L&D Professionals
AI’s successful implementation goes beyond technology – soft skills are needed
While AI drives innovation, soft skills are equally critical for ethical, compliant and successful implementation. Tommy Richardson explains the need for a balanced approach to AI training Artificial intelligence is revolutionising the way businesses operate. It’s streamlining operations, improving customer interactions, and even providing insights that anticipate market shifts. Amid the technology-driven advancements, however, there’s an often-overlooked element that’s equally critical to business success – soft skills. Employers are seeking teams that can effectively harness AI capabilities while navigating ethical…
Emotions and impact: How to normalise emotional expression in the workplace and why it’s important
Encouraging emotional expression at work can reduce stress, build trust and enhance overall job satisfaction – Phil Willcox shares practical steps to create a more supportive workplace In the workplace, people lie about how they feel. Daily. And lying is rarely pleasurable. There are several reasons why people often feel the need to conceal their emotions. This can stem from feeling a lack of psychological safety or trust in the environment or team they are in, or it may be…
How can companies increase gender diversity in the workplace?
Fostering inclusion policies is vital to closing the gender gap and attracting the top talent. Law firm HR Director Scott Sullivan shares his tips UK businesses still have considerable work to do to increase gender diversity. Many struggle to close the gender pay gap and fairly represent women. The gender pay gap in Britain was 14.3% in 2023, and women need to work an extra 19 years to retire with the same pension savings as men. Employers who don’t fairly…
Maximise investment in your line managers with an enabling environment
Line managers are pivotal to business success – support them to boost performance and drive impact with these tips from Steve Macaulay and David Buchanan Why do line managers matter to L&D? Line managers create the environment – the resources and support that allow staff to perform their roles. But are we creating an enabling environment for line managers? Here is how L&D and HR can help. Today’s line managers are your source of tomorrow’s top team Your line…
Skills England – what to expect from the expected
Lifelong learning, apprenticeships and partnerships between businesses, education establishments and government – can it all work? Mandy Gill explores the shifting skills landscape Just over a month in and the new Labour government has not delayed in progressing one of its key manifesto commitments – the creation of Skills England. Skills England aims to bridge the current skills gap and support UK competitiveness on the global stage The bill was announced in the King’s Speech and by 22 July, the…
From chaos to clarity: Mastering documentation for work processes
Discover key insights and techniques for effective, process documentation, with clear guidance from Jo Cook I saw a Facebook meme recently that went a bit like this: Me as a youth: Don’t tell me what to do! Me as an adult: Would someone please tell me, in intricate detail, with timings, exactly what I’m supposed to do. Good quality work often has a good quality process to guide it, so that there’s consistency, quality and clear outcomes. On a contract…
Make learning count: Leveraging feedback loops for business success
Feedback loops help L&D leaders refine strategies, align learning with business goals and drive success, writes Houra Amin In the rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to adapt and continuously improve is critical for success. Central to this adaptability are feedback loops – a concept that involves producing something, measuring the outcomes, and making improvements based on the data. A strong partnership between L&D and business leadership is crucial for ensuring alignment between the people-capability agenda and the overall business…
Slothing and surfing: The impact of sleep on employee training and learning new skills
Discover how quality sleep can turbocharge your learning and transform training results for your team, by Ricci Masero During a recent trip to Costa Rica, I did my fair share of slothing around in hammocks. I also set my mind (and somewhat out of shape body) to a lifelong ambition of learning to surf. After an initial 90-minute lesson full of frustration, consistently falling backwards into the foam and not catching a wave, I decided to call it a day. …
From theory to practice: Boosting productivity with action learning
Align L&D with action learning to tackle current demands and gear up for future challenges, writes Helen Routledge Increasing productivity within organisations requires more than just theoretical knowledge; it demands actionable and effective learning strategies. Action learning, a method where employees engage actively with content and apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, has emerged as a powerful tool in bridging the gap between theory and application. Action learning helps learners develop critical thinking and practical skills, making it an invaluable…
Wake up and smell the silicon: How to be human in an AI workplace
Cultivate your human skills and embrace the four Cs to thrive in an AI-driven world, writes Laura Thomson-Staveley Back in 2016, I had a moment where I realised how significant artificial intelligence (AI) could become in our daily lives. I was listening to a neuroscientist talk from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) in the US which has a $3bn a year annual budget for research activities which invariably focuses on AI, and it struck me that we were on…
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