Category For freelancers, consultants & small businesses

TJ podcast: Building L&D influence in a changing world, with Don Taylor – episode 331

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Showing value, building influence and developing the skills to operate strategically are becoming increasingly urgent priorities for L&D. In this TJ podcast conversation, Jo Cook and Don Taylor explore AI-driven uncertainty, entrepreneurial leadership, changing expectations of the profession, and why…

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Coaching’s identity crisis

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The coaching industry may look fragmented and fiercely competitive, but Angela Cox feels it is better understood as a profession still evolving. As models multiply and practitioners adapt what they were taught, the deeper shift is towards more human-centred coaching…

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From intention to action: Designing behaviour that makes change stick

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Don’t demand just willpower! This article draws on two Make Your Brain Work podcast episodes with Amy Brann and Dr Jessie Gulsin to explain why change snaps back to old habits. Learn how biology drives ‘resistance’, why environments beat motivation,…

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Loneliness is an entrepreneur’s hidden challenge

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Entrepreneurship promises freedom, but Reece Borg argues that independence can also bring loneliness, pressure and disconnection. For freelancers, consultants and business owners, success depends not only on resilience and performance, but on building trusted relationships, support networks and spaces for…

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From ‘just busy’ to burned out: Knowing when to reclaim time and when to ask for help

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Drawing on Make Your Brain Work podcast episodes, Amy Brann and Dr Jessie Gulsin unpack how ‘busy’ slips into chronic stress, hijacking prioritisation and health. Learn the biological red flags, why time feels distorted under pressure, and how L&D can…

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Influence is L&D’s biggest readiness challenge: The Josh Bersin Company reacts to the TJ L&D Influence Report 2026

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Jordan Hammerstad, L&D lead at The Josh Bersin Company, argues that L&D must step out of the course factory and into the messy reality of performance where influence evidence and business proximity decide whether change sticks. L&D needs to build…

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From the only woman in the room to 70% female leadership: What we learned

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Malvina Belgrano and Molly Zeugner reflect together on what it takes to reach the C-suite as women, from finding visible role models to challenging biased feedback and pay gaps. They argue that safe spaces, transparency and diverse leadership are essential…

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Breaking the L&D loop: Why more content isn’t the answer

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Chris Eigeland argues that L&D teams must stop measuring success by the size of their content libraries and start curating smarter, skills-led pathways. With AI, governance and better evaluation, organisations can reduce waste, improve engagement and build learning cultures focused…

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Empathy in action: Why coaching conversations turn understanding into impact

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Empathy can get dismissed, but paired with coaching it becomes a performance lever. Drawing on podcast insights, Amy Brann and Dr Jessie Gulsin explore how empathy reduces threat, deep listening builds psychological safety, and clear boundaries strengthen accountability. Practical tips…

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Generative AI rollout in government: More than a software skills challenge

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Former senior civil servants Kate Sturdy and Clare Dobson share lessons from training policymakers as AI moves from pilots to everyday use. They explain why prompting is a discipline, critical thinking prevents hallucinations, and the smartest officials know when to…

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