Do we always need learning analytics – or is gut instinct a valid approach?
Learning analytics is essential to assessing the impact of L&D solutions on the performance of both learners and the business. But is there a time and a place for going with gut instinct too? In my opinion, before any major learning programmes take place, data should be collected to inform any decisions about the actions that […]
Learning at work: how to persuade stakeholders and employees of the importance of continuous learning
On Learning at Work Week 2019, we look at some of the common impediments and objections to implementing training in the workplace and how L&D professionals can overcome them and secure buy-in from management and employees alike. A robust learning and development programme is a cornerstone of every successful organisation, especially in the current unpredictable business […]
It’s all about the numbers: how to help your teams have the confidence and ability to develop numeracy skills
Ahead of National Numeracy Day – which takes place on 15th May – KPMG and other leading businesses have joined National Numeracy in calling on the UK business community to help improve the nation’s numeracy skills. Here are five ways L&D professionals can help with this positive drive. Research shows that an estimated 18.5 million […]
Complex diplomacy: how to deal with conflicting demands and information overload
In today’s fast-paced world of work, there is a constant need to negotiate a compromise between conflicting demands across multiple projects. But by implementing the right strategies and not succumbing to the desire to multi-task, project managers and team leads can successfully rise to the challenges of the digital age. Tight deadlines, limited budgets and […]
Getting Your Team Stoked for L&D Success
As a leader and guiding force of your company, you likely have all the usual sound reasons for implementing programs of learning and development. For the health of your business, a focus on training rather than hiring employees is key. When you consider that it can cost up to nine months of an employee’s salary […]
Skills training: why the distinction between soft and hard skills no longer matters
The line is blurring between soft and hard skills, so is it time we came up with a new way of thinking about how we train employees? Appreciation for soft skills always lagged behind the status of technical qualifications and, in the past, those who specialised in the training of soft skills might not have […]
Learning analytics: why we need to get better at measuring performance
Measuring the impact of learning and development programmes is about so much more than the traditional ‘ROI’. Here are some other ways L&D professionals can prove their worth. We’re at a pivotal moment in UK history. In the face of political uncertainty, a rapidly evolving workplace, and trends like automation and artificial intelligence transforming how […]
Three benefits of peer-to-peer learning
Employee-to-employee – or peer-to-peer learning – is something that’s increasingly important in today’s workforce. It’s a great way of developing skillsets, and can be done in-house with all the necessary tools to hand. But, why are more organisations still not utilising its power? Given the ‘war for talent’ is a never-ending fight, businesses have to […]
How to get businesses on board with learning and development
Many businesses are failing to invest in employee training for a variety of reasons, but this can prove a costly mistake. Here are the four most common objections to investing in learning and development and how to challenge them. A third of businesses in the UK do not offer their employees any time for training […]
How to build a sustainable learning strategy
There is a huge skills gap in the UK, but instead of looking to solve it by bringing in new staff, companies need to consider the long-term investment of training their existing workforce. We regularly see influential business people and economists speaking out against myopic strategies. In the last three months, we’ve seen CEOs Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon […]
How to become more proactive and less reactive
Being a proactive person isn’t just about getting things done, at its heart it should mean taking affirmative action within strategic parameters. Most people, if you were to ask them, think of themselves as being pretty proactive. We have so much choice, information and freedom now, coupled with a strong sense of individuality. We operate within that cozy bubble […]
Instilling a culture of continuous learning
Imagine a world in which all learning stopped when you reached a certain point. There would be no more training courses, no more personal development programmes; just an endless conveyor belt of repetitive tasks stretching into an unchanging future. But what about promotion, what about moving to new jobs, what about responding to customer demand […]
Are L&D professionals ready to transform the industry?
High-performing learning organisations are extremely good at developing the L&D function itself. But among the rest of the industry, the continual professional development of learning practitioners is not seen as a priority. This needs to change if we want to remain relevant to businesses. Addressing the low confidence levels in the L&D profession is first a matter […]
Apprenticeship levy: changing perceptions could reap rewards
It’s National Apprenticeship Week, a chance to celebrate the impact of apprenticeships. Here we examine changes to the apprenticeship levy and how employers should reconsider its potential to create a more skilled and diverse workforce. Apprenticeships have been a topic of conversation since their announcement in 2017. Since then, companies have been getting to grips with the levy, what it […]
How to tackle the skills gap: the importance of certification
Employers need to take control of the looming skills gap and ensure their employees are trained and fully certified using the latest agile techniques and digital tools. I’ve heard it said that “while knowledge is acquired in universities, when the young scientist comes to the labour market this knowledge proves to be incomplete.” Hands-on, practical skills and experience have always been valuable […]
Three ways to develop the soft skills of your existing employees
Bringing soft skills into your business doesn’t necessarily require hiring new talent. Promoting the development of these competencies among your existing workforce is a far more practical and cost-efficient approach. Having the right staff onboard in your organisation is not an easy task but it is certainly a crucial one in order to get any business running […]
How to take control of your own career path
Maintaining relevant skills in a time of digital revolution is crucially important and having a responsible job can leave you feeling overwhelmed. To be an effective colleague and leader you must prioritise your own continuous professional development. In our roles, we are often placed in situations that require us to give more of ourselves than might normally be appropriate. This can […]
How to help your team overcome self-censorship
In order to encourage employees to open up at work, managers need to lead by example. Only in this way can organisational cultures change for the good of everyone. Vulnerability. It gives me the confidence to let go, build trust, embrace conflict and allows everyone in a team to share our individual truth. I was […]
How to future-proof your career from automation
There has been much discussion centred around the impact of AI, automation, and robots on the future of work. Many people are divided on whether or not it is a good thing that more and more machines are implemented into the workforce at an ever-increasing rate – otherwise known as Industry 4.0 or the fourth […]
Five ways to bolster your resilience in the workplace
In today’s ever-changing and fast-paced world, resilience is critical to success. But it’s also one of the hardest skills to master… Resilience became a bit of a buzzword in 2018 and there’s been a lot of talk about it in the industry, but how do you really build it from within? It’s actually simpler than […]
