Graduate skills gap: nurturing business skills in young employees
For years now the headlines have shouted out that young people are not ready for the world of work. A British Chambers of Commerce survey said “young people need more support to make transition from education to work”. The statistics are scary: 88% of businesses think school leavers are unprepared for the workplace. 54% think graduates […]
Defining the skills gap: what can you actually do?
From Barking to Bangladesh, there is a skills gap. Quite literally at opposite ends of the world and everywhere in between there is a lack in crucial skills for employability and the workplace in general. I’m not talking about CV writing and interview technique – those are a given and if you don’t have these you’re […]
The second secret of accelerated learning: facilitate don’t train
Last time we looked at business focused and learner centred objectives, the most important of the five secrets. It’s the most important because without it, there is no focus, engagement or follow up. This time, we’ll look at the second of the five secrets, ‘facilitate don’t train’. At the time of first publishing these five […]
Learning transfer and the ‘angels’ share’: how to brew the perfect learning experience
It happened in one week. On Monday, my two sons and I watched our favourite TV show, How it’s made. The episode was about making whisky. We learnt about ingredients, the brewing process, ageing, the function of the wooden barrels and the idea of ‘the angels’ share’. Later that week I watched a nice Scottish […]
Leadership: the three top skills all leaders need
You are probably used to tapping into a variety of skills, techniques and competences to manage people, teams and get the most out of them. You probably have to learn quickly to develop and foster what you don’t have. Despite this, you may not have thought about these three critical skills that supercharge performance, productivity […]
Post-Brexit Britain needs skilled workers
The government’s controversial decision to prorogue parliament means the UK’s withdrawal from the EU appears imminent. For a post-Brexit Britain to achieve economic success, however, we have to get to grips with our productivity crisis, which is restricting our economic potential. To do so demands a fundamental reassessment of our attitudes towards further education, while […]
Leadership: the problem with managers and how to upskill them
Poor old managers. They really get it in the neck, don’t they? They’ve got top-down pressure to deliver more with less, little time to translate or enthuse their own teams with the need for more, better or faster work, and still less time or encouragement for personal or professional development. In learning and development we […]
The first secret of accelerated learning – finding the balance in priorities
In 2013, I developed my ‘five secrets of accelerated learning’. These ‘secrets’ as I call them, were the culmination of research into a fascinating area. This area had many contributors but, up until then, there was no one unifying model to cover everything we had learned about how to accelerate learning through an organisation. This […]
Leadership: why adaptability is the must-have skill for leaders today
Leadership programmes are littered with coaching models, strategic planning canvases and commercial awareness simulations. Whilst all this stuff is still relevant and important, it’s not what will make a leader successful, only passable. Every industry and workplace will continue to be disrupted by technology, and therefore adaptability is often cited as the number one attribute […]
Leadership skills and development
Presentation skills: take a deep breath and drop the corporate mask
Connecting with an audience in a business setting isn’t just about content – it’s about being able to bring your authentic self to the room. To get better at giving presentations, we first need to look within ourselves. In a corporate training room in London, an inspiring space with lots of natural light, creative décor, […]
A level playing field: why it’s time to rebrand vocational education
With the skills gap now wider than ever, the UK’s young people and employers need to embrace vocational education paths more than ever – but why are people so reluctant? With the summer drawing to a close, many of the UK’s young people have now received their exam results and are weighing up their options. When […]
VIDEO: What’s your work/life tipping point?
Struggling with your work/life balance? Maggie Buggie, SVP, Global Head of Innovation Services & Solutions at SAP (formerly at Capgemini) suggests finding your tipping point, and asks whether there’s a more important underlying question to face. “A lot of people ask me about work/life balance, and I have to be very honest here, I genuinely don’t […]
Transformational leadership: it’s not what you think
Don’t be fooled by the name – transformational leadership is charismatic leadership with a fancy title. The idea of transformational leadership sounds good when taken at face value. A transformational leader is someone who instills pride, respect and trust in their followers. They inspire and motivate people beyond expectations, sparking innovation and change. If you […]
Why apprenticeships are thriving alongside Brexit uncertainty
Amid the uncertainty that Brexit brings for business, apprenticeships are growing in popularity as a practical and cost effective way to upskill the nation’s workforce. The tide is starting to turn when it comes to attitudes towards degrees versus apprenticeships. Years ago, apprenticeships were seen only for those that were unable to get into university. […]
Digital transformation: how to help your people navigate through uncharted territory
Digital transformation is not all about technology. It is easy to forget, but a critical element to consider as your company’s tech evolves is how to support your people as you take them along the journey with you… In 2016 it was predicted that global investment in digital transformation initiatives would reach $2.2 trillion by 2019. […]
Why memory is the most important skill to train employees in
Training employees to have better memory skills makes logical and financial sense – after all, why spend money training them in other skills if they won’t be able to remember them? Here are some tips to help improve memory recall. What if you could not only help your employees to improve their performance, but at […]
Better tailoring education and training for your employees
A ‘one size fits all’ approach to learning is no longer appropriate in today’s working environment. It’s time for organisations to offer truly tailored learning solutions to ensure that the learning needs of employees and the business are met. Transformational changes are happening in every industry and if someone received a degree five years ago, […]
Holistic learning: engaging the mind in learning
How to create learning experiences that mentally engage learners to generate changes in the brain.
Personal development: five ways to improve your critical thinking skills
Rapid technological change has created unique and complex problems to solve, which means critical thinking is now an important skill to nurture – but what are the main traits of a critical thinker? How can you awaken your skills in this area? Lots of people throw around the term ‘critical thinking’, but seem to use […]
