L&D Professionals

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A week in the life of: A champion of women’s professional growth

Gaëlle Delmas-Watson

Discover how Gaëlle Delmas-Watson balances business, family and wellbeing, building a company that drives change  It’s Monday,10 September, 6am. The alarm goes off – it’s time to get moving! I’m Gaëlle Watson: champion of gender equality, founder of SyncSkills Performance (a company specialising in digital learning design and facilitation), mother of two boys, and recreational jogger.   In just over a month, it will be 10 years since I launched SyncSkills and, last week, my eldest son started secondary school.…

Female counselor demonstrating empathy during a breakthrough session with a client

We’re all in this together: Senior management and mental health in the workplace

Daniel Shore

Effective leadership training must go beyond technical skills, incorporating soft skills like listening and empathy – Daniel Shore explains why these are key to building resilient, supportive teams Mental health was once considered a taboo topic, rarely discussed in the workplace. While this stigma still exists in some organisations, attitudes towards mental health have changed. Many employers have, to varying degrees, started to recognise the importance of providing a supportive and collaborative environment that prioritises the wellbeing of their employees. …

Ger Driesen - white male with grey hair, wearing a suit, smiling.

TJ interviews: L&D Trend Catcher, Ger Driesen 

A trend what? Trend watching is easy, it’s what you do that makes the difference and Ger Driesen explains to Jo just what is involves Training Journal: What is a trend catcher and what does it involve?  Ger Driesen: Trend-watching is easy, you watch and then…? I introduced the term ‘trend catcher’; grabbing a trend, trying to understand it well and then translate it to what it could mean for your own profession – in my case, learning and development. …

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Bridging the digital skills gap in-house: 3 tips for senior leaders 

Emma-Claire Kavanagh

Smart leaders are turning to their teams to grow in-house digital skills and stay competitive – Emma-Claire Kavanagh shows you how   The digital skills gap is reportedly costing the UK economy as much as £63bn a year in lost revenue, according to a recent report by the Prince’s Trust, and our research at BIE shows that maintaining digital knowledge is a top people-priority for business leaders over the next five years.    A reverse-mentoring strategy can be an effective way to…

The inscription diversity equity and inclusion is surrounded by colored cubes.

Navigating DEI trends: A strategic opportunity for UK companies  

Reshma Sheikh

By enhancing DEI strategies, UK firms can set themselves apart, fostering inclusivity that drives growth – Reshma Sheikh explains  As major US firms like Harley Davidson, Brown-Forman and Molson Coors Beverage Co scale back their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts due to financial pressures and shifting political climates, UK businesses face a pivotal moment.   UK firms can not only drive innovation and attract top talent, but also strengthen their brand reputation and stakeholder trust  This evolving landscape presents…

A woman sits at a boardroom table, leading a meeting with confidence and authority, a pink nameplate symbol with the word "CEO" on it placed in front of her.

A week in the life of: The CEO of a learning provider

Cathy Hoy

Step inside the world of CLO100 where Cathy Hoyexperiences innovation, collaboration, and strategic vision Picture juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle through treacle. This is a glimpse into the exhilarating, and somewhat chaotic, life of a CEO leading training start-up. At CLO100 my role as Co-founder and CEO never ceases to challenge and inspire me, demanding resilience, creativity, and a relentless drive to lead our industry forward. Strategic beginnings Each week kicks off with a substantial cup of tea…

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From BBC News to events: Mastering professional video with just an iPhone

Kevin Davids

Convenience meets quality with fast, discreet, powerful video on smartphones for your next learning intervention – Kevin Davids shares his approach and why he filmed World of Learning 2024 with a mobile device “The best camera is the one you have with you” is often attributed to Chase Jarvis from his 2009 book, where he included photos captured with an early iPhone. Since then, technology has evolved in leaps and bounds, making this quote truer today than ever before. That’s…

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TJ podcast: Reflections on a week in the life series – episode 325

Jo Cook

L&D experts discuss balancing work-life balance and harnessing self-reflection to fuel growth and lasting impact! Key takeaways Created by Cleanvoice Podcast summary: Created by Cleanvoice The speakers in this podcast episode share their reflections on contributing to a series of articles called “Week in the Life,” where they provided insights into their work roles, thought processes, successes, and challenges. Kim Ellis, the CEO of L&D Free Spirits, was initially nervous about revealing her “scatty” and fast-paced thinking style, worrying that…

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Flipping the script: Collaborative innovation and problem solving for HR Leaders

Ben Waldman

What is the unconference advantage? It’s action-based learning and designing your own active event experience – Ben Waldman tells us more Imagine you could flip the traditional conference format on its head: Rather than having to sit through various predefined sessions which may – or may not – be useful for you, you have the power to design your own learning experience based on the most pressing challenges you face, tapping into the collective wisdom of experts in the field…

Learning News in action - Rob Clarke interviews Donald H Taylor - with cameras and sound systems. (C) Rob Clarke, Learning News

A week in the life of: The Editor of Learning News

Rob Clarke

Working in L&D media, Rob Clarke shares his view on modern learning and business performance The reason I do this is because I want to see our working lives improve. I’d like to see the culture improve across our workplaces: less stress, less rat race, less wasted energy, better productivity, better leadership, compassionate workplaces and better mental health at work.  So, we need to unlock learning.  While we might well ask if Learning and Development has the right key, one…