Bridging the Behaviour Gap: The Human Skills Redefining Clinical Data Management (ACDM26 Workshop Recap)
Date: April 27, 2026
This article has been written by Gail Kniveton, who delivered the workshop “Bridging the Behaviour Gap Workshop” at ACDM26 with Amanda Bravery.
At this year’s ACDM Conference 2026, one theme stood out more than any discussion on technology or process:
The biggest challenge we’re facing isn’t capability, it’s our ability to adapt our behaviours to stay relevant.
That might feel counterintuitive given how quickly our industry is evolving. We talk a lot about AI, data, systems and regulation, and rightly so. But when we brought people together in our workshop, the conversation quickly moved beyond these topics to something much more human. We explored how we actually work, adapt and support each other in practice.
Clinical Data Management has always been built on strong technical expertise and discipline. What’s changing now is the context in which those skills and knowledge are applied. There is more collaboration, global working and complexity, and much greater reliance on judgement. The role is expanding, and with that comes a new kind of challenge: how do we evolve as individuals and teams to keep pace?
Across the breakout groups spanning Communication, Critical Thinking, Change and Resilience, Personal Impact, and Global Working, there were some great, energetic discussions. There was a surprising level of alignment in what people were experiencing. The discussions were led by Samia Ali and Jack Rawles (Communication); Anna Hayes and Ali Roskell (Critical Thinking); Gail Kniveton and Amanda Bravery (Change Management and Resilience); Tessa Barrett and Stephanie Hau (Personal Impact); and Gabrielle McQueen and Shawn Harrison (Global Working). A big thank you to everyone who contributed.
Communication came up again and again. We are communicating constantly, but that doesn’t always translate into real connection. Hybrid working, back-to-back virtual meetings, and the loss of non-verbal cues all make it harder to build trust and understanding. It’s not that we are saying less, it’s that it can be harder to feel heard.
With remote working now the primary model for many, we also discussed the behaviours and processes needed to succeed in these environments.
There was also a strong sense that self-development and learning have changed. One group described it as an “expensive MBA”, where development comes from doing, trying, and sometimes getting it wrong. That shift towards experiential learning requires a different mindset, and for many people, that takes time. “Fail fast, fail often and fail forwards” seems to be the positive self development message that we were hearing.
Across the discussions, it became clear that effective critical thinking is shaped as much by behavioural factors as by technical capability. Common blockers included time pressure, siloed data, assumptions, and a tendency to take information at face value or avoid challenge due to perceived blame. In contrast, teams highlighted that stronger outcomes come from actively questioning data, triangulating evidence across systems and stakeholders, testing hypotheses, and identifying patterns through visualisation and trend analysis. Crucially, critical thinking was seen not just as an individual skill, but as a collaborative discipline enabled by cross-functional input and an environment that encourages curiosity, challenge, and shared insight.
The conversation around change and resilience was particularly honest. Many people spoke about the reality of balancing day-to-day delivery with continuous transformation. One comment that resonated was that experts are now learning new skills, which feels both humbling and, in many ways, relevels everyone. It was a powerful reminder that change is not just operational, it’s personal.
We also heard a lot about the growing importance of professional impact. It’s no longer just about what we deliver, but how we show up. Visibility, influence, and communication—your personal brand—all play a bigger role than they once did, particularly in more complex, cross-functional environments.
Global working added another layer. While it brings huge opportunities, it also introduces practical challenges around time zones, boundaries, and ways of working. Several people reflected on the tendency to simply work more to keep up, rather than stepping back and working more effectively.
What was encouraging was that the solutions people discussed were not complicated. They centred on taking the time to listen properly, creating space for feedback, building trust, and being more intentional in how we communicate and prioritise. These are not new ideas, but they are becoming increasingly important and supported.
What stood out most was the positive energy and openness in the room. There was a genuine willingness to reflect, challenge how things have always been done, and learn from each other. That feels like a very positive way to collaborate.
Clinical Data Management is evolving quickly, and that’s a good thing. But the success of that evolution won’t just come from better tools or processes. It will come from how well we support people to adapt, grow, and work together in new ways.
And that’s something we all have a role to play in.
