Why We Treat Change as a Design Problem, Not a People Problem
by: Paul DavidsonPublished on: 30/01/2026Periods of organisational change often bring a rise in deviations, uncertainty, and behaviours that are quickly labelled as resistance or capability gaps. In this article, we explore a different interpretation drawn from more than a decade of supporting regulated organisations through transition: that these moments rarely reveal “people problems”, but instead expose weaknesses in how change has been designed and supported. By listening closely to how people describe their experience of uncertainty, hesitation, and increased risk, quality professionals can treat behaviour as an early warning signal rather than a failure, using change as a stress test for systems, processes, and decision-making. The article invites readers to shift perspective, moving beyond fixing individuals and towards strengthening the conditions that allow quality to hold under pressure.
What inspired us this month
by: Paul DavidsonPublished on: 25/09/2025This month’s Company & Community note pulls together three field insights you can use straight away. First, presenting isn’t just for conference stages. As we prepared the Taking the Pressure out of Presenting masterclass with Christine Mitchell and the RQA, the rapid sign-ups were a reminder that clear delivery under pressure is a daily QA skill. Second, from John’s CPD work with ISPE C&Q: borrowing patterns from neighbouring GxPs pays off. Cross-pollination turns “we’ve never done that here” into practical options when guidance runs thin. Third, Frankie’s GLP refresher surfaced two sponsor-side questions - where input ends and influence begins, and why a GMP CoA flies in one region but needs qualification in another - plus a simple 15-minute drill to strengthen your regulatory judgement. Finally, Thomas’ inspection-readiness work reframed internal audits as rehearsal, not exam: intent lowers the temperature, candour improves, and the best audits remove work, not add it. Action box: five small moves you can run in the next 30 days to present smarter, test your judgement, lower the temperature before reviews, cross-pollinate a practice, and set clean sponsor/SD boundaries. Small steps, real momentum.
Company & Community: Curiosity in Action and New Resources
by: Paul DavidsonPublished on: 22/08/2025The Company & Community section of our newsletter is not intended as a sales pitch. Normally, it’s where we share the different ways Headway and the wider QA community are making an impact. We’ll continue to use this space to highlight notable projects, milestones, and personal successes our readers choose to share. This edition, though, is focused on new launches from our own team. First, Paul has created Curiosity in Action - a limited coaching programme, linked to the topic of his session at the RQA International Conference. This 3-session, 1:1 coaching journey is designed for GLP and GCP QA professionals who feel their career progression has stalled. It comes with peer community access and a free digital copy of When the Science Isn’t Enough - but places are capped at 10. Second, Frankie and Paul have published their latest book, Is Your Audit of QA Working for You?, available now on our website and Amazon. Finally, we’ve opened the waitlist for the Headway Learning Lounge, a new community for QA professionals who want to share ideas and grow together. We’d love your input: what would you like to see us create or highlight in future editions?
