New to L&D
From resistance to uptake: Close skills gaps with AI-enabled learning
AI-based learning platforms promise speed, personalisation and measurable impact. Ian Howell from FutureLearn explores how LXPs remove barriers, match challenge to ability and deliver just-in-time microlearning. He shows how data identifies skills gaps, predicts retention risks and builds motivation through autonomy, competence and relevance; turning L&D into a responsive engine. With skills needs evolving faster than ever, businesses face a critical challenge: how to deliver learning that keeps pace. Unfortunately, many training programmes still waste valuable time and resources, failing…
From soft skills to survival skills: Rethinking human capability in the age of AI
Kalindi Hawkins explores how organisations can develop human-centred capabilities to thrive in an AI-driven world. Moving beyond digital upskilling, she shares five practical strategies for building adaptability, resilience, and leadership in uncertainty. This approach turns learning into a strategic asset that fuels transformation, not just transactions, in today’s fast-changing landscape. In a workplace shaped by artificial intelligence, the skills once called “soft” are now the core human advantage. As AI automates tasks and analyses data faster than any person could,…
Curiosity over assumption: decoding digital body language in teams
Body language has always been tricky. Crossed arms, raised eyebrows, leaning in or looking away; all signals we interpret constantly, sometimes accurately, sometimes disastrously. Whilst we’ve had telecommunication for a long time, Covid transformed our work and learning spaces to be even more digital and virtual. Jo Cook shares more. Much of our professional life now is hybrid, online, and text based. That means our digital body language (DBL) — the emojis we use, the speed of our responses, whether…
The power of psychological safety in uncertain times
Psychological safety helps people speak up, share ideas, and learn from mistakes, essential in fast-moving workplaces. It’s not about removing fear but creating trust and openness. Steve Macaulay and David Buchanan explore what psychological safety looks like, why it matters, and how leaders can create a culture that supports it. Do you feel safe to speak up at work? Can you ask questions, raise concerns, and offer new ideas without hesitation? If not, you’re not alone, and your organisation could…
Neurodiversity at work: how inclusive policies drive success
Professor Adam Boddison OBE talks about APM’s latest survey that reveals nearly all project managers see clear benefits from adjusting policies to support neurodivergent staff. This National Inclusion Week, the findings highlight a profession already making progress while still seeking better guidance to ensure even greater inclusivity across the industry. An overwhelming majority of project managers believe their company has directly benefited from extra adjustments to accommodate neurodivergent staff, a survey conducted by the Association for Project Management (APM) has…
Talk saves lives – why suicide needs to be part of your wellbeing strategy
Suicide remains a taboo topic in many workplaces, yet managers are often the first line of support. Joseph Conway shares why it’s vital we break the silence, and how organisations can foster safer, more compassionate environments where people feel heard, supported and able to seek help before it’s too late. Whether it’s remote or in-person, work is where most people dedicate the majority of their time. This makes managers and leaders not only highly influential in shaping the employee experience,…
Stop building and hoping: why client-first thinking is reshaping IT and training
Clients are navigating a perfect storm of regulation, deeper cyber threats and complex AI disruption. Valerie Merrill explores why off-the-shelf training and tech no longer cut it, and how providers must shift towards customised, compliance-savvy solutions that reflect the real challenges facing today’s organisations and the people who power them. The maxim “if you build it, they will come” has long shaped the ambitions of IT innovators and training providers. Also, as trainers we do have preferences over the courses…
The future of work: Stop confusing performance with capability
Many organisations confuse past performance with future capability – and it’s costing them. Ban Satchwell explains why relying on outcomes alone leads to flawed decisions, missed potential and ineffective people development. To build resilient, adaptable teams, we must treat performance and capability as utterly distinct, and assess them through separate processes. In HR, we often mistake what someone has done for what they can do. This confusion between performance and capability is one of the most persistent and costly errors…
Six leadership essentials for a changed world: From the legacy of Andrew Kakabadse
Professor Andrew Kakabadse’s leadership insights remain vital for today’s HR and L&D professionals. Drawing from decades of research and consultancy experience, Steve Macaulay distils six essential principles that equip leaders to thrive in a complex, unpredictable world. These lessons demand a fresh, values-driven approach to development, governance, and organisational culture. Leadership and governance expert Professor Andrew Kakabadse, who died recently. His work is particularly relevant for L&D and HR professionals today: these core essentials are highly focused on meeting the…
Beyond specialisation: Multi-skilled teams are your best defence against market chaos
As rigid hiring models fall short, cross-functional, multi-skilled professionals are emerging as the new must-haves for future-thinking organisations. Uliana Martynova explores how these adaptable employees help teams bridge gaps, drive company innovation, and build resilience—making them prime candidates not just for today’s challenges but for tomorrow’s leadership roles too. Old-school hiring methods are increasingly falling short, especially with project-based structures and rapid market shifts now the norm. Teams assembled solely around narrow specialisations often struggle to adapt. In today’s landscape,…
Want smart, useful L&D insight in your inbox (without the fluff)?
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for Editor-only commentary, and exclusive insight that isn’t published anywhere else online.
If you want a quick roundup of what matters, fresh ideas you can use, and the best new reads from Training Journal, this is where it lands
It’s free, only takes a minute, and you can unsubscribe any time.
