Stuart Andrews

The human skill AI can’t replace? Adaptability. Last month, Andrea Clarke published a great piece in The Australian Financial Review, reminding us that amidst all the AI headlines, one thing remains clear: → AI will transform work — but it’s human adaptability that will determine who thrives. While AI can process data, automate tasks, and even generate content, it can’t replace what humans excel at: adapting our aspirations, beliefs and behaviours to new situations. This is why adaptability isn’t just relevant today — it will always be a defining human skill. In our brand new Big 5 of Strategy © framework, we’ve captured this in the competency “Adapt to Change.” It’s not about resisting disruption—it’s about turning it into opportunity. And this requires Resource Versatility, Goal Flexibility, Adaptive Resilience, and Proactive Learning. As Andrea highlighted in her article, successful AI adoption isn’t a tech challenge. It’s a talent transformation challenge. Organizations that build adaptability into their leadership and teams will stay ahead—not because they have the latest tools, but because their people know how to evolve with them. We’re now looking for a select number of large, forward-thinking organizations to partner with us as early adopters of our Big 5 of Strategy assessment—developing adaptability as one of the five core strategic capabilities. DM or email me if your organization should be one of them. Because in a world of constant change, adaptability isn’t optional. It’s the most future-proof skill we have. #AI #Adaptability #Big5OfStrategy #FutureOfWork #LeadershipDevelopment #TalentTransformation

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=> Are you thinking too much and doing too little? => How many ideas have you had that never got tested? => What could you learn if you acted today? In this weeks episode Stephen Wood, consultant at Roaring Success Pty Ltd and author, talks about his tenth book: The 4 Aces. He releases it tomorrow!! Many CEOs know what they should be doing, but get stuck in overthinking. Sadly, thinking alone doesn't do it. Nothing changes without action. Waiting for the perfect moment means competitors move first and opportunities vanish. In this podcast episode we talk about breaking through barriers, learning from every step, and winning more often by acting sooner. This full CriticalFewActions™ episode and the launch of the 4 Aces, goes live first thing tomorrow morning. Get 1st access: Follow John Downes and CriticalFewActions™ for weekly strategies to double performance in 6–60 months.

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Unlocking Focus: A Simple Framework To Prioritise The Initiatives That Matter I facilitated a workshop with the leadership team of one of my technology clients yesterday, where we focused on a critical challenge: how do we prioritise outcomes over hours to maximise effectiveness? The solution? A simple but powerful tool I've relied on for years, which I learned during my time at General Electric (GE) - the Ease/Impact Matrix. Here's why it works so brilliantly: We often gravitate toward quick wins without considering their actual value. This matrix forces the team to evaluate everything through two critical lenses: ✅ High Impact + High Ease = Quick Wins (do immediately, gain momentum) ✅ High Impact + Low Ease = Long-term Bets (worth the investment) ❌ Low Impact + Low Ease = Avoid at All Costs ❓ Low Impact + High Ease = Question Why (just because we can, should we?) By reorienting around impact, we focused on what will truly benefit their business both immediately and in the long run. Sometimes the simplest tools create the most profound shifts. What frameworks have you found most valuable for prioritisation? #OutcomesOverHours

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What happens when a team is deeply engaged—but underperforming? In this episode, I sit down with Greg Pickering, Senior Manager at the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), to explore what it really takes to lead complex, emotionally demanding teams toward high performance—without losing sight of trust, fairness, or being human. Greg brings a rich blend of leadership experience, personal insight, and even a touch of theatrical flair from his life in arts and podcasting. Together, we unpack how he led a cultural transformation inside one of AFCA’s teams—turning friction into flow, and resistance into results. Whether you're managing change, leading other leaders, or committed to building psychological safety at scale, this conversation offers practical insight and honest reflection on the messy, human side of leadership. In this episode, we cover:  — Why 100% employee engagement doesn’t always mean high performance  — How unconditional positive regard can unlock trust and candor  — Using data not just to measure—but to listen and understand  — What it takes to reestablish fairness in complex team dynamics  — How Greg balanced care and accountability to shift team performance  — What vulnerability, clarity, and psychological safety look like in action  — Leadership lessons from transforming a high-resistance, high-impact team What struck me most was how Greg uses data not just to inform—but to connect. By digging into the deeper story beneath performance and engagement, he uncovered insights that reshaped team dynamics in powerful, lasting ways. His approach shows that setting clear expectations and holding people accountable isn't harsh—it’s one of the most respectful things we can do when we lead with care. If this episode sparked something for you, I’d love to hear your reflections. 

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Strategic reset. Restructure. Realignment. One key trend? 😱 Gaps in leadership readiness. Organisations promote technical experts into leadership roles, fast. But technical expertise doesn’t equal leadership capability. What’s the solution? Targeted investment in capability uplift. Because subject matter experts need more than knowledge. They need the tools to lead. #TheColinJamesMethod #Communication #Business #Leadership #Influence #Restructure #Transformation #ChangeManagement

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If you’re leading HR in Australia, 2026 is going to reward teams who can answer the basics fast (and with confidence), not teams with “more dashboards". We’ve just published a free playbook: Top 10 HR Metrics for Australian Organisations in 2026. It’s practical and meant to help you: - pick the right 10 metrics (not 50) - define them consistently (so HR, Finance, and the CEO see the same numbers) - move from reporting to decisions The 10 metrics we cover: - Voluntary turnover - Time to hire - Quality of hire - Employee engagement - Absenteeism - Cost per hire - Upskilling & reskilling - Workforce productivity - Diversity & inclusion - HR technology ROI Thanks to Dr Philip Gibbs and Andrew McColl from AHA! (Agile HR Analytics) https://lnkd.in/eYR3yn2P

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Map the Client Journey Client journey mapping can be a catalyst for strategic change. At a recent PM Forum webinar, Bertie Heppel introduced Eurydice Sophia Exintaris who shared how mapping can: ·        Reveal hidden pain points in client and service experiences ·        Break down internal silos ·        Unlock measurable value (one project delivered €4M over two years) It works because: ·        Everyone sees the same picture so there’s reduced cognitive load ·        It encourages a client-centred focus on experiences, not just processes ·        It's supported by data insights (analytics, client interviews etc) The process can be simple (e.g. Post-its on a wall) or complex (e.g. service blueprints). But the value is in bringing multi-disciplinary teams together to design experiences that delight clients, innovate your service, differentiate and deliver business value. #ClientExperience #CX #ProfessionalServices #DigitalTransformation #ServiceDesign #JourneyMapping https://bit.ly/41KuvQ4

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Tune in to the latest episode of #EmpowerTech, where we welcome the brilliant Dr Ellen Manning, a force in data and analytics! 🎙️ Ellen chats with us about bridging the communication gap in organisations and using data strategically to drive impactful decisions. Discover the key challenges in data analytics and why transparency and literacy are essential in today's digital age. This is also a great episode to learn about supervised machine learning and its practical use cases in the industry. From predictive modeling to decision-making strategies, Ellen's journey offers a wealth of knowledge, and she also touches on how AI is reshaping the landscape of the industry.  Get ready to change the way you think about Data, Analytics, and AI. 🎧 Don't miss out on Ellen's transformative insights. Link to listen to the episode is in the comments! #TechPodcast #DataScience #MachineLearning #DataAnalytics

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As AI solutions in Aussie contact centres mature and organisations develop internal capabilities and understanding, it's more important than ever for organisations to benchmark their usage of AI. We spoke with 250 Senior Contact Centre Leaders and 2,000+ Frontline Agents to learn about their past and future AI journey. Our 2025 Contact Centre Best Practice Report will reveal: ✅ Which forms of AI are growing and declining in popularity in 2025 ✅ Which forms of AI are going to be deployed in the next 12 months ✅ Which contact centre roles are being most impacted by AI Presented by Nicola McDonald from Customer Driven Solutions SMAART Recruitment Adam Spence Adam Nicholls

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Helping organisations thrive podcast: Interview with Melissa Franks Join us for an engaging live conversation with Melissa Franks, a seasoned Technology and Operations Executive and Fractional COO, as we dive deep into the critical topic of resilience in leadership. In today's rapidly changing business landscape, leaders face unprecedented challenges that test their ability to adapt, persevere, and guide their teams through uncertainty. Melissa brings a wealth of experience from her executive roles and her work as a business strategist, offering practical insights into building the resilience muscle every leader needs.

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