As people functions become more analytical and data-rich, CPOs are facing a new tension: organisations are easier to measure than ever, but not necessarily easier to design, lead, or trust. This session examines how leading organisations are building adaptive operating models that balance workforce agility, capability building, and performance, without defaulting to metrics that oversimplify human systems. The discussion focuses on the real trade-offs CPOs are navigating, including which people data genuinely improves organisational design decisions, where analytics creates false certainty, and how leaders retain empathy, context, and accountability as decision making becomes more visible and data-driven. Key takeaways: - Learn how senior people leaders are designing adaptive organisations that can flex skills, teams, and capability as priorities shift. - Understand which workforce and organisational metrics are proving useful in practice, and which are quietly distorting decisions. - Explore how to balance analytical rigour with human judgement and empathy in high-stakes organisational design choices. - Gain perspective on how to equip leaders to use people data responsibly, without outsourcing judgement to dashboards.