The Big Five ideas, priorities and practices currently shaping Learning & Development and Organisational Development

Series 1: Partnering for Impact

One of the strongest signals Harvest is seeing across organisations is the growing emphasis on individuals strengthening their ability to work in partnership with others. This means developing the capability to balance influence with listening, navigating the push and pull between advocating for an agenda while genuinely understanding stakeholder needs. The ability to partner effectively is no longer limited to formal “business partner” roles; it is now a critical capability for anyone who needs to collaborate, influence and deliver results through others.

If you’re thinking about strengthening the ability of your people to work in partnership and influence effectively across the organisation, here are five areas we recommend focusing on first:

Inside L&D – Series 1. Partnering for Impact

Series 2: Leadership Pathways and Academies

One of the strongest signals we are seeing across organisations is a shift towards more structured leadership pathways, often brought to life through leadership academies.

Organisations are building more deliberate, joined-up approaches to how leaders are identified, developed and supported over time. Leadership academies are becoming the vehicle for this as a way of creating coherence across the leadership journey and the organisations making the most progress are those taking a more deliberate and structured approach towards developing leadership capability.

If you’re thinking about introducing or evolving a leadership academy in your organisation, here are five areas we recommend focusing on first:

Inside L&D Series – 2. Leadership Pathways & Academies

Series 3: Intact Team Development

One of the strongest signals we are seeing across organisations is a growing investment in intact team development. Rather than focusing solely on individual skills, organisations are recognising that the quality of team dynamics, shared accountability and collective leadership plays a critical role in delivering strategy and navigating complexity.

If you’re thinking about developing a team as an intact group, regardless of their level, here are five areas we recommend focusing on first.

Inside L&D Series – 3. Intact Team Development

Series 4: Skills Based Approach

One of the strongest signals we’re seeing across organisations is a growing focus on the strategic business case for adopting a skills-based approach. Not only are the skills required today different from those needed in the past, but the pace of skills change is accelerating rapidly. At the same time, organisations are facing increasing challenges in attracting and retaining people with specialist and in-demand skills, creating a growing need to build capability from within.

If you’re considering introducing a skills-based approach in your organisation, here are five areas we recommend focusing on first:

Inside L&D Series – 4. Skills Based Approach

Series 5: L&D Strategy

One of the strongest signals we are seeing across organisations is the expectation that L&D operates as a strategic function. As organisations evolve at pace, with shifting skill needs, more fluid careers and increasing digital enablement, L&D strategies need to be more focused, more integrated and more adaptable.

The teams making the most progress are stepping back and taking a more deliberate approach, redefining the role of L&D in shaping organisational capability over time.

If you’re thinking about developing an L&D strategy that aligns your overall capability development offer and delivers on the organisation’s strategic objectives, here are five areas we recommend focusing on:

Inside L&D Series – 5. L&D Strategy