Nuala McAdams
Manager, Private Equity
EY
One business practice I think organisations should leave behind is making decisions without involving the people closest to the work concerned.
In my experience, they are often the people who can offer the most valuable insights into how to address challenges and improve processes.
This doesn’t mean every decision should be made “by committee”. It’s about business leaders and managers creating meaningful opportunities for employees to feel safe enough to speak up and trust that their feedback will be considered.
I’ve seen firsthand how involving those closest to the work in key decisions can provide a valuable perspective, while also building trust between management and employees, and promoting engagement throughout the team.
When people feel that they are directly contributing to the success of the organisation, it gives them a sense of ownership and creates opportunities for the next generation of leaders to grow and develop.
Organisations must give their people opportunities to contribute to the business, not simply tell them what to do.
By creating space for innovation and encouraging their workforce to think critically, challenge constructively and influence outcomes, businesses can develop teams that have the confidence and leadership skills crucial to their continued growth and success.
Businesses do not improve by continuing to do things the way they have always been done; they need innovators and creative thinkers who can drive improvement.
Embedding a culture of opportunity will encourage valuable contributions to business decisions and lay the foundations to develop the next generation of confident leaders.
Jill Leavy
Founder
HALF
One business practice I would love organisations to leave behind is the “random act of wellness” – i.e. treating workplace wellbeing as a collection of standalone initiatives or a “niceto-have”, rather than an integral part of culture, policies and day-to-day ways of working.
Pizza and pints are always welcome, as are yoga classes and wellbeing weeks. But none can compensate for a culture that regularly requires people to work through lunch or makes them feel like they must be constantly available and can’t comfortably step away to make use of the wellness supports on offer.
A lunchtime yoga class is a good benefit on the face of it, but considerably less so if nobody feels they can leave their desk to take part.
Health is ultimately personal but creating an environment that makes healthy choices practical can have a tangible, meaningful impact.
Vhi’s 2025 Workplace Health Insights found that just 37 percent of employees felt their workplace supported them to engage in preventative health activities. One-third worried that using workplace wellness supports during working hours could make them appear less committed, while 45 percent said lack of time was a barrier to managing their health.
This is where a “whole workplace” approach matters. The World Health Organisation’s Healthy Workplace Framework looks beyond individual interventions to the physical and psychosocial work environment, personal health resources and wider community involvement.
The Healthy Ireland at Work framework published by the Department of Health reflects this approach, placing sustainable culture change at the heart of effective workplace wellbeing.
Even simple steps matter. Healthy Ireland encourages workplaces to make healthy choices easier, including providing nutritious food options at meetings and in canteens and adequate time and space to eat.
Organising a nutrition talk for employees can be useful but you’re fighting an uphill battle if biscuits are the only snack on offer in meeting rooms and dining “al desko” is the norm.
Wellbeing initiatives have a place but only in tandem with a genuinely healthy workplace culture. The pizza can stay; it just can’t carry the entire wellbeing strategy.
Brian Murphy
Partner and Global Lead, Best Managed Companies Programme
Deloitte
The business practice I think organisations should leave behind is underinvesting in cyber risk
. Cyber security is already a prominent concern for Irish business leaders. Studies show that the majority of organisations have encountered one or more cyber incidents over a 12-month period; it’s now a question of “when, not if”.
The consequences of a cyber-attack can be severe, both operationally and financially. In one recent case, an attack on a manufacturer’s systems halted production for six weeks.
With skilled cyber specialists in short supply, Irish businesses are increasingly turning to AI-driven threat detection, training and certification programmes, and managed services to strengthen their defences.
Effective cyber transformation requires investment in people, processes and technology. Employees need the skills and awareness to recognise threats.
Well-integrated processes can help a business respond quickly and restore operations when an incident occurs. Technology should support those efforts while enabling business objectives.
Cyber risk has to be a boardroom priority. The cost of getting it wrong is too high.
“EFFECTIVE CYBER TRANSFORMATION REQUIRES INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE, PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGY”