Session 13. Oral Presentation for: Embracing change and driving performance at Woodside Australia with a people-led operating system

Presented on 20 May 2026: Session 13 Woodside is strengthening our approach to operational performance across all dimensions; safety, production, cost, and culture, by empowering our people to lead change, drive improvement, and build a culture of ownership. This shift places our workforce at the centre of performance and improvement, recognising that sustainable success depends on engaged, capable teams. To enable this, the Australian Business has introduced Performance Edge, an integrated operating system built on four principles; Connect, People, Performance, and Improvement. More than a toolkit, Performance Edge provides a shared language, consistent behaviours, and adaptable practices, enabling teams to deliver today’s outcomes while building the capability and culture needed for long-term success. Unlike traditional top-down transformation programs, Performance Edge is deployed through a ‘pull’ model. Teams are invited, not instructed to engage, adapt, and own the framework. This approach has required deeper listening, stronger leadership presence, and greater trust. The result is genuine ownership, with teams driving performance and improvement aligned to their purpose and stakeholder value. Twelve months in, Performance Edge is gaining strong momentum. Teams are reporting stronger engagement, clearer performance metrics, and a common way of working. Our focus now is on embedding sustainable change and shifting leadership mindsets and behaviours to create the time and space for deeper adoption and long-term impact. This paper explores learnings from developing Performance Edge, highlighting how a people-led, adaptive framework can build capability, drive performance, and strengthen community across a complex energy organisation. To access the Oral Presentation click ‘Supplementary data’ below. To read the full paper click here