Category For experienced L&D professionals

The generation we can’t afford to lose

Young people hiding faces behind the word 'Future' - Concerns and prospects for new generations - Concept of youth questioning their future.

With youth unemployment at its highest since 2014 and junior roles drawing 100+ applicants, employers can’t afford to pass on. Giles Smith argues we’re debating costs while the education-to-work system fails a generation. The answer is redesigning organisations for an…

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The leaking talent pipeline: How AI is quietly undermining leadership succession

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AI is speeding up work while quietly eroding the early-career experiences that shape future leaders. As entry-level roles decline, judgement, emotional intelligence and organisational fluency have fewer places to form. Leena Rinne argues succession strength must be measured in capability,…

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Why people quit e-learning and what to do about it

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E-learning completion rates are a symptom, not a learner flaw. When courses feel like early-2000s slide decks, attention evaporates. This article argues better design wins: show value fast, respect time with bite-sized sessions, use narrative, cut friction and drive practical…

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Conference overload? Why L&D events need creative reflection

TJ 60 conference creative session (C) AMC Newton

Conference days can feel like a firehose: keynotes, chats, slides, then a tired journey home and a notebook nobody opens. AMC Newton and Amelia Wakeford show how intentional reflection breaks overload, helping brains consolidate learning. Their Creative Download approach uses…

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The mid-career crisis employers aren’t talking about: How L&D can fix the mid-career plateau

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Somewhere between ‘settled’ and ‘stuck’, mid-career talent hits a quiet dip that drains energy and invites exits. Drawing on workplace happiness data, Kimberley Rowbottom shows why employees at the five/ten-year point feel least recognised and developed. Potential solutions include personalised…

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The skills obsession is creating a performance blind spot

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Charles Jennings highlights the issue no training programme addresses: behavioural patterns inside teams that derail performance. He shows why Behavioural Risk should be on every L&D leader’s agenda, shifting focus from individual upskilling to interaction. Diagnose dynamics, track psychological safety…

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TJ podcast: The rise of the supermanager: Why AI transformation still needs human leadership – episode 330

Julia Bersin joins Jo Cook to explore the rise of the supermanager and why AI transformation still depends on human leadership. As organisations rethink management layers, managers remain critical to trust, experimentation and adoption, helping teams turn AI investment into…

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From controller to keyboard: Why gamers are an untapped IT pipeline

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Could your next cybersecurity analyst be a gamer? Ben Smith explores five gaming-honed strengths, from pattern recognition to resilient problem solving, and shows how L&D can convert them into job-ready capability. Expect practical ideas for onboarding, labs and simulations that…

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Gen Z – rebuilding workplace culture, break by break

Young man enjoys remote work with matcha in a vibrant cafe during summer

We’ve been told that Gen Z are reshaping the workplace, and not always for the better. They’ve been typecast as less focused, more demanding, and more likely to challenge traditional ways of working. Russell Cowley argues that taking proper breaks…

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The leadership blind spot: Managers who stop listening when it gets awkward

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Difficult workplace conversations are now routine, but many managers lose confidence when emotions rise and listening matters most. Joseph Conway explores why employees feel dismissed, what the psychological safety data reveals, and how L&D can build people’s skills for listening…

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