2026 feels different.
AI is changing how we work, but it’s real people who still determine whether businesses thrive.
So many businesses we talk to are hungry for more face-to-face time, more collaboration, and a review of their purpose – capturing the human, emotional reason why the business exists, and how it connects their people, partners and customers. Maybe the penny has dropped. Maybe more ELTs and SLTs understand that people are just as important as the product, service or brand – and that engaged employees = higher productivity, revenue growth, and profitability.
Go People Teams!
“A People strategy is no longer sitting adjacent to business strategy – it is the business strategy.” 👏
Gallup research in 2026 shows that 65% of senior leaders now view HR as a key business enabler, only those who actively implement a genuine “people-first” approach realise these higher revenues and lower attrition rates.
So, we would like to give all People Teams a pat on the back! Because you are doing a flippin’ tough – but amazing – job. It’s a job that needs an authentic, organic and thoughtful approach. An inherently moral job that sits at the intersection of business strategy and human welfare. That’s something AI simply could never replace.
It’s not just us shouting about it either. Deloitte and PwC reports increasingly show CEOs ranking workforce and culture as top strategic concerns. And we will always need strong people teams to lead the charge.
But, as humans, we don’t like to give ourselves credit – it’s seen as arrogant, confident and even cocky. Instead, we politely wait for appraisals, promotions or even a job interview to actually talk about what we have achieved, ticked off the never-ending list, and instigated as individuals, teams, or even as an organisation.
So, we’ve made it our job to help People teams give themselves credit where it’s due. Over the last few years, we have been running sessions with organisations, either as part of our process or as a one-off to help People teams step away from the day job and reflect on what they have done, want to do, or have in the pipeline. It provides a bird’s eye view – and a space to think and prioritise.
“Wow, we’ve done loads haven’t we!’ 🙌
Not only are they surprised after doing this exercise – some are blown away when they realise how much of the employee journey they have already tackled. Plus, it’s an opportunity to give themselves a pat on the back – or rather, we make sure they do!
And this session is not about the fluffy stuff. We disagree that anything concerning your team – who make it happen every day – is the fluffy stuff, full stop. People teams are commercially impactful, not just culturally supportive. They’re having the real, face-to-face conversations – difficult and sensitive or developmental and exciting – by relying on their people skills and experience, not by putting a prompt into ChatGPT.
So much of what People teams do on a day-to-day basis is measurable – retention rates, engagement levels, productivity, performance, employer brand impact, and leadership capability. We just help get it all out of your head, so we can see where the gaps in your strategy might be – and build an actionable plan for people & culture growth.
“Well, it’s clear where the gaps are and we’ve never thought about it like that.” 🤔
When we run our BootPrint sessions, it helps COPs and their teams to assess where they are, what might be missing, what might be a big opportunity, so you can build a shopping list of the thinking, initiatives and assets needed to connect the dots – and tackle the next stages of the People Strategy. It’s a moment of clarity, an open forum to address concerns and gaps, and an outsider’s perspective understanding your unique challenges and giving direction… No wonder our clients find it so cathartic!
And our favourite part – it’s all about your thoughts, plans and whole lot of Post-it notes. Not a Claude or Copilot in sight. Because it’s great people that make a great employer brand.
“That’s helped me understand where we need to focus, so I can make sure it becomes a business priority – and part of our wider growth strategy.” 👉
Stepping away from the ‘always-on’ noise, recognising progress, identifying blind spots, reconnecting people strategy to business purpose – it seems such a simple thing to do, but it’s hard when you’re ‘in it’. We get that. So, these sessions give you and your team the calm, quiet and concentration to review and build on all your hard work. The answers to help you move forward with focus and direction. The clarity to demonstrate the value of your work to the business, how it aligns with the business strategy and it’s commercial impact.
If technology has evolved to take care of the repetitive, transactional tasks, then perhaps this is the moment People Teams finally get to grow into what they do best – owning the employee journey, and building cultures where people feel seen, valued, safe to speak up, and inspired to do great work. It’s about future thinking and working on the bigger picture to truly put your people first – at every touchpoint.
Give us a shout if you want a cathartic and constructive BootPrint session to help make sense of the chaos that is people, culture, attraction, onboarding, engagement, growth, retention, loyalty… Your list goes on… Trust us – we know!