Insights

Across boardrooms and executive meetings this year, I’ve noticed something striking: executives are talking a lot about roles - but not enough about capability. The focus is almost always on vacancies - what's open, what’s urgent, and who can fill it. But in a market shaped by demographic shifts, emerging tech, and increasingly fluid career paths, the real risk isn’t an open role. It’s a critical capability gap - one you may not realise you have until it's too late.

At the start of every year, the same urgency kicks in: "We need someone now." A resignation lands, a new project begins, a headcount is approved - and suddenly, we're back on the treadmill of reactive hiring. But what if 2026 is the year we stop doing that? Not long ago, I was speaking with the COO of a regional industrial group in Thailand. His team had just made two senior hires where both came with strong profiles, ticked the usual boxes and six months in, were underwhelming.

As the year closes, leadership teams across Thailand are finalising their 2026 strategies - refining targets, outlining transformation plans, and setting bold growth ambitions. But amid all this planning, one critical question often gets overlooked: Are the people who will carry this strategy into 2026 the right ones to do it? In my recent conversations with CEOs and CHROs, the answers to this question are rarely clear. Many leaders think they’ve got the right team - but they haven’t pressure-tested that belief. The world is changing fast, and the leadership qualities required even two years ago may not match what’s needed next year.

The effective application of artificial intelligence, as we’ve argued at length elsewhere, has already begun to reliably distinguish forward-looking businesses from those still coasting on the momentum of previous successes. Of course, this level of operational advancement remains difficult to achieve, as the integration and scaling of AI solutions represent a long and complex journey — though it is well worth the investment when implemented skilfully.

As we enter the third year of this pandemic, many businesses have made the shift to a hybrid work model. The following tips can help your organisation embrace a successful and sustainable hybrid work model, to prosper throughout the remainder of this pandemic and beyond.

Sound guidance from Strategy to Execution can help companies find success in the new environment after the pandemic.

Organisations that are experiencing a slowdown in business activity due to the COVID-19 crisis should take this opportunity to upskill their workforces.

COVID-19 will permanently change some aspects of doing business. Here are some important takeaways for HR departments.

As they strive to meet the extraordinary challenges of the day, business leaders must also consider how they will adapt to the post-COVID-19 landscape.

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will be far-reaching. However, by working together, we can learn from this crisis and build a better future.

‘Presenteeism’ (the art of being at work but not working) happens in many businesses – it may very well be happening in yours right now.

Whether you’re a sole trader or the CEO of a multinational organisation, we are all constantly seeking ways to do what we do better.

Startups tend to be comprised of young, dynamic people who are passionate about their work and emotionally invested in the company’s success. However, as the business grows more complex and market conditions change, startups sometimes struggle to implement proper processes. It is here that many fledgling companies begin to go off-course. Failure to organise the business correctly and make necessary adjustments can lead to slowdowns in workflow, stalling the organisation just when it is most in need of momentum. Lapses in regulatory compliance are another common side effect of inexperience, resulting in fines and loss of investor confidence. Having passionate workers is excellent, but startups must also implement clear strategies and efficient processes in order to ensure both regulatory compliance and long-term success.

Employee engagement is often confused with employee satisfaction, but there is a fundamental difference between the two ideas. A team member may be content with the easy rhythm of the status quo, but only an engaged employee will take the initiative to improve efficiency and performance wherever possible.

There may be a storm brewing in some of the world’s largest economies as businesses come to terms with a skilled worker shortage. Are technology and mobility two options for businesses struggling to find talent?

In any competitive sphere, there is a natural tendency for different players to cluster towards the middle. Through a combination of traditional practice, human nature, common sense, imperfect foresight, talent competition and a host of other shared qualities, there may be little – particularly in mature industries – to separate one company from another at an organisational level.