Let’s be honest… change is never easy. Especially when it’s fast, unfamiliar and feels like it’s coming for everything we know. That’s how a tonne of people feel about AI right now. And to be honest, for a while, that included me.

But what if we shifted our mindset from fear to possibility? Embraced a little discomfort.

That’s what we’re doing at Fulton Hogan. We’re not asking “What will it do to us?”, instead we’re asking “What can it do for us?”

And no, this isn’t just HR spin. Because the truth is, AI is here to stay and will continue to immerse more deeply into our everyday lives.

It’s a new tool and, like every tool we’ve adopted over the years, from smartphones to drones, it’s here to help us do our jobs better, not replace us.

When we can’t plan, we lean into our values

In the engineering and civil construction industry, we love a good plan. We like certainty, structure and knowing what the programme of work is.

But with AI, the destination isn’t clear yet, and the technology is evolving rapidly, so we don’t know exactly where it’s headed.

What do we do when we can’t long-term plan? We lean into our values and use these as our compass to navigate uncharted waters.

Respect. Energy & Effort. Attitude. Leadership.

These aren’t just words on our walls at Fulton Hogan. They’re the tools we already have in our kit, and they’re more important than ever as leaders and teams continue their exploration and adoption of AI.

As we explore this new frontier, our values compass will guide us to:

• Have higher levels of respect for our people and teams as they navigate changes.
• Be more transparent and share information.
• Acknowledge the energy and effort needed to adopt AI tools and learn new ways of working.
• Prioritise human connection and open, two-way communication with our people.

Our field work isn’t drastically changing, yet

Let’s be clear: AI isn’t paving new roads or building bridges. Not today and probably not for the foreseeable future.

Our field teams and the talented people delivering hands-on work in communities across New Zealand and Australia remain at the heart of what we do.

Where AI is making a difference is in the office and with activities that help organisations run smoothly.

It’s helping our operational managers and support teams deal with the mountain of admin, data analysis and reporting they juggle every day.

Imagine a world where AI can help us achieve it all!

Picture this: Gemma, a busy Divisional Manager, starts her day with packing the kids’ lunches, a pre-start meeting at the yard, followed by a few hours onsite – and she still makes it home for dinner with her family. Month-end reporting? Sorted. Quality Assurance records? Uploaded and analysed. Emails? Under control. Quickly interpreting interlinking data points that help guide decision-making? Too easy!

She’s not superhuman; she’s just using the AI tools available to create tangible daily efficiencies. That’s the kind of future we’re aiming for. More time for human connection and less time behind a screen – after all, that’s what great leadership is all about.

Gemma’s not burnt out. She’s not choosing between people and engagement and screens and data management. She’s not fighting the daily battle of being all things to everyone and everything… the balancing act has become more doable.

That world is within reach, but only when we embrace new tools and shift our thinking.

Right now, the real gains in AI are in operational manager roles. These are often the most demanding of positions, frequently acting as the linchpin between senior leadership above and their frontline teams below. Their daily reality involves juggling organisational requirements, while simultaneously providing hands-on leadership, guidance and support to their teams. Sometimes they’re expected to be everything to everyone, and there are only so many hours in a day.

AI is helping. It’s helping to take care of the admin, crunching the numbers and freeing up time for what really matters – human connection, people and values-based leadership.

We’re a people business, always will be

We’ll continue to leverage AI to improve business outcomes, drive efficiency in the office and on-site and support our teams to deliver their best work.

But we’ll never lose sight of what matters most: our people and our values.

AI is a tool and it will evolve, but it will never replace human interaction, authenticity or original thinking.

At Fulton Hogan, we’re building a future where new technology and developments are harnessed to support our people to do Good Work.

We don’t have to be scared of AI. Instead, let’s be curious and explore what it can do for us.

When we shift our mindset from fear to possibility, we don’t just keep up, we lead.

– Nicola Wilson, General Manager – People, Fulton Hogan