Blogs
Editor’s blog: Beyond inspiration, the why of reflection at conferences
Jo Cook shares the thinking behind the TJ 60th Anniversary Conference and why reflection and action planning are central to its design. Drawing on expert insights and her own experiences, Jo explains how making space for thought can transform a good event into one that drives real change and learning. “Reflection is essential for professional competence development in every profession”, stated Alberto A. P. Cattaneo, and from the very first imaginings of a TJ conference I wanted to ensure that…
The future of frameworks is integration, not competition
Ben Satchwell explores why well-intentioned frameworks often cause confusion rather than clarity. Drawing on common mistakes and missed opportunities, he shows how better integration, rather than wholesale replacement, can unlock value. One global reference for digital skills, SFIA9, offers a powerful example of what works when frameworks align, not compete. There is no shortage of frameworks in organisations today. Leadership frameworks, capability frameworks, technical standards; each designed with the hope of shaping how people perform and grow. The challenge is…
The future of work: Stop confusing performance with capability
Many organisations confuse past performance with future capability – and it’s costing them. Ban Satchwell explains why relying on outcomes alone leads to flawed decisions, missed potential and ineffective people development. To build resilient, adaptable teams, we must treat performance and capability as utterly distinct, and assess them through separate processes. In HR, we often mistake what someone has done for what they can do. This confusion between performance and capability is one of the most persistent and costly errors…
The future of work: Why most capability frameworks miss the mark
Too many capability frameworks promise impact but deliver confusion. Ben Satchwell cuts through the noise to reveal why clarity, focus and co-creation matter. From avoiding vague, generic descriptions to embedding real utility, he shows how to design frameworks that support performance, enable growth and shape how work actually gets done There’s no shortage of organisations rolling out capability frameworks with the hope of transforming how they assess, develop and deploy talent. But in my experience, many of these frameworks fall short…
Behind the scenes of planning a new learning event: Last update before the fun!
With just a couple of weeks to go, Kirsty Lewis shares the emotional highs, financial lows and last-minute wins as SOFest edges closer. From surprise sponsors to sparkly outfit dilemmas, here’s a raw and real behind-the-scenes glimpse at the planning, panicking and reality of building a learning festival from scratch When I started writing these blogs for TJ they were a retro of the month before, the activities, the highlights and lows of SOFest. As we are drawing closer to…
The future of work: Modernising job architectures and why skills alone aren’t enough
🧩 Jobs, skills, capabilities – how do they fit together? In today’s fast-changing world, static job roles no longer cut it. Skills matter, but without structure, they’re meaningless. 💡 Ben Satchwell explores why the future of work isn’t about replacing jobs with skills, but blending them with capabilities to create agile organisations 🚀 Traditional job architectures are broken. They were built for a different era – one where careers were linear, jobs stayed static and the skills required for success didn’t change much over…
L&D marcomms: How integrated Marketing Communications helps L&D
📢 Feeling bombarded by messages? You are not alone. In a noisy world, how do you make your communications stick? 💡 Hayley Maisey shares how L&D, HR, and internal comms can use integrated marketing strategies to cut through the clutter, boost engagement, and drive action. 🚀 Make your messages count! Raise a hand if you feel bombarded – most days – with different information from all angles. I’m with you! Let me break this down. In our personal lives, messaging…
Behind the scenes of planning a new learning event: The emotional rollercoaster is real
Kirsty Lewis has a meltdown about the numbers for her facilitation festival, despite amazing plans Well we have made it to March 1st and that date is exactly 100 days until the start of SOFest 2025. My name is Kirsty Lewis, and in June 2024 I decided to create a festival for facilitators, trainers, coaches and consultants because there isn’t an event where we can come together to connect, learn and restore. TJ has given me the opportunity to share…
Behind the scenes of planning a new learning event: Exploring ticket sales tactics
Kirsty Lewis on the ups, downs and wild ideas behind getting people to SOFest 2025 How are you? If you are new to this blog it is all about my crazy idea to put on a festival for 100-plus facilitators, trainers, coaches and consultants from 10 to 12 June 2025, in Essex, UK. I mean how hard can it be to create a large-scale event, in a field, for people who love to learn, connect into the community and have experiences? …
Behind the scenes of planning a new learning event: Show me the money
How much does a new learning summit cost? Kirsty Lewis shares an eye watering amount This month I want to share the emotional rollercoaster that is creating a festival from scratch with NO financial backing. If you are discovering this blog for the first time today, let me introduce myself: My name is Kirsty Lewis, founder of School of Facilitation and the architect of SOFest. A three day, in-person, learning event, space, summit (call it anything but a conference) SOFest…
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