2025 Priorities and 2026 Vision John Cheney, CEO of Workbooks lays out his priorities to close out 2025 and dominate 2026

As the end of the year looms, business leaders are scrambling to close out 2025 strong while setting the stage for 2026 and beyond. For John Cheney, CEO of CRM provider Workbooks, the final quarter is about scaling up operations, integrating cutting-edge technology, and ensuring that his team is set up for sustained success.

Recruitment and Onboarding: Scaling for Growth
With growth on the horizon, Cheney's biggest priority is to ramp up his workforce. "We are looking to grow headcount in the business by 50% in the next 12 months," he reveals. "So right now we are prioritising how we are going to recruit more staff and, most importantly, ensure they are onboarded effectively."

He acknowledges that talent acquisition and retention are always challenges, but the stakes are even higher when scaling rapidly. Cheney's approach to tackling these challenges involves a major internal restructure: "Recruiting and retaining talent is always a challenge, but we will be doing it at scale, so we have re-organised the business internally to focus on onboarding and rapid skills development."

It's clear that Workbooks is gearing up for a period of significant growth, but Cheney is determined not to lose sight of the importance of integration. Effective onboarding and training will be key to ensuring that new hires can contribute meaningfully to the company's ambitious goals.

AI Integration: Preparing for the Future
Looking further ahead, Cheney sees one key area that will give Workbooks a competitive edge in 2026: the integration of artificial intelligence. "Deeply integrating AI into our platform," he says, outlining a strategic move he believes will change the game. "We believe that AI integrated with CRM will be a game changer for our customers in 2026, significantly improving the productivity of sales and marketing teams by freeing them up from the 'Admin Burden' and allowing them to focus on high-value tasks."

For Cheney, the transformative potential of AI is not just about keeping pace with industry trends - it's about anticipating the future needs of customers. By automating routine administrative tasks, Workbooks plans to equip its clients with the tools to enhance their strategic output and improve efficiency.

Keeping the Team Motivated Through November's Pressures
As the calendar year winds down, November often becomes a make-or-break month for businesses trying to hit their end-of-year targets. For Cheney, ensuring his team stays focused and motivated is crucial. His approach? Prioritisation and clear leadership.

"I think the key here is to prioritise and ensure the important (not the immediate) actions are delivered," Cheney reflects. "The risk is you get to year-end and realise you haven't got a good plan going into next year."

To avoid that pitfall, Cheney leans on his leadership team to maintain a broader perspective. "We have a great team at Workbooks with highly competent people at all levels, so we need the leaders in the business to focus on the bigger picture and leave the team to deliver the day-to-day." By balancing the short-term pressure of year-end goals with a longer-term strategy, Cheney ensures his team remains focused on what truly matters.

Looking Ahead
As Workbooks accelerates its growth and embraces the potential of AI, Cheney's leadership and strategic vision position the company for continued success. With recruitment and onboarding as top priorities, the company is focused on laying a strong foundation for its next phase of development, all while keeping its eyes firmly on the future of CRM and AI integration.

As for the immediate future? Cheney has the confidence that his team, with their clear focus and strategic mindset, is well-equipped to navigate the pressures of year-end, with eyes already set on the opportunities of 2026 and beyond.