Agile: how can Learning & Development get buy-in from CEOs?

Agile has been transforming technology since the early noughties when the birth of the Agile Manifesto gave rise to a new approach for developing software. Now others understandably want to get in on the Agile action – if the significant benefits experienced in IT can be replicated elsewhere, then the potential opportunity for organisations is […]
Leadership isn’t a 6 month plan

The trouble is that we start discussing things in January, finalise plans sometime around April, it then takes a couple of months to get people and budgets in place by which time we’re into the summer holidays. So it’s hardly surprising then that we really get going on our annual plan sometime around September by […]
7 Smart and Efficient Strategies to Win Your Team

Exceptional leaders understand that their business performance is heavily influenced by several, different factors. One of the big aspects that many are concerned with is the lack of trust that comes from their employees. When your team doesn’t trust you, the leader of the company, you’re most likely to encounter a lot of resistance coming […]
4 tactics to help learning leaders cultivate agility

In our first article looking at cultivating agility through learning we explored how our latest benchmark report, Unlocking Potential, shines a spotlight on the behaviours of organisations that are achieving efficiency outcomes. Our data shows that organisations that are successful at cultivating agility have a laser-precision focus on engaging staff with 43% of what we […]
NLP Communication Model

Has anyone got any tried and tested innovative exercises for the NLP Communication Model, particularly around giving feedback. Thanks in advance…all ideas welcome. Has anyone got any tried and tested innovative exercises for the NLP Communication Model, particularly around giving feedback.Thanks in advance…all ideas welcome.
“Organisations could do a lot more to give candidates a better chance to ‘self select’ themselves into the role.”

Lucy Standing is a chartered business psychologist and vice chair of the Association for Business Psychology. She is the founder of ViewVo, a shadowing service that connects those who want to learn what it’s like to do a job with experts in that field. Lucy will be speaking at Learning Live on September 6th and 7th on […]
Brexit: Is It Bad News for Training Professionals?

So, we’ve released our annual Training Industry Benchmark Report, which surveys training professionals across a broad range of subjects – and the verdict is in: Brexit means bad news for the industry. Respondents were asked: ‘Overall, what impact do you believe Brexit will have on the training industry?’ and, much like the referendum result itself, […]
Assumption is the enemy of true understanding

Communication: one of the single most important components not just in business but in life as well. Without communication there is no empathy, no shared ideas, and no opportunity for development. Without communication we are all just ciphers on a spreadsheet; separated by boxes with no chance of interaction; going nowhere. If communication is so […]
Drawing the line for line managers in conflict management skills

It’s a perennial problem that most of us have either witnessed or even been a part of. You are good at your job and get promoted to a position where, very soon, you find that you are no longer doing ‘your job’. Instead, you are managing teams of people with little support or understanding on […]
How to harness the power of a compelling vision

Vision, one of the most popular buzzwords in business, has been discussed in management literature, offices and boardrooms around the world. Yet I think it remains one of the most misinterpreted and underused concepts in business. Here’s an example of the word “vision” that has become so common. At a recent meeting with Stan, the […]
Learning from Glastonbury’s big talent problem

I was reading an article looking at this year’s Glastonbury headliners, when I was struck by a realisation: they were all white men with guitars. Then I read that they have all played Glastonbury before—up to five times, as in the case of Radiohead. Before the 2017 festival had even kicked off, a new study […]
4 tactics to help learning leaders fine-tune processes

In our article looking at driving process improvement through learning we explored the role of managers in transforming formal learning processes. Our latest benchmark report, Unlocking Potential, shows that this group of employees is the key to unlocking more effective learning. We know from our ongoing research with over 35,000 learners that 78% find support from […]
5 Management Lessons Your Won’t Learn At Business

Being a manager requires a lot of skills. Along with building and maintaining a workforce, you also have to keep your employees motivated and interested, deal with complex ethical or monetary issues and help improve productivity in your office. Although business school can equip you with some of the skills necessary to be an effective […]
4 tactics to help learning leaders improve efficiency

In our first article looking at driving organisational efficiency through learning, we explored how our latest benchmark report, Unlocking Potential, shines a spotlight on the behaviours of organisations that are achieving efficiency outcomes. When we do this we see marked differences in who is and isn’t achieving outcomes related to efficiency. Our data shows us […]
The 5 Essential Functions of a great boss

Great business owners become great based on their actions. Intentions are meaningless. Words are important. Results are everything. But probably not the kinds of results you might have in mind. Consistently accomplish these five functions and you, your company — and most importantly your employees — all reap the benefits. Develop every employee. If your sole focus is […]
When its Time to Consider an In-House Career Coach

There are thousands of guides which talk about the benefits of training and how it is one of the most valuable investments a business can make. But words cannot trump results, and the results which businesses all too often see from training program are bored employees who are resentful of having to take the time […]
70:20:10 – is there any point in training?

What on earth does 70:20:10 mean? Expedition Organiser James Eynon delves in to the controversial model and asks whether it means training courses are not as useful as many people think… I spent some time catching up with industry forums this morning, and I noticed that many people have written about 70:20:10. Interested to learn more, I decided to […]
Reflecting on cost v value in business. Do you know the difference?

Robin Hoyle is a writer, trainer and consultant. He is the author of Complete Training: from recruitment to retirement and Informal Learning in Organizations; how to create a continuous learning culture both published by Kogan Page. The IT meltdown which saw British Airways flights cancelled over the Bank Holiday weekend was a sober reminder of how important IT systems are […]
Why Teams Matter!

We spend a lot of time exploring what makes teams work and how to improve their effectiveness, but how often do we stop and think about why and when to deploy teams in the first place? “The essence of effective teamwork is to create a product through a collective effort that exceeds the quality of […]
Leadership traits: real leader don’t makes excuses

As a businessman, you should be a real leader in your business. Exceptional leaders maintain optimum between business premonition, performance and character. They have vision, quality, uprightness, humility and focus close by the ability to plan purposely and catalyze cooperation among their team. Various leadership qualities have been recognized that are important to great leaders […]