How to get on the HR speaking circuit

Trying to get on the HR speaking circuit can feel like being at the back of a long queue of a VIP nightclub. If your name’s not on the list, you’re not getting in until you build your professional profile, become a subject expert and attract the attention of event organisers. It may be a […]
I’m in charge, aren’t I? A look at interim leaders

Leaders are fundamental to workplace culture and environment: they are the driving force of an organisation towards its goals and are the key to motivating followers and enabling change. Whether the new leader is internal or external, any alteration in leadership can be unsettling for staff as the leader considers, and potentially changes, central aspects […]
3 reasons why bitesize is a good fit

Research published last year[i] found that access – how fast suitable training can be delivered, followed by flexibility and quality remain the priorities for learning and development professionals. This is hardly surprising – we all want to do things more quickly and flexibly without sacrificing quality, but is it possible? I am reminded of the […]
The 5 Technology Skills All Training Pros Need

Technology is revolutionising every industry, and the training world is no exception. From artificial intelligence (check out my latest AI post on Medium) to automated systems, training professionals are finding new technology and new ways to grow their businesses in an increasingly competitive landscape. Bringing fresh tech into the workplace is incredibly exciting – ‘Imagine […]
Measuring *what we do* needs feedback from others

Be Brave… Ask for feedback! The 2 minute video clip above summarises the main reasons why Observer Assessments matter! Why Observers Matter At work, your behaviour is what’s out there on the front line, shaping your interactions and experiences with everyone you encounter. Belbin Team Roles are clusters of behaviour. Each role is made up […]
Dialogic mindsets, the future of work and straw man L&D arguments

Give yourself a well-earned break and take five to catch up on some highlights of this week’s L&D news and opinion. Let us know what you think of the articles we’ve shared, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed reading too! Straw man arguments in L&D (Sukh Pabial) An interesting piece looking at justifications for specific theories […]
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 […]