Category For freelancers, consultants & small businesses

Why SoFest 2026 is more than a conference

SOFest with Kirsty Lewis, 2025

Kirsty Lewis outlines how SoFest is coming together, with its mix of workshops, shared experiences and outdoor setting. With thoughtful attention to accessibility, wellbeing and community, the event aims to create rich opportunities for learning, conversation and connection, while Impact…

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Women’s voices are being targeted online and event platforms must respond

A striking red neon warning sign with an exclamation mark, set against a dark, tech-inspired background, signifies digital security threats, system alerts, or potential online danger.

Women-led online events linked to International Women’s Day were reported to have been disrupted with explicit content and coordinated interference. The abhorrent incidents have sparked calls for stronger platform safeguards and a renewed focus on practical event security, raising wider…

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The five habits of world-class learners

Wooden blocks with words 'Don't Make Resolutions Build Habits'.

Most people mistake activity for learning, yet those who do it well, treat it as daily discipline. Charlie Curson shares five habits that accelerate growth: curiosity, embracing productive discomfort, reflecting before reacting, learning from diverse voices, and acting fast to…

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Winning buy-in: Why L&D leaders need sharper communication

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L&D leaders face budgets, hybrid distraction and sceptical audiences, so influencing matters more than ever. Isobel Rimmer argues presentation and communication skills are a strategic capability for every leader, not just sales. She shares tools, from audience outcomes to an…

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From vanity metrics to business impact: How L&D can prove its value

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If you’re feeling the pressure to prove L&D’s value, you’re in good company. Synergy Learning shares a practical approach to proving impact in business terms. See just how to begin with organisational goals, baseline the right data, choose credible evaluation…

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Contribution without collapse: Unlocking unique impact beyond job titles

impact

Drawing on two Make Your Brain Work Podcast episodes, applied neuroscience expert Amy Brann and medical doctor Dr Jessie Gulsin unpack why contribution boosts motivation yet can become risky when fused with your identity. The piece offers practical tips for…

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“Workplace learning is at its best when it sounds like real work”

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TJ Editor Jo Cook comments about the new Podcast Learning Festival, hosted by Andrew Jacobs in London, February 2026: “We strive for the most efficient and realistic learning interventions, and workplace learning is at its best when it sounds like…

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2026 is the year L&D operationalises AI, without losing the human touch

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In 2026, L&D must embed AI into real workflows, redesign roles and focus on measurable outcomes, without sacrificing trust, culture and wellbeing. Drawing on views from leaders across HR, learning and analytics, TJ’s Editor Jo Cook explores three pressure points:…

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The six biggest challenges keeping L&D professionals up at night

L&D teams are operating in a climate of constant change. Economic pressure, digital acceleration and shifting workforce expectations have placed capability development at the centre of organisational strategy. Yet teams responsible for delivering this capability often face shrinking budgets, rising…

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How coaches can use AI in practice without becoming “prompt jockeys”

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AI can be genuinely useful in coaching, but only when it serves the craft, not the other way round. The goal is not to turn coaches into people who spend their days iterating prompts. It is to help them do…

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