap! ROI has two parts - return and investment. Start by focusing on the return - the impact and benefits of taking bold steps - and you can dream bigger, achieve more, and turn challenges into springboards for growth and innovation.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-why-before-how

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AI is getting better and better, but it's still a long way from being perfect. So when you're creating your AI policy or framework, how do you protect your team from imperfect AI? Instead of aiming for relying on AI alone, strike the right balance between trusting the quality of AI and applying human intelligence to it.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-empowerment

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When you're crafting your AI policy, go beyond your internal needs and consider your customers as well. Many customers care about how you're using AI to deliver their products and services - especially if you're capturing data about them and tailoring their experience based on that data. Respect their expectations and values, and make sure you're clear about how AI shapes their experiences.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-for-your-customers

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If you're a leader, you might be planning your AI policy, framework, or guidelines. How can you balance innovation with responsibility, so your team can leverage AI effectively and safely?

https://swiy.co/go-harnessing-ai

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When setting goals for AI, innovation, and change projects, traditional metrics often fall short in capturing progress. What truly matters, especially early in the process, is the journey rather than just the destination.

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https://swiy.co/go-the-innovation-metric

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This is the year when many organisations will be using AI in a big way. But with any change, innovation, or new technology, it's about people first. So if you're planning any AI projects this year, make sure you bring your people along on the journey.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-put-people-first

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You don't always need to take disruptive action to create significant change. Sometimes, a small strategic change - or pivot - helps you adapt and flourish. Assess and amplify the effect of making a small change, and you could potentially transforming them into key drivers of growth and relevance in a rapidly changing world.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-small-changes-big-wins

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As we step into 2024, AI will continue to play an important role in our lives. As a leader, use these three key questions to build your strategy for integrating AI into your role, your team, and your organisation in the year ahead.

https://swiy.co/go-leading-with-ai-2024

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We know 2023 has been yet another year of massive change, and there's more change ahead. Looking forward, 2024 presents an opportunity to think and act differently in the face of change, uncertainty, and disruption - so you have more clarity and confidence and make better decisions in your personal and professional life.

Watch the video:

https://swiy.co/go-thinking-ahead-2024

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There are many examples of AI being used badly - even unintentionally. As a leader, you're responsible for the use of AI in your team, and may even be responsible for the consequences if it's not used well. Get this right as you lead your team on the AI journey in 2024 and beyond.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-digital-disasters

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In the fast-changing world of AI, you need 'champions' in your team to take the lead in bringing AI into your work. Sometimes these AI champions are easy to find - if you know where to look.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-spotting-ai-champions

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In today's fast-changing world, what was once your edge could now be your downfall, with even big brands at risk from scrappy newcomers - think Uber's shake-up of the taxi world or AI startups catching out tech giants. Are YOU at risk of disruption?

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-building-castles-on-sand

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As a leader, you might be responsible for bringing AI into your team, but it's not easy to find the time to do it well. The secret is that you DON'T do it yourself - instead, identify internal AI champions to lead your team into an AI-enabled future.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-champions

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We have all heard about how AI can make our life easier, but where do you start? The solution: Split your tasks into two groups - one which can give you quick wins and instant productivity gains, and the other that takes more effort and investment but will be better in the long term.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-quick-wins

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Everyone's talking about sustainability now, but it's not only about being sustainable for the planet. That's important, of course, but as a leader you should also focus on two other crucial areas that will drive sustainable success for your team and organisation.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-your-sustainable-future

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Technology is changing so fast it's impossible to keep up. And it creates a dilemma: Do you adopt this tech now or wait for something better around the corner? As a leader, change your mindset, and adopt the 'scan, select, and switch' cycle.

https://swiy.co/go-faster-and-faster

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It's almost a year since the public launch of ChatGPT, making 2023 the year that AI went mainstream. As you're looking ahead to 2024, will AI be a disruptor or an enabler? The answer is: It depends on you! It offers both opportunities and risks - and it's up to you to leverage it for success.

https://swiy.co/go-disruption-or-innovation

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If you're a leader, you might be facing a dilemma when it comes to using AI. You - and your team - might see its enormous benefits and want to start using it as quickly as possible. But, as a leader, you're also accountable for making sure you use it safely, ethically and responsibly. How can you get the benefits of both speed and safety?

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-speed-vs-safety

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You might think you know what your customers want, but COVID-19 made many people re-assess and re-evaluate their priorities and goals. Take the time to engage and re-engage with them to find out what they really want now, so you can be sure you're still solving their problems and helping them achieve their goals.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-evolving-together

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In today's interconnected and 'flatter' world, you no longer need to rely only on traditional hierarchies to get things done. Explore the myriad other ways to use your networks to find the right people to solve your problem.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-hierarchies-to-networks

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In a fast-changing world, we can't plan ahead only by thinking about what's immediate, local, or urgent. To make better decisions for the present, scan wider for the future - so you understand what's around the corner, over the horizon, and already playing out in other parts of the world.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-scan-wider-act-faster

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In a time of constant change, it's not easy to create a culture of change in your own team. When you look to the future, don't ignore change that's happened in the past - especially success stories that demonstrate how change has worked for you and your team. These 'bright spots' can motivate, inform, and drive your team to create actionable ideas for the future and help to build a culture of change and innovation in your team.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-bright-spots

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As a leader, you're responsible for the way you and your team use AI in your daily work - so that it's safe, ethical, and responsible. This is a big topic, but there are three simple guidelines you can adopt right now as a starting point.

https://swiy.co/go-ai-guardrails

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Finding new markets or a competitive advantage can help you expand, but it's not easy. AI can help you identify market trends, find opportunities for strategic partnerships, and leverage your unique strengths to accelerate your business growth.

https://swiy.co/go-new-horizons

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It's easy to achieve small goals based on short-term scenarios because you can clearly see the path to success and plan the steps from day one. But what about medium-term scenarios, where the path isn't clear and the actions aren't obvious? The best leaders know medium-term goals are the sweet spot for success, but you need a different approach for taking action.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-act-today-track-tomorrow

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There are two ways to leverage AI for yourself and your team: One that's slower but more powerful, and the other that's faster but more superficial. You can use both, but it's important to know which is which.

Download the worksheets:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-fast-and-slow

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Customers want to be involved in the way you solve their problems and help them achieve their goals. When you engage your customers in co-creation, you tap into their valuable insights, enhance their engagement, and gain a competitive edge.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-customer-co-creation

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Customer experience matters now more than ever, and customers want you to deliver a personal, tailored experience. It's no longer good enough to treat all customers the same, or even break them down into broad segments. Now, you can use AI to engagement each customer individually, to foster deeper engagement, increased customer satisfaction, and ultimately, long-lasting brand loyalty.

https://swiy.co/go-the-personal-touch

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AI is not new - I've been working in AI and following its growth for more than 30 years. But in the past, you needed a significant investment - in time, money, technology, training, and workflow - to use AI in your organisation. Now, tools like ChatGPT have fundamentally changed the way we can use AI, and tipped the scales in your favour for getting positive results - fast.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-instant-ai

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When creating a plan, you calculate the return on investment, or ROI, for taking action. But unless you also calculate the cost of inaction, or COI, your plan lacks context. You must ask both; otherwise you make the decision with only half the information.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-whats-your-coi

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In a fast-paced world, we all need to make better decisions, faster. AI can help, but don't delegate all your responsibility to the machine! Instead, learn how to leverage AI for valuable insights and better analysis to streamline your decision-making process - while staying in control.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-better-decisions-with-ai

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AI is a powerful tool, but only if you and your team use it responsibly, safely, ethically, and effectively. And it's evolving so fast you can't rely only on rules and policies - you need to trust your team members to exercise good judgement and use AI wisely.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-your-ai-powered-team

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One of the most powerful uses of AI is to enhance your customer experience - in every step of the customer journey, from brand awareness to the buying experience and through to loyalty and creating lifetime value.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-meets-cx

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In today's professional workplace, getting ahead means working smarter, not harder. That's where AI comes in. From chatbots that answer routine questions to intelligent scheduling software that optimises your workday, AI technology is transforming the way we work and boosting productivity.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-productivity-boosters

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Are you struggling to drive change in your team? Despite your best efforts, are some of your team members dragging their feet and resistant to change? Don't try to bring everybody on the journey! Instead, identify change champions and focus most of your resources on them.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-empower-change-champions

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AI is a double-edged sword. Explore four recent examples of people using AI, see their results, and reflect on what that could mean for you, your team, and your organisation - so you can make more informed decisions about using and leveraging AI.

Do the self-assessment quiz:

https://swiy.co/go-ai-in-the-wild

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You've probably heard many arguments for and against people working from home - and they are usually about productivity, collaboration, innovation, or learning and mentoring opportunities. But the critical factor that makes this work is something else: Trust.

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-a-matter-of-trust

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AI and humans working together make a powerful team, but many people are concerned, stressed, and anxious about what AI will mean for their job, career, and future. How do you engage your people to work with AI rather than being afraid of it?

Download the worksheet:

https://swiy.co/go-bring-them-on-the-journey

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Even after the disruption of a global pandemic, we're facing even more change and uncertainty in the future. Don't wish it away; become a better leader instead.

Do the self-assessment quiz:

https://swiy.co/go-the-dogs-are-loose

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Many innovation projects or change initiatives fail because the task is so big and new that the journey isn't clear. So everybody is motivated and enthusiastic at the start, but it's difficult to keep that energy alive as things get tougher.

Download the worksheet

https://swiy.co/go-keep-them-on-track

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We often hear about small startup companies disrupting large, established market leaders. But what about companies that take the initative and disrupt themselves? There ARE such examples - even if they are harder to find - and they provide valuable lessons for all business leaders.

Download the worksheet

https://swiy.co/go-dont-wait-for-the-future

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We can speculate about many, many things that might happen in the future, but not all of them are equally likely. So how do you narrow them down to the things that will matter most for you - and, just as importantly, how do you identify those which that will give you a competitive edge?

https://swiy.co/go-beyond-the-obvious

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In today's fast-changing world, it's tough to stay on top of all the latest trends. There's always something new vying for our attention, but how do we know which trends are actually worth our time and which are just hype?

https://swiy.co/go-hype-or-hope

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We're hard-wired to seek certainty over uncertainty, and that creates problems and challenges for many leaders - especially in a fast-changing, more uncertain world.

https://swiy.co/go-uncertainty-sucks

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Since the launch of ChatGPT in November, many leaders have seen the awesome potential of AI to change their business. But in some cases, it can even change your entire business model - or make it obsolete!

Download the worksheet

https://swiy.co/go-ai-change-business-model

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You might think AI (artificial intelligence) isn't relevant for your role. But - with respect - I think you're wrong! AI is just as transformative as smartphones, social media, and even the Internet itself. And it's proven technology - not just hype. So don't get left behind!

Download the worksheet

https://swiy.co/go-dont-get-left-behind-ai

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Most trends, technology, innovations, and new ideas are not inherently good or bad, but they create opportunities, and the best leaders leverage those opportunities to add value to their team, organisation, and customers.

Download the worksheet

https://swiy.co/go-leverage-the-opportunity

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If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it's that things completely outside our business, industry, or community can have a massive impact on us - and that will continue for a long time to come. It's your responsibility as a leader to understand and anticipate those external pressures - so you can give your people more clarity and confidence.

https://swiy.co/go-seeing-into-the-future

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As a leader navigating uncertainty and change, it's your responsibility to look over the horizon for coming trends and disruptions - and then act on them.

https://swiy.co/find-share-action

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You might have heard the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’, but most people wrongly think that means the strongest, biggest, or most powerful will survive. That's not true, and if you want to be future-ready and fit for the future, don't make that mistake!

https://swiy.co/survivalfittest

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As we’re coming out of the worst of the pandemic, many leaders and organisations are looking to the future. But beware! The pandemic has forced people to change their goals, priorities, and aspirations – and that applies to your customers, employees, peers, and community.

https://GihanPerera.com

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AI won’t make your job obsolete, but a human using AI might! How will you use and leverage AI to assist you in your professional role?

DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET:

https://swiy.co/go-competing-age-of-ai

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We've had yet another year of massive change and disruption in all areas of our society. What will we face in the year ahead? KPMG's annual "Keeping Us Up at Night" survey identifies what senior leaders say will be their biggest challenges in 2022. In this session, understand the top four challenges and identify how to address them in your organisation.

Download the KPMG report here:

https://home.kpmg/au/en/home/insights/2022/01/issues-facing-australian-leaders-2022-outlook.html

More about working with Gihan:

https://gihanperera.com

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There’s a common myth that experienced business leaders are dinosaurs from a bygone era, so “of course” it’s inevitable they will get disrupted by younger, more diverse, more tech-savvy, “new” thinkers. Or so the story goes.

But it’s not true. There are many experienced, established leaders who do have the right mindset to lead now, and are more than willing to adapt to the new way of doing business.

The problem isn’t their intent; it’s their assumed competence. It’s not that they don’t know a lot (they do); it’s just that some of those things aren’t true anymore. They used to be true, so it’s natural to believe they are still true.

There’s no reason you can’t be successful in the future, but it might mean letting go of some of your old beliefs. Learn from the past if it’s serving you to build for the future, but otherwise let it go.

https://gihanperera.com

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To accelerate the journey from crisis to recovery and growth, build more trust in your team members - and their trust in you. That gives you more confidence they will act competently and with good judgement in an uncertain, fast-changing world.

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In uncertainty and chaos, your people feel unsettled and insecure. You can’t promise them certainty and safety – nobody can – but you can give them greater clarity.

In this episode of the Fit For The Future podcast, we explore the three essential parts of creating clarity:

Reality (What is): The world has changed, and the first step is to accept that new reality so you can understand how it operates now (and will operate in the future).
Possibility (What could be): The people who thrive in change are the possibility thinkers, who look at the big picture and see opportunities created by the change.
Priority (What matters): It’s impossible to do everything that’s possible, so become clear about which things to focus on and which you can safely ignore or defer.

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A year after the mad scramble to get office workers working from home, organisations are grappling with the challenge of understanding the workplace of the future. As restrictions ease and offices become safer workplaces again, there's a strong push by employers to get people back into the office as soon as possible. But it would be a pity if we missed the opportunity to reimagine the future of work and the workplace of the future.

https://gihanperera.com

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According to KPMG, digital transformation is the biggest challenge facing leaders in Australia. The pandemic didn't change that - if anything, it accelerated digital transformation by 5-6 years.

And yet, McKinsey says 70% of digital transformation efforts fail. Why? Because too many leaders and teams get it wrong. Don’t be digital just for digital’s sake. Do it to better serve your customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and other stakeholders.

https://gihanperera.com

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Getting up is harder than falling down, and people need time and space to adjust to their situation before they adapt to it. We explore what you can do to empathise with, support, and lead each of your team members.

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As we come towards the end of this wild and crazy year, you might be looking ahead to a very different 2021. In this episode, I share 12 quotations I use with my audiences and clients when talking about innovation, change, disruption, leadership, and making a difference.

"We’re not broken, just bent." - P!nk

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Ian MacLaren

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." - Charles Darwin

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - J.R.R. Tolkien

"It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so." - Josh Billings

"When my information changes, I change my mind. Why, what do you do, sir?" – John Maynard Keynes

"I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better." - Maya Angelou

"Give us the tools and we will finish the job." – Winston Churchill

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." – Mike Tyson

"In theory, there’s no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is." - Benjamin Brewster

"Be so good they can’t ignore you." - Steve Martin

https://gihanperera.com

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In uncertain times, everybody is looking for real leadership. The best leaders provide clarity in confusion, inspire confidence in uncertainty, and act with calm amidst chaos. This podcast episode is an extract from a conversation I had last year with David Frizzell of Team Guru, talking about the future of leadership, teams, and the workplace of the future.

http://www.teams.guru/

https://gihanperera.com

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The pandemic has affected us in different ways, and one of the biggest changes for office-based workers is the shift to working from home (WFH). When COVID-19 hit, many office-based teams had to scramble to let people work from home for the first time.

If you’re a team leader or manager facing a WFH environment for the first time, it's not easy! You might try to transfer your leadership skills and experience to a remote or hybrid workplace, but it's not as easy as it seems - especially in the middle of a pandemic and a recession.

Discover the six stages of a WFH culture, and how you can build stability, growth, and greater productivity into your team.

https://gihanperera.com

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During the coronavirus pandemic, you might have heard people say, “We’re all in the same boat”. But that’s not true! We’re all in the same storm, but we’re in different boats, navigating our way through the storm. If you’re a leader, you can’t control the storm and you might be stuck with the boat you’re in. But you can influence the way you lead your people and your organisation through that storm.

Your future customer has different priorities
The pandemic will change some things forever
Here's a disruption you might not see until it's too late!
Think like a beginner on the road to recovery

Is it time to think the unthinkable?

https://GihanPerera.com

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The office has only been around for 200 years, and it was essential in the past but isn’t now. COVID-19 has created our biggest work-from-home experiment, and that’s a good thing fur workplaces in the long term. With the acceleration of digital transformation, organisations have the opportunity to change when, where, and how we work - forever.

Resources:

Colliers - Working from home during COVID-19

https://www2.colliers.com/en-SK/News/Working-from-home-during-COVOID19

PwC - COVID-19 CFO Pulse Survey

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/pwc-covid-19-cfo-pulse-survey.html

Robert Half - COVID-19 and the Workplace

https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/management-tips/covid-19-and-the-workplace-employees-weigh-in

Gartner

https://www.zdnet.com/article/cfos-looking-to-make-remote-work-telecommuting-more-permanent-following-covid-19-says-gartner-survey/

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Conflicts occur in all teams, but distributed teams suffer more conflict than traditional, in-office teams, and those conflicts are sometimes more difficult to resolve. Use this four-step process to manage conflict when it arises.

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With the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, you might be planning for the possibility of asking individuals or entire teams to work from home. If this is a new experience for you, it creates unexpected challenges. You might have the logistics, technology, infrastructure, and HR requirements under control - but the real challenge comes when people are operating and collaborating in an unfamiliar environment. Understand the challenges you will face, so you can anticipate them now and be prepared for them before they occur.

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The old way of setting goals was to sit down every January and set your goals for the next 12 months. But that doesn’t work anymore because the world is changing so fast. This means goals quickly become irrelevant and it’s too easy to get sidetracked by other priorities. In this webinar, you will learn nine critical things successful people do now to set and achieve goals in a fast-changing world - based on the latest research in performance and productivity from social psychology and neuroscience.

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The World Economic Forum has identified active learning as one of the top five critical skills for success in the future. The best way to future-proof your career is to be the sort of person who can constantly learn, unlearn, and re-learn. Learn how to be an active learner - without being overwhelmed by information overload.

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We're all going through massive and unprecedented change, and it can sometimes be uncertain, frustrating, frightening, and stressful. The people who deal with it best aren't just born with that ability. They use scientifically-proven strategies to cope with, manage, and even embrace change.

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You know disruption is coming, don’t you? It’s taken down massive companies and disruptors have transformed entire industries. So it’s only a matter of time before it's heading for you. It’s not about “if”; it’s about “when”.

How will you deal with it? Some organisations take active measures early, others scramble to act as it gets closer, and others wait until it hits and hope they can defend themselves. The good news is there are some practical, proactive steps you can take now to prepare for disruption in the future.

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20 years ago, Clay Christensen wrote a groundbreaking article about "disruptive innovation", and that brought the term "disruption" into everyday business use. Hardly a week goes by without hearing about a business - or even an entire industry - being disrupted, so it's not surprising many business leaders are worried. But we're all talking about disruption, and forgetting the second part of his phrase: innovation! The real secret to success now is to disrupt yourself, so you can stay ahead of the game and lead the way in your industry.

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We all know the workplace of the future will be very different from the workplace of today. It's more than just technology and automation - it's about the environment you create for attracting the smart, talented, savvy people with the skills we need for future-proofing our organisations. The bad news is that those "stars" are in demand, and can choose where they work. Are YOU providing the sort of workplace that will attract and keep them?

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In our social, mobile, and highly-connected world, the best people to solve your problems could turn up in the most unexpected places. Don't just turn to the people you already know. There’s a whole world that’s willing to help. Reach out to them, and you tap into endless talent, skills, and expertise.

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We’re already seeing significant changes in the nature of work, and the workplace of the future will be very different from the workplace now. If you’re leading a team or organisation in this new world of work, you will face different responsibilities and challenges than you do now. Discover the six key principles behind creating the best workplace on earth.

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There's a lot of buzz about being more customer-centric, but most experts and advisers miss the most important element of customer-centricity. Without it, you will almost certainly be disrupted by competitors inside or outside your industry.

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Futurists aren't fortune-tellers! They simply look broader, deeper, and further than most people, and help you find new opportunities to apply what they find. As writer William Gibson said, the future is already here - it just isn't evenly distributed. In this podcast episode, I'll teach you nine practical skills you can use yourself to think like a futurist, so you can make better decisions - and faster.

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Videoconferencing, online meetings, telepresence and other collaboration technology are gaining traction. Does that mean the in-person conference is obsolete? No – not by a long way! But its role has changed. In this webinar, Discover the top trends affecting our professional and personal lives, and how great conference organisers use them to create transformational experiences.

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Why do so many change and innovation programs fail? Even with management buy-in, a willing culture, and good ideas, too many innovation programs just don't get traction anymore. In this fast-changing world, there's one element missing from many of these programs, and it can doom them to failure.

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Bitcoin is currently valued at $17,057, but it's volatile and filled with hype. What IS it, and should you invest $15,662 of your hard-earned cash in buying it? Even if you don't have a spare $16,902 sitting around, take the time to understand the basics of Bitcoin and blockchain technology and know what it means for you and your business.

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You’ve done everything right, played by the rules, and built a solid business, but the world has changed and everything you valued is shaken to the core. So how do you continue to be successful in a fast-changing world? In a nutshell: Disrupt yourself.

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The traditional workplace - an office with everybody working the same hours, at the same time, in the same place, and focussed on the same goals - is changing fast, but many leaders don't know how to apply their leadership skills to these new environments. Leaders who understand the needs of their distributed teams members will increase productivity, retain the best talent, and achieve their personal and professional goals.

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Members of distributed teams value and expect opportunities for professional development just as much as in-office team members. As a leader or manager, be proactive and innovative to find ways to help accelerate the experience curve for your distributed team members.

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Many industries are experiencing disruption - sometimes from inside the industry, but more often from outside. Are you going to thrive and survive in a time of disruption and change, or will you nose-dive and disappear?

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Disruption has become a bit of a buzzword now – and it’s become so hyped up it’s lost a lot of its meaning. You hear that you’re being disrupted, you know you need to do something about it, but you don’t exactly know WHAT disruption means, and then you don’t know HOW to manage it. In this podcast, we look at global megatrends affecting us all, the six biggest disruptive forces that could turn your business upside down, and how to raise your strategic planning so it's aligned with future trends.

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Conflicts are inevitable in any workplace, but can be particularly challenging in distributed teams, where team members don't work in the same office. As a leader, it's important to understand these differences, so you can prevent conflicts before they occur if possible, and address them promptly when they do occur.

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Innovation is everybody's business now, and doesn't only come from off-site retreats or an R&D department. It starts with you as a leader, extends to every member of your team, and then expands beyond your team to your customers and clients. Discover how to embrace innovation as a leader, spark ideas in your team, and encourage trusted involvement and engaged interaction.

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Leaders need followers, and followers are crying out for strong leaders. But the best people only follow you if you can give them work with meaning, energy, and purpose. And you can only do that if you yourself have meaning, energy, and purpose - in other words, you bring passion to your work. Leadership expert Charles Kovess explains what this means - not just in high-level language, but with practical, easy-to-implement ideas.

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Great leaders aren't afraid to stand for something that matters to them, even if it means being unpopular. They have a strong personal brand based on what they stand for, and built on two things: their expertise (what they know) and their network (who they know). That personal brand drives their decision-making, attracts the best followers, and makes a mark in their world.

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External workers - such as freelancers, contractors, consultants, and workers in the sharing economy - are no longer just fringe workers, but an important part of the workforce. Even if you're an experienced leader, the rules of engagement have changed when you bring these people into your team. They bring both challenges and opportunities, but working with them effectively is a leadership skill that will be crucial in our future.

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We now have so many options for doing work - and that brings more flexibility, greater access to talent, and better integration of work goals with personal goals. But this also needs a new mindset around work, for everybody in the workplace - especially leaders.

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We have recently seen some interesting purchases, mergers and developments from high-tech companies that will affect all workplaces. In this episode, we'll look at how they influence the future of work in general, and distributedwork in particular.

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Do you have to be a fear-monger to be a great leader - resorting to scare tactics and dire warnings of the future? Sally Anderson of Evolved Leadership doesn't think so! She talks about a new kind of leadership - Co-Creative Leadership - which doesn't deal with fear and narrow-minded thinking, but with abundance and unlimited potential.

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In the 20th century, leaders identified goals for their organisation, described the jobs required to meet those goals, and hired people with the right skills to fill those job descriptions. That's no longer the case. Our world is changing so fast that neither goals nor roles are clear and well-defined. The skills needed for success in the future aren't technical, task-oriented skills – because those skills will become obsolete through automation and artificial intelligence. Instead, the most future-proof skills will be higher-order thinking skills.

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For the last 200 years, the office with a permanent staff has been the default work environment of the knowledge worker. But it wasn’t in the past, and it’s not necessarily the best for the future. What would the workplace look like if offices weren’t an option?

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Your positioning in your marketplace - how your ideal customers and clients view their relationship with you - has a huge impact on your success. If you have low-level positioning, you're constantly pushing hard to get noticed and get picked. But if you're positioned as an expert, authority, or partner, the right customers and clients are magnetically attracted to you.

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Great leaders share their wisdom and experience with others, to build their judgement and give them greater power, responsibility and authority. This is more important than ever before, because you can't do it all yourself, and your team members have unique skills and talents.

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Innovation is everybody's business, and it's more challenging with a distributed team. However, that doesn't mean it can't happen - it just has to be designed and engineered into your work practices.

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Staying ahead of the game is not about inventing something new. The most successful people will be those who can see the potential in picking pieces from different areas, and combining them in clever ways. This needs a new kind of thinking - one that's nimble and flexible, and ready to thrive in our fast-changing world. In this episode, Dr. Jenny Brockis talks about the Future Brain - what it is, how to develop it, and how to make it work for you in your personal and professional life.

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Technology is bringing us all closer together, and physical distance no longer needs to be a barrier to communication and collaboration. But this "End of Distance" also brings its own challenges, especially if you’re a leader working with globally distributed teams. It’s easier than connect to teams in different locations, but that can bring unexpected challenges – such as time zone differences, perceptions of power and authority, different expectations about pay and incentives, and cultural differences – both ethnic cultures and organisational cultures.

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One of the most important things you can do is build the judgement of your team members. A lot of this happens overtly, but it can be undermined by the unwritten ground rules that govern your team and organisation. Learn how to use them - if they are positive and useful - or change them - if they are not.

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The tyranny of distance is coming to an end. In a few years, teams won’t need to be in the same office. Travel will happen in driverless cars. Drones will deliver goods 24/7. Virtual reality will take us across the world instantly. What will work look like in the near future? In this episode, we walk through a typical workday of a future worker.

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The ability to craft and deliver compelling messages is a key leadership imperative, but many leaders struggle to be influential in a cluttered world. Rohan Dredge teaches leaders the skill of LeaderSpeak. In this episode, he shares what it takes to transform your messages to be truly influential.

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Are you fit for the future? Join Gihan Perera, Ian Berry, Alicia Curtis and Jenny Brockis in this blab as we discuss the key principles you need as a leader to be fit for the future.

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The world's power is shifting, and many commentators are calling this The Asian Century. China expert David Thomas explains why Australia is perfectly placed to take advantage of this - and why it's an imperative now.

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I’ve got some ambitious goals for 2016, and I hope you do as well. Here are five things you should commit to do in 2016 to get your business fit for the future.

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Differentiation is a crucial factor for success in our fast, flat and free world. But you can't just be different from everybody else and hope to succeed - you have to be different in the right ways. In this conversation with Ian Berry, we explore change, leadership and the difference that makes a difference.

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With videoconferencing, online meetings, telepresence and other collaboration technology gaining traction, does that mean the in-person conference is obsolete?

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Many leaders struggle to maintain energy throughout their day, due to tight deadlines, competing priorities, and increasing demands on their time. In this episode, peak performance specialist Julie Meek provides simple and effective strategies for energy, stamina and productivity.

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Successful leaders need to know how to lead in modern workplaces, with more flexible work arrangements, technology that boosts productivity, the mix of personal and work lives, and the growth of collaboration and networking.

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In 1970, Robert Greenleaf published a groundbreaking leadership essay "The Servant as Leader". Now, half a century later, his ideas still form the basis for leadership in many successful organisations. In this interview, Gary Ryan explains why this is so, and describes the 10 characteristics of a servant leader.

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The workplace has changed - particularly in where and when we work. Whether you’re a business owner or leader in an organisation, being able to lead in an officeless office and a more dynamic workplace is an essential skill for the future.

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Conflict is inevitable in our fast-paced, diverse, global world. Many people think the solution to conflict is to resolve it, but Matt Lumsdaine believes in using conflict as a positive force and transforming it into creative and constructive activity.

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Distributed teams - where everybody doesn't work together in the same office all the time - is a growing trend, and causes some interesting challenges for leaders and team members alike.

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Personal branding is for everybody, and a strong personal brand has never been as important. In this interview, Jane Anderson talks about the three elements of building a powerful personal brand: clarity, communication, and control.

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Some business owners never intend to sell their business, and most aren't ready to sell it right now. But if you build your business as if you could sell it, it can be more profitable, make it easier for you to take time away from it, and be more valuable in the future. In this interview with John Denton, we discuss his six principles for building a more saleable business - even if you never plan to sell!

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In an uncertain and ambiguous world, the leaders who have a flexible thinking style and growth mindset will succeed and bring out the best in their people. Jenny Brockis explains how to make the most of your grey matter to thrive, not just survive.

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Telecommuting and other Out of Office work continue to grow in popularity (51% of employed Australians are telecommuters, according to ACMA), but there’s still some resistance in some organisations. We address some of the most common objections here.

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Traditionally, an organisation has been driven by two hierarchies – the management hierarchy (a.k.a. organisation chart) and customer hierarchy (a.k.a. sales funnel). But that’s not enough anymore. In our connected world, we need the networked organisation, as Ken and Peter Everett explain in this episode.

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Telecommuting and distributed teams are growing fast. If you’re a leader or manager, it’s likely that you are – or will be – leading a distributed team. That means some or all of your team members aren’t in the office all the time. So what’s different about leading distributed teams?

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In our diverse, disperse and distributed world, organisations and teams are increasingly composed of people with differences - ethnic, generational, gender, and others. In this interview, cultural intelligence expert Trisha Carter talks about how to recognise, manage and embrace those differences to create more innovative teams.

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For decades, long before social media and the rise of the individual, Ian Berry has been promoting the idea that the key role of leaders is to identify and develop the gifts and talents of their people. In this interview, we discuss why this is more important than ever, how it leads to measurable business results, and what leaders need to do to get started.

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Leading a business has become more complex than ever, because of increasingly savvy customers, highly motivated but demanding team members, and a need to remain competitive in a fast-moving world. In this interview, Gary Pittard shares his wisdom from decades of experience leading teams and coaching leaders.

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MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have had their share of publicity - both good and bad. How can you use them as part of your organisation's training programs?

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The corporate training course is not dead (nor should it be), but smart organisations are enhancing it with blended learning. In this conversation with Phil Gott, we discuss how to use blended learning for more powerful growth and development of your team and organisation.

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In a fast-paced, chaotic world, we need new ways of thinking, not just better ways of doing. Join me as I talk to The Ideas Architect Geoff McDonald about how to have better ideas, embed learning, and create a compelling vision for your organisation's future.

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Traditional goal setting doesn't work anymore in our fast, flat and free world. Instead, use this system to design - and achieve - compelling goals in 2015.

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One of the challenges of content marketing is having to keep creating and publishing new content. But you don’t have to always do that. It can be just as effective to convert one idea into multiple content marketing pieces.

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Both leadership and management are vital skills in today’s organisations. The best organisations are full of talented, bright, motivated people – who want leaders who inspire them and managers who empower them.

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Online collaboration is a hot topic, and the Internet has made it both easier and harder. In this episode, we'll look at the principles and tools of online collaboration, so you can do it more efficiently and effectively.

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Innovation is an employee engagement strategy. Learn how to harness the innovation in your people to develop and future proof your organisation.

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Web sites might seem like such old technology, now that we have blogging, YouTube, social media, mobile apps, and so on. But that makes your Web site even more important than ever before. Even if people find you somewhere else, they will come to your Web site before deciding to do business with you.

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This month, we look at inbound marketing, and how to combine social media and e-mail to create a powerful online marketing funnel.

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On Expert Gold radio this month, I'm interviewed by survival, change and adaptability expert Mike House about how the Internet has changed the way we work, lead, and live our lives.

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On Expert Gold Radio this month, we look at what it takes to create the best workplace on Earth, drawing on inspiration from the Harvard Business Review and Corporate Anthropologist Michael Henderson.

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In this episode of Expert Gold Radio, we look at trends and tribes (or goal setting and membership sites). We suggest 8 goals for your workplace, look at 7 technology trends for business owners and marketers, and explain the 5 types of members of your tribe.

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In this episode of Expert Gold Radio, we start 2014 with a look at productivity, telecommuting trends, and how to avoid the most common mistakes of running a paid membership site.

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In this episode of Expert Gold Radio, we look ahead to 2014. David Beard shows us how to be fit and healthy in a fast-paced world, then we look at how to be productive and effective when working "out of office", and finish with nine things successful people do differently.

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In this episode, we focus on getting things done and making things happen. Interview with Tony Fountain, segment from Eagle Waves Radio, and Chris Pudney on how to get focussed.

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In this month's episode, we look at thought leadership in large organisation, BYOD and online courses.

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How do your intentions affect your personal and professional success, and that of the people around you? This month, we look at the principles of Intentionomics, as well as 25 tips for Out of Office workers.

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This month we talk about blogging, mentoring, and getting other people to do your work! Featuring an expert interview with Australia's leading consultant on mentoring in the workplace, Ann Rolfe.

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Ross Clennett talks about the changing world of work, employment, and the search for talent. Chris Pudney then interviews Gihan about outsourcing - pros, cons, and how to do it effectively.

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The Internet has changed the way we buy - which means all businesses need to change the way they sell.

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In this episode, we look at content marketing in detail; and also talk about telecommuting in your organisation.

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It2019s one thing to have the latest and greatest technology, but another altogether to make sure it2019s being used to make yourself and your teams more productive, more effective, and even happier! This month2019s feature interview is with technology consultant Donna Hanson, who is an expert in exactly this area. Donna talks about the leadership challenges of integrating technology into an organisation. Later in the show, I2019ll bring you a conversation with my friend Chris Pudney as we talk about how to run effective online meetings.

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In this episode, we share some practical steps for identifying and building your personal brand; and then e-mail productivity expert Steuart Snooks shows us how writing better e-mail can reduce our information overload.

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Join brand expert Michael Neaylon talking about personal branding, and we also look at eight trends and predictions for Out of Office work in 2013.

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In this episode, guest Rachel Staggs talks about online marketing - and how to position yourself as an authority using social media.

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In this episode, we look at the importance of positioning: How to be seen as an authority in your field, so you can attract business easily and effortlessly.

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In this episode, we look at the publishing revolution, with an interview with Dan Poynter and a discussion about writing a book collaboratively.

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In this episode, we look at how to use LinkedIn effectively, and we also look at changes in technology that make it easier to work "out of office".

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Speakership, becoming a million dollar expert, and how the Internet has changed your business.

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Webinars, online courses and the state of the professional speaking industry around the world - all in this month's episode.

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This month, we’ll be talking about writing and publishing high-quality content – both for positioning yourself as an authority and selling it (in the form of e-books).

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Building your on-line reputation and authority

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Internet marketing trends for 2012, Out of Office trends for 2012, e-learning programs

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Goal setting that works, running your business like a boutique business, your very first webinar, and e-mail productivity.

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In this interview, we talk about webinars - how to do them well, how to get started, what technology to use, and how to keep your audience engaged.

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Topics included: broadcasting blog posts to social media, LinkedIn paid vs free, Slideshare and Google+

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Using the Internet for creating more convenience, comfort and freedom in your work life.

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I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Andrew O'Brien, Steve Major and Trevor Dixon on their program Trusted Authority Live, where we spoke about how to position yourself on-line as a trusted authority.

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Google does NOT care about the keywords META tag. But it does care about 23 other things on your Web site.

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As an expert, your most powerful marketing tool is not your business card. It's not your glossy brochure. It's not your Web site. It's not your client testimonials. It's not any of your collateral material. As an expert, your most powerful marketing tool is your expertise. It's your knowledge, your ideas, your intellectual property - and the way you apply it to your clients' lives and businesses to make a difference.

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Join our monthly discussion group, where we talk about Google+, blogging, article marketing and other social media topics.

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Google+ continues to grow, and one report suggests it will be bigger than LinkedIn and Twitter within 12 months. It's natural to compare it with Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but that's not where its real power lies. Here's the big reason every Thought Leader needs to use Google+: It helps build your authority.

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Some marketers know how to write good content, but then make the mistake of not doing enough with it. Every article you write has the potential to do so much more for you in building your on-line reputation, establishing your credibility and bringing qualified traffic to your Web site.

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The monthly Social Media Forum discussion group - with lots of discussion about Facebook pages.

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One of the biggest problems business owners face is that they try to do too much themselves. Instead of focusing on what they do best, they get caught up in the itsy bitsy things in their business. If you've ever fallen into this trap, there's light at the end of the tunnel.

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Your blog is a Web site, so you can promote it in the same way you promote any other Web site - and there are some other neat tricks as well.

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Despite what a lot of people say, social media isn't the be-all and end-all of your on-line presence, especially for infopreneurs.

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Every Web site is different, of course, but there’s a common structure that underlies every successful Web site.

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I've been critical in the past of Gerry Harvey's complaints about on-line business cutting into his profits. But I'm equally admiring of him now for his new foray into the on-line world.

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The Internet has changed the way we buy and read books. If anything, there's been a resurgence in reading, because of increased availability to printed books, and new formats like e-books and audio books.

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A high-profile chain of book stores in Australia and New Zealand recently went broke, partly due to financial mismanagement but also undoubtedly partly due to the Internet. Is your business also under threat?

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Today Facebook rolled out its biggest and most significant changes ever for businesses. If you're not currently using Facebook in your business, you really should!

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Today Facebook rolled out its biggest and most significant changes ever for businesses. If you're not currently using Facebook in your business, you really should!

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The one thing that sets you apart from others is your expertise. Be so good they can't ignore you!

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There’s no doubt video has been the hot on-line medium for the past few years. But we're now seeing a resurgence of (gasp!) the written word.

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After all the fuss with Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms over the last couple of years, it's interesting to see that the humble Web site is making a comeback. Why? Because business owners realise their Web site is their most powerful lead conversion tool.

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Make a list of the things you want - and I mean really, really, really want - to achieve. You don't even have to share it with anybody else, but at least you're setting a direction for yourself. You can do this for all areas of your life, of course. But I want to focus on your Internet strategy in particular.

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Your on-line strategy should follow your business strategy. Know what you want to achieve in your business, and then enlist the Internet to help you. This will help you decide exactly which Internet tools to use - and (just as importantly) what to avoid.

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You might have heard the idea of writing a free e-book and sending it to as many people as possible. Writing the e-book isn't difficult. The real value is in how you distribute it. Let's look at 25 different ways to use that e-book.

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In the last few years, more and more software is available on the Internet, rather than you having to install it on your computer or phone. This is what's called "Cloud Computing" - the act or service of providing software, IT resources and data via the Internet.

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Are you willing to give away some of your best material in order to attract future clients? If not, it's time to change your thinking!

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Internet marketing has changed - in a BIG way - in the last few years. Many business owners don't know how to take advantage of this change, and most don't even know what has changed. So let's look at what's changed and what it means for you.

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Even presenters who recognise the opportunity in paid webinars sometimes think the only way to make money from webinars is by selling individual tickets to attendees - in other words, it's like running a public seminar.That is certainly one way, but it's by no means the only way.

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Thanks to the Internet, clients today are smarter, savvier and more sophisticated than ever before. When they come to you, ready to buy, you can bet they didn't suddenly think of you five minutes earlier. This is the biggest change in the sales process: You used to be the first port of call in their buying cycle (or if not you, at least a bureau or agent). But no longer.

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Earlier this year, the marketing company The Shattuck Group, which works with professional service firms and experts, conducted some research to find the most effective marketing tools for these businesses. After surveying more than 350 business leaders, they got their top five responses.

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I see too many people who want "to be #1 on Google" for some ridiculously broad and expensive keyword phrase. If you do that, you're competing with the big boys, who have deep pockets and huge networks. Instead, be like a boutique winery, which offers a very different experience from large liquor chains.

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You can't pressure your Web site visitors into buying. Rather than trying to manipulate, cajole, browbeat or force them to buy, create "buying frames" that explain the reasons for them to buy.

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In this month's social media forum, we discuss Facebook fan pages, adding your domain name to Blogger, outsourcing your social media efforts, and more.

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If you're a presenter, thought leader or infopreneur, I'm sure you've already heard about "e-learning", and you might even be doing some of it already. Unfortunately, I find many people are intimidated by the idea, even if they know they "should" be doing something about it.

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Why is Amazon.com giving away its Kindle app for nothing on iPhones, iPods and iPads - when the Kindle is one of its own best-selling items?

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What stories have you been telling so often you've started believing them yourself?

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If you're a speaker, trainer, consultant, coach or other thought leader, you can't afford to ignore YouTube as a marketing tool for your business. I'll share with you here six ways to create video for YouTube easily and cost-effectively

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How do we find the time to stay on top of Twitter, Facebook, blogging and every other Internet tool? It's a fair question, and an important one.

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Most presenters - even experienced presenters - don't know how to adapt their presentations to the webinar environment. So here are my top seven tips for making your webinars more engaging and effective.

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Too many business owners treat their on-line strategy as a series of one-off events. Success on the Internet is a process, not an event.

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Every customer and client is already a niche market of one. If you're not niche marketing already, you're missing the point.

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I've recently had three conversations with three different clients about whether they need one Web site or two.

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What is the last thing you want them to do before they leave your Web site? Whatever the outcome for your business, make sure you make it simple - almost simplistic - for them to take that action.

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There are - fundamentally - only four ways to use your Web site to increase your income.

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You MUST be able to update your Web site yourself.This is no longer optional. A surprising amount of stuff depends on you having a Web site - and a Web site you can update yourself. You don't need all the flashy bells and whistles, but you do need basic control of your Web site.

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Instead of hiring an expensive marketing expert, you’re asking the real marketing experts: your clients and customers.

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One of my predictions for 2010 is that we'll see a massive growth in the use of virtual meetings - in the form of conference calls, teleseminars, video conferencing, webinars and the like. If you want to be aligned with this trend, you must learn how to perform in an electronic meeting room, whether as a meeting participant, a chairperson or a presenter.

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Most goal-setting systems are hard - they take willpower, discipline, sacrifice and hard work. This year, do yourself a favour and set goals that are easy and natural to achieve, and bring you joy and happiness - not only after you achieve them, but also on the journey itself.

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I share with you some of the Web sites that I use regularly in my business, and that will help you as well - particularly as a speaker, trainer, consultant, coach or other infopreneur. I've omitted some of the more obvious Web sites, like Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. Although I do use all of them, there are plenty of other places where you can learn about them, so I don't want to clutter up this list with them.

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If you're a speaker, trainer, coach or consultant, you need to know about these things, because they will affect your business - like it or not.

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Are you embracing the new opportunities the Internet brings you fordelivering your material? This is not just about using the Internet asa marketing tool; it's also about using it as a delivery tool.

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You might not have noticed it, but collaboration is an important trendtoday - even if you're a one-person business who makes a livingtelling other people what to do.

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Ordinary Internet users have very high expectations. It's not enoughto do a "good" or "OK" job on-line; you have to be exceptional. Thisdoesn't mean you have to have an all-singing, all-dancing on-linepresence. But it does mean getting the basics right.

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Modern audiences want more than just being "presented to" - they want engagement. How are you doing in meeting their needs?

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Mentoring is the fastest way to accelerate your growth, in whatever area of your business you'd like to improve.

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Let's look at some of the most common mistakes I've seen speakers, trainers and other infopreneurs make when they start thinking about e-learning.

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There's a growing trend - a trend that could present the biggest threat or the biggest opportunity for your business. I reckon it presents three threats and one (big) opportunity.

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Today's audiences, clients, prospects and consumers fall in and out oflove with stuff a hundred times a day. They haven't got time to go ona date - the best you can hope for is speed dating.

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Internet marketing is confusing to most people. With so many promotional tools and so much conflicting advice from different "experts", it's hard for you to know what to believe, what to pursue, and what to ignore. Today I'm going to teach you how Internet marketing has changed - in just two words.

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It's not just shares and property that are available at bargainprices; other things in business and life are on sale right now.

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All other things being equal, long-term success is better than a short-term focus. But right now, all other things aren't equal.

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Different economic times call for different skills. Now is the time tobe a brain surgeon, not a plastic surgeon.

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Conference calls are easy, cheap and accessible to all businesses. If you're not using them already, you're falling behind.

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If you're bad or boring, people will switch off. But even if you'regood, you have to get used to not getting 100% attention from youraudience. Technology has not just changed the way you deliver yourmaterial; it's also changed the way audiences engage during apresentation.

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The world is changing to be about community, not authority; villages,not islands; collaboration, not hierarchy.

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Tough economic times present great opportunities for small businessesand entrepreneurs. Sure, the big companies can absorb change betterthan we can, but we're small, nimble and fast - so we can adapt tochange more quickly.

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What would you do if your main marketing method disappeared overnight? Think it could never happen? It probably won't. But thinking aboutbackup plans doesn't make you pessimistic or negative; it's prudentand positive.

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Here's my call to arms to the experts of the world: StartPARTICIPATING in this crisis. If you truly deliver value, now is thetime your clients need you more than ever. So, if anything, this is anopportunity to thrive.

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Many infopreneurs fall in love with their products and services, andforget their market. They create a beautiful, sophisticated,high-quality product; but forget about whether there's a market forit. They create a cure for which there's no known disease!

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Things like blogs, podcasts, newsletters and the like don'tnecessarily bring immediate cash flow. But they are important becausethey lay the foundation for future success.

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In theory there's no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.

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Don't wait until you know how everything is going to turn out. You don't. And you won't. Get started now. This is particularly important on the Internet.

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Don't write a bad book. Don't even write a good book. If you're going to write a book, write a great book. But don't just sit there twiddling your thumbs while you're waiting until you're ready to write A Great Book. You can still write; just do it in other ways.

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How do you find the time for Internet marketing when you've got so much else going on in my business? This is a crucial question. Because it doesn't matter how much good stuff you learn, if you don't put it into action, it doesn't count for anything.

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If you're an experienced Internet user who's familiar with the conceptof blogging, and would just like to know how to maximise the effectiveness of your blog, here's a quick reference guide.

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If you're a speaker, trainer, coach, consultant or other infopreneur,you might find that your clients are battening down the hatches andcutting spending on non-essentials. You might discover overnight thatyou've become a luxury rather than a necessity!

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Don't assume your clients and prospects are constantly visiting yourWeb site, eagerly waiting for the latest material you create. Theyaren't! Despite your best efforts - and even their best intentions -they just don't have the time.

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The Internet landscape has changed when it comes to copyright.Previously, publishers would jealously guard their material, and couldeven send lawyers after you if you copied it without permission. Butnow Web 2.0 sites like YouTube encourage users to copy their material,so they get more exposure and more traffic.

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E-books and special reports can be among your most powerful marketing tools. Many people think they're too hard to write. But they're not!

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Invest in yourself. Don't be afraid to put money, effort and time intoyour own professional development - in your topic area and in businessdevelopment and marketing.

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Tap into the power of using teleseminars to sell your message, yourproducts and yourself.

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Amateurs have more on-line power than ever before. If you still wantto be "The Go To Guy/Gal" in your area of expertise, you'd better beout there, making a contribution. You can bet your life somebody iselse doing it - on your turf, to your clients, in your market.

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Because we're thinkers, it's tempting for us infopreneurs toconstantly be thinking about the next idea, the next article, the nextpiece of intellectual property. But look back at what you've alreadygot - and figure out how to leverage it more effectively.

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On the Internet, the best marketer wins. Not the best infopreneur; thebest marketer. And most infopreneurs are poor marketers - at least,when they're not there in person to do the marketing.

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Put some thought and effort into your newsletter subscription page.Don't just create a Web page with a form and expect hundreds of peopleto sign up. A few will, but the more effort you put into convincingthem to sign up, the more people will sign up. And it really isworthwhile because your newsletter is going to make a lot of money foryou in the long term.

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The second most common question people ask me about teleseminars isabout how to design an effective teleseminar (The most common is abouthow to make the technology work). In particular, many people wouldlike to know the ideal length and the right mix of talking andaudience participation.

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What material do you have that is currently published for only onemedium? Your clients or customers now have new tools to consumematerial in different ways, at different times, and on their ownterms. Are you making it easy for them, or are you getting in the way?

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How do you find the time to do Internet marketing when you've got somuch else going on in my business? Here's a simple three-step strategyto make Internet marketing easier and less time-consuming.

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If you had to choose between a great idea delivered poorly or a showydelivery with no take-away value, what would you choose? Me? I'drather get the idea. After all, wouldn't you still take a 24-caratdiamond, even if it's in a paper bag?

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Do you stand firm on fees, or are you willing to drop them if a client insists? If you're asking this question, you're probably losing money. There's a radically different way to think about "speaking fees" that makes this question irrelevant, and positions you to get maximum income from every opportunity.

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What sort of value should you provide to your members in your membership site? This will vary for each business. But broadly, I suggest you consider your offering in these three categories.

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Membership sites are the Next Big Thing on the Internet - as far asrecurring income streams go. But do you have the three things it takesto create a successful membership site?

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There are now too many Web sites for anybody to visit in a lifetime. So how do Internet users choose which Web sites to visit? The answer has change in the past 3 years, and the difference is critical to you if you're an expert.

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You've probably heard of new things like YouTube, Facebook and Flickr.But what do they do, and how are they useful to you? In this podcast,I'll list the top ten Internet tools for experts, and give you apractical example of how to use each of them in your business.

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I love Seth Godin's work. But I think he's wrong about podcasting.Find out why - and how you can make podcasting work for your business.

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You've probably heard of Web 2.0 and how it's changing the world. Butwhat does it mean for you if you've got a Web site? Learn how Internetmarketing has changed, and what you need to change to tap into the Web2.0 world.

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Stop trying to do it all by yourself. One of the easiest ways to serveyour market better is to bring in other experts who can help them.Stop thinking about yourself; and think instead of your market, youraudience, your readers, your loyal followers.

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When it comes to Internet marketing, most Web site owners are too optimistic. They assume that they can just create a Web site, advertise their products, and the money will come rolling in. But it just doesn't work that way.

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I've talked to a number of clients and colleagues who have "almost"completed new products - books, e-books, and so on. The trouble isthat the last few steps always seem to stretch out, taking longer andlonger. Does that ever happen to you? If so, you might be caught inthe perfection trap.

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It takes time to create information products. But are you taking fulladvantage of the material you've already created - which you can turninto new products?

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Are you making these marketing mistakes? Learn from a street hawker in Rome.

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Google is favouring valuable content over clever marketing. And that'sgood news if you're an information expert - that is, a professionalspeaker, trainer, consultant, coach or author. Why? Because you're ina strong position to deliver valuable content.

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What are the keys to getting things done? Of course, there are anumber of answers - and time management gurus will argue over which isbest. From a leverage viewpoint, follow these three simple principles.

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Over the years, salespeople have been coached with the phrase "Selling isn't telling". In other words, they should ask more questions rather than talking about their product. That's true, but it's not ALWAYS true - especially if you're an expert in your field.

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One of the biggest problems experts face is that they try to do too much themselves. Instead of focusing on what they do best - thinking about their ideas and expressing them to others - they get caught up in the itsy bitsy stuff of creating the products. Things like proofreading, editing, administration, formatting, even the writing itself. If you've ever fallen into this trap, there's light at the end of the tunnel.

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Experience matters. Many "experts" don't walk their talk; they don'tpractise what they preach. When you can draw on your own experienceand have the maturity to step outside it and put it in context, youprovide a richer, truer and more significant service to your clients.

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If you write a promotional e-book, you should give it away free. Or take it one step further - and make it BETTER than free!

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A successful affiliate program - on or off the Internet - rests on three important principles. If you get this mix right, you've got a better chance of making your affiliate program work. Not all affiliate programs follow these rules. But if you break them, make sure you know why. Unfortunately, most businesses ignore one or more of these principles, without knowing why. And that's a disaster for their affiliate program.

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One of the things holding people back from creating - and profiting from - information products is that they undervalue their expertise. They don't think they are "good enough" yet, or they don't think their material has any value to their clients. But if clients are already paying you to speak, train, coach or consult them, chances are they do value what you've got to offer. It's just a matter of positioning yourself correctly.

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Here's the single most important secret for successful marketing: First find out what your customers want; and then create products or services that match their desires.

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Does writing an e-book have to be a lot of work? Not if you enlist allyour friends in the process! Learn how to write, publish anddistribute an e-book effortlessly and effectively.

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If you're a messenger - somebody with ideas to share with the world -you can no longer rely on your authority alone. You are no longer anexpert because you say you're an expert. You're an expert because wesay you're an expert. If we like you we'll listen to your ideas andtake action. It's all about authority with community.

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If you're a speaker, trainer, coach, consultant, author or otherinformation expert, you'd better be using the Internet actively inyour business. And that means creating an on-line presence. Not justa Web site any more. If you don't have the time to be seen as theexpert in your field, your clients and customers will find somebodywho does!

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Kyle Macdonald's personal story of how he trades up from a paper clip to a house contains valuable insights for anybody in sales.

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One of my clients recently created a new bundle of products and wants to find other people willing to sell them on her behalf. In return, they get a hefty commission. She asked me for some advice about how to best approach these people, and how to convince them to be part of her extended sales force. I'm going to share some of that advice with you here.

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Who are the people in your neighbourhood? Trust sells. Every marketing effort must be based on the level of trust you have with your market.

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Are you truly entering the conversation in your clients' minds? Use the principle of gravity marketing to create irresistible attraction for your products and services.

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As an expert, your most powerful marketing tool is not your business card. It's not your glossy brochure. It's not your Web site. It's not your client testimonials. It's not any of your collateral material.As an expert, your most powerful marketing tool is your expertise. It's your knowledge, your ideas, your intellectual property - and the way you apply it to your clients' lives and businesses to make a difference.

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Most people visiting your Web site are looking for information, not (yet) for products. Lead with value and show your expertise - before jumping in with your sales pitch.

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Fit For the Future: Recent Episodes

Gihan Perera