Professional Development

Employees smile during a strategic meeting of a startup of young workers.

Quiet quitting or quiet learning? How to reignite employee motivation through development

Jessica Kriegel

If employees are checking out, it’s time to spark their ambition with new growth opportunities – Jessica Kriegel explains  In a bustling midsize marketing firm in London, Alex, a high-performing project manager, began declining new assignments. Colleagues whispered about “quiet quitting,” but Alex had a different story. “I’m not disengaged,” Alex shared in a candid chat with HR. “I feel stuck. I want to grow, but there’s no path forward here.”  76% of Gen Z employees believe learning is the…

Conceptual 3 letters keyword ROI (Return On Investment), on multicolored stickers attached to a cork board.

Maximising ROI on training programmes in 2025: Strategies for a high-impact workforce

Rob Porter

Personalise learning, engage stakeholders and embrace artificial intelligence to unlock real value, writes Rob Porter  As organisations increasingly invest in training and development to drive productivity and ensure business growth, measuring these programmes’ return on investment has become a critical issue. According to a Gartner report, 55% of HR leaders feel their current technologies do not meet evolving needs, and 51% cannot measure ROI on their HR investments.  AI-powered learning analytics are transforming how organisations evaluate training success   With training…

Conceptual hand writing showing Book Now. Concept meaning Make a reservation in hotel accommodation or airplane ticket

Behind the scenes of planning a new learning event: Exploring ticket sales tactics

Kirsty Lewis

Kirsty Lewis on the ups, downs and wild ideas behind getting people to SOFest 2025 How are you? If you are new to this blog it is all about my crazy idea to put on a festival for 100-plus facilitators, trainers, coaches and consultants from 10 to 12 June 2025, in Essex, UK. I mean how hard can it be to create a large-scale event, in a field, for people who love to learn, connect into the community and have experiences? …

Businesspeople handshaking after deal or interview

First-time Chief People Officer? How to build for success in 2025

Emma-Claire Kavanagh

Focus on enhancing employee experience, navigating legislative changes and upskilling your workforce, advises Emma-Claire Kavanagh  As business leaders grapple with new legislation, evolving technology and customer demands, they’ll be relying on their Chief People Officers (COPs) to build a workforce that can adapt to market changes in the year ahead.    Stepping into the CPO role demands strong HR expertise, but also a deep understanding of an organisation’s long-term goals and the confidence to advise the board at every turn. This…

World of Learning Summit 2025 Olympia front entrance.

From influence to action: key lessons from the World of Learning Summit 2025

How can L&D leaders drive real impact, influence strategy, and transform learning in the workplace? Be inspired by the industry’s leading thinkers and practitioners in this conference summary What does it truly mean for L&D to have “a seat at the table”? It’s a phrase that sparks debate—some see it as the pinnacle of influence, while others dismiss it as an outdated ambition. It’s not just about being in the executive room; it’s about using the right data, influencing the…

Professional using LinkedIn to research potential customers2

The thousand post sprint – one person’s extreme challenge to test the power of connections on social media

Faris Aranki

Engage more on LinkedIn, get more views – Faris Aranki really took that advice to heart and shares his epic adventure I recently undertook a gargantuan social media challenge; partly to learn more about human behaviours and the algorithm that sits behind LinkedIn and partly because I was bored. In this first of a two part blog series I explain what I did and why. “You don’t have to do this Faris, just stop now!” But I didn’t stop… Have…

Imagining a happiness index at work, optimizing employee satisfaction and workplace efficiency in a hightech office

From burnout to brilliance: How L&D drives employee engagement and retention 

DrJill Stefaniak

L&D must factor employee desires into learning programmes to maximise effectiveness, argues Dr Jill Stefaniak  Employee burnout is a pervasive issue that affects organisations and individuals alike. According to recent findings, a staggering 82% of employees are at risk of burnout this year. Despite its far-reaching impact, only half of employers are actively looking to combat burnout by incorporating staff wellbeing and mental health into their strategic plans. Those who are uncertain about how to do so can educate themselves…

Different euro bills from 5 to 200 grow from the ground. Euro Money

Behind the scenes of planning a new learning event: Show me the money

Kirsty Lewis

How much does a new learning summit cost? Kirsty Lewis shares an eye watering amount This month I want to share the emotional rollercoaster that is creating a festival from scratch with NO financial backing. If you are discovering this blog for the first time today, let me introduce myself: My name is Kirsty Lewis, founder of School of Facilitation and the architect of SOFest. A three day, in-person, learning event, space, summit (call it anything but a conference) SOFest…

Portrait of cheerful minded corporate person hand touch chin use netbook watch video isolated on pink color background

The power of video in microlearning 

Tim Moss

Bite-sized videos grab your learner’s attention, stick in their mind, and turn knowledge into action – Tim Moss shows how to get started Imagine this: you’re onboarding a new employee, Sarah, who feels overwhelmed about learning a complex project management tool. Instead of handing her a dense user manual, you provide her with a short, engaging video tutorial. The video is concise, visually clear, and even includes an interactive quiz at the end. After watching, Sarah not only understands the tool but…

A diverse group of people queuing in a sunlit green field exemplifying community and shared experiences

Behind the scenes of planning a new learning event: The workshops

Kirsty Lewis

Kirsty Lewis focuses her new festival planning on the different themes and workshops we need For those of you who missed the previous blog, let me catch you up: Imagine walking through a glade of trees with a lake by your side, along a path that leads you to a large field filled with tipis, yurts, a campfire and 120 people. That is what SOFest is going to be like, no stuffy hotel or boring conference centre. I am even…