At this year’s World of Learning Conference, we did something special.

We recorded the 100th episode of the L&D Disrupt, live in front of a room full of learning and development leaders.

On stage, HowNow CEO Nelson Sivalingam was joined by four L&D practitioners who’ve built, broken, rebuilt and completely rethought their L&D strategies:

• Tara Ryan-Tedford, Learning & Development Lead at AND Digital
• Joe Milton, Learning & Development Manager at Centrick
• Penny Simpson, Senior Director of Global Development at InRiver
• Stephen Clarke, Head of Learning, Performance & Development at So Energy
  
  

We expected to talk about AI. Maybe innovation. Possibly the future of skills.

Instead, the theme that kept surfacing was something far less shiny and far more powerful: Unlearning.

Because before learning and development can evolve, modernise certification, build a skills strategy, or create a true learning culture… it has to let go of what’s no longer working.

Here are the biggest lessons these L&D leaders shared including what they stopped doing to drive real business impact.

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1. Admitting When the Plan Won’t Work

Stephen Clarke opened with a level of honesty most leaders avoid.

“Mid-year 2024, I had plans of, everyone’s gonna be skilled, mapped… and I realised, oh my God, my plans are not gonna work. I literally went straight back after and created a presentation labeled "why my plan won’t work.”

That moment acknowledging your strategy needs to change is uncomfortable.

Stephen put it more candidly:

“Maybe a little cry and a glass of wine, first of all… but get tough over it.”

The lesson is that skills strategy isn’t about ambition. It’s about feasibility.

Unlearning starts with humility.
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2. Killing the “Completion = Success” Myth

Stephen shared something most L&D teams have experienced but don’t always say out loud.

When So Energy first launched their learning platform, the content was beautifully designed,  carefully structured, thoughtful, detailed. The kind of work you’re genuinely proud to put your name to.

But the data told a different story.

Completion rates weren’t landing. When they dug into behaviour, they realised people were spending an average of just seven minutes in modules, rushing through them rather than engaging properly. Sound familiar?

That seven-minute average wasn’t a failure. It was feedback.

“They told me by their behaviour… so meet them with that behaviour.”

Instead of doubling down or blaming attention spans, Stephen and his team made the harder decision: let go of the “beautifully sculpted” content and redesign around how their people actually consume learning in short bursts, in the flow of work, under real-world pressure.

That shift is uncomfortable because it challenges pride. But it’s also where impact starts.

Unlearning here wasn’t about lowering standards. It was about designing for reality, not idealism.
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3. Letting Go of SME-Heavy, Slow Delivery

Tara Ryan-Tedford at AND Digital was brutally clear about what wasn’t working.

“Really long workshops, relying really heavily on SME resources… That content just wasn’t working for us at all. We were too slow to go to market.”

The shift? Micro learning. Lightning talks. Learning in meaningful bursts.

Instead of defaulting to more content (or knee-jerk AI content):

“We created five chapters… Within each chapter there were 10 days worth of learning and each day was just 10 minutes long. Truly bite size… completed in the flow of work and not impact billability.”

The results speak for themselves:

• 50% reduction in L&D curation time
• 75% reduction in onboarding admin
• Faster consultant productivity
• Greater service diversification

And perhaps the biggest shift of all:

“Moving away from being a workshop coordinator to being more strategic enablers.”

That’s unlearning identity (not just format).
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4. Stop Pushing Training

Joe Milton from Centrick shared a moment that will feel painfully familiar to many L&D leaders.

When building their function, his initial instinct was to scale delivery by turning subject matter experts into trainers. Train the SMEs, roll it out, problem solved. On paper, it made sense.

In reality, “Everybody’s at 110% capacity. So that’s not gonna happen.”

That realisation forced a rethink. Instead of pushing out a menu of training and asking people to pick from it, Joe made what he described as a slightly controversial pivot.

“Stop pushing out training… start getting people to come to you instead. I stopped saying, ‘this is my training offering’. Now all I do is solve problems.”

It sounds simple, but culturally it’s a big shift. It moves L&D from programme owners to business partners. From delivery-led to outcome-led.

Rather than focusing on filling an academy with “bums in seats,” Joe prioritised measurable impact, building the L&D function from the ground up in a way that contributed to a 25% uplift in service quality.

The goal wasn’t more sessions. It was a better performance.

And that distinction changed everything.

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5. Killing the “Insane” Workshop Model

Penny Simpson at InRiver didn’t sugar-coat her view of their certification model.

“One of the things with the partner certifications was the fact that it is blended… then there’s suddenly a three-day workshop. Are you insane?”

It wasn’t just about preference. It was about practicality. When she looked properly at the numbers, the model didn’t make business sense. SME time, facilitation hours, operational disruption… It all added up. So she asked a simple but powerful question: what would happen if this was asynchronous?

The shift wasn’t small. By redesigning the experience, the team saved five hours per session, increased delivery capacity and created a far more scalable learner experience.

But the more significant change wasn’t operational. It was philosophical.

“Lots of people are coming to visit the platform. I don’t care. What I care about is are they able to do their job successfully?”

That mindset cuts through one of L&D’s biggest traps: mistaking activity for impact. Platform visits, log-ins, attendance numbers are easy to report, but they don’t necessarily mean anything has improved.

Unlearning vanity metrics is uncomfortable because they’re visible and easy to celebrate. But if the goal is performance, not popularity, they can’t be the headline.

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6. Killing L&D-Centric Language

Stephen also challenged something subtle but powerful: jargon.

“I had eight different ways of describing stakeholder management.”

If leaders can’t translate what L&D means in business language, adoption suffers.

His analogy: “If you put the skill, I can knit a jumper. The skill is knitting. The task is the jumper.”

Skills aren’t tasks.
They’re transferable capabilities.

Mapping skills properly enabled So Energy to:

• Empower managers with dashboards
• Track compliance clearly
• Enable personalised learning
• Support internal mobility and skills-based hiring
  
  

Unlearning jargon unlocked business alignment.
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7. From Problem Solvers to Problem Finders

If there was one message that tied the entire panel together, it was clear: L&D shouldn’t wait for requests. The most effective learning and development teams don’t just react — they proactively uncover the real challenges their business faces.

Tara Ryan-Tedford put it perfectly:

“We in learning and development need to really connect with and understand what are the biggest problems within businesses… and move away from being problem solvers to problem finders.”

Penny Simpson reinforced the point:

“You’ve got to go out and meet those people in their place and understand their space.”

And Stephen Clarke summed it up simply:

“It’s really just observing. Gonna meet them where they’re at.”

This approach — what we’re calling the Great Unlearning — is about letting go of old habits that hold L&D back: the need to own every piece of delivery, pride in perfectly sculpted content, vanity metrics that don’t measure real impact, push strategies, jargon-filled language, and the belief that “we know best.”

In their place, these leaders embraced a new mindset: humility, listening to real behaviour, aligning closely with business needs, building scalable solutions, and focusing on problem-finding instead of just problem-solving.

It’s a simple shift in phrasing, but a profound shift in practice. By moving from reactive to observant, from proud content creator to strategic enabler, these L&D teams are building learning functions that actually make a difference — for the business and for the people in it.
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The 100th Episode That Matters Most

If you’re rethinking your strategy this year, maybe the question isn’t: What should we build next?

Maybe it’s: What do we need to unlearn first?

And of course, we want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been part of L&D Disrupt, from the incredible guests who’ve shared their stories to all the listeners who’ve tuned in along the way. We couldn’t have reached 100 episodes without you.

Check out the full episode below.

Listen on Spotify:

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Watch on YouTube:

2025 was a year of highs, lows, and plenty of hype in the world of L&D. From the rise of skills-based practices to AI adoption, L&D leaders navigated a rapidly evolving landscape where relevance and impact were under the microscope.

We recently hosted a webinar with industry experts sharing their reflections on the trends that shaped the year. 

Insights from the panel:

• Nelson Sivalingam, CEO and Co-founder of HowNow, globally recognised for reimagining how L&D drives business impact.
• Andy Lancaster, award-winning L&D thought leader and Chief Learning Officer at Reimagine People Development, shaping measurable learning outcomes across the globe.
• Stella Collins, internationally acclaimed learning strategist, translating neuroscience, AI, and technology into practical learning that drives performance.
• Ross Garner, award-winning learning experience designer and podcast host, crafting learner-centric solutions that transform organisations.

Here’s a concise review of the winners, losers, and overhyped trends in L&D for 2025.

The Winners of 2025

Skills & Evidence-Based Practice

2025 saw clear winners in L&D - trends that delivered tangible value and showed real progress. From skills and evidence-based practice to systemic thinking and AI adoption, these areas stood out as game-changers for learning leaders.

Skills & Evidence-Based Practice

Skills and research-backed approaches emerged as major winners. L&D leaders are increasingly moving beyond assumptions and buzzwords, focusing instead on measurable capabilities.

Nelson Sivalingam, CEO of HowNow, highlighted the growing emphasis on skills:

"For me, it is actually skills... we're really starting to get the maximum value out of it, and it was a winner for the progress it made in 2025."

Andy Lancaster, Chief Learning Officer at Reimagine People Development, noted the rise of evidence-based thinking:

"I've seen an increase in the use of evidence-based research... more people interrogating, contextualising, using research in their work... get away from just crazy ideas, and actually get some research-based thinking behind what we do."

Together, these insights point to a shift towards credible, outcomes-focused L&D - learning that builds real skills, backed by research and evidence.
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Systemic Thinking & Business Connection

Another winner in 2025 was the move beyond the L&D silo, with leaders thinking more strategically about how learning supports the wider business.

Andy Lancaster explained:

"The biggest winner... I'm going to go systemic thinking. At last, at last, we're beginning to think beyond the L&D silo."

Stella Collins, international learning strategist, reinforced this point:

"People are really beginning to think about... how do we actually help people to do their jobs better?... that connection into the business. What's the business need?"

By linking learning initiatives to real business outcomes, L&D is gaining credibility and showing measurable value across organisations.
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AI Adoption

AI moved from experimentation to practical implementation, becoming a tool for delivering learning and value at work.

Ross Garner, learning experience designer, observed:

"AI is obviously... of 2025... we had 50% of respondents now actively using AI rather than experimenting with it... it's now being used to actually deliver learning, or deliver value at work."

This shift shows that AI is no longer just a novelty; it’s becoming a practical, performance-enhancing tool in the L&D toolkit.

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The Losers of 2025

While 2025 had its wins, some trends stumbled, revealing challenges that L&D leaders must address. From fading DEI initiatives to outdated metrics and talent struggles, these areas marked a step back for the profession.

DEI & ESG Initiatives

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and ESG initiatives lost momentum in 2025, raising concerns about L&D’s role in driving meaningful cultural change.

Ross Garner, learning experience designer, lamented:

"The heartbreaking answer... DEI and ESG... have completely disappeared... it's a real shame."

Nelson Sivalingam, CEO of HowNow, added:

"I think it was put in for largely political reasons, and it was taken out for largely political reasons."

This decline signals a potential step back in embedding these important principles into learning strategies, highlighting the need for L&D to stay committed to social impact and organisational responsibility.
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Completion Rates as a Key Metric

Another losing trend was the over-reliance on completion rates as a measure of learning impact.

Andy Lancaster, Chief Learning Officer at Reimagine People Development, explained:

"The big loser is that completion is no longer seen as an indicator of impact... the visibility of value goes way beyond completion metrics."

Stella Collins, international learning strategist, agreed:

"Completion rates are still being asked for because they are super easy to measure, but they are not the answer."

This reflects a broader shift toward evaluating learning through meaningful outcomes, rather than surface-level metrics that don’t tell the full story.
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L&D’s Relevance & Talent

Finally, L&D’s influence and its talent pipeline faced challenges in 2025.

Nelson Sivalingam noted:

"Execs really don't see L&D as a part of the solution to a business problem."

Stella Collins added:

"Some of the people in L&D, who are fantastic at their jobs, have been replaced."

These insights highlight the ongoing need to prove the strategic value of L&D and ensure that top talent is recognised, nurtured, and retained.
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The Overhyped Trends of 2025

Not every trend lived up to its promise in 2025. Some areas were overhyped, showing that even the most exciting innovations need careful implementation and realistic expectations.

AI’s Unfulfilled Promise

While AI adoption grew, certain claims around personalisation and impact didn’t match reality.

Stella Collins, international learning strategist, reflected:

"The biggest hype... AI personalisation... all it seems to be is you might get asked a few questions... but actually, you still end up doing the same as everybody else."

Ross Garner, learning experience designer, added:

"Overhyped for me... is AI... in a year's time, there's not going to be any work for me to do. That has not been my experience."

Nelson Sivalingam, CEO of HowNow, agreed:

"The overhyped trend was actually AI literacy programs... very generic... piece of training program."

These insights show that while AI is a powerful tool, its potential is often overstated, and leaders should focus on practical applications that deliver real value.
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Skills Frameworks

Skills frameworks also received more hype than substance.

Andy Lancaster, Chief Learning Officer at Reimagine People Development, observed:

"It breaks my heart, but I'm gonna say overhyped on skills frameworks... we are in danger of just jumping on the latest bandwagon."

Nelson Sivalingam added:

"The hype part is the skills-based organisation... by the time everyone figures out how to become an SBO, it'll no longer be relevant, because AI would have found a better way."

The lesson here is clear: frameworks need careful planning and strategic intent, rather than being adopted because they’re trendy.

Conclusion

2025 was a year of significant progress, painful lessons, and cautionary tales for L&D. Skills, systemic thinking, and AI adoption stood out as winners, while DEI initiatives, completion metrics, and L&D’s strategic relevance showed vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, some overhyped trends, particularly around AI personalisation and skills frameworks, highlighted the need for careful, evidence-based implementation.

As we move into 2026, L&D leaders must focus on tangible value, align with business outcomes, and harness technology thoughtfully—not just follow the hype.

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You can watch the full webinar recording here:

World of Learning London is one of our favourite L&D events.

Each year it brings great discussions, bold ideas and new connections with fellow learning professionals.

We’ll be there for both days: on stage, in workshops, and by stand E90. If you’re heading to the summit this year, we’d love to see you.

While many discussions focus on what L&D could look like in the future, we’re obsessed with something far more practical: What will actually help you do your job better when you’re back at your desk?

That question shapes everything we’re bringing to World of Learning London 2026, from the sessions we’re running to the conversations we’re having on the stand.

Here are 7 reasons to come and find HowNow at stand E90. 👇
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1. Join us for an extra special live L&D Disrupt recording

📅 Day 1 | 10:30 – 11:00 Main stage
L&D Disrupt Live: Inside L&D Teams That Get Results

This will not be your average keynote. This will be a raw, on-stage recording of HowNow’s L&D Disrupt podcast, hosted by our CEO and Learning at Speed author, Nelson Sivalingam.

He will be joined by 4 incredible L&D leaders who are turning strategy into impact by:
→ Building L&D functions from scratch
→ Scaling learning without scaling admin
→ Proving learning’s commercial value

P.s you can subscribe to the L&D Disrupt podcast here.

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2. Hear from HowNow customers who are seeing real, business results

Meet the organisations using learning to boost capability, performance, and commercial impact and ask them your questions directly.

Some of the leaders joining us include:

• Tara Ryan-Tedford: Learning and Development Lead, AND Digital
  Learn how they cut L&D curation time by 50%, reduced onboarding admin by 75%, and enabled faster consultant productivity and service diversification.
  
  
• Joe Milton: Learning and Development Manager, Centrick
  Learn how they built an L&D function from the ground up and delivered a 25% uplift in service quality.
  
  
• Penny Simpson: Senior Director of Global Development, InRiver
  Learn how they modernised certification to save 5 hours per session, increase delivery capacity, and create a scalable learner experience.
  
  
• Stephen Clarke: Head of Learning, Performance and Development, So Energy
  Learn how they ignited a learning culture to drive engagement, empowered managers with dashboards to track compliance, and mapped skills to roles to enable personalised learning, internal mobility, and skills-based hiring.
  
  

And that’s just to name a few, but there will be many others popping by our stand too, so be sure to keep an eye out for more real-world L&D stories.

3. Practical conversations about connecting L&D to the business

A running theme across everything we’re doing at the show is helping you:

• Connect learning directly to business goals
• Reduce friction for learners and L&D teams
• Make capability growth visible and measurable

If you’re tired of constantly defending L&D or struggling to link learning activity to the outcomes leaders actually care about, this is for you.

Come meet our onsite team and see HowNow in action, including HowNow Guru, our AI learning coach that guides learners, personalises learning, and keeps growth measurable — all without adding extra admin.

Book your demo or one-to-one chat at the stand and see how we make L&D a business driver, not a cost centre.

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4. Join our happy hour to Sip and Learn.

📅 Day 1 | 15:15 – 15:45
RoundTable Theatre (Theatre 4)

This interactive session takes a real-world look at how learning fits into daily work (not how we wish it did).

We’ll explore:

• Why engagement drops when learning sits outside real work
• What “learning in the flow” looks like in practice
• How to meet learners where work actually happens

No sign up needed. Just come with questions, leave with practical ideas you can apply immediately back at your desk — all while enjoying a well-earned drink.

5. You’re invited to the HowNow House Party 

📅 Day 1 | 15:45 – 16:30
RoundTable Theatre (Theatre 4)

Sometimes the best learning happens off-stage. After a full day of sessions, we’re opening up space for proper conversation.

Expect:

• Great people – connect with fellow L&D leaders including some of our customers and partners.
• Honest discussions – share challenges and swap solutions. Debates welcome too. 
• Meet the HowNow team – hear how we help teams drive real results
• Drinks & nibbles – because good chats pair better with a snack

It’s informal, interactive, and full of insights you won’t find in a presentation.

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6. See how L&D can thrive in the AI era

📅 Day 2 | 11:15 – 11:45
The New Role of L&D: 7 Transformations for the AI Era
Speaker: Nelson Sivalingam, CEO, HowNow

AI is transforming the way we work but most learning strategies are still stuck in a world of courses, not capabilities.

In this session, Nelson will show you how to future-proof your L&D function by exploring:

• Why content alone isn’t the biggest opportunity (capability growth is)
• The 7 mindset shifts that forward-thinking L&D teams are already making
• How AI can deliver personalised learning, measurable skill progression, and coaching at scale
• Practical ways to link skill growth directly to business outcomes

This session is honest, grounded, and designed for leaders who want to stay relevant, not reactive in a world where AI is reshaping learning.

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7. Discover skills-based learning that actually sticks

📅 Day 2 | 13:15 – 13:45
RoundTable Theatre (Theatre 4)

SIP & LEARN: From content to capability

This interactive workshop explores how a skills-based approach keeps learning relevant, engaging, and measurable:

• Sustain engagement beyond the first click
• Make progression visible and motivating for learners
• Move L&D beyond “course completions” and into real capability growth

If you’re rethinking how learning is structured and want it to truly stick, this session is for you.

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Bonus: Swag that’s actually useful

We’re all about meaningful conversations and practical insights and yes, we’ve also got some thoughtful, usable goodies that you can take away. Just a small extra for stopping by stand E90.

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See you at World of Learning London 2026

World of Learning London 2026 is shaping up to be unmissable. From exploring how AI is transforming learning, to hearing from peers who are proving L&D’s business impact, to hands-on sessions showing skills-based learning in action, there’s something for every part of your L&D toolkit.

Don’t miss the chance to meet the HowNow team, ask your questions, and see firsthand how we help teams work smarter, not harder. Whether it’s a session on capability growth, a Sip & Learn workshop, or a chat at stand E90, these are insights and conversations you won’t find online.

If you’re serious about making learning count in 2026, make sure you stop by. You won’t want to miss the opportunities to learn, connect, and take ideas back to your team. FOMO is real!

🎟️ Haven't got a ticket? Register for free here. 🎟️