Features
When leaders run on empty, strategy turns into firefighting
Workplace stress is surging, executive burnout is a systemic risk to organisational performance. In a DUSTy polycrisis world, traditional wellbeing initiatives barely touch the root causes. Steve Macaulay sets out a practical HR and L&D roadmap to redesign roles, build psychological safety, embed structured support and impact the whole organisation. The signs of workplace stress are everywhere: UK sickness absence is at its highest for 15 years. According to a CIPD survey, 64% of organisations are taking steps to identify…
The risk radar that stops culture biting back
Most leadership programmes scale fast on assumptions that only unravel in the room. A genuine pilot surfaces hidden beliefs, resistance and the workplace conditions that make behaviour change stick, before the full investment lands. Jimmy Burroughes argues against biased, stacked pilots and shows how to test important reality, not optimism. Most leadership programmes are designed and decided before anyone enters the training room. The content is chosen, facilitators are booked, the business case clears the board or approvals committee, and…
From learning to earning: A practical framework for skills-based compensation and workforce agility
Skills-based pay is gaining traction as organisations seek clearer returns from workplace learning and really embedding this in culture. By linking skill development, assessment and reward, companies can boost motivation, target critical capabilities and strengthen agility. Johnson Wong outlines a practical framework and maturity pathway to start then scale responsibly. Many organisations are investing heavily in workplace learning. Yet a persistent challenge remains: how do we ensure learning translates into real workforce capability and business value? Skills-based pay is an…
L&D’s biggest influence barrier is access to decision-makers
L&D can’t make impact visible an important from the side-lines. The TJ Readiness Enablers Index shows that the biggest bottleneck to meaningful change is access to decision-makers about strategy, budget and priorities. While L&D has momentum, readiness is inconsistent, and influence depends on being close enough to shape action early. In a context of L&D focusing on impact, including grappling with how to measure it, how to evidence it, how to report it and how to make it visible to…
How to lead when everyone is in survival mode
Survival mode at work is often invisible, showing up as relational drift, polite avoidance and quiet withdrawal. Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes explains why individual wellbeing fixes fall short and instead asserts that relational capacity creates psychological safety. Her pathway, regulate, relate, reconnect, offers leaders and L&D a practical way to rebuild trust. We all know the experience of survival mode. The meeting where the energy is wrong before anyone has said a word. The conversation that stays polite on the surface while…
“Day One” has landed: How managers can adapt for the front line of compliance
From April 2026, enhanced Day One rights under the UK Employment Rights Act 2025 remove qualifying periods for key protections. Scott Morris reasons that this is more than compliance: it’s a culture shift. With managers leading early conversations, scenario-based training and consistent practice can build trust, fairness and belonging immediately. April 2026 marks a significant shift in the UK employment landscape. With the introduction of enhanced “Day One” rights under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employees will gain immediate access…
Smarter skills for a messy world: Why middle managers are the real organisational stabilisers
Middle managers hold organisations together by translating strategy into everyday decisions, absorbing emotional tension and making meaning when work is messy. These capabilities are too often mislabelled as “soft skills”, leading to underinvestment and burnout. Gary Cookson argues that they are smarter skills and they drive performance, trust and coherence. Emotional intelligence, sense-making and the human work that keeps organisations moving. We need to stop calling them “soft skills.” That’s a misleading label. If emotional intelligence, judgement, communication and adaptability…
The five power skills that will matter most as AI reshapes work
As AI embeds itself into organisations, the focus shifts to the human capabilities it cannot replace. Nicki Morris explores five priorities for workforce development: AI literacy, clear communication and prompting, reflective critical thinking, emotional and ethical judgement, and creativity. For L&D teams, the challenge is building these skills at scale. There was no single moment when work changed, no announcement, no countdown; it just did. As AI quietly embeds itself into organisations, workflows and leadership decisions, the numbers tell a…
Psychological safety is your secret weapon when training gets awkward
Disengaged training rooms are often a symptom of low psychological safety, rather than poor facilitation. Donald Thompson outlines practical ways to build trust before and during sessions. He explores strategies such as clear expectations, thoughtful responses and calm, civil discussion, so that learners feel safe enough to contribute and grow. Few things can derail a training session faster than silence. Participants exchange glances across the room, waiting for someone else to speak. Remote attendees hide behind generic screens and dark…
The execution gap in L&D: Why strategic ambitions are outpacing reality
In a world of huge rising demand, reskilling pressure and AI acceleration, L&D keeps saying it must be strategic. But operational data shows execution is where things fail: prioritisation, flow, capacity and measurement. Ryan Austin argues the real shift is operating better, not doing more, and lays out the evidence. Over the past decade, the role of learning and development has been steadily redefined. L&D is no longer expected to simply deliver training. The expectation now is far broader and…
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