Category For new to L&D

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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Into the unknown: Why 2026 marks a turning point for L&D

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Donald H Taylor shares insight from his 2026 L&D Global Sentiment Survey, which shows a profession leaving familiar patterns behind. AI is foundational but no longer the only story, as budgets tighten and value demands intensify. Yet practitioners are acting:…

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Stop calling everything a skill

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Ben Satchwell argues that muddled language is undermining people frameworks, HR systems and L&D credibility, especially as skills data becomes machine-readable. Ben clarifies the building blocks from knowledge to behaviour, explains why competencies evidence individual performance while capabilities describe systemic…

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Starving for questions in the age of instant answers

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Gargi Bhatt explores why disciplined questioning is making a comeback as work gets more complex and AI makes quick answers effortless. Drawing on Socratic dialogues, coaching and action learning, she shows how inquiry strengthens critical thinking, surfaces assumptions and builds…

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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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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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The Uncertainty Toolkit – book review

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Cathy Hoy investigates why competency-based L&D falls short when uncertainty, not skill, blocks performance. Drawing on Sam Conniff and Katherine Templar Lewis’s new book The Uncertainty Toolkit, she highlights evidence from UCL research, practical exercises and new metrics for tolerance.…

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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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How AI can help save jobs, not eliminate them

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Artificial intelligence is already reshaping work, but job losses aren’t inevitable. For L&D and HR leaders, the real challenge is turning disruption into capability at speed. With the right learning strategy, AI can protect roles, close skills gaps and future-proof organisations. Skills expert Robin Adda has…

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