Category For new to L&D

From mistakes to momentum: Building a company culture that learns

'Forget the mistake, remember the lesson' written under torn paper.

Organisations unlock innovation when they stop punishing mistakes and start learning from them, reasons Paul Sloane. From Post-it Notes to Slack and vacuum cleaners, failure can spark breakthroughs. Paul explores how psychological safety, intelligent experimentation and honest post-mortems help teams…

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Why leadership development doesn’t stop at a one-off workshop

Leadership Development

As AI reshapes work, Shannon Alter writes that L&D teams must stop treating leadership confidence, presence and emotional intelligence as optional. Future-ready organisations will be those that build adaptable, human-centred leaders through deliberate practice, feedback and support before the highest-stakes…

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Let Them theory: The case for trusting people to try, fail and grow

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As Let Them theory gains traction, Steve Macaulay explores what it really asks of managers. Empowerment can reduce micromanagement and build trust, but only when expectations are clear, individual development is supported and communication stays open. Letting go works best…

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TJ interviews: Mark Travis Rivera about braver workplaces starting with belonging

Mark Travis Rivera

Belonging takes more than statements and symbolic support. Mark Travis Rivera shares why inclusion must be built through listening, honest conversations and everyday action. This interview explores how leaders can challenge performative allyship, create braver organisations cultures and help people…

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Can AI really resolve workplace conflict?

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As AI becomes a coach, scriptwriter and even would-be mediator at work, Phil Floyd explores what this means for people’ trust, authenticity and conflict. He argues that while technology can support difficult conversations, healthy workplace relationships still depend on human…

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How informal learning historically happened naturally at work

Office workers standing by water cooler

Hybrid work has made informal learning less visible, not less vital. Elyas Coutts explores how proximity once helped new starters absorb tacit knowledge, culture and judgement through everyday interactions. Now, purposeful messaging can crowd out spontaneous moments, leaving junior and…

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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

A yellow sticky note displays Leader VS Follower in bold text on a modern computer keyboard with colorful backlighting

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

Leadership, Inspire, motive, empower text on wooden blocks. Leadership concept

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

A closed loop with an unanswered question. Find a solution and break the endless circle. Make a discovery that will solve an important problem. The concept of new attempts and returning to the source.

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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From compliance to competitive advantage: Men’s health in shift-based environments

A stressed engineer reviewing a difficult report at an industrial site, sitting on heavy machinery and showing signs of workplace burnout and pressure.

In shift-based or manufacturing environments, men’s mental health support must be designed for how and when people actually work. Rick van den Bosch outlines practical moves for L&D and leaders: build intervention skills beyond signposting, provide flexible 24/7 resources and…

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