Southern Cross Coaching & Development are very proud to announce we’ve been named as Finalists in the 2026 HR Innovation Awards: Innovator of the Year for 2 categories:
- Best Training and Development Program and
- Best Loyalty and Retention Program!🎉
The Best Training and Development Program finalist list consists of 7 other finalists chosen from across Australia, and the Best Loyalty and Retention Program features just 2 others.
These Finalist awards are for our personalised Roadmap to Leadership Success Program (see image and information below👇) which was also Winner of the 2025 Defence and National Security Workforce Awards, and Finalist in the 2025 Australian Defence Industry Awards.
HR Leader Managing Editor Jerome Doraisamy extended his congratulations to all finalists.
“Being named as a finalist, or eventual winner, is a massive feather in the cap for any and all HR professionals nationwide,” he said.
“Those who are true innovators are those that are thinking outside the box, stepping out of their comfort zone, and challenging what it means to lead workplaces in an ever-changing professional landscape.”
“We wish all finalists the very best of luck for these inaugural awards,” Doraisamy concluded.
Southern Cross Coaching & Development’s CEO, Simon Smith adds:
“I’m super-proud of my incredible team – they’re the people who make this program such a success.
It’s not just their depth of expertise – it’s also a deep, genuine care for and belief in people and seeing people’s potential fulfilled. And they consistently go way beyond ‘the extra mile’ to make sure people get the best outcomes and make this such a successful program – THANK YOU!👏🤩”
Winners will be announced at a black-tie gala at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Friday, 26 June 2026 – please wish us luck!! 🤞🍀🌠✊
Best Training and Development Program
The 2026 HR Innovation Awards Best Training and Development Program is awarded to an organisation that has designed and implemented a training and development program that builds workforce capability, supports career growth, and strengthens organisational performance.
It celebrates initiatives that enhance learning experiences, drive skills development, and deliver measurable outcomes for both employees and the business.
The award recognises achievements in areas including, but not limited to: leadership development, technical skill-building programs, mentoring or coaching initiatives, onboarding programs, learning technology adoption, or initiatives that enhanced organisational capability.
Best Loyalty and Retention Program
The 2026 HR Innovation Awards Best Loyalty and Retention Program is awarded to an organisation that has implemented a program that successfully enhances employee loyalty and retention.
It celebrates initiatives that improve engagement, reduce turnover, and strengthen organisational culture, while supporting business objectives and aligning with the organisation’s values and strategic direction.
The award recognises achievements in areas including, but not limited to: retention strategies, career development initiatives, wellbeing programs, leadership engagement programs, or initiatives that improved employee satisfaction and reduced turnover.
Leaders build their own personalised Leadership Strengths and Development Needs Roadmap, with Career Next Steps and Training Needs Analysis, based on an Emotional Intelligence 360-degree assessment and a personality assessment – direct, real-time workplace feedback.
The Roadmap to Leadership Success (RLS) program is then further personalised to each individual through 3-5 hours of Executive Coaching (depending on seniority and requirements).
The coaching engenders real-time workplace behaviour change based on the 360-degree Emotional Intelligence assessment strengths and development need & blind spots feedback, and the proven personality assessment.
The Roadmap holds participants accountable for outcomes – further enhanced by mapping the Roadmap outcomes to an organisational capability framework where one is available.
About the Roadmap to Leadership Success Program
The Roadmap to Leadership Success program is personalised and adapted to each person, so it’s suitable for leaders at all levels.
💯% of participants said they would recommend the program to others!
(delivered to over 500 participants)
A completely individualised Leadership Development program mapped to your organisation’s Capability Framework (if available), based on an Emotional Intelligence 360-degree assessment and the 15FQ+ personality assessment.
Participants build their own individual Leadership Roadmap based on the real-time workplace feedback from their Emotional Intelligence 360, and receive 3-5 hours of individualised leadership development coaching.
The Roadmap and coaching gets participants to realise and document in their Roadmap, their:
✅ Strengths
✅ Development needs and blind spots
✅ Career next steps and
✅ A training needs analysis
Construction of a personalised Leadership Development Roadmap document is a tangible, accountable program outcome – especially when Roadmaps are shared with managers (when agreed upfront).
The most popular Roadmap Leadership Development Contexts are listed below, but the Roadmap can be customised to specific organisation, team, and individual needs.
Roadmaps can be shared with supervisors or can be a personal individual development tool. When shared with supervisors, clients have used Roadmaps as part of annual/ 6-monthly/ ongoing Professional Development Plans.
Practical Leadership contexts
Roadmaps focus on strengths, development needs and blind spots across:
✅ Managing Up and Executive Communication
✅ Leading Teams and Stakeholders
✅ Adapting to, Leading and Dealing with Change
✅ Collaboration, Teamwork and Connection
✅ Communication & Confidence and Negotiating & Influencing
✅ All are mapped to the organisation’s Capability Framework (if available)
✅ Shared with managers/supervisors when agreed upfront
