New to L&D
New leader, old story: How teams decide before you speak
Reputation walks into work before you do, and teams cling to old stories. Chris Dodd explores how labels form, why cynics shape perceptions, and how leaders earn credibility socially through visibility, listening and consistency. Behaviour, not title, rebuilds trust, lifts morale and stops you battling an outdated version of yourself. One thing I learned very early in the Royal Navy, is that your reputation normally arrives before you do. Long before a new Captain, senior leader, manager, or supervisor even…
Escaping the Activity Trap: How L&D proves business impact
Many L&D teams talk about ‘outcomes-focused’ strategies, but few are delivering them. Harry Chapman-Walker shares about this gap between ambition and execution, which he calls the Activity Trap. There is a way out of L&D credibility risk, but only when L&D stops using activity metrics as evidence of business value. For years, L&D has fought to prove its strategic value. And yet, when it comes to measuring impact, most teams continue to rely on the same familiar activity metrics: courses…
The Platinum Workforce – book review
In The Platinum Workforce, futurist Trond Arne Undheim maps how AI, IoT and biotech could reshape jobs and spawn new roles. Catherine Dock reviews the book’s practical role frameworks, credible case studies and warnings about disruption for white-collar work, and asks what skills we should learn, teach and question next. Book: The Platinum WorkforceAuthor: Trond Arne Undheim As someone who has run Technology Learning & Development organisations, I was excited to read this book. I’m also as the parent of…
Trust is biased, and your team is proving it
Trust breakdowns rarely start with incompetence. Maryam Rezaei argues they begin with bias, familiarity and the meanings we attach to tone, silence and directness. She explores psychological safety, real listening and what repairs trust: new experiences, not explanations. For L&D and leaders, trust is a skill to practise every day. Do you trust your teammates? If you do, why do you trust them? Are you careful, distant, or unsure with other people, even before anything has clearly gone wrong? These…
We built a workforce that hates learning
Corporate learning is treated like a chore, with people racing through modules and retaining little. Eric Francia argues engagement is the missing ingredient, backed by neuroscience and the adaptive power of game-based learning. We need to measure behaviour change, design for motivation, and use AI to personalise learning at scale. Somewhere right now, an employee is watching a video about active listening at 1.75x speed. Another is clicking through a fire safety module they completed last year and can’t remember…
Five ways to boost confidence and reduce stress at work
Confidence and stress are not separate tracks at work. This article shows how situational awareness turns confidence into visible behaviours that lower pressure. Five practical moves clarify expectations, ask better questions, build feedback loops, set boundaries and use body language. Anne Maartje Oud links personal habits with culture for performance. “Boost your confidence” and “reduce stress” sound great, but they are often treated as separate goals. That is where the interpretation becomes misleading. Confidence that helps prevent stress is not…
Why people quit e-learning and what to do about it
E-learning completion rates are a symptom, not a learner flaw. When courses feel like early-2000s slide decks, attention evaporates. This article argues better design wins: show value fast, respect time with bite-sized sessions, use narrative, cut friction and drive practical change. Charney Magri makes the case for modern workplaces now. There’s an industry problem embedded in workplace training, with estimates often putting e-learning course completion at just 20-30%. However accurate the number, this translates to millions of people expectantly logging…
Training cuts are widening the AI skills gap for jobseekers and workers
The AI boom is raising the bar for entry-level work while many employers cut their training offerings. Jonny Phillips makes the case for a national skills guarantee so people can build baseline AI capability and confidence. Practical, relevant support helps candidates apply sooner, interview better, and avoid being left behind. The job market is a vast and complex world that can often be intimidating for those outside of it. The recent AI boom has only made it more challenging for…
Beyond static pages: How PDFs boost engagement and efficiency
PDFs are everywhere at work, but they can also power smarter digital learning. Victoria Ross explores how interactive PDFs support active practice, smoother delivery across devices, faster admin, secure sign-offs and better collaboration. With AI features emerging, PDFs may stay a low-cost, high-impact tool for L&D teams for years ahead. We’re all familiar with PDF files, whether a report, form, or presentation, PDFs are part of nearly every workday. Millions of us rely on them to share and store information.…
Conference overload? Why L&D events need creative reflection
Conference days can feel like a firehose: keynotes, chats, slides, then a tired journey home and a notebook nobody opens. AMC Newton and Amelia Wakeford show how intentional reflection breaks overload, helping brains consolidate learning. Their Creative Download approach uses calm pauses and hands-on making to turn insights into actions. We’ve all been there: train home from a conference, notebook full of insights, determined to implement everything. Days later, that notebook sits unopened. Weeks later, we struggle to remember what…
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