Independent Professionals

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The 1% advantage: How small improvements can revolutionise your L&D strategy  

Houra Amin

Using the marginal gains approach, small tweaks in L&D can add up to big results. Houra Amin shows you how to make it happen The business landscape today is choppy and fast, so organisations are constantly seeking ways to enhance their competitive advantage. While everyone is trying hard to stay ahead of the curve, it’s tempting to follow the big and shiny solutions – thinking the bigger and more expensive they are, the greater impact they will have. This is…

Authors Camilleri, Rockey and Dunbar who wrote The Social Brain. Two females and a male standing in a library, smartly dressed, black and white photo.

TJ interviews: Authors Tracey Camilleri, Samantha Rockey and Robin Dunbar

Jo speaks with authors of The Social Brain about group dynamics, human connection and thriving together Training Journal to all: Why come together to write a book about the social brain, and what does that mean? All: We come from different disciplines (evolutionary psychology, corporate leadership and learning design). Throughout our careers the three of us have been interested in the same question: Why is it that some groups function as more than the sum of their parts – and other groups, however talented,…

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The third wheel: the complex relationship between organisations, vendors and consultants 

Andrew Jacobs

Struggling with vendor issues? A consultant’s sharp insight and unbiased advice can turn things around, as Andrew Jacobs explains You know that awkward moment when you’re in a restaurant and you see a couple at another table having a difficult conversation? You can tell by their body language; they’re detached and not really listening to each other. You’ll see one of them (usually a man) trying to impress the other with grandiose statements about the future. All the while, the…

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The future is now: Cultivating an adaptive mindset and skillset for the AI-powered workplace 

Rachel Rosenfeldt

Three strategies to thrive in a tech-driven workplace: develop AI skills, adaptability and continuous learning. Rachel Rosenfeldt explains how to get started It’s impossible to scroll your news feed without seeing something about artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning. With how rapidly both are transforming the workplace, strategic learning and development initiatives are becoming imperative.   Organisations are beginning to recognise that intentionally upskilling and reskilling is no longer optional if they want to thrive in an AI-enabled future. But…

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Conversational Wisdom – book review 

Peter Plumlee

Packed with insights, this book provides practical tools to enhance communication skills in everyday life. Reviewed by Peter Plumlee    Book: Conversational WisdomAuthors: Emily Cosgrove and Sara Hope I was intrigued yet uncertain about what to expect before diving into this book. We all like to think we engage in insightful conversations daily, but this book prompts us to truly reflect on our daily communication. Our increasingly hybrid lives put meaningful communication at risk, and the authors provide a roadmap for…

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Talking openly about suicide can help save lives

Vicki Cockman

On World Suicide Prevention Day find out how to support those struggling with mental health. Vicki Cockman shares her insight Suicide is still largely seen as a taboo topic and even the most progressive organisations can be hesitant about sharing suicide prevention advice in the workplace. Workplace silence on suicide means many employees are continuing to use outdated and harmful language that’s further fuelling the stigma. Recent research from Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, released in recognition of World…

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Five ways being LGBTQ+ affects L&D 

Layla McCay

Explore how early challenges shape LGBTQ+ careers and discover strategies for offering more effective support, with insights from Layla McCay  Differences in how LGBTQ+ people engage with learning and development can significantly affect their experiences at work and opportunities for promotion and progression. The personal stories from senior LGBTQ+ leaders that I gathered for my book, Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling: How LGBTQ+ people can thrive and succeed at work, provide fresh insights into these differences, and offer guidance on how…

Senior female ceo and multicultural business people discussing company presentation at boardroom table. Diverse corporate team working together in modern meeting room office. Top view through glass

Elevating Learning Operations: Mastering the LearnOps Maturity model

Ryan Austin

Your four-step guide to transforming L&D from support function to key driver of business success, by Ryan Austin  In today’s dynamic and competitive business landscape, learning and development (L&D) is increasingly being recognised as a strategic function vital to an organisation’s growth and sustainability. However, many organisations struggle to move beyond basic, reactive L&D operations.   The LearnOps Maturity model provides a comprehensive roadmap for elevating L&D from a support function, or in some cases a cost centre, to becoming a…

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Sailing to success: Navigating team dynamics

Karl Green

Navigating team dynamics on a yacht isn’t just about working together; it’s about thriving together. Karl Green shares insights on fostering authentic teamwork in close quarters For many, working on a yacht is a dream come true. But even surrounded by opulence and luxury, crew members must work together in very close quarters day in and day out, with little option for escape. How can a yacht crew best navigate working well as a team? It was this question that,…

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Empathy in action: Immersive learning as a catalyst for inclusion

Paul Anderson-Walsh

Immersive learning creates engaging, realistic and empathetic learning experiences that help to boost workplace inclusion. Paul Anderson-Walsh explains There are lots of different learning activities to engage the brain, and they have varying impacts on our understanding, short and long term memory encoding and recall. I am certain that many of us spend too much time reading and too little time reflecting. If we split our reading time in half – dedicating one part to reading and the other to…