Category Wellbeing

The manager capability gap is now a human sustainability risk

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Managers can make or break employee wellbeing, yet many lack the skills to recognise and address workplace stress. Emily Pearson eloquently argues that L&D must rethink leadership development, equipping managers to protect mental health, create healthier working environments and deliver…

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TJ interviews: Mark Agnew on the four questions that turn uncertainty into a shared challenge

Mark Agnew

Resilience is easier to sustain when people find meaning in the challenge itself. Mark Agnew talks about reframing setbacks, strengthening camaraderie, developing mental fitness gradually, all based on adventuring experience. This helps teams focus on shared purpose, intrinsic motivation and…

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The L&D playbook for building psychological safety into teams

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Teams do not become safe to fail through slogans or good intentions alone. Dr Melisa Buie explains why leaders must model openness first, before teams can build stronger norms around challenge, experimentation and reflection. Melisa offers a practical two-stage approach…

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Confidence is a business issue, not a personal weakness

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Workplace self-belief affects who speaks up, progresses, takes risks and contributes ideas, making it far more than an individual concern. Penny Haslam argues that organisations should actively develop confidence through training, supportive managers and everyday conversations. This helps employees perform…

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Mirror mindset meets the overthinking brain: Turning self-awareness into mental clarity

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Referencing two Make Your Brain Work podcast episodes, Amy Brann explores why overthinking thrives when self-reflection becomes judgement. Learn how to spot rumination loops, use body-based awareness, ask grounding questions, and journal with purpose. With self-compassion and psychologically safe feedback,…

Read MoreMirror mindset meets the overthinking brain: Turning self-awareness into mental clarity

Learning that lasts: Belief is the first barrier to building skills

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Upskilling spend is soaring, but the skills gap is still yawning. The missing piece is rarely the content… It’s what learners believe about themselves when it gets difficult that counts. When doubt turns challenge into threat, even brilliant design won’t…

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From empathy to action: How L&D can build compassionate workplaces

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Nicky McCrudden explores why compassion at work so often stops at good intentions and how L&D can help turn concern into action. Her research identifies skills gaps, workplace beliefs and social pressures as key barriers, pointing to practical, scenario-based ways…

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From unburdening the brain to bouncing back: Rethinking stress and resilience at work

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Design behaviour, don’t demand willpower: this article draws on Make Your Brain Work episodes with Amy Brann to explain why change snaps back to old habits. Learn how biology drives ‘resistance’, why environments beat motivation, and how L&D can use…

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Striking the right balance between productivity and workplace wellbeing

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Build sustainable productivity by redesigning work around focus, recovery and realistic capacity. Aleks Szymanski explains how leaders can reduce overload, encourage breaks, set clear expectations, use technology thoughtfully and model healthy boundaries, creating cultures where wellbeing strengthens performance, engagement, retention…

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From intention to action: Designing behaviour that makes change stick

Conscious choice

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,…

Read MoreFrom intention to action: Designing behaviour that makes change stick