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Fit For the Future
Attention First
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You might have an idea or message to share, but most people aren’t automatically ready to listen. They are busy, distracted, and thinking about their own priorities. For your message to land, you first need to shape their frame of mind. That means answering the four questions already running through their head: Why you? Why me? Why this? and Why now? When you address those questions upfront, you build credibility, relevance, and urgency – and your audience is far more likely to pay attention to your message.
https://swiy.co/go-attention-first
When you’re sharing an idea with somebody for the first time, how do you grab their attention so they listen to your message?
I’ve been doing a lot of work recently with teams and organisations about the skill of sense-making, which is one of the most important future-ready skills we all need.
Sense-making is about making sense (surprise!) in three areas:
* Intel: Making sense of the world around you and filtering what’s important and relevant to you, your team, your organisation, and your community.
* Insights: Using that intel to gain insights into what you need to change, adapt, or keep the same.
* Influence: Sharing those insights with others so they take action and make a difference.
Some teams want help in all three areas; others choose one or two. Most commonly, I’m asked to help with the third part: Influence.
Clients say something like this to me:
“Our leaders know what’s going on in the world. They know what action we need to take. But they need to be better at communicating that message.”
This could be in any context: standing on stage in front of a large group, speaking up in a team meeting, having a sales conversation with a prospect, or many other interactions.
In all those situations, you have a message to share and you want to get their attention quickly.
The most important thing to understand is they don’t care about you!
They have many other things competing for their attention, and they aren’t in the right frame of mind to listen to your message. If they are, that’s lucky, but you can’t rely on it.
So it’s your job to shift and create the right frame of mind for YOUR message.
Before your listener will be ready for your message, they are asking four questions in their head:
* Why you (authority)? Why should I listen to YOU?
* Why me (relevance)? Why does this matter to me?
* Why this (benefits)? Why is this idea worth my attention?
* Why now (urgency)? Why is this important to me right now?
Let’s look at the first (Why you), which is about your authority and credibility in delivering this message. Even for people who know you, you need to answer this question for THIS particular message.
To answer this, consider three E’s: education, expertise, and experience:
* Education is about your qualifications, which could include school, TAFE, university, your professional organisation, or professional development.
* Expertise refers to your areas of expertise.
* Experience is usually about numbers – for example, “You’ve been doing this for thirty years”, “I’ve worked with 100 clients in 20 countries”, “I’ve been on the board of six companies in this sector”.
Together, these three things answer the “Why you?” question in your listener’s mind.
The other three questions (Why me? Why this? Why now?) are just as important. I won’t go through them here, but download my worksheet that covers all four questions. Whenever you’re delivering a message, use this to answer those four framing questions for your listener, so they’re in the right frame of mind before you deliver the message.
And if you’d like to talk about how we can implement some of the skills of sense-making for you, your team, and your organisation, let’s have a chat!
Download the worksheet:
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The Invisible Shift
06:52|Your customers are already using AI in ways you probably don’t see: asking for advice before they contact you, checking what questions to ask, recording interactions with you, and sometimes even deciding whether they need you at all. Regardless of how YOU are using AI, your customers are comparing you with what they can get instantly, cheaply, and privately. If you’re only thinking about how you’re using AI internally, you’re missing half the picture.https://swiy.co/go-the-invisible-shiftDo you know how your customers are using AI?I had a minor twinge in my back recently, which caused a bit of discomfort for a few days. So I made an appointment to see a physiotherapist a few days later. I also asked ChatGPT for some guidance. ChatGPT first checked whether there was pain elsewhere – in my legs or headaches. I said no, so it then told me this was a common problem, gave me two exercises to do, and reassured me it would resolve in 7 to 10 days.When I saw the physio a few days later, she gave me exactly the same advice: checked for pain elsewhere, gave me the same two exercises, and reassured me it would resolve in 7 to 10 days.What will I do next time? Well, personally, because I know not to trust AI with health advice, I will still see a physio, and trust her advice first, especially if it contradicts AI.But that’s not true of everybody else. And that’s my point.Look at it from her perspective. Regardless of how she and her practice are using AI – for scheduling appointments, transcribing meetings, getting advice with complex cases, reviewing x-rays, and so on – her customers are ALREADY using AI.They might ask AI for initial advice (as I did) to be sure it wasn’t an urgent issue. Or they could ask AI what to say, or what question to ask, in the physio appointment. Or use their phone to record the appointment and then ask AI to summarise the conversation later. Or use it for follow-up advice.And some might choose not to go to the physio at all!This applies to your customers as well.Regardless of how you’re using AI internally, think about how your customers are using AI... before they engage with you... when they engage with you... and after they engage with you.This is not just how YOU are using AI to engage with your customers – with things like chatbots on your website, AI voice assistants, personalised marketing, tailored offers, and so on. All of that’s part of your AI strategy, but it’s only one part. Don’t forget how your customers are using AI as well – in their own lives.All of this is part of your AI strategy, which also means it’s part of your business strategy.If you don’t have an AI strategy, you don’t have a business strategy.For more, join my free public online presentation this week about AI for leaders in 2026 and beyond. One of my key messages is understanding how customers (and employees and others) are using AI. It’s free and open to everybody, so register and invite others in your team and network, too.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-the-invisible-shiftDashboards, Not Decisions
08:06|As a leader, you can use AI to turn raw data into clear dashboards, spot patterns in customer feedback, and monitor performance. That’s powerful, and you should be using AI for that. But the next step – getting AI to make decisions for you – is a step too far. Use AI to inform your thinking, not to do your thinking for you.https://swiy.co/go-dashboards-not-decisionsAs a leader, how are you planning to use AI in 2026, and how are you planning not to use AI? AI is evolving so quickly you need to keep both of those things in mind.My very first job was as a software developer, working for a small company in Perth that was subcontracted to large companies – for example, in the mining industry. Our software monitored their equipment, reported faults, and transferred data into their databases.My first work trip was to a cable station in a remote corner of Hong Kong Island, overseeing the installation of our system to monitor the lasers in an undersea optical fibre cable between Hong Kong and Taiwan.Every day at that cable station, I saw our customer do the same thing when he walked in: He greeted us, then walked over to the printout of the error report over the last 24 hours, hoping there would be zero errors from all the lasers.Why? Because even a single error was a signal to alert his boss, and the team would then keep watch for a few days for more errors. The worst case scenario was a laser that was likely to fail, because it meant sending a ship out to sea, dragging for the cable from the ocean floor, pulling it up, breaking it, replacing the laser, and then dropping it down again. This could cost thousands – or hundreds of thousands – of dollars.That error report was just a big matrix of errors from all the lasers over the last 24 hours (think of it like printing an Excel spreadsheet).So what does this have to do with AI now?That report, which thirty five years ago was just a paper printout on a dot matrix printer, is what we would now call a dashboard. And with AI, somebody without much technical skill can use AI to create a dashboard from their data.They don’t have to hire a tech company.They don’t have to ask their IT team.They don’t have to wait weeks, months, or years for it to be ready.They can do it NOW. With AI, they might even be able to do it themselves.It could be equipment error data.Or site safety data.Or sentiment feedback on social media.Or patient data from medical devices.Or ongoing equipment monitoring.Or workplace data showing employee engagement or office use.I want to make two points about this use of AI.First, AI has reached the point where even non-technical people (like you!) can create those sorts of reports and dashboards.And you should.Second, you’re using AI to create a dashboard to help you make better decisions. It’s NOT to use AI to make those decisions FOR you.I’m emphasising this because AI HAS evolved to the point where an AI autonomous agent could make decisions for you based on data. It doesn’t need the dashboard; it just monitors the data, gathers the results, and makes the decision.But this is not the way to use AI now. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.And in this case, you shouldn’t.Thirty five years ago, when my customer and his bosses examined the report, THEY made the decision about when to bite the bullet and send out a ship. In theory, now AI could make that decision, but it shouldn’t.Use AI for dashboards, not decisions.For more about AI do’s and don’ts for 2026, join my online presentation about AI for leaders in 2026. It’s free, public, and open to all.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-dashboards-not-decisionsAI Power-Ups
04:31|AI shows up in different ways across your organisation – some people are only using it in their personal life, others are applying it every day in their professional role, and a few teams might be experimenting with focused AI projects or even building AI into core platforms. Your key leadership challenge is understanding where people are right now, what they need and want next, and how AI can add value at each stage. Recognise these different faces of AI in action, and you’re better placed to lead AI adoption, education, and integration.https://swiy.co/go-ai-power-upsAs a leader, how are you and your people using AI?Just in the last week, I’ve worked with three organisations using AI at very different levels.One is a large Australian company that’s not using AI much yet, but planning to roll it out soon, across their workforce. But before they do, they want people to get comfortable with AI. So they brought me in to show people how to use AI in their personal lives – using ChatGPT for things like recipes, planning trips, and other personal tasks.The second has departments spread around Western Australia, who brought their teams together for a conference. They want to use AI better in their professional roles – for things like drafting emails, writing newsletters, and dealing with people issues. You probably have people using AI in a similar way.The third is more high-tech, with an IT team actively building AI into every aspect of their operations. They work in an industrial sector, and they’re building AI platforms that integrate with their core work and workflows.All three uses of AI are valuable, and they sit at very different levels.Consider your use of AI at four (not just three) levels:1. Personal: Using AI in your personal life.2. Professional: Using AI to improve, enhance, or optimise your day-to-day work.3. Projects: A small group of people build some AI workflow or process that adds value to their team – such as adding a chatbot to HR documents so it’s easier for people to find information.4. Platforms: The highest level, where you either build or buy AI platforms to support your core operations.What levels are YOU working at?What levels are your team working at?Now, in 2026, more than three years after generative AI became widely available, people are still spread across all these levels. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you understand where people are, what they’re ready to learn, and where AI can add more value to their role.For more about this, join my online presentation about AI for leaders in 2026 – including the do’s and (especially) don’ts in continuing to use AI in your workplace.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-ai-power-upsBeyond ChatGPT
04:24|You probably use generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot to boost productivity, but 2026 offers new opportunities – but it comes with risks. AI agents are now live and can work autonomously behind the scenes, which opens up massive potential. It’s tempting to jump into this, but you need to do it with care. It’s not just about what AI can do – it’s about what it SHOULD do, and how much control you’re willing to give up. As a leader, you need to be sharp, strategic, and thoughtful to harness this power.https://swiy.co/go-beyond-chatgptWhat are you doing – or planning to do – with AI in 2026?People and organisations are at different levels of the AI journey: some still haven’t started, most have a reasonably good grasp of generative AI, and a few are racing ahead and looking at what else AI can do now.Right now, AI agents – which can act autonomously on your behalf – are all the rage.A few years ago, when clients asked me about what’s coming after generative AI, I told them about AI agents, which weren’t a thing at the time, but were the obvious next phase of AI. With an AI agent, instead of you sitting there typing away and getting a response, you instruct your AI agent to go off and do work behind your back – autonomously, automatically, and without your intervention.Now, in 2026, AI agents are a reality. They’re at your fingertips – literally in ChatGPT and Copilot.A client recently asked me about this:“Well, what you said back then is true. Should we go all in on this?”The simple answer is: No, you shouldn’t! You should be very, very careful.At least with generative AI, when you type something in, you get a response, and can then apply your human intelligence to assess that response, to edit it, to tailor it, and then use it. In other words, AI is an intelligent assistant, not an autonomous agent.But with AI agents operating independently of you, you face potential risks.Security risks.Privacy risks.Data risks.It’s like letting untrained staff loose on your files, database, and customer experience.Even worse, these AI agents can operate faster and in more complex ways than humans can. And in “unintelligent” ways - like placing a million orders in a second, agreeing to sell high-value items for a few dollars, or being tricked into exposing private medical data.So, yes, AI agents are powerful – but their power can also be dangerous.This is just one of the ways that AI has changed in the last year. Because of these changes, I’m running an online presentation soon about what’s new for AI in 2026 – the do’s and don’ts. It’s free, public, and open to all, so please register and invite others in your team and network.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-beyond-chatgptSkills That Matter Now – And What You Can Let Go
05:03|You’re constantly told your team needs to “upskill” – but what does that actually mean today? In a world where AI, automation, and information overload are the norm, it’s time to rethink what skills are essential, so you strike the right balance between deep expertise and broad, transferable capabilities like collaboration, attention management, and embracing diversity.https://swiy.co/go-skills-that-matter-nowAs a leader, how are you developing the skills you and your team need to be ready for the future?I was approached recently to be a guest on a business podcast, and the host asked me to talk about building a future-ready workforce. One of her questions will be:“What skills are essential for the future, and which ones do we not need anymore?”I always think most skills have value in specific circumstances and certain situations, but some are lower priority now.For example, “doing maths in your head” and “learning times tables” used to be highly valuable skills, but they aren’t anymore – because we all have access to calculators, Google, spreadsheets, and AI.One friend argued that as a skilled business negotiator, he still valued doing mental maths because he was perceived as more competent. Fair enough – for THAT particular narrow role, times tables and mental maths are important. But we don’t need to teach them to everybody.And that’s the point. Every job, profession, role, and area of expertise has its own need for “deep expertise”.I mean, if you need brain surgery, would you rather have the crotchety old surgeon who’s very successful with decades of experience behind them, or the less-skilled surgeon who’s a great “people person” who gets along well with the rest of their team?Of course, you’d rather have the first one, right?Well, that’s a bit of a trick question!The research shows that deep expertise is important (naturally!), but medical mishaps and mistakes are reduced when the whole operating team gets along well. And that starts with the surgeon engaging the rest of her team.The same is true of airline safety. Again, research shows that when pilots treat co-pilots as equals, it reduces the incidence of problems.So, even with deep expertise, you need wide skills. These wide, broad skills apply across different areas, jobs, and professions.I’m sure you know some of the usual suspects: collaboration, embracing diversity, AI literacy, managing information overload, and adaptability.These skills MATTER!For yourself.For your team.And for your organisation, community, and family.For more, download my new report about future-ready skills for 2026 and beyond. I have identified twelve key skills for you to be future-ready.If you have any comments or questions after you read it, please drop me a line. I’d love to have a chat!Download the worksheet:https://swiy.co/go-skills-that-matter-nowInternal Sensemaking
04:58|When you’re looking for solutions and planning for the future, it’s tempting to look outward – to trends, consultants, or customer data – but some of your most valuable insights are already in the room. Tap into skills, perspectives, lived experience, and wisdom of everybody, even the most junior staff. Listen, reflect, learn, share and make sense of the future together.https://swiy.co/go-internal-sensemakingI’ve been working with the leadership team of an organisation that’s looking ahead to 2030 and beyond. They invited me to kick off their strategic leadership offsite with half a day getting them to expand their thinking and look bigger, broader, and wider.I love working with groups like this, who know they need to do things differently. They were motivated, excited, and eagerly looking forward to understanding what’s happening outside their organisation and industry.But I started with an exercise that wasn’t about the future.In fact, it was very much about the past.I call it “First Job”. In a nutshell, it goes like this:1. Each person recalls their very first paid job – often a casual job they did after school to earn a bit of money. It could be a babysitter, working at a checkout in a supermarket, mowing the lawn for neighbours, or whatever.2. They then identify the skills they learned from that job.3. They then pair up, each share a real problem or challenge they’re facing right now, and the other person shares advice they learned from their first job that could help.So, for example, person A says:“One of the board members is constantly asking us to write unnecessary reports about XYZ, and it’s taking up way too much of my time.”And B replies:“Hmmm ... When I was a babysitter, I had one couple who kept phoning me every few minutes to check on their daughter. What I did was ...”Try this with your team!It’s a fun exercise, it gets people laughing, reminiscing about their career, thinking creatively, and often they find – to their surprise – some practical, useful ideas they can use in their job now.But that’s not the real reason I do this exercise.In fact, when I asked the group what value they got from the exercise, the CEO said,“The thing I learned is that when I’m talking to ANYBODY in the organisation, I should listen more because they could have something valuable I could use.”Yep, she nailed it!All the other reasons are valid. But THAT’S my goal.Because often, when people – especially senior leaders – are looking at the future, they look outside.They ask customers.They do scenario planning.They (gasp!) engage a futurist.All good things (especially the last, ha ha), but sometimes you’ll get the most valuable insights from people within your organisation.That’s why diversity matters – with different generations, genders, ages, ethnicity, nationality, and more. Everybody brings their own experience, expertise, insights, and perspective.So when you’re looking at the future, don’t only look outside.This is all part of the skill of sense-making, which is an essential skill for the future. Join my online presentation to find out more, 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-internal-sensemakingMake The First Move
04:10|Of course it’s a challenge dealing with uncertainty, but what about the certainties right in front of you? Sometimes it’s not the unknown that disrupts you, but rather the things you know are coming (like regulatory changes or major shifts in technology). The best leaders get ahead of this change by acting now rather than waiting to be disrupted. If you can see what’s coming, what are you doing about it – NOW?https://swiy.co/go-make-the-first-moveAs a leader, what CERTAINTY are you facing in the next year?You might think that’s an odd question!I often ask, “What uncertainty might you be facing?” And, of course, we’re all facing uncertainty, disruption, change, and sometimes total chaos. But also, some disruption is comes from certainty, not uncertainty.I’m working with the senior leadership team of an organisation in this situation. They work in an industry that’s very heavily regulated (like many others). The federal government has already flagged major changes coming in the near future.The leaders in this organisation, rather than waiting for that regulation, are already thinking ahead, proactively planning for the change before it’s forced on them.That’s exactly what they should be doing, but I see many leaders and organisations who don’t think this way. They KNOW the change is coming, they know it will cause stress and disruption, and they know it will be much easier if they started changing now. But, too often, they just sit on their hands and do nothing – waiting for the inevitable tsunami of change.I often say disruption and innovation the same, because they are both about change. It’s just disruption when the change happens to you, and innovation when you make the change yourself.Some disruption is difficult to predict, so you have to make changes based on what MIGHT happen. But there are many other situations where you can reliably predict the change.It’s not just government regulation, which is often flagged months or years in advance. It could be ...the growth of AI and its impact on work and the workplacecustomers demanding digital and online communication channelsGeneration Z employees expecting different things from workEven if you don’t know exactly how these scenarios will play out, if you know they will have a big impact, start thinking about them now.What are YOU doing to manage the certainty that will create uncertainty?This is part of the skill of sense making, which is about understanding what’s happening in the world, figuring out how to respond, and being able to communicate that with others.I’m running an online presentation soon about sense making, where I’ll give you some practical things you can do to build and strengthen that skill for yourself and your team. It’s free, public, and open to everybody. So, if you’re interested, please register – and invite others in your team and your network.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-make-the-first-moveLeadership Is Sense-Making
03:32|As a leader, your role is to help others make sense of the world. It’s about filtering the noise, choosing what really matters, learning how to adapt to external shifts, and then sharing those insights in a meaningful and engaging ways. Your ability to create clarity and purpose shapes how you, your team, and others succeed.https://swiy.co/go-leadership-is-sense-makingAs we start a new year, and you reflect on your role as a leader, what do you think is your most important role?I’m not talking about making New Year’s Resolutions, setting goals for the year ahead, or creating a 2026 strategic plan. What about YOUR role as a leader?As a futurist, I know one of my most important roles is to be a sense-maker.Whether I’m speaking on a conference stage to a large audience, running a workshop with a smaller group, or facilitating a group of senior leaders in a boardroom, everybody’s looking to me to help them make more sense of the world.They want to understand what’s going on, and want me to help them filter it and choose what’s most relevant for them. Then, they figure out how they can learn, adapt, and adjust what they do to fit with what’s happening externally. And finally, they want me to share that in engaging and meaningful ways — for themselves, the team, and the organisation.And you know what?This is not just a crucial role for me. This role — which is the skill of sense-making — is essential for everybody. Especially for leaders and managers, but for everybody else as well.To summarise the three parts:1. Choose: Understand what’s happening in the world and filter it to choose what matters most.2. Learn: Based on what’s happening externally, determine what we need to do internally to be able to operate effectively in that world.3. Share: Communicate what you have learned in meaningful and engaging ways, so that they inspire action.If you want to know more about this, I’m running an online presentation very soon. It’s my first one for the year, and it’s about sense-making. I’ll share with you some practical, useful things you can do to understand more about the world, to learn how to adapt, and most importantly, to share it with your team and other stakeholders.If you’re interested, it’s free, it’s public, it’s open to everybody — so you’ll find a link to register here. And feel free to share it with your team and network as well.Register for the virtual masterclass:https://swiy.co/go-leadership-is-sense-making