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The latest thinking from across business, in brief.
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Hot Topic
& Checklist

A key topic for great leadership, right now.

High performance
management

The latest ideas and fresh thinking from around the world.

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New findings on building the innovative enterprise.

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Viewport

Guest expert shares their latest insights on the future of leadership

Recent Hot Topics
Research

Inclusive and Sustainable Service Design

A service is more than its front-end journey: it is a system of research, governance, delivery channels, data, and resources. Barriers to inclusion and sustainability usually form inside that system long before launch, not just at the point of delivery. This Hot Topic explains where those barriers commonly arise and why service designers should consider them from the outset, rather than retrofitting a solution once it already exists.

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KnowledgeBrief

Inclusive and Sustainable Service Design

Who Shapes Services? Roles, Professions and Interfaces
Research

Who Shapes Services? Roles, Professions and Interfaces

No single job title designs a service. Product managers, user researchers, content designers, developers, policymakers and delivery staff all shape what a user experiences, often without seeing the whole picture. This Hot Topic sets out the roles and professions involved in service design, where the service designer sits among them, and why the points where their work meets matter as much as any single role.

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KnowledgeBrief

Who Shapes Services? Roles, Professions and Interfaces

Service Design in Organisational Context
Research

Service Design in Organisational Context

Service design does not happen in a vacuum: the same tools and principles succeed in one organisation and stall in another, depending on factors such as structure, culture, mandate and leadership backing. This Hot Topic explains how organisational context shapes what service design can achieve, from a lone enthusiast running a pilot to a capability embedded across the business, and what leaders can do to provide conditions it needs to succeed.

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KnowledgeBrief

Service Design in Organisational Context

Service Systems, Business Models and Organisational Accountability
Research

Service Systems, Business Models and Organisational Accountability

A service rarely fails because one interaction is unsuccessful. It fails because the system behind it (the actors, the money, and the ownership) was never designed to hold together. This Hot Topic looks at three things every service designer has to reconcile: the service as a system of interdependent actors, the business model that funds and sustains it, and who in the organisation is actually accountable for its performance.

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KnowledgeBrief

Service Systems, Business Models and Organisational Accountability

Service Design: History, Perspectives and Schools of Thought
Research

Service Design: History, Perspectives and Schools of Thought

Service design has grown from several different fields, and that mixed heritage still shapes how the discipline is defined and practised today. This hot topic sets out a working definition of service design, traces its roots in services marketing, operations and design practice, and explains the principles that connect these different schools of thought. Understanding where the discipline came from helps leaders recognise why service designers ask the questions they do.

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KnowledgeBrief

Service Design: History, Perspectives and Schools of Thought

What is Service Design? Definitions and Core Principles
Research

What is Service Design? Definitions and Core Principles

Service design looks at a service as a whole, not just one screen, form, or conversation. It brings together user-centred design, end-to-end design, systems thinking, design thinking, and service-dominant logic to fix problems that a single team or a single fix cannot solve alone.

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KnowledgeBrief

What is Service Design? Definitions and Core Principles

Purpose Under Pressure: Rethinking Leadership in the Third Sector
Research

Purpose Under Pressure: Rethinking Leadership in the Third Sector

How changing expectations, complex stakeholder relationships and limited resources are reshaping the questions facing leaders across charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises.

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KnowledgeBrief

Purpose Under Pressure: Rethinking Leadership in the Third Sector

Using The Ishikawa Diagram for Decision Making
Research

Using The Ishikawa Diagram for Decision Making

The Ishikawa Diagram, also called a fishbone or cause-and-effect diagram, helps teams explore why a problem is happening before choosing a solution. It organises possible causes into clear categories, such as people, process, technology, information, measurement and environment. This research explains how the tool supports better decisions by turning opinions into evidence, helping teams prioritise actions and avoid quick fixes.

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KnowledgeBrief

Using The Ishikawa Diagram for Decision Making

User Adoption, Accessibility and AI Automation in Practice
Research

User Adoption, Accessibility and AI Automation in Practice

Automation only delivers value once people actually use it. This research explains why understanding your users, their skills, confidence and access needs, is as important as choosing the right tool, and how to design AI and digital workflows that people can and want to adopt.

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KnowledgeBrief

User Adoption, Accessibility and AI Automation in Practice

Testing, Integration Risks and Platform Constraints
Research

Testing, Integration Risks and Platform Constraints

Automation and AI solutions rarely work the first time. This research explains how to test a solution properly, the most common reasons integrations fail, and the constraints that come with cloud, on-premises and third-party platforms. It helps organisations judge whether a proposed solution is genuinely ready to go live, and where the platform itself may limit what is possible.

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KnowledgeBrief

Testing, Integration Risks and Platform Constraints

How we can help

Become a Leader Your Employees Want To Follow

Become a Leader Your Employees Want To Follow

What makes a great leader?

Creating a Happier and Healthier Workforce

Creating a Happier and Healthier Workforce

Sustain a positive and psychologically healthy workforce

Better Management Training, Better Results

Better Management Training, Better Results

Our professional development courses are available to individuals or teams. Funded via the apprenticeship levy, the UK’s government apprenticeship scheme.

Essential Training to Grow Your Small Business

Essential Training to Grow Your Small Business

You can now get the same leadership, management and customer service training as the world’s most successful companies – funded via the government apprenticeship levy.

Maximise your Apprenticeship Levy

Maximise your Apprenticeship Levy

The Apprenticeship Levy, now in its third year, can on the face of it appear complex and inflexible and is often overlooked as a solution to recurring HR and L&D challenges. The good news is, the Levy doesn’t have to be disruptive at all.

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and More than 2,000 Learners

“The quality of support I have received from my coach has been extremely high. His coaching is considered, tailored and aligned to my personal experience, career stage as well as my day-to-day balancing of responsibilities. My apprenticeship has helped to bolster my confidence that I am taking a reasonable approach with some challenging clients.”

Liane Langdon

Director

Clarity Consulting Associates

“The apprenticeship with KnowledgeBrief was transformative, improving my leadership, strategic decisions, and confidence. I gained skills in planning, change management, financial acumen, and stakeholder engagement. Completing with distinction, I secured a new contract and expanded my consultancy.”

Sally Kee

Programme graduate

Grosvenor Health and Social Care

“The coaching course through KnowledgeBrief was well-structured, balancing theoretical and practical knowledge. The platform is easy to navigate, providing access to support and promoting a solid understanding of coaching fundamentals. The resources provided have been comprehensive.”

Sandra Ajidahun

Senior Talent Partner

Publicis Groupe

“KnowledgeBrief has great content and is detailed in the area I am developing in. The system is very clear and easy to use and navigate. Thanks to my Skills Coach for his support and guidance. I apply my course knowledge and experience, such as team performance, leadership styles, and the Eisenhower Matrix, to manage tasks effectively.”

Jonny Burrows

Assistant Manager

Cheltenham College

“The apprenticeship has greatly enhanced my understanding of strategic work and how different areas of the organisation operate. It has boosted my confidence to ask questions and take on senior-level tasks. Studying has pushed me out of my comfort zone, showing me my capabilities and improving my overall performance.”

Lauren Mitchell

HR Manager

Canterbury Oast Trust

“The support has been timely and professional and, since starting, I have increased my knowledge through the online platform and workshops. I'm covering subjects like business understanding, communication, and operational plans - which has boosted my confidence. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it.”

Jason Windsor

Operations Manager HVAC

DENSO Manufacturing UK Ltd

“As a result of this apprenticeship, I have gained confidence at work. I've developed key skills in project management, communication, and technical processes, and have improved my performance through focused feedback. I am now better prepared to contribute to the team's goals and tackle future challenges.”

Cristian Condurache

Software Engineering Team Lead

Reach

“I have seen positive work improvements using what I’ve learnt about leadership, communication, and decision-making. I highly recommend the easy-to-use KnowledgeBrief platform with visual progress tracking, extra resources, and valuable information.”

Sharon Boia

EHS Manager

Abcam

“This journey has strengthened my strategic vision, stakeholder management, team and organisational influencing skills, and, most importantly, my confidence in communication. The structured learning and the tailored guidance has proven invaluable in giving me direction and purpose as a senior leader.”

Sam Dykes

Accounts Manager

Milling International Marketing Ltd

“This course improved my performance by helping me create strategies, demonstrate values, develop my team, identify growth areas, and gain leadership principles like communication, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to strengthen their leadership abilities and make an impact.”

Linda Evans

UK Head of Product, Pricing & Marketing

Ferdinand Bilstein UK

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