TrainingZone

It's that time of the year when we announce our most popular reads 🥁🥁🥁 Some topics on this year’s list come as no surprise: artificial intelligence, leadership development, and top L&D trends. While others are more intriguing: skills-based learning, listening in conflict scenarios, and L&D basics. Thanks and congratulations to all the guest contributors who made the list! 1. Five deep listening skills to help navigate workplace conflict - Anna Shields, Director of Consensio 2. Three learning and development trends for 2024 - Robin Hoyle, Head of Learning at Huthwaite International 3. Back to basics: Do your learning experiences make an impact? - Jackie Clifford, Director of Clarity Learning and Development 4. Are there zombies in your leadership programme? - Dani Bacon and Garin Rouch Chartered FCIPD of Distinction Business Consulting 5. AI in learning: Where are we now and where should we be going? - David Perring, FLPI, Chief Insights Officer at Fosway Group 6. Why skills-based learning is key to solving your talent shortage - David James, CLO at 360Learning 7. Is leadership development broken? - Dr. Nigel Paine, cohost of Learning Now TV 8. It’s time to stop playing the Blame Game - Coaching expert Matt Somers 9. Do apprenticeships deliver ‘skills for life’ or are they just good government PR? - Erica Farmer, Digital Learning & Apprenticeship Expert of Quantum Rise Talent Group Ltd 10. Surviving disruption and L&D redundancies: What really counts? - Laura Overton, Founder of Learning Changemakers 11. A time of reckoning for L&D: Who does what in diversity, equity and inclusion? Lior Locher and Christy Allen, PhD , Learning consultants at NIIT What do these themes say about the L&D profession this year? Do they surprise you or resonate with your concerns and focus areas? Share with us your thoughts! #Learningtrends #learninganddevelopment #learningleaders

🎯 As we approach the end of the year, it's time to pause and reflect. In a TrainingZoen article, Executive and Leadership Coach Karen Liebenguth explores the power of reflection and why it’s essential for leaders and teams as we gear up for 2025. Reflection isn’t just about looking back; it’s about making sense of where we are, how far we’ve come, and how we want to move forward. Karen reminds us that creating intentional space for reflection—individually or collectively—helps us: ✨ Gain clarity on what’s working and what isn’t ✨ Reconnect with our values and purpose ✨ Reframe challenges as opportunities for growth Slowing down can feel counterintuitive. But, as Karen so eloquently puts it, taking time to reflect can be a transformative act of self-leadership and team alignment. As we close 2024, let’s make time to step back, recharge, and envision what we want to build in 2025. What are your strategies for reflection as we approach the new year? Read article here: https://lnkd.in/eSkWQDha #Leadership #Reflection #PersonalGrowth #EndOfYear #2025Vision

🔍 Looking to boost your organisation’s performance by building a robust skills and capability framework? In the latest installment of TrainingZone's Back to Basics series, Jackie Clifford offers practical tips and essential criteria for creating effective frameworks that align with your business goals and foster employee growth. Whether you're just starting or refining an existing strategy, this piece is packed with actionable tips to help you: ✅ Identify key competencies ✅ Align skills with organisational goals ✅ Build a framework that empowers your team 📖 Read the full article (linked in comments below) 💡 What strategies have worked for you when building capability frameworks? Let’s discuss in the comments! #SkillsDevelopment #CapabilityFramework #LearningAndDevelopment #WorkplaceGrowth

✨ Let's reflect on L&D in 2024 by following the Yellow Brick Road ✨ Many of you will be off to see ‘Wicked’ at the theatres, so taking inspiration from The Wizard of Oz, Erica Farmer of Quantum Rise Talent Group Ltd reflects on the magical innovations and changes that have shaped our industry. 🌟 💡 What has the Tin Man taught us about emotional intelligence? 💡 How has the Scarecrow’s quest for knowledge inspired innovative learning strategies? 💡 And what has the Yellow Brick Road symbolised for our journey toward L&D excellence in 2024? 👇 Read the full article (linked in the comments section below) 👇 #LearningAndDevelopment #LifelongLearning #LearningTrends

What do managers need to STOP doing to become effective coaches? 🛑  Coaching expert Matt Somers believes that the biggest challenge for trainee coaches is not grasping new techniques, it's letting go of bad habits. "Too often, I’ve seen leaders eager to gain tools for coaching only to find the true challenge is relinquishing their deep-rooted need for control." How can you address this? Here are a few tips from Matt: 👉 Start small: Choose low-risk projects or routine tasks and actively resist the urge to micromanage 👉Ask, don’t tell: Ask questions that guide others to discover solutions for themselves.  👉Resist the temptation to ‘save’ employee 👉Look beyond targets: success isn’t just about meeting targets; it’s about creating empowered, engaged team members who can think for themselves. Access more tips from Matt in the article linked in the comments section. #Coaching #manager #managers #coach #micromanager

Looking for a practical guide to building a learning culture? We've got you. A new roadmap is available, and one of the creators Dani Saadu Head of People and Culture at Wavemaker, is ready to share it with you. The CAPEX formula Culture: Set the foundation Adaptability: Embrace change Purpose: Fuel motivation Expectation: Set the right standards X-Factor: Uncover unique potential Saadu shares practical tips for each of these pillars in an article for TrainingZone (link in comments section) #Learningculture #learningleaders #learninganddevelopment

Are you looking for ways to build adaptability and unlock human advantage in 2025? 🤸 Marcus Wylie, Head of Culture at Insights shares five suggestions... 1. Commit to a culture of continuous learning "When senior executives actively engage in their own development and set the example, they motivate others to make learning an everyday practice." 2. Use 360° feedback as a catalyst for growth "If you provide a constructive, supportive environment, this approach will enable employees to discover their strengths and growth areas." 3. Get curious about blindspots "Adaptability often requires exploring what’s holding you back and uncovering areas of strength you don’t see at first glance." 4. Lean into discomfort for lasting growth "Empower your employees to lead through discomfort, explore unfamiliar projects or tackle new roles." 5. Embrace the strengths of both introversion and Extroversion "Create an environment that celebrates this diversity to help reduce bias and draw from a fuller range of perspectives." #adaptability #resilience #learningculture #learninganddevelopment

Teams are 34% less innovative and 43% less engaged when their managers lack empathy (New Mind Tools research). So we need emotionally intelligent leaders, but the problem is many still assume EI is an innate quality - you either have it or you don't. Anna Barnett PhD CPsychol, Senior Insight Analyst at Mind Tools, argues this is not the case. We can develop empathy, BUT there are no quick wins. Only a slow-burn approach will work. "This stagnated mindset is the obstacle that prevents many professionals from developing deeper and more insightful EI skills including empathy, active listening and self-awareness. When one person alters the narrative, in time others follow – it’s a trigger moment in which dominoes begin to fall and the trend catches. It’s a slow process but not an impossible task." Are you ready to take on the SLOW BURN? 🔥 More guidance and insights are shared by Anna in a TrainingZone article linked below. #emotionalintelligence #empathy #manager

Do you know how to lead through discomfort? Do your organisation's senior executives and managers? It's an important skill, but many struggle with it. In an article for TrainingZone Karen Liebenguth examines Dan Siegel's concept of the 'window of tolerance'. This is the place we need to be to handle testing moments at work. How do we get there? Karen outlines three ways here: https://lnkd.in/eZTf9r_z #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipskills

👋 Onboarding lessons from Hertfordshire County Council 👋 Did you know that up to 20% of new hires leave their job within the first 45 days? This costly turnover is often preventable – and one of the most powerful solutions is effective onboarding. L&D Manager, Aglaia Economou, shares best practices from the Council’s structured onboarding approach. These practices cover: 👉 Legal compliance and electronic self-service 👉 Pre-board contact with managers 👉 Pre-arranged logistics 👉 Meeting in person during the first week 👉 Piloting a post-call with recruitment 👉 Induction checklist and buddy system Get full details in the TrainingZone article linked in comments below. #Onboarding #Employeeretention #Newhires Hertfordshire County Council