Category For experienced L&D professionals

Trust, talent and the tightrope of skip-level leadership

Close Up Skip Button On Remote Control

Srideep Sarkar explores the complex, often overlooked role of skip-level managers. Far from being passive observers, they must balance influence with restraint, strategy with empathy. From avoiding the saviour complex to nurturing talent indirectly, this is a guide to leading…

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How AI is transforming whistleblower culture at work

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Shannon Walker explores how AI-powered whistleblowing platforms can close the trust gap in traditional reporting systems. With L&D professionals playing a key role in enabling psychological safety, these digital tools offer smarter, more confidential ways to speak up—transforming how organisations…

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Beyond skills: How Baringa built a coaching-powered leadership culture

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Lee Robertson explores how a consultancy invested in coaching for a core leadership capability, transforming culture, performance and progression. Their collaboration with the AoEC helped embed everyday coaching, reshaping how leaders engage, empower and grow talent. The result? A more…

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Training Journal announces 60th anniversary conference: empowering L&D to drive meaningful transformation

60 Balloon

Training Journal marks 60 years with a one-day conference on Monday 24 November 2025 at the Royal Society of Chemistry, London. Designed for mid-to-senior L&D and HR leaders, the practical programme explores AI as an enabler, measurable impact and cross-functional…

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Spoiler alert: Your conference isn’t about you!

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Kim Ellis reflects on the lessons learned from designing and delivering Free Spirits LIVE!, a virtual conference for independent L&D professionals. It wasn’t about flashy tech or speaker line-ups, it was about creating meaningful, human experiences. Here, she shares what…

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Executive coaching in context: exploring intent, impact and interpretation

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Shilpi Sahai examines the complex dynamics executive coaching within organisations through a theoretical lens, exploring its intended and implicit purposes within organisations. Drawing on established frameworks, she highlights the tensions between individual agency and organisational alignment, offering a nuanced perspective…

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From resistance to uptake: Close skills gaps with AI-enabled learning

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AI-based learning platforms promise speed, personalisation and measurable impact. Ian Howell from FutureLearn explores how LXPs remove barriers, match challenge to ability and deliver just-in-time microlearning. He shows how data identifies skills gaps, predicts retention risks and builds motivation through…

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From soft skills to survival skills: Rethinking human capability in the age of AI

Wooden seesaw

Kalindi Hawkins explores how organisations can develop human-centred capabilities to thrive in an AI-driven world. Moving beyond digital upskilling, she shares five practical strategies for building adaptability, resilience, and leadership in uncertainty. This approach turns learning into a strategic asset…

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How to move a cost centre to a profit centre

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Russell Wardrop highlights that learning and development is too often seen as a discretionary cost rather than a strategic investment with business impact. When programmes are designed to drive commercial outcomes, they don’t just inform — they transform. The ROI…

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Can strategic growth and people-first values truly go hand in hand?

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High growth can strain culture, yet scaling with intent keeps people, clients and communities front and centre. Invest in learning, wellbeing and inclusive leadership; align acquisitions to values; embed in local economies; measure performance, not just speed. Heidi Thompson argues…

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