Lindsey Haigh – Page 4

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When Strategy Meets Humanity in a World of AI

There is a familiar pattern emerging in organisations everywhere.

A leadership team gathers to discuss AI. The conversation quickly turns to strategy. How can we become more efficient? Where can we automate? How do we increase productivity? How do we ensure we don’t get left behind?

These are all important questions. In fact, they’re essential questions.

But I’ve noticed that the most interesting conversations are beginning to happen elsewhere. They’re happening in communities of practice, around virtual coffee chats, inside team conversations and across networks of curious people trying to make sense of what this new era means for the work they do and the impact they want to have.

Because while AI is changing the way we work, it is also forcing us to think more deeply about what makes work human. And that’s where strategy alone is not enough.

The organisations that will thrive in the age of AI won’t simply be the ones with the best technology strategy. They’ll be the ones that understand how to bring people with them. They’ll be the ones that create trust alongside transformation, connection alongside automation and purpose alongside productivity. In short, they’ll be the organisations where strategy meets humanity.

For me, this is where the principles of Collaborating Out Loud become more relevant than ever. They offer a practical and human-centred approach to navigating complexity, uncertainty and change. Rather than seeing transformation as something designed by a few and delivered to many, they encourage us to create change together through openness, community, generosity and shared learning.

One of the most valuable principles is the idea of working out loud.

In a world where AI can generate answers in seconds, there is a temptation to focus only on outcomes. Yet people don’t just need answers; they need understanding. They want to know how decisions are being made, what assumptions are shaping those decisions and where they can contribute.

The leaders creating the most momentum are often those who are willing to share what they’re learning as they learn it. They talk openly about their experiments. They share successes and failures. They amplify ideas from others and give credit generously. They make learning visible. This openness creates trust, and trust remains one of the few things that technology cannot automate. The principle of working out loud and amplifying ideas and voices speaks directly to this need.

At the same time, AI is reminding us of the importance of community.

For all the conversations about digital transformation, transformation itself remains profoundly social. People make sense of change through conversations with other people. They build confidence through relationships. They develop new skills through shared experience.

The Collaborating Out Loud principle of nurturing communities built on trust and empathy feels especially important at this moment. As technology becomes more embedded in our working lives, we need intentional spaces where people can ask questions, share concerns, exchange ideas and learn together. Those spaces create belonging. They create psychological safety. And increasingly, they create the conditions in which innovation can flourish.

There is another challenge that AI presents, and it is a subtle one. AI is remarkably good at identifying patterns. But true innovation often comes from discovering perspectives that sit outside the pattern. That’s why seeking difference matters.

Some of the most powerful ideas I’ve encountered have emerged when people from different professions, sectors, backgrounds and lived experiences come together around a common challenge. The principle of seeking out people and ideas that are different to our own encourages us to borrow learning from everywhere and embrace the wisdom of the crowd. It also reminds us that the best decisions are often made transparently and collectively rather than behind closed doors.

As AI becomes more capable of synthesising information, our uniquely human contribution may increasingly lie in our ability to connect diverse perspectives, challenge assumptions and create meaning together.

Perhaps most importantly, the age of AI requires us to rethink the value of generosity.

We’re entering a period where many people are learning new skills, adapting to new ways of working and questioning what the future holds for their role and profession. In moments like these, generosity becomes a strategic advantage.

When people share knowledge rather than protect it, capability spreads faster. When leaders create opportunities for others to experiment and learn, confidence grows. When kindness becomes a leadership practice rather than a personal trait, cultures become more resilient.

The principle of generosity and kindness reminds us that progress and compassion are not competing priorities. In fact, they often reinforce one another.

And finally, there is the principle of making it real. Too many AI strategies risk becoming collections of ambitions, frameworks and slide decks. Real transformation happens when ideas are tested in practice, when communities come together to explore possibilities and when learning is shared openly.

The future won’t be built solely through grand plans. It will be built through thousands of experiments, conversations and collaborations. Through people creating simple, social spaces where formal structures and informal networks can connect, learn and adapt together.

The more I reflect on the role of AI, the more convinced I become that our greatest challenge is not technological. It is human.

The question is not whether AI will change the way we work. It already is. The question is whether we will use that change to become more connected, more collaborative and more intentional about the future we want to create.

Strategy will help us decide where we’re going. Humanity will determine whether people want to come with us.

And perhaps that’s the opportunity in front of us today, not simply to build smarter organisations, but to build more human ones. To use technology to amplify our collective potential rather than replace it. To create cultures where openness, community, difference, generosity and experimentation are not side conversations, but central to how we lead.

Because when strategy meets humanity, AI stops being the story. People become the story. And that is where the real transformation begins.

Why AI for Social Good Starts with Collaborating Out Loud in Public Services

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping public services. From predictive analytics in healthcare to automation in local government, the potential for AI to improve lives is enormous. But the real question isn’t just what AI can do, it’s how we build and use it responsibly, inclusively, and effectively.

One answer lies the simple yet powerful mindset of collaborating out loud.

Moving Beyond Closed Innovation

Too often, innovation in public services happens behind closed doors. Teams work in silos, solutions are developed in isolation, and lessons learned are lost between organisations.

AI amplifies both the risks and rewards of this approach. When done poorly, it can reinforce bias, erode trust, and miss the needs of the communities it aims to serve. But when done well and openly it can accelerate learning, improve transparency, and deliver meaningful social impact at scale.

Collaborating out loud offers a practical framework for “doing AI differently”.

Work Out Loud and Amplify

AI projects shouldn’t be hidden until they’re “perfect”. By sharing progress openly, successes, failures, ethical dilemmas, public service teams can accelerate collective learning.

- Share prototypes early

- Publish insights and challenges

- Acknowledge contributors and inspiration

This not only builds momentum but fosters trust. When citizens and peers can see how decisions are made, confidence in AI systems grows.

Build Communities, Not Just Systems

AI is not just a technical challenge; it’s a human one.

Creating space for collaboration across departments, sectors, and communities ensures that solutions are shaped by diverse voices. Public services must intentionally nurture trust, empathy, and shared purpose.

This could look like:

- Cross-sector design sessions

- Open forums with citizens

- Communities of practice around ethical AI

The stronger the community, the more resilient and inclusive the outcomes.

Embrace Difference and Collective Intelligence

The best AI systems are informed by a wide range of perspectives.

Collaborating out loud encourages us to seek out difference across disciplines, lived experience, and geography and draw on the “wisdom of the crowd”.

For public services, this means:

- Co-designing with users, not for them

- Including underrepresented voices

- Making decisions transparently and, where possible, democratically

AI should not be imposed; it should be co-created.

Lead with Generosity and Kindness

In a fast-moving field like AI, it can be tempting to compete rather than collaborate. But public value is maximised when organisations share what they’ve learned.

- Open-source tools and models

- Share data responsibly where possible

- Document lessons learned

Generosity creates a virtuous cycle: the more we give, the more collective capacity we build. And kindness often overlooked is essential in creating safe environments where people feel able to contribute.

Make It Real: Test, Learn, and Adapt

AI for social good doesn’t happen in theory. It happens in practice.

Collaborating out loud encourages us to work in the spaces “between” where formal systems meet informal experimentation.

- Pilot ideas quickly

- Learn in the open

- Scale what works, share what doesn’t

This iterative, social approach helps avoid costly mistakes and ensures solutions are grounded in reality.

Why This Matters Now

Public trust in AI is fragile. At the same time, the demand for better, faster, and fairer public services has never been higher.

Collaborating out loud helps bridge this gap:

- It builds transparency

- It fosters accountability

- It enables collective problem-solving

Most importantly, it keeps people not technology at the centre.

A Call to Action

If we want AI to truly serve the public good, we need to rethink how we work. We need to:

- Share more openly

- Collaborate beyond organisational boundaries

- Include diverse voices

- Learn together in public

AI is not just a tool, it’s a shared endeavour. Let’s build it out loud.

Why Rituals Matter in Leadership and How Collaborating Out Loud Brings Them to Life

Leadership is often described in terms of strategy, vision and decision‑making. Yet some of the most powerful leadership behaviours are far quieter and more human, like rituals leaders create and sustain.

Rituals are the repeated, intentional actions that shape how people feel, behave and belong at work. They signal what really matters, not in a values statement, but in day‑to‑day practice.

In a world of constant change, rituals provide rhythm, meaning and trust. 

When combined with the principles of Collaborating Out Loud, they become a force for connection, learning and shared leadership.

Rituals Create Psychological Safety

Regular leadership rituals such as opening meetings with check‑ins, closing projects with reflections, or publicly thanking contributors create predictability. Predictability builds psychological safety.

The COL principle of Community and Spaces reminds us that leaders must intentionally create space for trust, empathy and connection. Rituals are how that intention becomes visible. They turn abstract ideas like “belonging” and “care” into lived experiences. When leaders show up consistently in these spaces, people feel seen and when people feel seen, they contribute more openly.

Working Out Loud as a Leadership Ritual

Many organisations still treat communication as something that happens after decisions are made. Collaborating Out Loud flips this by encouraging leaders to work out loud as they go, amplifying ideas, issues and voices.

Making this a ritual, sharing early thinking, narrating decisions, saying thank you publicly, reduces hierarchy and invites contribution. It normalises learning in public, rather than expecting perfection behind closed doors. As the COL principle Out Loud and Amplify highlights, leadership is not about having the loudest voice, but about amplifying others.

Rituals Democratise Decision‑Making

Inclusive leadership is not a one‑off initiative; it is a pattern of behaviour. Rituals such as rotating facilitation, open forums, or collective retrospectives embody the COL principle of Difference and Democracy.

These rituals signal that difference is not only welcomed but actively sought, and that decisions are made transparently, with crowd wisdom rather than individual authority alone. Over time, these practices reshape power, quietly but profoundly.

Generosity, Kindness and Everyday Leadership

Some of the most impactful leadership rituals are small: regular gratitude, sharing learning openly, checking in on wellbeing. These practices align with Generosity and Kindness, reminding us that leadership is relational, not transactional. Rituals of generosity create cultures where people give before they are asked, help without keeping score, and learn together rather than compete.

Importantly, kindness also applies to leaders themselves. Sustainable leadership requires rituals that allow space to pause, reflect and reset.

Making Leadership Real

The COL principle Make it Real challenges leaders to create “surprising, simple and social spaces” between formal structures and informal communities. Rituals are the bridge between the two. They are where strategy meets humanity. Where culture stops being talked about and starts being felt.

Rituals are not soft leadership. They are serious signals. They shape behaviour long after the meeting ends and the slide deck is forgotten. When leaders intentionally design rituals grounded in Collaborating Out Loud, they don’t just lead teams, they grow communities, share ownership and make work more human. And in today’s organisations, that may be the most important leadership skill of all.

Why Thinking Is the Work: A Leadership Imperative for Relational Public Services and Social Change

In a world that prizes action, pace, and productivity, “doing” is often held up as the gold standard of contribution. We celebrate delivery, outputs, and visible progress. We track activity, measure performance, and reward speed. But in our rush to do, we risk overlooking something fundamental: thinking is not a precursor to work, thinking is the work.

For leaders working at the intersection of social change and relational public services, this distinction matters more than ever.

The Hidden Bias Towards Doing

Most organisational cultures are quietly shaped by a bias towards action. Meetings end with task lists. Success is framed in terms of outputs. Busyness becomes a proxy for value.

But when the work itself is complex, when it involves people, relationships, systems, and deep-rooted inequalities this bias can lead us astray.

In relational public services, the real work is not simply delivering services efficiently. It is about understanding people in context, responding to complexity, and creating the conditions for change. That kind of work cannot be rushed into action. It demands space for reflection, sense-making, and shared understanding.

When we treat thinking as something optional or secondary, we reduce our ability to lead effectively.

Thinking as a Core Leadership Practice

Leadership is often framed as decision-making, direction-setting, and oversight. But at its core, leadership is about making meaning in uncertainty.

Thinking, in this sense, is not an individual, internal exercise. It is a relational and collective practice:

- Pausing to understand what is really going on beneath the surface

- Making sense of diverse perspectives and lived experiences

- Questioning assumptions and inherited ways of working

- Holding space for ambiguity rather than rushing to resolution

This kind of thinking takes time, attention, and intentionality. It is not a break from the work, it enables the work.

Thinking Together

The principles of collaborative practice remind us that meaningful progress emerges not from isolated expertise, but from shared understanding and co-creation.

These principles underpin a way of working where:

- Power is shared, not held tightly

- Lived experience is valued alongside professional expertise

- Relationships are prioritised over transactions

- Learning and adaptation are continuous

All of these depend on a commitment to thinking together.

When we rush to action without collective thinking:

- We design solutions that don’t fit real needs

- We reinforce existing power imbalances

- We default to familiar, often ineffective interventions

Conversely, when we invest in thinking collaboratively:

- We uncover deeper insights

- We build trust and shared ownership

- We create responses that are more humane, effective, and sustainable

The Cost of Not Thinking

In public services, the pressure to deliver can be intense. Targets, funding cycles, and political scrutiny all push towards action.

But failing to invest in thinking has real consequences:

- Fragmented services that don’t connect around people’s lives

- Short-term fixes that fail to address root causes

- Burnout among practitioners who are constantly doing without understanding

Perhaps most importantly, it limits our ability to create genuine social change. Because social change is not linear. It is emergent. It requires us to notice patterns, test ideas, learn, and adapt. That is thinking work.

Creating the Conditions for Thoughtful Practice

If thinking is the work, then leadership must actively create the conditions for it to happen.

This means:

- Protecting time for reflection individually and collectively

- Valuing inquiry as much as delivery

- Encouraging curiosity over certainty

- Slowing down when necessary to understand before acting

- Making it safe to question, challenge, and rethink

It also means recognising that thinking is not always visible. It doesn’t always produce immediate outputs. But its impact is profound.

From Action to Intention

This is not an argument against doing. Action matters. Services must be delivered. Change must be enacted. But action without thought risks being misdirected. The shift we need is from action for its own sake to intentional, informed action and that begins with recognising that, thinking is not something we do before the work. thinking is something we do as the work.

A Call to Leaders

For those leading in social change and relational public services, the challenge is clear:

- To resist the pull of constant busyness

- To legitimise thinking as a core professional activity

- To model reflective, collaborative practice

- To create systems that value depth, not just speed

Because the future of public services will not be shaped by those who do the most but by those who understand the most, together.

And understanding begins with thinking.

Collaborating with AI

AI is becoming part of our everyday working lives, and many people still ask the same question: Can we truly collaborate with AI, or is it simply another tool? For me, the answer is clear. The most effective use of AI is not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a collaborator that enhances it.

Can We Really Collaborate with AI?

A few years ago, most workplace technology was designed to follow instructions. We told systems what to do, and they did it. AI is different. It can generate ideas, challenge assumptions, summarise information, spot patterns and even help us think through complex problems.

This shift has led many professionals to ask whether AI is becoming more like a colleague than a tool.  The reality sits somewhere in between.

AI doesn’t possess human judgement, emotional intelligence or lived experience. It cannot understand organisational politics, build trust with clients or make ethical decisions in the way people can. What it can do is amplify human capability by handling certain cognitive tasks at remarkable speed.

The most successful professionals are learning how to work with AI rather than simply using it.

The Difference Between Using AI and Collaborating With It

Using AI often looks like:

- Asking for a summary of a document

- Generating a first draft of an email

- Producing meeting notes

- Creating a list of ideas

Collaboration goes further.  It involves an iterative process where human and AI each contribute strengths. You provide context, expertise, critical thinking and judgement. AI contributes speed, scale, pattern recognition and alternative perspectives.

For example, when writing a strategy document, AI might help generate options, identify gaps or present counterarguments. The human then evaluates those suggestions, refines the direction and makes decisions based on experience and organisational context.  The output becomes better than what either could produce independently.

What Effective Human-AI Collaboration Looks Like

The organisations gaining the most value from AI are not those attempting to automate everything. They are the ones identifying where humans and AI complement one another.

Let’s consider some examples:

Problem-solving AI can rapidly analyse information and surface potential approaches. Humans determine which solution is practical, ethical and aligned with business objectives.

Creative work AI can generate concepts, outlines and variations. Humans bring originality, emotional connection and brand understanding.

Decision-making AI can provide insights and scenarios. Humans apply judgement, accountability and strategic thinking.

Learning and development AI can act as an on-demand coach, tutor or brainstorming partner. Humans decide what knowledge is relevant and how to apply it.

In each case, AI strengthens human capability rather than replacing it.

The Skills That Matter Most

As AI becomes more integrated into our work, some people worry that technical skills will become less important.  I believe the opposite is true.

The value of uniquely human skills is increasing.

These include:

- Critical thinking

- Curiosity

- Communication

- Creativity

- Emotional intelligence

- Ethical judgement

- Adaptability

The people who thrive in an AI-enabled workplace are not necessarily those who know the most prompts. They are the individuals who know how to ask good questions, challenge outputs and combine AI-generated insights with real-world experience.

In other words, AI raises the importance of human expertise rather than diminishing it.

The Biggest Risk

The greatest risk isn’t AI becoming too powerful.  It’s humans becoming too passive.

When we accept AI outputs without questioning them, we lose the very skills that make collaboration valuable. Effective collaboration requires active engagement, verification and critical evaluation.

Just as we wouldn’t accept every suggestion from a colleague without discussion, we shouldn’t accept everything produced by AI without scrutiny.

The goal is not blind trust.  The goal is informed partnership.

So, is it possible to collaborate with AI?

Absolutely.  But successful collaboration doesn’t mean handing over responsibility. It means combining the best of human intelligence and artificial intelligence to achieve better outcomes.

AI can help us think faster, explore more possibilities and work more efficiently. Humans provide the judgement, empathy, creativity and accountability that technology cannot replicate.

The future of work is unlikely to be humans versus AI.  It will be humans who know how to collaborate with AI outperforming those who don’t.

The question is no longer whether AI can work alongside us. The real question is how effectively we choose to work alongside it.

Collaborating Out Loud on Reimagining Movement in Schools for Creativity, Connection, and Wellbeing

Across schools, there is a growing recognition that movement is essential for learning. But transforming school environments to truly embrace movement isn’t something that happens in isolation, it thrives when we collaborate out loud. By sharing ideas openly, learning from one another, and building communities of practice, we can create spaces where movement supports not only physical health, but also creativity, social connection, and emotional development.

Using the principles of Collaborating Out Loud, we can rethink how schools embed movement meaningfully and sustainably.

Working Out Loud: Sharing Practice, Amplifying Impact

Creating movement-rich environments starts with making practice visible. When educators share what they are trying, whether it’s movement breaks, outdoor lessons, or flexible classroom setups, they invite others into the learning process.

By working out loud:

- Teachers can amplify ideas that work, such as integrating drama into literacy or active maths strategies

- Challenges (e.g. timetable pressures or space limitations) can be openly discussed and solved collectively

- Successes can inspire others across schools and settings

This openness helps shift the narrative: movement is not an add-on, but a vital part of teaching and learning.

Community and Spaces: Building Trust to Enable Change

Encouraging movement requires a culture shift and culture grows through relationships. Schools need intentional spaces where staff, pupils, and wider communities feel safe to explore new ideas.

By nurturing community:

- Staff can experiment without fear of judgement, trying new ways to encourage movement

- Pupils can have a voice in designing more active learning environments

- Schools can connect with families and communities to extend active lifestyles beyond the school gates

When trust and empathy are prioritised, movement becomes part of a shared purpose: supporting the whole child.

Difference and Democracy: Learning From Diverse Perspectives

There is no single way to create movement-friendly schools. What works in one context may look different in another. That’s why seeking diverse perspectives is essential.

Through a collaborative, democratic approach:

- Educators can borrow ideas from different settings, including early years, secondary schools, and international practice

- Pupils can co-create solutions, ensuring spaces meet their needs

- Decisions about curriculum and environment can be shaped transparently and inclusively

This diversity of thought sparks innovation, opening up creative ways to embed movement into everyday school life.

Generosity and Kindness: Sharing What Works

At the heart of collaborating out loud is generosity. Schools that share their approaches to movement including resources, routines, and reflections help others move faster and more confidently.

In practice, this might mean:

- Sharing lesson ideas that incorporate movement and creativity

- Offering peer support or informal drop-ins to see active classrooms in action

- Celebrating others’ contributions and recognising inspiration

Kindness also means recognising that change takes time. Encouraging movement is a journey, and every small step matters.

Making It Real: Testing, Learning, and Growing

Real change happens in the spaces between formal policy and everyday practice. Schools can create simple, social opportunities to test movement-based approaches and learn as they go.

For example:

- Trialling short movement breaks across a week and gathering pupil feedback

- Reimagining one lesson per day as an active lesson

- Using outdoor spaces in new, creative ways

These small experiments help schools understand what works for their context. The key is to share those insights widely, amplifying what works and learning from what doesn’t.

Movement as a Catalyst for Whole-Child Development

When schools collaborate out loud on movement, the impact goes far beyond physical activity:

- Creativity flourishes as pupils engage in dynamic, hands-on learning

- Social skills develop through collaboration, play, and shared experiences

- Emotional wellbeing improves as movement supports regulation, confidence, and resilience

By working together openly and intentionally, schools can create environments where movement is woven into the fabric of learning, supporting children not just academically, but as whole individuals.

A Collective Call to Action

Reimagining movement in schools is not the responsibility of one teacher, one leader, or one school. It is a collective effort.

When we share openly, build trusting communities, embrace diverse perspectives, act with generosity and test and learn together we create the conditions for meaningful, lasting change.

Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s keep experimenting.

Let’s keep collaborating out loud for the benefit of every child.

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