The Transformations People Can Actually Absorb
In our projects, we spend significant amounts of time in conversations around Brain-Friendly change practices. This isn’t just about AI, it’s about any change adoption that asks people to work differently, learn new tools, or shift long-held habits.
Across the APS and private sector, leaders are constantly balancing risk, policy, delivery pressures, and stakeholder expectations. In that environment, the most reliable path to outcomes is to make change digestible, humane, and sequenced.
The Assumption We Can’t Afford
One pattern we see consistently is the quiet assumption that experience or seniority automatically translates into limitless capacity for change.
The reality is different:
- Attention is finite
- Cognitive load is real
- The volume and velocity of change are genuine variables
When we ignore those variables, we invite fatigue, rework, and shallow adoption. When we respect them, we create the conditions for durable behaviour shifts and sustained performance.
Embedding Brain-Friendly Practices
We embed Brain-Friendly practices into every engagement so progress feels achievable and safe.
That means:
- Thinly slicing initiatives into observable steps
- Designing learning in short loops
- Measuring adoption (not just “go-live”)
- Pairing AI pilots or new capabilities with targeted behaviours, clear job aids, and reflection points
We also advocate for simple rituals like weekly experiment reviews, evidence-based nudges, and strong narrative framing. These create space for people to make sense of the why, see themselves in the change, and build confidence through early wins.
Advice for Leaders
If we could offer one piece of advice, it would be this: Aim for stepwise, testable progress, and be conscious of the total change load on your people.
Pick the next smallest valuable change. Make it easy. Make it safe. Make it rewarding. Then repeat.
Do this for process shifts, policy updates, operating model tweaks, and AI enablement. The steady cadence builds trust, reduces risk, and compounds capability.
The Bottom Line
The most powerful transformations aren’t the biggest or loudest. They are the ones people can actually absorb.