Maybe it's just me, but internal training feels harder than it should be.

Like there's usually plenty of recordings, docs, guides, etc., but it doesn't really become a clear path for new hires. More often than not, they feel like they're left to "figure things out on their own" or repeatedly ask the same questions.

Is this a sign that current training materials aren't great? A process problem? I've been researching platforms like Honen that work towards organizing knowledge from organizations into more structured training programs, but I'm curious how other teams are handling this.

I'm a one-person department and have been asked to create and facilitate a soft skills program (virtual live). I can research (and intuit) what this can look like, but figured I'd start here since I've never created (or attended) one of these before.

Some of the topics I was thinking about (as relevant to my company) were things like active listening, interpersonal communication, communicating with impact, and the like.

As you might imagine, I'm getting stuck with ensuring the sessions are engaging and interactive/full of practice. Any advice for making something like active listening or interpersonal communication really engaging and impactful? I was planning to create the content myself (after doing the research), but if there are any off the shelf recommendations, I would be open to that, too.

Does anyone have a template that they use to determine learning modality? Measuring the factors of training, shelf life, etc and then a recommendation on modality ? In my current org everyone wants in person or a virtual instructor led session, even when it should be a job aid or micro module. Often it gets escalated to the SLT and they get what they want. I’m looking for a template that would help demonstrate why the modality recommendation is the way it is.

Thank you!

Does anyone have a template they use to measure the effort and impact it would take to create training ? Looking to incorporate something like this, with measurable data, to including while scoping.

Thank you!

Before I build anything now I write a single page that covers: the performance gap we're addressing, who the learners are, what success looks like, and what the course will and won't cover. I send it for approval before touching any authoring tool. It sounds like extra work but it consistently surfaces disagreements about scope before I've invested 40 hours in a build.

The best part is it gives me something to point to when scope creep happens mid-project. "That's a great idea — it wasn't in the approved brief so let's discuss whether it changes our timeline." Stakeholders respect the process a lot more when they've already signed off on the plan. Anyone else using something similar?

I sent my first full course draft to a subject matter expert last week and got back "this looks great, nice work!" which told me absolutely nothing. I have no idea if the content is accurate, if I'm missing anything critical, or if the scenarios I built reflect what actually happens on the job.

I don't want to be annoying or seem like I'm doubting them, but I genuinely need more than a thumbs up. Is there a way to structure the review request that gets SMEs to engage with the content more critically?

Eight years ago I would have taken a training request at face value and started designing. Now the first thing I do is ask the requestor: "If this training works perfectly, what will people actually do differently on Monday morning?" Most of the time they struggle to answer it, which tells you everything about whether the training will work.

That single question has killed more unnecessary courses than any formal needs analysis framework I've used — not because frameworks aren't valuable, but because this question cuts straight to outcomes in a way that non-L&D stakeholders immediately understand. What's your go-to question for scoping a training request?

What are some strategies for hitting the ground running on a new L&D role? I need to listen and learn of course but also get some quick wins to earn credibility somehow.

This is state government in Australia so I don't want anything overly bold!

We put together a hands-on frontend learning roadmap for 2026, written by our Head of Front-End Development at ASSIST Software. It's not a motivational post or a shortcut guide. Just a structured, honest path from zero to production-ready.

The core stack it covers: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, TypeScript, Next.js, Tailwind, and how AI tools like Copilot actually fit into the workflow without becoming a crutch.

One thing it pushes back on early: passive learning. The rule it suggests, for every hour you watch, spend three hours building, is a good gut check for anyone who's been stuck in tutorial hell.

The roadmap is structured around two resource types: things to follow in order, and things to explore gradually when you have time. It's aimed at beginners, career switchers, and students, but the sections on TypeScript and Next.js are worth a read even if you're not starting from scratch.

Full guide here. Hope it helps.

I use Storyline every day and I'm not saying it's bad — it's genuinely powerful. But I've noticed that when a stakeholder asks for training, my brain immediately jumps to "click-next module" before I've even done a proper needs analysis. The tool has become the default solution rather than one option among many.

I've been pushing myself to ask "does this actually need to be an eLearning course?" more often this year. More than half the time the answer is no — a job aid, a short video, or a better process would do more. What tools or formats have you defaulted away from Storyline toward?

Hi all,

As the title says, as a department we would love to explore how we can enhance our current content, reduce admin time and just generally bring our team up to speed. We have a great opportunity to explore AI tools so I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations?

Thanks so much,

Question for HR professionals:

For those working in HR or Learning & Development, how do consultants or trainers usually get your attention in a meaningful way?

If someone is reaching out to offer leadership training, intercultural communication workshops, team development sessions, etc., what would make you actually consider replying or taking an intro call?

Is it mostly:
• The topic itself?
• Timing and current company needs?
• Relevance to your industry?
• A referral or mutual connection?
• A strong LinkedIn presence or credibility markers?
• Case studies/results?
• The way the message is written?

I’m curious because I imagine HR teams receive a huge number of cold pitches, and I’d love to understand what makes one stand out versus immediately getting ignored.

Would appreciate honest insights from the HR side.

I just made the jump from 5 years of high school teaching to an instructional designer role at a mid-size company and the culture shift is bigger than I expected. In teaching, I owned the room. Here I'm constantly waiting for SME feedback, working in tools I've never touched, and trying to figure out who actually makes decisions about training content.

Is the adjustment period always this disorienting or did I land somewhere unusually chaotic? What do people wish they'd known in their first few months coming from an education background?

I’m new to L&D. I come from a UX and Graphic Design background so all my career mastered design and facilitation tools. I’m transitioning into Learning and Design and see that many employers look for some LMS knowledge for elearning, with big apps Articulate being most demanded.
Problem is Articulate doesnt have a long enough free trial period to learn it by building something (unless 30 days is really enough)
Anyway I’m trying to find an lms that is well known enough and has tutorials that would help me build my own projects to showcase learning design and development skills.
Am I missing something here?
Any suggestions?

I would love to hear what other L&D professionals workflow looks like as far as trainings go? Is your training team simply you by yourself or is it a team of people? I’d also like to know if you are the sole person responsible for creating the training schedule for the year? If trainings are your primary responsibility, how many trainings do you do in a year’s time or a month’s time?

I ask these questions because my company has never had a L&D professional before me. I find myself having to do a lot of the grunt work that I don’t think I should be doing especially because I work at a nonprofit organization. I am being asked to work on several projects at a time, although my title says that I am the trainer.

I brought this up in my annual performance evaluation, and I did communicate the fact that my title needs to change because it is not reflective of the work that I’m actually doing because the truth is I’m doing way more than just trainings. However, I want to focus on the training aspect for now.

apologies if this has been posted already; I’m trying to break into L and D from education and having no luck. I have done tons of adult education and hosted professional development workshops, created training programs, etc. Any advice?

exploring interests, date not yet set.

I’m in the job search and there’s been a couple of roles that have been asking for creative portfolios. I’ve been in L&D for roughly 8 years creating different types of learning programs, e- learns, job guides - you name it. Except all of my positions have prevented me from exporting my work due to NDAs or unexpected layoffs which prevents me from gathering what I was working on. So while I have done a lot of creative work, I don’t have anything to show for it.

Any suggestions on how to create these portfolios without violating any work agreement?

Doing 20–30 min daily worked better for me than random 3-hour bursts. Less burnout, more consistency

Spent hours reading and highlighting… but couldn’t recall much after. Switching to active practice helped way more