How employers can turn training ambition into productivity gains
Are current learning efforts developing capabilities with long-term staying power? Emma O’Dell explores how to close the gap between training activity and future readiness.
Three reasons why leadership training isn’t working
UK workers are stressed, disengaged and unproductive. They think they’d do a better job than their line manager. Robin Hoyle delves into the three main reasons why leadership development is not having a discernible positive impact.
How to build skills to reduce the stress of workplace conflict
Relationship breakdowns at work can lead to higher levels of stress and anxiety. For Stress Awareness Month, Anna Shields explores the skills that can help to mitigate these harms and how to build them.
You don’t have an AI problem, you have a skills problem
While generative AI is widely adopted in UK workplaces, its promised productivity gains are being limited by a significant skills and training gap. Cassandra MacDonald explores how to turn AI from a promising technology into a genuine driver of productivity.
The mid-career pivot: Are you developing people for a career that no longer exists?
Career paths and progress aren’t as prescriptive as they once were and the mid-career pivot is becoming the norm. Olivia Coughtrie says the question isn’t really whether people will pivot, it’s whether they’ll feel able to do it where they are.
Recruit for attitude, train for skill: Are we ready to take this seriously?
As the world of work shifts and the ability to evolve becomes increasingly important, capability is becoming less about stored knowledge and more about learning agility. Matt Somers explains why a coaching style of leadership is well suited to this new world.
From confrontation to conversation: How coaching transforms conflict
Many workplace conflicts are not really about the issue that first lands on the table. Louise Webb provides an ER perspective on how by moving from reactivity to curiosity, leaders can resolve conflict earlier and more effectively.
Four leadership mindsets, one hidden barrier: Is fear holding you back?
New research from GP Strategies shows that the biggest barrier to better leadership isn’t a knowledge gap, it’s fear. Until L&D programmes are designed to build deliberate courage alongside mindset awareness, that gap will persist.
What if it’s not a skills gap? Six things to try before a training fix
Yet another training request falls on your plate. What should you do next? Dani Bacon and Garin Rouch share an OD perspective on why the problem you’ve been asked to solve may not be a skills gap at all, and outline six systemic alternatives to explore first.
The future of work, shaped by 65 people practitioners
On 5-6 February 2026, 65 senior talent and HR leaders gathered in Amsterdam to collectively help shape the future of work. L&D expert Nigel Paine reports on the four themes that brought them together – from harnessing AI for good to rethinking leadership development in a world without certainty.
From counting completions to driving revenue: The essential L&D skill set
L&D leaders are no longer judged on how many courses they run or who attends. They’re solving business problems, proving ROI, and making learning work in the flow of everyday life. Brad Batesole of Madecraft explores this fundamental shift and the skills required to succeed as a talent development professional today.
2026 L&D predictions: The year of resets, workflow and real human connection
What will shape L&D in the year ahead? We asked our top writers of 2025 to share their predictions for 2026. From AI-driven workflow transformation and renewed focus on human relationships, to transferable skills and boundaryless performance, here’s what lies ahead for the profession.
Personal development: how to increase your adaptability
Are you as adaptable as you think? Here’s how to find out – and increase your skills.
Applying Johns Reflection Model to your learning process
Applying Johns Reflection Model to the learning process will help individuals and teams grow.
Why L&D needs to put on Superman’s cape in 2026
Learning and development has spent too long playing Clark Kent – quietly capable but underestimated. Erica Farmer, Business Director at Quantum Rise Talent Group Ltd, argues 2025 proved it’s time to put on Superman’s cape. Can your function shed the mild-mannered act and embrace its strategic superpowers: vision, capability building, and evidence-driven impact?
How to choose the LMS that’s right for you – and your reskilling and upskilling needs
How do you pick the LMS that meets your organisation’s unique needs? It starts with asking the right questions and consulting deeply with stakeholders. Here, Natalie Ann Holborow of Synergy Learning outlines how to match your skills requirements to LMS features – basing your choice around business goals, not a flashy sales pitch.
2025 in review: Did the L&D experts get it right?
With the end of the year drawing closer, we asked 11 L&D experts to look back at their 2025 forecasting. Did they get it right? Were they woefully wrong? Find out here.
Free Skills Starter tool: Helping employers turn skills challenges into action
With only 46% of UK organisations having a written skills plan in place, The Open University (OU) and TrainingZone have created a free tool to help organisations move from concern to concrete action on their workforce skills gaps.
Iterative learning: The fourth I of real learning
Our fast-paced world pushes us to learn a new skill on our first attempt. To tick the box and move on to the next thing. But, in reality, mastering anything new requires constant revisitation and a hefty dose of ‘digging deep’. In his Six Is of learning model, Andrew Gibbons explains why iterative learning, although painstaking, is essential to reaching our goals.
Incremental learning: The third I of real learning
Many of us have great ambitions to pick up a new skill as quickly as possible. But the reality is that we learn most effectively in small, gradual steps. In his Six Is of learning model, Andrew Gibbons explains why incremental learning offers far greater value – at lower cost – than structured training. Discover how to help your learners shift mindsets, slow the pace, and grow sustainably.