Strategy
My book ‘AI for People Professionals’ was a human-first experiment
Behind the pages of a book shaped by humans and machines, Erica Farmer shares the creative highs, challenges and lessons from writing ‘AI for People Professionals’. From neurodivergent-friendly workflows to AI-supported thinking, it’s a candid look at what it means to write about the future of work in real time. When I started writing my book AI for People Professionals, I had no idea how much of a creative, emotional and intellectual rollercoaster it would be. This wasn’t just a…
The leadership imperative: Shaping AI culture from the top
Vishaal Gupta argues that building an AI-ready workforce is less about technology and more about culture. From transparent leadership to continuous learning, this feature lays out how organisations can move beyond hype to action, bridging people readiness gaps, reducing risk, and turning AI into a true strategic advantage for organisations. AI is fundamentally transforming organisations, creating a clear competitive distinction between those acting decisively and those hesitating. This isn’t just another technology upgrade; it requires a complete rethink of how…
Stop reporting and start persuading: Unlock the potential of your learning data for business impact
Most L&D teams collect data, but few translate it into the business language that decision-makers value. iSpring’s global survey reveals a “translation problem” holding many teams back. Tanya Galton shares insights into three L&D maturity clusters, along with practical steps to boost your influence, impact, and alignment with business priorities. Are you being heard in the boardroom or are you overlooked when L&D budgets are allocated and cut? When you lead or manage L&D in your company, understanding the level…
Why customer service should be a leadership priority
Customer service standards are steadily slipping, and it’s costing businesses billions. Steve Macaulay and Sarah Cook explain, with examples, how HR and L&D leaders can drive a cultural shift towards service excellence, boosting loyalty, reducing inefficiencies, and embedding the mindset, skills, and leadership needed to make customer focus everyone’s responsibility. The cost of neglecting customer focus is that you end up with robotic and indifferent service, cancellations and delays become normal, and waiting on the phone for hours. In today’s…
Rewriting the leadership playbook: Why burnout is a system failure
Burnout isn’t a flaw in individuals; it’s a warning light for broken systems. Mia Serra and Claudie Plen-McCormack argue that leadership and culture must evolve to prioritise inclusion, psychological safety and sustainable performance. Without structural change, well-being initiatives remain surface-level fixes in complex environments that continue to overstretch and exclude. Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s a system failure. Yet in many organisations, burnout is still treated as an individual shortcoming, something to be “fixed” with a mindfulness session, an…
From cost centre to strategic asset — what gives L&D a seat at the strategy table?
L&D isn’t just about courses and compliance. In a world of constant change, it can be a powerful driver of growth and resilience. Jennie Marshall explores five ways learning teams can move from support function to strategic partner and earn the credibility they need to impact people, outcomes and organisations. For years, learning and development has wrestled with a perception problem. It’s often been seen as the department that organises training sessions, rolls out compliance modules, and occasionally delivers a…
The future of frameworks is integration, not competition
Ben Satchwell explores why well-intentioned frameworks often cause confusion rather than clarity. Drawing on common mistakes and missed opportunities, he shows how better integration, rather than wholesale replacement, can unlock value. One global reference for digital skills, SFIA9, offers a powerful example of what works when frameworks align, not compete. There is no shortage of frameworks in organisations today. Leadership frameworks, capability frameworks, technical standards; each designed with the hope of shaping how people perform and grow. The challenge is…
Finally, a conference for self-employed folk in L&D!
The inaugural Free Spirits LIVE! virtual event next month is designed for L&D independent L&D professionals who crave connection, clarity and practical support. With a lively online community, real-time sessions and a laser focus on freelance life, it promises something different – and genuinely useful – for those building a solo business. If you’ve ever been to a conference and thought, “well what about the freelancers?”, we’ve got you covered. Free Spirits LIVE! is the very first conference from Kim…
A real-world approach to the employer skills gap
For many organisations trying to reduce their skills gap, recruitment along is not working. The recruitment process is often uncertain and expensive, and yet investment in employee training to redress the skills shortage is falling. Isn’t it time for employers to re-evaluate developing their existing talent? Wojciech Walczak discusses how. At the start of 2024, the ONS reported that there were 934,000 job vacancies in the UK, a figure that still remained above pre-Covid-19 levels. Compounding this need, Open University…
EQ isn’t enough: How CEOs are tapping into deeper wisdom
Modern leaders face more than just business challenges, they’re navigating purpose, pressure, and people in a world that often feels unmoored. What if the real leadership edge isn’t just empathy, but a deeper kind of awareness that connects values, meaning and resilience? Yosi Amram looks at a shift from within. In today’s hyper-speed, AI-driven, burnout-ridden world, emotional intelligence (or EQ) is no longer optional for leaders. They’re expected to be self-aware, empathetic, and emotionally attuned, not just to bolster workplace…
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