Effective learning can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach
Effective learning requires personalized approaches that account for individual preferences, not one-size-fits-all classroom sessions. Modern L&D programs should leverage varied content types, mobile accessibility, and collaborative tools to create flexible, engaging learning experiences tailored to how people actually learn best.
How to decide when to make a technology decision and what level to invest in seven simple steps
Learn how to evaluate technology investments strategically using the TBD (Technology, Behaviour, Data) framework. This flexible system helps HR departments make informed decisions about which technologies to adopt through a three-part scoring mechanism and clear decision matrix.
“That’s not fair!” When individual deals challenge the fairness in teams
Individual work arrangements like flexible hours and bonuses can spark fairness concerns in teams. Research shows employees more readily accept personal-need deals in independent teams, while financial perks create the most resistance in interdependent team structures.
“In my view, organisations change through tiny adjustments in local climates.”
Organizational change happens through small-scale shifts in local team climates rather than wholesale cultural overhauls, according to NHS leadership development expert Mark Cole. By investing in managers with supportive leadership styles and nurturing micro-changes across teams, organizations can build bottom-up cultural transformation. Active listening emerges as the critical skill for effective mediation and workplace leadership.
Mindfulness in the workplace – taking a grassroots approach
Mindfulness has become mainstream in UK workplaces, with major corporations like Google, IKEA, and HSBC offering programs to employees. While large-scale initiatives are common, a grassroots, employee-led approach can be equally effective, allowing mindfulness practices to develop naturally through workplace groups.
The career pitfalls of opening up about mental health at work
Employees who disclose mental health issues at work risk negative career consequences, with 8% facing dismissal, demotion, or disciplinary action. A Mind Culture survey found 51% received no support from their manager, and only 46% felt comfortable discussing mental health with supervisors, highlighting critical workplace support gaps.
OCD Awareness week: challenging the stigma at work
OCD Awareness Week highlights the gap between public perception and reality: while many trivialize OCD as mere tidiness, sufferers experience debilitating cycles of intrusive thoughts and compulsions that trap them 24/7. Creating OCD-friendly workplaces requires challenging stigma and supporting employees who may hide their condition due to shame around taboo obsessions like contamination or violence.
“Most organizations fail to drive adoption because of their inability to design processes around employees.”
Most organizations fail to drive adoption of HR technology because they design processes around the HR department rather than employees and managers. Successful adoption requires centering value on the workforce, creating frictionless access to tools, and shifting focus from one-time usage to ongoing engagement.
Damned if they don’t value diversity – damned if they do
Women and minority executives face a paradox when promoting diversity: they receive criticism whether they actively support their own demographic groups or don’t. Research shows that diversity-valuing behaviors don’t improve how female and minority leaders are rated, while white men face no backlash for predominantly hiring their own.
Employee engagement: the key to helping frontline staff reach their true potential
Employee engagement is essential for helping frontline staff reach their full potential and deliver exceptional customer service. By implementing strategies like gamification, empowerment, and transparency, businesses can motivate teams, align behaviors with organizational goals, and create memorable customer experiences.
Are we setting our leaders up to fail?
Traditional top-down leadership cultures place unrealistic expectations on leaders to know everything and perform flawlessly, setting them up for costly mistakes. HR can support leaders by fostering a culture that values authenticity, accepts failure as a learning opportunity, and provides development support rather than blame.
7 essentials for emotionally intelligent customer service
Emotionally intelligent customer service requires seven essential skills: raising your awareness of emotions, genuinely caring about customers, maintaining positive demeanor, building trust-based relationships, and avoiding inauthentic phrases. These practices create meaningful interactions that strengthen customer engagement and loyalty.
Can neuroscience enhance acceptance of Emotional Intelligence?
Neuroscience increasingly supports emotional intelligence in business leadership, showing that understanding oneself and others activates similar brain circuitry. Research suggests this scientific backing may help overcome organizational resistance to developing EI as a core leadership capability.
The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence has a darker side: people skilled in managing emotions may become better manipulators, according to recent research. Studies show emotionally intelligent individuals can disguise true feelings, fabricate favorable impressions, and manipulate others with self-serving motives, while high emotional intelligence doesn’t consistently improve job performance across all roles.
How to harness the power of critical thinking
Learn how HR leaders can unlock critical thinking and drive innovation across your organization by tapping into employee insights and creating focused frameworks for collaborative problem-solving.
“We are living in a very exciting period of our evolution as technology starts to impact every aspect of our lives”
Technology is rapidly transforming HR through AI, chatbots, and cloud platforms that are reshaping recruitment, talent management, and employee engagement. Leading enterprises are prioritizing digital flexibility and user adoption to stay competitive in an evolving workplace landscape.
How does technology affect your emotional stability?
Excessive internet use can impair emotional intelligence by disrupting balanced brain function and creating addiction-like dependency. Reducing screen time through digital detoxes may improve emotional self-awareness, self-management, and relationship quality for both children and adults.
Artificial intelligence: pre-screening candidates’ lives, not just CVs
Artificial intelligence is transforming recruitment by moving beyond CV screening to analyze candidates’ entire digital lives, including social media activity and personality traits. AI algorithms can identify ideal matches by data mining millions of online profiles to assess work ethic, teamwork ability, and cultural fit—finding qualified candidates who align with organizational needs more efficiently than traditional recruiting methods.
How being selfish, prejudiced and narrow-minded improves emotional intelligence
Self-awareness of your own selfishness, prejudices, and narrow-mindedness strengthens emotional intelligence and relationships. Understanding these natural human tendencies—and how they affect your decisions and interactions—enables you to manage them effectively and show up authentically for others.
“I’m looking forward to helping empower people across North’s business to reach their full potential.”
Dawn Robinson, newly appointed Global Director of People at North P&I Club, is leading a comprehensive leadership and development programme called “Navigating North” to equip employees with skills to become effective leaders. The initiative, delivered with partner Roffey Park, combines core values training, 360-degree feedback, and practical tools across multiple cohorts of senior and mid-level leaders.
