All Episodes - Fit For the Future
We have never faced us much uncertainty as we do now, and have never needed strong leadership as we do today. Navigate this fast-changing world with ideas and insights for leading through crisis, recovery, and growth, and being fit for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Workfluencers
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-workfluencersIn 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 means30% 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-workfluencers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From Planning To Progress
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-progressYou 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-from-planning-to-progress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Strategy To Action
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-actionHow 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Attitudes
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:1. Their boss might think they are less competent because they relied on AI.2. Their boss might think they are lazy for using AI instead of doing the work themselves.3. 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI In Your Team
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-teamDo 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-in-your-team Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI In 2030
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-2030A 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-in-2030 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Driving AI
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-aiAre 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!Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-driving-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Two Sides Of AI
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-aiIs 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-the-two-sides-of-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find The Bright Spots
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-spotsWhenever 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 teamYour 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Champions
How do you stay on top of all the changes with AI? It's evolving fast, and staying in touch can feel overwhelming. Instead of trying to track every new development yourself, find an AI champion in your team and give them the support they need to lead AI adoption and integration.https://swiy.co/go-ai-championAI Champion: The Role Every Team Needs to Navigate AII run regular AI Leaders Labs for clients and others in my close network to help leaders share their ideas and experiences about using AI. These leaders are interested in AI, both for themselves and their teams, and want to bring their people on the AI journey.In my most recent Leaders Lab, three participants asked the same question:“AI is moving so fast - how can we keep up with what’s new?”I have two answers ...First, of course, if you want an external perspective, engage me! I can run a masterclass for your team or deliver a keynote presentation at your next conference. It’s part of my regular “day job” to know what’s new in AI and make it relevant and meaningful for you.The other option I recommend - which I also recommended to my group - is to find an AI champion for your team.If you work in a larger organisation, you might be tempted to wait until somebody “higher up” creates rules, frameworks, policies, and tools for everybody to use AI.But that’s too slow!Sure, there are some things that need careful thought and strategic insight. But you can still get a lot of value from AI right now. That’s where an AI champion can help.You want somebody who is excited and enthusiastic about AI, and also keen for everybody else in the team to start using it. She might be the person who’s always testing the edges of what’s possible, and willing to extend the team’s capabilities.Your first step is to find the right person (or people, if you’re lucky enough to have more than one in your team). Your role is to nurture them and create an environment where they can excel as an AI champion for your team.They don’t need to be a senior person who understands all the policy implications and the bigger picture. It’s better to have someone who’s excited about AI, even if they don’t have the experience to make big-picture judgment calls (that’s YOUR role in this partnership).It’s not all plain sailing, though.Often, your AI champion is a more junior team member (although not necessarily a young person). This can create friction - for example:* Other team members might be jealous of this person’s special status.* Your peers, managers, or senior leaders might not respect this “junior” person when they speak up.* The IT department might be wary of allowing your AI champion freedom to test new tech.These are all valid concerns, and they are challenges you and your AI champion will need to navigate together.For help in this process, download my worksheet about finding, nurturing, and working with an AI champion in your team.This process takes a bit of effort - especially at first. But by investing in this effort, you will ensure your team stays informed, adapts quickly, and makes the most of AI’s opportunities.Download the worksheet:https://swiy.co/go-ai-champion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
DeepSeek Disruption
What do you know about this new Chinese AI app called DeepSeek that’s taking the AI world by storm?DeepSeek, a new app similar to ChatGPT, became the #1 downloaded app on the App Store when it was launched recently. You might have heard about it in technology news, but it’s also in the mainstream media.But how can we separate the hype from the reality?Let’s talk about three things about DeepSeek, and also what it means for you as a leader.1. China’s Growing AI CapabilitiesThe common wisdom was that China was lagging behind the USA in AI expertise and development. So it caught most people by surprise to see something as good as DeepSeek coming out of China.But that assumption was wrong. China has been a leading force in AI for years - for example:* Last year, they created the world’s first virtual AI hospital to advance medical procedures.* They have been using AI to tackle climate change for many years.* As far back as 2016, China set out to make an entire city that only allowed driverless cars.2. Bias and Censorship ConcernsAnother issue with DeepSeek is the possibility of bias and government censorship in DeepSeek’s results.This is true! For example:* If you ask it about Tiananmen Square, it doesn’t know (although some reports say that has changed).* If you ask it about the sovereignty of Taiwan, it gives you the stock standard government response.* If you ask it to make a joke about Xi Jinping, it says that would be rude.So yes, DeepSeek has bias and censorship. But so do other AI tools!For example, US president Donald Trump recently declared that the Gulf of Mexico was now going to be called the Gulf of America. For most of the world, that makes no difference (no one country can unilaterally rename an international body of water). But in the USA, Google has adjusted Google Maps so that - for US users only - it will apear as the Gulf of America.3. DeepSeek Is Faster And CheaperDeepSeek was developed with fewer resources than its competitors, and that surprised many people. It was cheaper to build, cheaper to train, and uses less energy to run. (In the ultimate irony, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, claims it has inappropriately used some of ChatGPT’s material in its training!)But this is just a natural evolution of technology. All the other AI platforms and tools are also becoming cheaper and faster. DeepSeek isn’t leapfrogging other platforms; it just happens to be new.What This Means for You as a LeaderWhen you hear news about DeepSeek, take it with a grain of salt. Some of the hype doesn’t match reality.More importantly, what does this mean for you as a leader? In general, not much at all!You should definitely know what’s around the corner, over the horizon, and maybe even just landed on your doorstep. But also assess it carefully, because not everything needs immediate action.If you’re already using ChatGPT, Copilot, or some other AI tools, keep going! There’s no immediate need to switch to DeepSeek.If you haven’t already started using AI, you should. And you should be having regular conversations with your team about using AI in the workplace – to help improve productivity, enhance the customer experience, and make better decisions faster.Download my worksheet about having AI conversations with your team.https://swiy.co/go-deepseek-disruption Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leading In 2025
As we step into 2025, it’s clear we will have much more change and uncertainty - but also opportunity. Your path to success depends on how well you can lead yourself and navigate your team through the year. Your focus should always be about people first: guiding your team, customers, and yourself through the complexities of the year ahead. It’s not about predicting the future but staying adaptable, monitoring trends, and bringing people on the journey.https://swiy.co/go-leading-in-2025As a leader, what are you expecting in 2025? You might have done your initial planning for the year, but we all know that our plans will change! Whatever we can foresee now, we will face a lot of change, uncertainty, and disruption before the end of the year.For example, you might have already heard rumours about the Next Big Thing in AI: AI agents, which can scurry around doing things on our behalf. How can you plan for that now when you don’t know exactly what they will look like?It’s easy to use AI as an example because it’s obvious to us all that it will change. But this applies to many other things in our world as well - including workplaces, hybrid work, Federal and State elections, cybersecurity, sustainability, and more!The most thing to keep in mind as that it’s about people first.Your path to success depends on how well you can lead yourself and navigate your team. It’s not about predicting the future but staying flexible and bringing people on the journey.I recently published some research about the key leadership trends for 2025. Even those that are about technology - like AI and cybersecurity - are about how people engage with the technology, not the tech itself.For more about these trends, join my online presentation very soon, where we’ll look at three in more detail. I’ve chosen three directly related to important groups of people in your organisation: your customers, your employees, and of course yourself.It’s free, public, and open to all. So feel free to invite others in your team as well.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-leading-in-2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bridging The Gap
With up to five generations working side-by-side, your workplace is more diverse than ever. This offers many opportunities for collaboration and innovation, but it also presents challenges, like differing attitudes toward hybrid work, financial pressures, and conflicting priorities. If you're a leader who can embrace these differences and foster a culture of mutual respect, you will be better equipped to manage conflicts, retain talent, and build thriving, future-ready teams.https://swiy.co/go-bridging-the-gapHow many generations are working in your organisation? It might be up to five – and in rare cases, there could even be six generations working together.From the oldest to the youngest:Baby Boomers, who are usually the most senior people in the organisationGeneration X (my generation), in their fifties and sixties, often in senior roles and some close to retirementGeneration Y, or the Millennials, many now in management positionsGeneration Z, roughly up to the age of 25, who are new to the workforceGeneration Alpha are even younger workers, often apprentices or in their first "real job"With so many generations working together, you have people with different worldviews, different attitudes to work, and very different experience and expertise. This creates some interesting dynamics.On the positive side, if you have the kind of culture that values and embraces diversity, it gives you great opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and different perspectives.But sometimes, it doesn’t work so well. Often, you get these generations butting heads against each other.For example, the pandemic forced organisations to provide working from home for their office workers, and now many – especially older managers – are trying to drag their people back full-time into the office. But younger workers want to hold on to that flexibility. In fact, they have always wanted it, even before the pandemic. They don’t necessarily want to work from home all the time, but they also don’t want the drudgery of the Monday to Friday nine-to-five commute their parents endured.Other things like rising costs of living and rising inflation create pressure at both ends of the generational scale.For younger workers, facing high costs of living and high inflation, it’s more difficult to save for investments – for example, in the property market that created financial security for their bosses.At the other end, many older workers who were planning to retire are being forced to delay their retirement because rising living costs. So, they stay at work for longer. That’s good for the organisation because it retains their wisdom and expertise. But it’s also bad for the organisation because it creates a bottleneck at the top, which hurts the career path for younger employees.Younger people also care more about an organisation’s values, purpose, and ESG commitments. They holding their managers and organisation responsible for things like climate change, sustainability, diversity, and equity. If you don’t provide that, they will often choose to move.I’m running an online prsentation soon about these challenges and other leadership issues for 2025. It’s free, public, and open to all. So register now, and invite other leaders in your team and network as well.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-bridging-the-gap Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cross-Industry Collaboration
How do you cope when employees, customers, and other stakeholders are more demanding than ever before? It's impossible to solve every problem, but you can partner with others - even outside your industry - to solve complex challenges and meet rising demands. Use cross-industry collaboration to unlock innovative solutions, share resources, and strengthen your organisation.https://swiy.co/go-cross-industry-collaborationHow are you coping – and planning to cope – with our fast-changing world in 2025?You don’t need a futurist to tell you our world is changing faster than ever before, and we’re going to face a lot more change, uncertainty, and disruption in the future.We’re all experiencing this every day. But as a leader, how are you managing and navigating your team through that?Leaders have a dual responsibility now. On one hand, you have to navigate this change and lead your team through it. And on the other hand, you must keep an eye on the future so you can take advantage of the opportunities that change brings.The problem is people expect more.Customers are more demanding.Our employees are more demanding.Other stakeholders are more demanding.It’s not enough to simply try to pedal faster and faster to keep up. It’s tempting to try, but you will burn out. And even if you don’t, it’s impossible to keep up.So, what can you do instead?Instead of trying to solve all your problems internally, partner and collaborate with other organisations. It doesn’t even need to involve people within your industry. You just need people who can help you solve problems you’re not equipped to solve.This idea is called cross-industry collaboration, and it’s rapidly gaining steam.I’m sure you have seen examples of it aready – for example:Woolworths partners with OzHarvest to provide surplus food to charities so that they don’t waste it.Telstra and the Royal Flying Doctor Service are collaborating to increase the number of telehealth services for people in regional areas.The National Australia Bank (NAB) is partnering with Good Shepherd Microfinance to provide small micro-loans to customers who NAB isn’t equipped to serve.This idea of cross-industry collaboration is one of ten key trends I’ve identified for leaders in 2025. I’m running an online presentation soon about these trends.I won’t cover them all, but instead will focus on three key trends: one about customers, one about employees, and the other focused on you as a leader.This presentation is free and open to everybody. So please register and feel free to invite others in your team, especially leaders.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-cross-industry-collaboration Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
10 Key Leadership Trends For 2025
The future of leadership is about navigating complexity with clarity and purpose. As technology reshapes industries and societal expectations evolve, leaders must foster human connection, champion transparency, and embrace adaptability. Success will come to those who prioritise learning, sustainability, and collaboration, creating workplaces where people thrive. In a time of uncertainty and rapid change, future-ready leaders will be those who inspire trust, foster innovation, and thrive in change.https://swiy.co/go-10-trends-2025Human-Machine Collaboration: Leaders must foster environments where technology amplifies human strengths, so AI serves as a trusted partner, working alongside humans for greater productivity and innovation.Sustainability: Customers and employees prioritise businesses that value sustainability, and leaders who authentically embrace sustainability initiatives will be rewarded, while those who don’t will be penalised.Cybersecurity: As cyber threats escalate, leaders across all areas and at levels are expected to champion a culture of vigilance and accountability in their teams.Transparent and Authentic Leadership: As the world becomes more digital and automated, customers and employees are demanding transparent, values-driven, and authentic leadership.Future-Ready Skills: Leaders must promote and endorse a spectrum of emerging skills, such as digital literacy, cognitive flexibility, creative thinking, and emotional intelligence.Continuous Learning: Leaders must cultivate a culture of learning where people can upskill, reskill, and even “un-learn” outdated practices - using AI, microlearning, and immersive technology.Cross-Industry Collaboration: In an interconnected world, organisations are investing in collaboration and partnerships to help them solve problems they can’t tackle alone.Employee Experience: In a competitive talent market, where employees expect more, organisations must provide empathetic leadership and dynamic work cultures that prioritise the individual’s journey.Workforce Demographics: With up to five generations working side by side, leaders must navigate diverse expectations, communication styles, and priorities.Crisis Leadership: Organisations everywhere are more vulnerable to external shocks, and leaders need to manage these shocks, balancing decisiveness with empathy and risk with opportunity.(BONUS) Quantum Computing: Quantum computing is still in its early stages, but its impact will be rapid and massive, and has the potential to revolutionise entire industries.Download the worksheet:https://swiy.co/go-10-trends-2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Maybe You're The Problem
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-problemAre 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Flying The AI Flag
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-flagDo 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!Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-flying-the-ai-flag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Scaling AI
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: PersonalAre 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: ProfessionalNext, 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: ProjectsAt 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: PlatformThis 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-scaling-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Human Touch, Amplified
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-amplifiedFor 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 membershipsInstead 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 journeysThe 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 engagementAI 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Constructive Disruption
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-disruptionWould 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 outLean in.1. Think AheadWe 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 OutIn 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 InYou 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-constructive-disruption Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Unlocking AI In 2025
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-2025Do 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 itI 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:1. 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.2. 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.3. 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-unlocking-ai-in-2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Small Steps, Big Change
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Conversations
Are you engaging your team in open and honest conversations about AI? There's no doubt AI is here to stay, and people have different opinions about it - from fear to excitement, and everywhere in between. Create a space for open conversations with your team about the the benefits, their concerns, and anything else. In this way, you're building a culture that's ready for change.https://swiy.co/go-more-ai-conversationsI was in beautiful Brisbane last week to deliver the closing keynote presentation for an allied healthcare group, Healthia.I was talking about the mix between people and technology, with my core message around “people first, technology second”. It was a pretty easy sell to Healthia because they’ve always made that part of their philosophy and mission. In fact, they’ve already started using AI in their organisation, rolling out tools that practitioners can use with their patients to improve clinical outcomes and make their work more efficient.It’s great to see a forward-thinking organisation on the front foot about AI.This is a larg group, so of course, people are at different levels of comfort with AI. Some are engaging actively with it, others are just starting to use it, and others haven’t started yet. This is true for any organisation and might be true for yours as well.What I admire about Healthia and other organisations who are serious about AI adoption is they are starting to have conversations about AI. And I wonder: Is this true for you and your team?Are you having open, transparent, and honest conversations about AI?I know other organisations with big plans to launch AI projects, so they are holding back from AI conversations with their team. They are waiting to get everything right in terms of policy, governance, software and infrastructure first.This can work, and it is important to get things right with any AI projects. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start conversation about AI! The risk is that, in the meantime, your team are already hearing about AI, using it at home, and maybe even using it secretly at work. You lose control of the conversation, which makes it much more difficult when you eventually roll out your AI projects.Unfortunately, most of the public perception of AI - driven by the media - is negative. So, some of your people might think AI will take their jobs, or worry about having to learn new technology, or think they will fall behind.On the other hand, if you start having conversations about AI now, you help to create an environment where they see AI as a tool rather than a threat.So, what are you doing to have conversations with your people about AI?For help with these conversations, download my worksheet of questions and discussion points for open conversations with your team.Download the worksheet:https://swiy.co/go-more-ai-conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Future Focus
As a leader, you must focus on the right priorities as we move towards 2025. There are many internal issues - like flexible work, diversity, and AI - but the most important focus should be external - on your customers.https://swiy.co/go-future-focusAre you focusing on the right things when you’re thinking about your work and workplace in the year ahead?I was reflecting on three conversations I had with clients and audience members last week - one in the insurance sector, one in mining and resources, and the third in a large state government department. In all of those conversations, people asked me essentially the same question:What’s the most important thing we should be thinking about when planning for 2025?If you’ve been following me, you know I have many answers to that, including flexible work, more diversity to tackle complex problems, and of course AI. These ARE important, of course, but they are also all issues you’re facing internally.The one thing that trumps them all is to focus on your customer. Think external first! Whether you call them customers, clients, members, patients, or constituents, it doesn’t matter.Always keep asking: What problems are we solving for them now and in the future?This has two components:1. Be sure your customers, and their problems and goals, right now.2. Understand the needs of your future customers.As a leader, you have this two-fold responsibility: to keep your team focussed on what your customers need right now, and also understand what’s coming up over the horizon and around the corner.You might think you do really understand your customers because of your experience, long-term connections, and strong loyalty. But it’s also easy to get so caught up in internal things that you forget about your customers. Maybe you were solving their problems in the past, but if they have drifted or you have drifted, you might not be as closely aligned anymore.This is one of the four pillars of the future of work: What I call “Assess”. This is about assessing future trends, knowing what they mean for your customers, and adapting your work to match.I’m running a free public online presentation about the future of work very soon. It’s open to everybody, particularly leaders who want to understand how to be fit for the future, especially in 2025 and beyond. I’ll share some ideas around each of these four pillars, and also give you practical things you can do right now in each area. It’s open to everybody, so please register and invite others to join as well.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-future-focus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Employee-Led Development
Good leaders provide ongoing professional development to their team members, but you can go one step further: The BEST leaders empower their employees to lead their own development. Give them the resources and trust to pursue personal and professional growth, and you not only create better employees – you help them become better people.https://swiy.co/go-employee-led-developmentWhat are you doing to really engage the people in your team?Last week, I delivered a keynote presentation for one of my favourite clients. They have engaged me before, and this time, they asked me to deliver my “Fit for the Future” presentation to their employees. And the brief wasn’t about how to be fit for the future in the workplace, but for them as individuals to be fit for the future.It’s a great group of people, and I like working with this client. But this time, I enjoyed it even more - for two reasons.First, this company recognises the importance of having happy, contented, and satisfied employees, not only in their work but in their personal lives as well. They’re willing to invest money, time, and other resources for people to become better people, not just better employees.Second, it wasn’t the senior leaders or managers who engaged me for this presentation; it was the employees themselves. This company encourages their team members and employees to create networks of their own around areas of common interest, and they provide resources for these networks to help them with professional development in those areas.I like both of those things: the fact that the company values their employees and that they have empowered their employees to find the professional development that’s most valuable for them.Especially now, when there’s a war for talent and many employers are wondering how to attract and keep the best people, this is one of the best things you can do. Empower your employees, and trust they will do the right thing by themselves and by the organisation.If you’d like to know more about this, I’m running an online presentation very soon about the future of work. This idea about attracting the best people is one of the four pillars to the future of work. This presentation is free, public, and it’s open to everybody. So please register, and share the link with others in your network as well.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-employee-led-development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Teams Without Boundaries
There's been a lot of news recently about leaders of large organisations in Australia forcing their teams to return to the traditional office full-time. But that's a sure-fire way to limit both your talent pool and your competitive advantage. The future of work is no longer confined by geography or the traditional nine-to-five model.https://swiy.co/go-teams-without-boundariesIf you're a leader, what do you think your future team will look like?I've seen a lot of headlines recently - and you might have seen them as well - from CEOs of large organisations around Australia insisting that all their people who were previously office-based must now come back to the office full-time.They acknowledge that during the pandemic, office workers had to work from home, and now many organisations have hybrid work or other flexible arrangements. But for these leaders, the message is clear: Their best and only way to collaborate and build their team culture is to have everybody working full-time in the office, five days a week - the way it used to be.This narrow way of thinking limits your future.If you think the team of the future is going to look just like the team of the past, where the best employees happen to live within commuting distance of your office, you're wrong! You're limiting your talent pool, you're less attractive to the best employees, and more progressive competitors will have a competitive edge.Compare this to libraries. In the past, libraries were known for being quiet spaces - in fact, that was one of their key characteristics. And that made sense, because they were one of the few places where you had access to information, knowledge, and reference material. So it made sense to provide an environment to help people absorb that information.But we now have many, many other ways to find, access, and absorb information. And, to their credit, libraries have evolved. My local library is now more of a community hub, catering for people talking on the phone, students working in groups, noisy community activities, and even loud young children. And if you still want that quiet space, they even provide free earplugs!As a library member, I don’t even have to visit the library anymore. My membership gives me access to a large collection of e-books, streaming movie services, and more.If you're a leader, take a leaf out of their, err ... book.Two hundred years ago, the office WAS the best workplace for knowledge workers. But we no longer need offices to access files, use secretarial services, connect with others, and even use computers.The team of the future is very different from the team of the past. And this applies to all workplaces, not just knowledge workers and offices.This idea is one of the four pillars of the future of work. I’m running a free public online presentation soon about this, where I'll share these four pillars and give you practical steps to take right now to support your team and your leadership journey. It’s free to register, and you're welcome to invite other leaders in your team and network, too.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-teams-without-boundaries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leadership 2025
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-2025I 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-leadership-2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Conversations
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Over The Horizon
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-horizonOver 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI At Work
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-generousShould 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-selfish-generous Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Overcoming Fear Of AI
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-aiI’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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-overcoming-fear-of-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Better Decisions, Better Outcomes
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-decisionsWhat 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:1. Boosting productivity2. Enhancing the customer or client experience3. Making better decisions, fasterI 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-better-decisions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Human Or Machine?
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-machineHow 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-human-or-machine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Create Space For Change
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-changeI’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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Navigating Resistance
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-resistanceIs 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 slidelearning how to spot fake emailsstarting a difficult conversation with a colleagueOr it could be something from their personal life – such as:making an origami cranelearning a magic trick they can show to friends and familyunderstanding nutritional labels on food packagingWhat 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Creative AI
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-aiI 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 beforeBut 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-creative-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Education
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-adoptionMany 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 memberBoth 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-early-adoption Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Take The Leap
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-leapI 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:1. Quick wins you can achieve immediately2. Small-scale projects you can implement in a few months3. Bigger projects that need more dedicated time and resourcesSo, 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-take-the-leap Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fast And Loose
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-looseAre 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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-fast-and-loose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yes, But
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Your AI Champions
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-championsI 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Championing AI
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-aiWho 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Projects You Can Start Today
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-todayHow 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Projects
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-projectsLet’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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Unlocking AI
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Underestimating AI
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-underestimating-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Empower And Elevate
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-empower-and-elevate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Bumps And Bruises
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-bumps-and-bruises Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Putting AI To Work
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-putting-ai-to-work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are You An Avocado Leader?
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From ROI To COI
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Unleashing AI
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-unleashing-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Better Together
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-better-together Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Empower, Engage, Excel
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-empower-engage-excel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Don't Start With The Tech
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI For CX
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Possibility Thinking
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Before How
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Empowerment
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-empowerment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI For Your Customers
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-for-your-customers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Harnessing AI
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?Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-harnessing-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Innovation Metric
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.Download the worksheet:https://swiy.co/go-the-innovation-metric Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Put People First
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Small Changes, Big Wins
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leading With AI In 2024
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-leading-with-ai-2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thinking Ahead
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Digital Disasters
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Spotting AI Champions
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Building Castles On Sand
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Champions
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Quick Wins
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-quick-wins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Your Sustainable Future
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Faster And Faster
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-faster-and-faster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Disruption Or Innovation
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-disruption-or-innovation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Speed vs Safety
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Evolving Together
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From Hierarchies To Networks
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Scan Wider, Act Faster
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bright Spots
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Guardrails
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-guardrails Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New Horizons
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-new-horizons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Act Today To Track Tomorrow
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Fast and Slow
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Customer Co-Creation
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Personal Touch
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.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-the-personal-touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Instant AI
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What's Your COI?
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Better Decisions, Faster
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Your AI-Powered Team
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI Meets CX
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Work Smarter
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Empower Your Change Champions
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI In The Wild
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Matter Of Trust
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bring Them On The Journey
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Dogs Are Loose
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Innovation Accelerator: Keep Them On Track When The Going Gets Tough
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 worksheethttps://swiy.co/go-keep-them-on-track Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Don't Wait for the Future: Disrupt Your Business Today
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 worksheethttps://swiy.co/go-dont-wait-for-the-future Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Beyond The Obvious: Future Thinking That Gives You A Competitive Edge
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?Register for my virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-beyond-the-obvious Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hype Or Hope: Discover Which Trends Are Actually Worth Your Attention
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?Register for virtual masterclasshttps://swiy.co/go-hype-or-hope Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Uncertainty Sucks
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.Register for virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-uncertainty-sucks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Will AI Change Your Business Model?
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 worksheethttps://swiy.co/go-ai-change-business-model Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Don't Get Left Behind By AI
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 worksheethttps://swiy.co/go-dont-get-left-behind-ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leverage The Opportunity
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 worksheethttps://swiy.co/go-leverage-the-opportunity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Seeing Into The Future
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.Register for online presentationhttps://swiy.co/go-seeing-into-the-future Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find, Share, Act
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.Register for online presentationhttps://swiy.co/find-share-action Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Survival of The Fittest - It's Not What You Think
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!Register for online presentationhttps://swiy.co/survivalfittest Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Priorities Have Changed
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Competing In The Age Of AI
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Top Four Business Challenges for 2022
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.htmlMore about working with Gihan:https://gihanperera.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Open Up
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Matter of Trust
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find Clarity In Uncertainty
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reimagining the Workplace
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Let's Get Digital!
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Empathy
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Twelve Insights for 2021 - And Beyond
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 Martinhttps://gihanperera.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Future Of Leadership
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Building Your WFH Culture
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leading Through Uncertainty
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 recoveryIs it time to think the unthinkable?https://GihanPerera.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reimagining the Post-Pandemic Workplace
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-19https://www2.colliers.com/en-SK/News/Working-from-home-during-COVOID19PwC - COVID-19 CFO Pulse Surveyhttps://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/pwc-covid-19-cfo-pulse-survey.htmlRobert Half - COVID-19 and the Workplacehttps://www.roberthalf.com/blog/management-tips/covid-19-and-the-workplace-employees-weigh-inGartnerhttps://www.zdnet.com/article/cfos-looking-to-make-remote-work-telecommuting-more-permanent-following-covid-19-says-gartner-survey/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Managing Conflict in Distributed Teams
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Out Of Office
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nine Things Successful People Do Differently
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Active Learning
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How To Deal With Change
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Disruptable Is Your Business?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Disruption By Design
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Best Workplace on Earth
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ask The World
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There's An I In Team
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Right Way to Be Customer-Centric
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Think Like a Futurist
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Future of Conferences
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Think Sharper
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Buzz About Bitcoin
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Disrupt Yourself
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Lead From Anywhere
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Professional Development for Distributed Teams
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Disrupted!
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Align Your Business Strategy with Future Trends
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Managing Conflict in Distributed Teams
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Future of Innovation
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leadership Passion
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Step Up and Stand For Something
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Managing External Experts
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Future of Work
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Future Trends For The High-Tech Workplace
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Evolved Leadership
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Skills for the Future
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Workplace of the Future
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Halo Effect
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Build Their Judgement
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How To Innovate With Distributed Teams
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Future Brain
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Global Teams At Work
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Unwritten Ground Rules
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Day in the Life of a Future Worker
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
LeaderSpeak
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Fit For the Future Blab
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
China On Our Doorstep
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Innovation Kick Start 2016
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Difference That Makes a Difference
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Future of Conferences
With videoconferencing, online meetings, telepresence and other collaboration technology gaining traction, does that mean the in-person conference is obsolete? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leadership Peak Performance - with Julie Meek
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Workplace Trends
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Servant Leadership - with Gary Ryan
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Officeless Office
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Using Conflict for Creativity and Action
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Creating Connected Distributed Teams
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Your Personal Brand - with Jane Anderson
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Building a Better Business
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Using Your Brain for A Change
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Are Organisations Still Avoiding Telecommuting?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Networked Organisation
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Five Myths of Leading a Distributed Team
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
CQ: Cultural Intelligence
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Remarkable Leadership
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leadership Wisdom - with Gary Pittard
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MOOCs and Online Learning
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Blended Learning
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Smart Thinking
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
9 Things Successful People Do Differently
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leveraging Content
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Leader's Way
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Go To Guide for Online Collaboration
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ideas With Legs
Innovation is an employee engagement strategy. Learn how to harness the innovation in your people to develop and future proof your organisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Web Site Success
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Inbound Marketing
This month, we look at inbound marketing, and how to combine social media and e-mail to create a powerful online marketing funnel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leading Change
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Creating the Best Workplace Culture on Earth
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Members Only
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Folding Time
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Happy, Healthy, Productive and Profitable
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - Making Things Happen
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Enterprising Thought Leadership
In this month's episode, we look at thought leadership in large organisation, BYOD and online courses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - Intentionomics
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mentoring Works
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Works
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Selling in the Internet Age
The Internet has changed the way we buy - which means all businesses need to change the way they sell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Content Marketing Made Easy
In this episode, we look at content marketing in detail; and also talk about telecommuting in your organisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Technology Leadership Challenge
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - February 2013
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - January 2013
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - December 2012
In this episode, guest Rachel Staggs talks about online marketing - and how to position yourself as an authority using social media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - November 2012
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - October 2012
In this episode, we look at the publishing revolution, with an interview with Dan Poynter and a discussion about writing a book collaboratively. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - September 2012
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". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - August 2012
Speakership, becoming a million dollar expert, and how the Internet has changed your business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio Show - July 2012
Webinars, online courses and the state of the professional speaking industry around the world - all in this month's episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio Show April 2012
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). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - March 2012
Building your on-line reputation and authority Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - February 2012
Internet marketing trends for 2012, Out of Office trends for 2012, e-learning programs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold Radio - January 2012
Goal setting that works, running your business like a boutique business, your very first webinar, and e-mail productivity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Webinar Smarts - with Marcia Yudkin
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Forum November 2011
Topics included: broadcasting blog posts to social media, LinkedIn paid vs free, Slideshare and Google+ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Out of Office
Using the Internet for creating more convenience, comfort and freedom in your work life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Forum October 2011
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Become a Trusted Authority
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Forum September 2011
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Google Wants You To Do On Your Web Site
Google does NOT care about the keywords META tag. But it does care about 23 other things on your Web site. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gurus Don't Need Business Cards
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Forum August 2011
Join our monthly discussion group, where we talk about Google+, blogging, article marketing and other social media topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Real Reason Every Thought Leader Needs to Use Google+
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Forum July 2011
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get Your Content on the Internet Quickly and Easily
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Forum June 2011
The monthly Social Media Forum discussion group - with lots of discussion about Facebook pages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stop Working So Hard
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
21 Ways to Promote Your Blog
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Navigate the Internet Marketing Map
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Promoting Your Products and Services the Right Way
Every Web site is different, of course, but there’s a common structure that underlies every successful Web site. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Go, Gerry Harvey, Go!
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Books in the 21st Century
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Borders Goes Broke: Are You Next?
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Facebook's Compelling Business Proposition
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Facebook's Compelling Business Proposition
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Be an Expert Adviser, Not a Pushy Salesperson
The one thing that sets you apart from others is your expertise. Be so good they can't ignore you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Writing Makes a Comeback
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Gets Their Attention; Your Web Site Gets The Sa
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Do You Really, Really, Really Want?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Is Your Business Strategy For 2011?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5 Ways to Use a Free E-Book or Special Report
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Head in the Cloud, Feet on the Ground
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are You Showing Off Enough?
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How The Social Web has Changed Marketing
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get Your Content on the Internet Quickly and Easily
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There's More Than One Way to Make Money from Webinars
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Where Are You In Your Client's Buying Cycle?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Top Five Ways to Get High-Quality Incoming Leads
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Treat Your Business as a Boutique Experience
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Help Them Buy Without Being Pushy
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Social Media Forum - July 2010
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5 Easy Ways to Add E-Learning to Your Business
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An Important Business Lesson from Amazon.com
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If In Doubt, Do Something - Anything!
What stories have you been telling so often you've started believing them yourself? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Six Power Tactics to Tap Into YouTube
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Three Core Components of Your On-Line Presence
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Seven Tips for More Engaging Webinars
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On-line Success is a Process, Not An Event
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Don't Try to Reach Everybody
Every customer and client is already a niche market of one. If you're not niche marketing already, you're missing the point. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One Web Site Or Two?
I've recently had three conversations with three different clients about whether they need one Web site or two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Your Web Site Visitors Aren't Buying
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Web Marketing Pipeline
There are - fundamentally - only four ways to use your Web site to increase your income. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get Control Of Your Web Site
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ask the real marketing experts
Instead of hiring an expensive marketing expert, you’re asking the real marketing experts: your clients and customers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Make Better Conference Calls
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hedonist's Guide to Goal Setting
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My Top Ten Web Sites of 2009
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Top Ten Online Trends for 2010
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Professional Speakers - Fast Becoming an Endangered Species
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Collaborate - It's the Path to Success
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Internet Users Have High Expectations
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are You Just Presenting or Truly Engaging?
Modern audiences want more than just being "presented to" - they want engagement. How are you doing in meeting their needs? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Value of Mentoring
Mentoring is the fastest way to accelerate your growth, in whatever area of your business you'd like to improve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Seven Fatal Mistakes With Adding E-Learning To Your Business
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The World is Flat - Three Threats and an Opportunity
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You've Lost That Loving Feeling
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Internet Marketing In Two Words
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Buy While It's On Sale
It's not just shares and property that are available at bargainprices; other things in business and life are on sale right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sometimes It's Just About The Wedding Dress
All other things being equal, long-term success is better than a short-term focus. But right now, all other things aren't equal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are You a Brain Surgeon or a Plastic Surgeon?
Different economic times call for different skills. Now is the time tobe a brain surgeon, not a plastic surgeon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Aren't You Making More Conference Calls?
Conference calls are easy, cheap and accessible to all businesses. If you're not using them already, you're falling behind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
They Don't Just Sit There; They Do Something
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Be the Centre of Your Tribe
The world is changing to be about community, not authority; villages,not islands; collaboration, not hierarchy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Will You Sell Differently Now?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Good Is Your Second Serve?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Let's All Participate in This Financial Crisis
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Cure For Which There's No Known Disease
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Some Habits are Worth Forming
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Year of Getting Things Done
In theory there's no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Momentum Moves Mountains
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The World Doesn't Need Another Bad Book
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Man, A Plan, A Canal ... Suez
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Quick Start Guide to Blogging
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Will You Thrive, Survive or Nose-Dive in This Tough Economy?
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Matter of Convenience
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Copy It Right
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ten Ideas for Writing E-Books Fast
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Are YOU Worth?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tell The World
Tap into the power of using teleseminars to sell your message, yourproducts and yourself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Don't Become a Digital Dinosaur
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Spin One Idea Into Dozens of Products
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are You Making This Big Internet Marketing Mistake?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Many Newsletter Subscribers Are You Losing Every Week?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What is the Ideal Length for a Teleseminar?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Lesson from the Golden Age of Cinema
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Man, A Plan, A Canal ... Suez
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One Great Idea or One Trick Pony?
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Negotiate The Best Speaking Fee Every Time
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What to Put In Your Membership Site
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Membership Has Its Benefits
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Day I Visited Every Web Site in the World
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Top Ten Internet Tools for Experts for 2008
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Seth Godin is Wrong About Podcasting
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Internet Marketing in a Web 2.0 World
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Who Else Do Your Customers Need?
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Optimism Sucks!
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nobody's Perfect
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Spin!
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sell Umbrellas When It's Raining
Are you making these marketing mistakes? Learn from a street hawker in Rome. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Give Value, Get Traffic
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Traction, Action, Satisfaction
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Selling is Telling
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stop Working So Hard
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Walk Your Talk
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Better Than Free E-Books
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Affiliate Programs - Three Key Principles
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Step Into The Expert's Role
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ask And You Shall Perceive
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expect More E-Book
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's About The Community, Stupid!
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get Over It!
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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One Red Paperclip, by Kyle Macdonald
Kyle Macdonald's personal story of how he trades up from a paper clip to a house contains valuable insights for anybody in sales. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reach New Markets
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Friends, Neighbours and Strangers
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Talk Their Talk
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gurus Don't Need Business Cards
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Expert Gold: Don't Sell Too Soon
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.