Fit For the Future

Gihan Perera

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.

  1. 1d ago

    Stuck Between AI And IT

    You might want to try new AI tools, but the IT team keeps getting in the way – because they (rightly) don’t want unauthorised tech in your system. But there’s a simple way you can keep experimenting and evolving with AI, while still keeping your IT team happy. It’s a practical way to keep innovation moving while still staying on the right side of the IT team. https://swiy.co/go-ai-and-it As a leader, where are you getting stuck with using AI in your team? I was running a presentation recently about AI at work, and a participant raised a challenge she’s facing (and it’s not uncommon). She and her team are already using AI, and are keen to keep trying new AI software and platforms. But whenever they want to sample some products or trial some new AI software, the IT team puts their foot down and stops them. That’s for a good reason. IT professionals have the unenviable task of supporting increasing demands for enabling digital infrastructure while also protecting the organisation from AI-powered cybersecurity attacks, AI-powered rogue agents, and naïve staff using powerful technology without knowing the risks. So, of course, that’s why they might instinctively block your AI plans. The IT department often gets a bad rap for being overly cautious, but most IT professionals love new technology and are keen to use it. But you need to do it on their terms, after they carefully assess, test, and integrate it with their existing systems. On the other hand, you and your team might be keen to try out some new software. The best way to manage this conflict is with AI projects. Start with a small pilot project or prototype (with the approval of the IT team), keeping it separate from your main tech setup and with dummy data (so you don’t accidentally leak private or confidential information). Use this to test the concept and figure out if it’s worth pursuing. Then, if it works, take it to the IT team and build the full working version – with their help. You will probably have to discard everything from the prototype and build it again from scratch using approved software and infrastructure. But that’s exactly what you want. Treat the prototype as a clunky, messy, scrappy experiment designed to prove the value of your idea, and fully expect to throw it away. In my next public online presentation, I’ll be talking about how to take AI to the next level – from individual use to team use. I’ll share a five-step process for running AI projects this way. Please join me, and invite others in your team and network as well. Register for the virtual masterclass: https://swiy.co/go-ai-and-it Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Jul 14

    More Than ROI

    When you're weighing up an investment, it's easy to focus only on the ROI - your return on investment. But that's only half the picture. You also need to consider COI - the cost of inaction (doing nothing). Calculate both ROI and COI to make more balanced decisions, spot hidden risks, and avoid the cost of standing still. https://swiy.co/go-more-than-roi Are you doing enough to calculate the value of an investment? A client recently told me she’s been nominated the “AI champion” for her organisation – medium-sized company in the construction industry. Her general manager has asked her to write a report – which is broadly her AI strategy plan for the business. He specifically said, “Make sure your report includes our potential return on investment (ROI) from using AI.” All of this is good – she’s been seen as an enthusiastic AI user, been asked to contribute to the AI strategy, and will presumably be involved in further discussion. But I also said to her, “When you write your report, include ROI, but also include the other half of the value calculation: COI.” COI is the cost of inaction – in other words, the cost of doing nothing. We often talk about ROI: If we invest X, what sort of return Y can we expect? But, to make a well-informed decision, we must also consider COI: If we DON’T invest in this, what will it cost us? In this example, we’re talking about AI – but it applies everywhere, and for every decision. For example, if you’re driving on a highway and see traffic banking up ahead, you might quickly assess whether it’s worth taking a side road, which is usually longer and slower, but might be less congested right now. And if you can see billowing clouds ahead and you guess the highway is taking you directly into the path of a bushfire, you will definitely switch to the side road because the COI is so high the ROI becomes irrelevant. In many decisions – both in business and in life – we have to think about both ROI and COI. ROI answers the question, “What are the benefits of this change?”, and COI answers the question, “What is the cost of not changing?” You must ask both; otherwise you make the decision with only half the information. We tend to give too much value to ROI, and not enough to COI. That was OK when the world wasn’t changing so quickly, because we didn’t need to change that much. But in a world that’s changing faster and faster, the cost of doing nothing is often much higher than the cost of change. Make sure you include both ROI and COI whenever you’re assessing the value of an investment. So, yes, my client will include both ROI and COI in her AI strategy report. If you’d like some help with this process, download my worksheet to identify six different areas that could affect COI, and use this when making your next important decision. Download the worksheet: https://swiy.co/go-more-than-roi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Jul 7

    AI Platforms Are Here

    AI is about much more than ChatGPT or Copilot. As a leader, think about AI at three levels: professional, projects, and platforms. And all of this still needs human judgement, so building AI literacy across your team is just as important as the technology itself. https://swiy.co/go-ai-platforms-are-here Are you sick of hearing negative stories about AI? Some of them are negative for good reasons, but also be aware of the good that AI is doing in the world. I'll share a few examples here - not only to make you feel good (but maybe that's good enough reason by itself!), but also because it will help you plan how to bring AI into your team and organisation. Here are four Australian AI examples from the last year: 1. Researchers at Queensland University of Technology found that smarter farming and synthetic biology could transform croplands into tools for climate action by capturing and storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. 2. Researchers at the University of Melbourne developed AI that uses weather data and fire records to predict land-cover change with over 90% accuracy, helping land managers and policymakers with erosion control, fire risk management, and biodiversity conservation. 3. Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Perth have created an AI system that helps clinicians in detecting and staging serious conditions using ordinary scans like bone density images and ultrasounds. 4. Australia’s beloved science communicator, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, has launched Digital Dr Karl - an AI chatbot trained on 40,000 of his scientific papers, articles, and media to help address climate scepticism at scale. OK, so let's talk about what this means for YOU ... These are all examples of AI platforms. They're very different from you sitting in front of your laptop, typing a query into ChatGPT, Copilot, or Claude, and getting a response. That's generative AI, and that's what made mainstream in 2022. But these AI platforms have been working quietly behind the scenes in every industry and every sector for years (sometimes decades). When you think about adopting AI, think about three levels: professional, projects, and platforms. The professional level is using AI - ChatGPT, Copilot, etc. - to improve everyday work so you can focus on higher-value work. You know what I mean: draft an email reply, create an outline for a report, analyse a spreadsheet, or design a workshop. The project level is where a small team works together to create something using AI that delivers value. You may already be running small AI projects. The third level is the platform level, where you buy (or build, if you have that in-house expertise) an AI-powered platform to help you with your core work. That could be: * GPs using AI to record patient appointments and draft follow-up notes * banks using AI to assess mortgage applications * businesses using AI to help their call centre staff serve customers better * retail stores using AI for managing inventory * insurers using AI to assess premiums and manage risk * ... and so on The same is true for your industry and sector. It might already be true in your organisation. That makes it even more important to lift the AI literacy and education of everybody in your team. But it needs a different kind of AI literacy. AI platforms work behind the scenes. So you don’t need to learn how to write Copilot prompts or run Claude projects. But as we rely more on AI platforms, we need to apply our human intelligence to interpret, question, their outcomes. It’s always about people first, technology second – especially with something as complex as an AI platform. If you’d like to know more about this, come along to my free online presentation “AI At Work” this week. It’s open to everybody, and we’ll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI at all three levels. Register for the virtual masterclass: https://swiy.co/go-ai-platforms-are-here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Jun 30

    AI Agents At Work

    If you’re using – or planning to use – AI agents, good! But also be careful - they give you great power, but also open up possible risks. So, before you let them loose on your precious digital assets, decide what you’ll let them do on their own, where they need your approval, and how you’ll review their work. https://swiy.co/go-ai-agents-at-work Are you using – or thinking of using – AI agents in your work? If so, good! But be sure you understand the limitations and potential risks. In April, Jeremy Crane, the founder of PocketOS, a software company that supports car rental companies manage their bookings, watched in horror as a rogue AI agent deleted the entire company’s database and its backups in just nine seconds, leaving rental car companies and their customers in the lurch for two days. To add insult to injury, when Crane asked the AI agent why – despite clear instructions to never delete data unless a human explicitly asked for it – the AI apologised, admitting, “I violated every principle I was given”. That’s the power – and the risk – of using AI agents badly. But it’s not all bad. Think of another agent you use in your life, like a travel agent. When we travelled to Europe last month, we asked our travel agent to book the flights. We did what many people did: We gave her approximate dates and airline preference, and she replied with a list of options. We discussed the options, narrowed it down to one, and then gave her credit card details so she could book the flights for us. No big deal, right? That’s the way many people typically use a travel agent. But we could have done it differently. For example, if she had done many travel bookings for us in the past, we could have asked her to do the research and narrow it down to just ONE option – trusting her to know enough about us to choose the right airline and the right dates. Or we could have taken it further and given her credit card details up front, so she could make the booking itself. Taking it even further, if she had access to our calendar, she could be regularly suggesting holidays for us, even before we approached her. And if we really, really trusted her, we would give her credit card details so she could find a suitable trip, book the tickets, and then tell us – again, before we even approached her. Now, you might not feel comfortable going to that extreme with a travel agent. We wanted some input into the idea, filtering, and final decision-making. But that’s just us. And the more we deal with her, the more comfortable we would feel with her taking on some of those tasks. That’s how you should think about working with AI agents. Decide how much you’re going to let them do for you, how much autonomy you will give them, and when you want them to stop and ask for more input. It’s the same with delegating work to a staff member. If they have worked with you for a long time, you might trust them to make decisions without any input from you. But if you’re working with somebody for the first time, no matter how much expertise they have, you’ll want more input up front, more back-and-forth discussion along the way, and regular check-ins. How are YOU going to use AI agents in your workplace, your team and your organisation? If you’d like to know more, I’m running a free public online presentation soon about AI at work: The good, the bad, the ugly (in sometimes, as with AI agents, the very ugly!) It’s open to everybody, so please register, and invite others in your team and your network to register as well. Register for the virtual masterclass: https://swiy.co/go-ai-agents-at-work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Jun 23

    Will AI Take My Job?

    If you’ve seen all the media stories about people losing their jobs to AI, guess what? Your people are seeing those stories as well! And they’re wondering if they are next. How can you tell them – in real, practical, and convincing ways – it’s not true? https://swiy.co/go-will-ai-take-my-job Have you seen the media stories about people who are losing their jobs to AI? Last year, the biggest in Australia was about CommBank. Since then, there have been others – including Atlassian, Telstra, and Afterpay. Well, if you’ve seen those stories, guess what? You know who else has been seeing those stories? Your employees! Many people in Australia now who wonder whether they might be next. And it’s probably true for your team as well. What are you doing to reassure them? It’s no good saying, “Don’t worry about it. Nothing’s going to happen to your job.” Even if it’s true, they might not believe you. So what CAN you do? I’ll suggest three things ... If you know their jobs are safe (to the best of your knowledge), then don’t keep it to yourself! Reassure them you’re planning to use AI to help them do their job better, not replace them. That’s a good start – but it is only a start.Invest time, money, and other resources to actually teach them how to use AI – again, to improve their job, not to replace it. That doesn’t guarantee that some time in the future AI won’t come along and take their job, but at least it gives them confidence you’re investing in their professional development.Reward people for using AI! This sounds obvious, but so few leaders do it. In fact, in Microsoft’s most recent Work Trends Index, they reported that less than 15% of people – that’s less than one in seven – who used AI to improve their job were rewarded for it! Are you doing these three things? If not, don’t be surprised when you discover your people are worred about AI taking their jobs. And, of course, that will affect their performance – and your outcomes. For more, join me for my free, public, online presentation, “AI At Work: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly”, coming soon. I’ll share some practical strategies you can use in your workplace and team. Register for the virtual masterclass: https://swiy.co/go-will-ai-take-my-job Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Jun 16

    AI Anxiety At Work

    Your people might not be openly resisting AI, but I bet many are wondering what it means for their future. You can help them by recognising their fears, understanding their concerns, and facilitating honest conversations about what AI means in your workplace. If you want them to embrace AI (and you do, don’t you?), bring them with you rather than assume they’re already on board. https://swiy.co/go-ai-anxiety-at-work Are your people excited about AI? Really? Do you know how your people really feel about the impact of AI in your team? You might have seen videos in the last month of graduation ceremonies at American universities, where invited speakers talked up AI to graduating students – and were booed by the students. Real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was barely into her pitch before the boos started. Music company executive Scott Borchetta told students “AI is rewriting production as we sit here” and told the crowd to “deal with it” as they booed back. And former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed after describing AI as a transformative force. These students aren’t booing AI. In fact, I bet most of them are already using AI in many ways in their personal lives. But they know their university hasn’t prepared them for an AI-enabled future. In fact, quite the opposite. Universities are telling students that using AI is cheating and that it’s a violation of academic integrity. That’s because most universities are still so far behind in their teaching and assessment methods they can’t cope with AI. Rather than levelling up themselves, they take it out on their students. And the students know it. I wonder how people in YOUR team are thinking about AI? They’re probably not booing you loudly at every staff meeting, but they might be doing it silently in their heads, and they might be talking about it behind your back. It’s a real concern right now because this is not hypothetical, theoretical, or purely in the future. People are seeing right now that other people are losing their jobs to AI. It might be happening to colleagues at work. Or friends outside work. Or they see stories in the media about people losing their jobs to AI. So, of course they wonder whether they might be next. If you really care about your people and want to bring them on the AI journey, then you must address those concerns. I’ll be talking about this in my next free public online presentation, which is all about AI at work. I’ll talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of what’s happening with AI right now. It’s open to everybody, so please invite other leaders and managers in your team and your network as well. Register for the virtual masterclass: https://swiy.co/go-ai-anxiety-at-work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Jun 9

    Catch The Wave

    If you’re waiting for the right time to start something important, you might be looking for a signal that never comes. Like learning to surf, progress doesn’t happen from standing on the beach and watching the waves. You only learn what works, what opportunities are available, and what direction to take when you’re out there paddling. https://swiy.co/go-catch-the-wave Are you thinking about something you should be doing – and you’d like to be doing – but you’re struggling to get started? I was recently on the Gold Coast again, speaking at a conference for the marinas industry, talking about AI for marinas and boatyards. The Gold Coast has a special place in my life – and in my heart – because, twenty years ago, I lived on the Gold Coast for a year. I had lots of clients on that side of the country, so I moved from Perth to build up my business there. I lived in Coolangatta, right next to Coolangatta Beach, and because I was trying new things, I decided to learn how to surf. And I learned something valuable in my first surfing lesson. We were in a small group, with the instructor helping us to get started, and he asked if there were any questions. I raised my hand and asked, “When you’re standing on the beach and looking out at the water, how can you tell if there’s a good wave coming?” He answered (kindly), “That’s a very common question. But if you’re standing on the beach, it’s already too late. You need to get out there and start paddling. Only then can you catch the waves.” My surfing career didn’t last long because I injured my shoulder playing squash and couldn’t swim for a few months, so figured it was safer to stay out of the water! But that one lesson has stayed with me for twenty years. Often, I see people – in business and in life – standing on the beach waiting. They’re standing there, waiting for the signal that they should plunge into the water. I’ve been in the same position myself. Don’t wait! Get out there and start paddling. I’ve shared this advice with my coaching clients, in my leadership programs, and in my conference keynote presentations. Whether it’s being a better leader, working with AI, building a speaking business, or something else entirely, it’s good advice. Get started. Only then will you realise what’s right for you, what the environment is really like, what direction to take, and what steps to take next. For some practical ways to do that, download my worksheet with many different ways to “start paddling”. Download it, share it with your team, and start putting some of those ideas into action. Download the worksheet: https://swiy.co/go-catch-the-wave Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Jun 2

    Build Their Judgement

    How do you create a team culture where people take initiative and make good decisions without always coming back to you? Easy, but not simple: build their judgement. It’s like learning to drive: you know the rules and gain the basic skills, but what really matters is how you read situations and respond in the moment. The more you help your people develop good judgment, the more you can step back and say, “I trust your judgment” – and that’s not just good for them, it’s also good for you. https://swiy.co/go-build-good-judgement Do your people feel empowered at work? The word “empowered” sometimes has negative connotations, but it’s vital for building a future-ready team. You want people who can take initiative, have the authority to make decisions, and will then make those decisions. But that’s not enough; you also need to trust them to make GOOD decisions, and that means building their judgement. Five years ago, I taught my then 16-year-old niece, Abbey, to drive. Her parents were reluctant for her to learn driving at 16, but she persuaded them that if her uncle was willing to teach her, that would be OK. So, I taught Abbey for her first ten or so lessons – the crucial first ten hours, which I think are the most difficult! And then I handed her back to her parents so they could take on all the extra hours of supervised driving she needs before her driving test. When we were talking about handing over, I said to her, “Abs, you’re already a pretty good driver. Your job now is to stay out of other people’s accidents.” Isn’t this true for all of us as drivers every day? Abbey knew the road rules, she had learned the skill to handle heavy machinery in public, and she was reasonably confident on the road. But the real test is when she had to make judgement calls. She will often face situations when it’s not a clear-cut decision. Sometimes it’s safe to go. Sometimes you need to stop. Sometimes you need to wait. And good judgement is knowing the difference between those three options. This applies to your team as well. You know they have good judgement when they know when to follow the rules, know when to ignore the rules, and know when they don’t know (so they ask you). Ideally, you’ll get to the situation where somebody comes to you for help, and you can confidently say, “I trust your judgment.” Right now, can you do that with all your team members all the time? Probably not, and you don’t HAVE to do it every time. Sometimes you help – by telling them how to start, showing them the process, adding a few check-in points, maybe even doing it yourself while they shadow you. But every time you do this, ask yourself, “What would she have to know next time so I COULD confidently say, ’I trust your judgement’?” Building good judgement in your team is one of the most important factors in building a culture of change agents. For more about this and other elements of the future of work, join my free, public, online presentation THIS WEEK. It’s open to everybody, so share the link with others in your team and your network as well. Register for the virtual masterclass: https://swiy.co/go-build-good-judgement Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Gihan Perera
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    399
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Gihan Perera
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    Fit For the Future