Independent Professionals
The future of work isn’t a younger workforce. It’s more flexibility
Sara Daw argues that L&D must look beyond traditional full-time employment to unlock the value of a multigenerational workforce. By embracing fractional, flexible and blended working models, organisations can retain experienced talent, strengthen mentoring and succession planning, and gain the fresh insights needed to build greater resilience for the future. How do L&D professionals plan for the future of work? Focus may logically fall on developing the younger workforce to ensure business longevity. But today’s workplaces are already multigenerational, and…
The AI fire hydrant: L&D’s new job is to redesign the pipework
AI can make the creation of work dramatically faster. Unless L&D helps their organisation to change how work moves, gets judged and turns into value, the result will be pressure, not progress: stress on teams that are already at capacity, using process that weren’t designed for AI, says Erica Farmer. I keep hearing a version of the same story; someone uses AI to produce a first draft, analysis or set of options in a fraction of the usual time. Their…
Why AI automation fails when organisations move too fast
Redesign workflows before deploying AI to avoid costly failures and build responsible automation. Dr Wendy Lynch explains what organisations can learn from flawed chatbots, biased recruitment tools and rushed cost-cutting, and why governance, stress-testing, human oversight and thoughtful process design are the foundations of effective, trustworthy AI adoption at scale. AI Automation is expanding exponentially and improving rapidly. As we leap ahead, it’s helpful to learn from the stumbles made by early pioneers. The cautionary tales around AI tend to…
The skills gap putting your hiring at risk, and what it’s really costing you
Background screening is often treated as an administrative task, but its risks demand far greater capability and consistency. In this article, Mat Armstrong argues that for L&D and HR leaders, outsourcing screening should be seen not only as a compliance safeguard, but as a smarter response to skills gaps internally. Background screening is one of the most risk-sensitive tasks in the hiring process. It demands consistency, attention to detail, and the ability to spot anomalies under pressure. Yet in most…
The executive pipeline is missing neurodivergent leaders
Redefine leadership around outcomes rather than personality to stop neurodivergent talent being overlooked. Dr Jo Perkins explains how narrow executive archetypes, subjective promotion processes and low psychological safety exclude capable leaders, and why structural neuroinclusion can strengthen decision-making, innovation, resilience and organisational performance at the highest level of business leadership. One dimension remains consistently underrepresented within executive leadership: neurodiversity. Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in how human brains function. Estimates suggest that 10–20% of the global population is neurodivergent,…
The invisible workload of leading organisational change
Build change capability across every leadership by combining mindset shifts, practical training and coaching. Melanie Franklin explains why people development professionals must make change management explicit, scalable and aspirational, helping managers respond confidently to uncertainty, support their teams and turn constant disruption into a source of organisational strength and progress. With every business under constant pressure to adapt to technological, environmental, and social shifts, change has become a permanent part of working life. Yet while 61% of organisations recognise change…
From unburdening the brain to bouncing back: Rethinking stress and resilience at work
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 cues, if–then plans, and identity language to make change stick. Stress and resilience are often discussed as separate challenges in the workplace: one to be reduced, the other to be strengthened. Yet neuroscience tells a more integrated story. A brain…
My journey from HR to the c-suite, and what I learned along the way
A cold shift in a supermarket set an unexpected career in motion. Tom Emery traces the decisions led to the C-suite. Reflecting on setbacks, stretch roles and hard-won lessons, he shows how adaptability, relationships and courage can shape a career in the people profession far more than any grand plan. I was an accidental HR professional. Growing up, I wanted to work in public relations. I loved the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. The characters, the outfits, the champagne and I thought…
AI productivity is rising. Organisational performance needs to catch up
Tickets are now open for TJ Conference 2026: L&D Means Business, with Erica Farmer announced as keynote speaker. Her session, The AI fire hydrant: Turning more output into better performance, explores how L&D can help organisations turn AI productivity gains into better work, stronger decisions and improved performance at scale. Tickets are now open for TJ Conference 2026: L&D Means Business, taking place on Monday 21 September at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London. This year’s conference will explore…
Striking the right balance between productivity and workplace wellbeing
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 and resilience rather than competing with them at work daily. For years, productivity and wellbeing were framed as competing priorities. Push harder, the thinking went, and performance would rise, even if people paid the price. Today, that approach is proving…
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