Culture

Building a collaborative culture

Steve Macaulay

Steve Macaulay and Sarah Cook explore how to create and sustain a collaborative culture in organisations Working together in a complex global environment is challenging even though it can yield substantial benefits. Collaboration yields great results, but only if it is structured well. Despite its recognised benefits, achieving effective collaboration is no easy task – and how can HR and L&D play a substantial role. What is collaboration In an era dominated by technological evolution and remote work trends, collaboration…

Picture of laptop with added images over the top and the text spelling AI

Joining the dots . . . on generative AI

Martin Couzins

This month Martin Couzins dives into the latest news on Generative AI and asks ‘who are you listening to?’ It’s all gone a bit bonkers. The generative AI news firehose shows no signs of diminishing, just take a look at the generative AI news updates on TechCrunch: I counted 34 stories on the topic published between 25 and 28 September and in there are some significant updates. For L&D teams, there is an opportunity to then shape the opportunity for…

Three checkpoints when using AI in designing learning

Nic Girvan

Can a machine-human partnership elevate training efforts? Nic Girvin offers some advice using DEI as her example Can artificial intelligence (AI) really add value to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training experiences, when it lacks emotion, empathy and the ability to understand the complexities of human nature? With AI so glaringly inhuman, how can this machine resource contribute to an organisation’s behavioural change and cultural transformation? The unfortunate reality – despite extensive evidence arguing the necessity – is that DEI…

The benefits of attracting disabled consumers

Katy Talikowska

The culture of excluding the disabled is changing, Katy Talikowska looks at the barriers and how to break them down The representation of disabled consumers is no longer a mere suggestion for businesses. In addition to being a moral imperative, failing to account for the disabled population is a strategic business risk. With $8 trillion a year in disposable income, people with disabilities represent a largely untapped market opportunity. The disability community still faces major challenges that must be addressed.…

Setting up learning for success

Paul Matthews

In the second of two articles on establishing successful learning, Paul Matthews examines collective responsibility In the first article in this series we looked at getting clarity on the wants and expectations of the various stakeholders involved in a staff development programme. If those wants and expectations involve employees changing the way they do their jobs, and that will usually be the case, a ‘team’ effort is needed for those objectives to be realised. This is one of the reasons…

Seven ways to encourage sustainability

Luke Smith

Luke Smith outlines some approaches business leaders can take to support sustainability in their organisations In today’s rapidly changing world, the need for sustainability across all aspects of our lives has never been greater. Hundreds of scientific studies, such as the one produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released this spring, have indicated that without significant strides toward a more sustainable world in the next decade, the global climate is projected to continue to change in ways…

How to build social capital

Sally Tanski

Sally Tanski explores the importance of leaders’ emotional intelligence in growing social capital If you’re a leader, or work with leaders, this situation may be familiar to you… You find it’s difficult to motivate team members, who seem disengaged and distant – and you realise how little you really know about them as people. Or maybe you’ve been struggling with an issue that seems unsolvable until you talk to a colleague over a cup of coffee, for the first time,…

Is goal setting really necessary?

Thom Dennis

Are you an expert in goal setting or do you prefer to freestyle? Thom Dennis explores the pros and cons of both Goals can guide how we behave and influence a number of factors from performance level to degrees of conflict to the success of leaders. If goal setting helps us to identify what we want to accomplish, create a plan of action, and monitor our progress towards a desired outcome, is there really a downside? Almost certainly a more…

Challenger banks leading the way in sustainability

Glenn Gillis

Glenn Gillis looks at the role challenger banks have in the search for a greener world and the role gamification has in changing attitudes Concerns about climate change are influencing consumer choices more than ever, with nearly three-quarters of Britons anxious about global warming. As sustainability becomes a top priority for customers, 92% of them are more willing to trust a business that supports action on environmental issues. This is shaping trends in the financial sector; a recent report found…

The impact of positive workplace culture

Luke Smith

Luke Smith looks at boosting productivity and customer experience by focussing on organisational culture A strong workplace culture is key to the long-term success of your business. A recent survey by McKinsey even found that businesses with strong, positive cultures yield 60% higher returns than their peers. The same report also found that companies with a positive workplace culture are more adaptable. This is particularly important today, as fast-paced markets are changing rapidly in the face of a global economic…