Conflict is an inevitable part of human interaction. At a time when it’s crucial we come together and strengthen our relationships, albeit virtually, inconsequential disagreements or a mishandled conversation can bubble up into unpleasant or even toxic situations. While being able to ‘manage’ conflict is a necessary skill for individuals and the modern workplace, is there a healthy and progressive side of conflict that can be channelled into success? Join Nigel Cassidy and this months’ guests, Amy Gallo, Contributing Editor at Harvard Business Review; Clive Lewis, OBE and CEO of Globis Mediation Group and Rachel Suff, Senior Employee Relations Adviser at CIPD, to learn about the key causes of negative conflict, strategies for diffusing workplace flare-ups and how we can encourage constructive and progressive workplace conflict.

Before coronavirus struck, mental-ill health was the number one cause of long-term sickness absence among UK workers. Current lockdown restrictions are likely to have exacerbated these conditions for many, and this poses a real challenge for managers who are expected to look after the health and well-being of their teams. Join Andrea Winfield, HR Director at Microsoft, Professor Neil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health at Kings College, and Rachel Suff, Senior Employee Relations Adviser at CIPD to learn how managers can have confident and sensitive well-being conversations to support the mental and physical well-being of their remote teams, and crucially what employers need to consider as the UK plans for an eventual return to the workplace.

We have heard many times before that we are operating in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world and few would argue that current developments aren’t case in point. The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) is without question testing businesses on an unprecedented scale. But having a well-designed organisation to respond flexibly and rapidly is only half the battle. Some organisations are having to rework their business models to deliver outside-the-box-offerings, while many others are grappling with the challenge of business continuity. Join Jaimini Lakhani, Director at Lumiere Consulting, David Frost, Director of OD at Total Produce and Peter Cheese, Chief Executive at CIPD to discover how organisations can and should respond to the coronavirus crisis, and vitally, how you can support your workforce through this difficult period.

Traditional organisation development [OD] skills are becoming increasingly embedded within the DNA across all aspects of people profession today – this is highlighted in the new Profession Map from the CIPD. In what way, then, can OD practice be integrated throughout the people practice ecosystem? How can people practitioners adopt traditional OD roles and responsibilities in their workplace? Join Dr Linda Holbeche, co-director of The Holbeche Partnership, and Caroline Nugent, HR Director at the Financial Ombudsman, as they delve into the role of organisation architects and OD professionals whose job is to explore the ways organisations can benefit from OD practice, and the key challenges they may face in doing so.

There are currently 5 million workers in the UK (1 in 7 of the workforce) juggling work with care responsibilities. That number is set to increase. Working carers say their responsibility for another causes significant worry and anxiety, so much so, that it can feel like being a ‘rabbit caught in the headlights’. Employers should start developing an understanding and awareness of the issue, in order to provide the best support and retain valuable employees. Join Katherine Wilson, Head of Employment, Carers UK and Claire McCartney, Senior Policy Adviser, CIPD as we explore the impact of caring responsibilities on workers and what measures employers can put in place to better support their working carers.

A new year presents new challenges, but what are the key business issues your organisation should prepare for? From providing support and stability to employees following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, to tackling workplace inequality and addressing diversity and inclusion at all levels of business, our guests discuss the crucial topics set to change the landscape of work. Join business journalist Josie Cox and CIPD’s David D’Souza and Edward Houghton as they ponder the year ahead, explore what organisations need to prepare for and offer top tips to help you tackle these key business issues.

Critical thinking is a key skill for HR and all people professionals - it is the ability think well and to critically reflect on the ideas, opinions and arguments of others. It can help us solve complex problems and make better decisions, bringing clarity to confusion. and increasing our potential to succeed when others look to us and our teams for answers that work. Join Warren Howlett and Tim Coburn discussing why critical thinking is important, and how you can learn to reason well.

The concept of “learning in-the-flow of work”, coined by Josh Bersin, is a simple notion; learners can access learning at their point of need in the workplace. See Bersin’s article “A New Paradigm For Corporate Training: Learning In The Flow of Work” (Bersin, 2018) available at: https://joshbersin.com/2018/06/a-new-paradigm-for-corporate-training-learning-in-the-flow-of-work/. He cites the 2018 LinkedIn Learning survey of over 4000 L&D leaders and business professionals that highlighted the biggest barrier to learning is that employees simply don’t have enough time for learning; respondents want to learn at their own pace (58%) and in-the-flow of work (49%) (LinkedIn, 2018). This is further supported by Towards Maturity’s “Learner Voice” research (Towards Maturity, 2016) which found that 91% of learners want to learn at their own pace. See https://towardsmaturity.org/2016/11/03/learner-voice-part-3/. However, learning in-the-flow of work requires learning practitioners to design and facilitate learning close to the workface and that requires new thinking and tactics. We can no longer rely on “the course”. Andy Lancaster, Head of Learning at CIPD, David James, Chief Learning Officer at Looop Learning, and Kate Graham, Head Of Content at Fosway Group discuss this and more.

Neurodiversity refers to the fact that all our brains function differently. In the workplace it’s an essential area of diversity and inclusion that refers to alternative thinking styles, including autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Without an appreciation of neurodiverse conditions and considering how individuals can be enabled to perform at their best at work, employers will miss out on the sought-after skills of a large talent pool and potentially neglect a significant proportion of their customer base. In this episode, Margaret Malpas, Vice President of the British Dyslexia Association, and the CIPD’s Diversity and Inclusion Adviser, Dr Jill Miller, explain why it’s so important for employers to understand neurodiversity. They also share ideas on how to create a neurodiversity-friendly workplace where people with alternative thinking styles can thrive. Kirsty Wilson, Lead International Job Coach at Auticon, an IT consultancy that exclusively hires adults on the autism spectrum, gives insights and practical examples of how to create an inclusive environment where people can fully use their talents.

All listed companies in the UK with more than 250 people must now report the ratio between their CEO pay and the median pay of their employees. But will that make much difference to the widening gap, and are big, complex reward packages, much of a motivator anyway? In this podcast, our speakers discuss the existing models of executive pay and incentive plans, what motivates top earners and the importance of fairness in reward, as well as the future role of Remuneration Committees. We hear from Sandy Pepper, Professor of Management Practice at the London School , Professor of Management Practice at the London School of Economics, Charles Cotton, CIPD’s Senior Adviser Pay and Reward, and Julia Hanna of Verditer Consulting.