Opinion
Polycrisis mode: Why L&D needs an operating system, not a wish list
In time defined by AI, uncertainty and shifting norms, Phil Reddall argues L&D must stop reacting and start navigating. Using the Global Sentiment Survey and a Learning Operations mindset, he shows how data, business alignment and clear pillars help teams measure maturity, break silos and stay useful, today and beyond. “It’s time to draw our own map.” Don Taylor’s line from the Global Sentiment Survey (GSS 2026) has stayed with me because it captures something important about the moment we’re…
Compliance, sales, leadership: Where AI makes learning sense
AI is no longer a future-facing experiment for top L&D teams. In this article, RK Prasad explores how smart use of AI can shorten development cycles, tailor learning to different roles, and give employees rapid, in-work support. Done well, it strengthens human judgement, improves reporting, and helps organisations keep pace. Markets shift faster than training calendars. New regulations emerge mid-year. Products evolve quarterly. Skills become outdated almost as soon as they are learned. Yet many L&D teams are still expected…
Women’s voices are being targeted online and event platforms must respond
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 questions about safety, visibility and participation in professional digital spaces. Online events are now a normal part of working life, but recent attacks on women-led sessions are a reminder that digital participation is still not equally safe for everyone. A…
How can culture gaps in the workplace be turned into strengths?
Anna Flynn explains why commercial and technical teams often pull in different directions, and how growing tech businesses can build shared purpose without flattening diversity. She explores culture, structured communication and meaningful recognition, showing how better alignment reduces friction, improves retention and strengthens delivery, efficiency and employer brand over time. “Variety is the spice of life” may be a cliché, but it rings true in the modern workplace. Organisations are powered by individuals with varied personalities, experiences, and areas of…
Building the bridge between competence and capability
Ben Satchwell explains how organisations can integrate competency and capability frameworks, avoiding duplication by clarifying where each operates. Ben shows just why levels mean different things, position skills taxonomies are the connecting layer for digital interoperability, and outlines practical ways to embed both lenses across performance, learning and workforce planning. This final piece in the three-part series brings the two frameworks together – showing how to integrate assurance and development into one coherent system. Part one was about improving our…
The five habits of world-class learners
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 turn experimentation into insight and sharper strategic judgement over time. Most of us stopped learning the moment we left school – or so we think. We attend courses, read the odd book and sit through training sessions. But real learning,…
Winning buy-in: Why L&D leaders need sharper communication
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 ABCD structure and storytelling, to build confidence and win buy-in. It’s tough being a leader in learning and development, and it’s getting tougher. How do you influence sponsors to fund development when budgets are squeezed? Persuade employees to embrace training,…
Why competency frameworks hit a ceiling for development
Ben Satchwell explains why competency frameworks can support development only within the boundaries of current role performance, because they were built for assurance and consistency. Ben contrasts this with capability frameworks, designed for future readiness, and argue the strongest approach is to connect both: competencies evidence mastery, capabilities guide growth. This is the second article in a three-part series examining the evolving relationship between competence and capability frameworks – and how each supports performance, development and strategy. Part one was…
Into the unknown: Why 2026 marks a turning point for L&D
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: embedding AI, using data, redesigning learning, and redefining L&D’s role. The 2026 L&D Global Sentiment Survey (GSS) may prove to be the most significant in its thirteen-year history – not because it signals a single dominant trend, but because it…
Stop calling everything a skill
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 potential, and shows how aligning both creates readiness without duplication. This article is the first in a three-part series exploring how organisations can clarify, connect and modernise their use of competence, capability and skills frameworks. There’s a quiet crisis of…
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