Learn like IAM

28/05/2026

You know when you walk into work, and the atmosphere feels... frosty?

Something's up, and it's making everyone feel uncomfortable. But what is it? Conflict can occur over the simplest of reasons. Two people wearing the same shirt? Holiday requests clashing? Perhaps someone in the team got a promotion, and someone else thinks it should have gone to Barbara, as she brings the best cakes in?

According to research by the University of Sheffield, conflict at work costs employers nearly £30 billion every year - an average of £1000 per employee. That's a BIG deal. The same research showed that approximately 60% of workers involved in workplace conflict suffer from depression as a result. That could mean time off, poor mental health for them, lower morale for your team and a drop in productivity for employers.

Although conflict is uncomfortable and can be tricky to manage, learning to manage it is a key skill. It's essentially managing people in a way that accommodates their different personality types. Doing so will result in the number of work-related conflicts dropping rapidly. We've got a short course which can help. You'll find out how to handle conflicts and prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Find out more by clicking the link below: https://bit.ly/4dhMfsw

25/05/2026

Picture this: You're leading a crucial project and must choose between two equally skilled teammates: Alex, someone you share a rapport with, and Julia, very competent but someone you barely know. Who would you choose?

Most people would go with Alex, right? It's much easier to work with someone you have a rapport with, after all. But ideally, you'd want to choose the secret, ‘third’ option: build rapport with ALL of your team members first. It's the most inclusive thing to do and will leave you with the kind of choice you don't mind making for a smooth collaborative experience.

When everyone on a team has a good rapport, you create an environment where communication flows more easily, collaboration and creativity thrive, and team members are happy to share their ideas. Ultimately, that means job satisfaction, happy people and enhanced productivity. Win, win, win.

So, how do you actually build rapport? Here are 8 quick ways to get you started:

1. Ask questions: Ask about others, then really listen to them. Listen more than you talk: we have two ears and one mouth for a reason!
2. Show interest: Care about what others think and feel.
3. Use body language: Nod and turn your body towards the person to show you're listening and understanding.
4. Find common ground: Look for things you both like or have done.
5. Respect opinions: Accept that others might think differently.
6. Be transparent: Be honest about what you're doing and why.
7. Repeat for understanding: Repeat key points back to check you have heard them correctly.
8. Be genuine: Be yourself, don't pretend to be someone you're not. They'll only find out eventually.

If you’re coaching someone, this is a particularly useful skill to learn. We’ve got a course that can help.

Check out the details on the link below and start building rapport today.
https://bit.ly/4udf9zX

21/05/2026

Ever get that horrible, gut-wrenching feeling when you get asked to 'represent your team' in an upcoming meeting? Cheers, boss!

In many roles, you'll have to either give a presentation, pitch work to a client, interview someone or simply do SOMETHING that’ll take you out of your comfort zone. And if it's your first time, you'll probably lack confidence.

We get it. It's called a 'comfort zone' for a reason. We don't LIKE being uncomfortable. Confidence doesn't come naturally to everyone. But here's the good news: you can LEARN how to be more confident.

All it takes is a few simple steps:

- Preparation
- Knowing your audience
- Considering your body language
- Understanding your presentation
- Handling questions at the finish

We've got an eLearning course which will explain how to present with confidence. If you, or someone in your team, needs a little confidence boost, check it out: https://bit.ly/4uPezYX

18/05/2026

Meet Dani.

Dani has a few roles at iAM, but most importantly, he's our DSE officer. What that means is he's responsible for employees' comfort while they use any Display Screen Equipment. It's a crucial role for any business: people spend a big chunk of their day at their workstations, so anything that can be done to ensure they are safe from harm SHOULD be done. It's also key to your workplace compliance, of course.

Forms are sent out to identify issues. Then, Dani follows up, ensuring that any questions are answered and that the team has the tools they need to work comfortably. This can be anything from chairs and monitors to suitable computer mice and keyboards. He's on hand to show how office furniture can be set up and review DSE policies with the top brass. And, he keeps track of all issues using the iAM Compliant tool from our sister company (it's really rather useful!).

Without this, our team would be susceptible to common office injuries such as back pain, eye strain, and RSI. As it's not a full-time role for our small-ish team, we give him all the Marketing copy to write, too (as well as some of our H&S scripts). Gotta keep him busy.

Is there someone on YOUR team who could take on a DSE officer role?

We've got a course collection all about Office Health & Safety, including DSE: https://bit.ly/4nKpKzV

11/05/2026

Life Skills. What are they?

Bear with us here, because this starts a little dry. The World Health Organisation identified the following areas as key life skills back in 1999:

Communication / Interpersonal skills / Decision making / Problem solving / Creative thinking / Critical thinking / Self-awareness / Empathy / Assertiveness / Self-control / Resilience

A neat list, but in our opinion, they missed the most important one: The ability and willingness to LEARN.

We tend to forget how important that is, right? But the ability and willingness to learn are crucial for our day-to-day living. Without it, how would you gain the other skills?

Unfortunately, there are so many skills that we simply don't get taught at school - we're just expected to know them. Things like buying a house, eating healthily, changing a nappy, building a credit rating, or even having the confidence to say 'no' sometimes.

These, and others like them, are pretty important skills. Maybe even essential ones. You might already know them. You might not. We bet you didn't learn about them in formal education, though. The curriculum can't accommodate them, but somehow can drone on about long-deceased wordsmiths ad-nauseum.

We can help. Check out our amazing, bite-sized life skills collection and learn a new skill in just a couple of minutes. They're fully animated, engaging, and, well, FUN (wherever possible), so you'll retain what you've learned. Folks love them, and we think you will, too.

Explore the collection: https://bit.ly/4fe9xRa

11/05/2026

"Aren't coaching and mentoring the same thing?"

It's easy to blur these two roles, admittedly. But there are differences that people tend to forget because they're closely related and share some similarities. Let's look at them:

• Coaching tends to be more short-term and structured, with coaches guiding through challenges, while mentoring is a longer-term, informal relationship
• Coaching focuses on specific goals or skill development, whereas mentoring has a broader focus on personal and professional growth
• Coaches ask questions to guide people to find their own solutions, while mentors tend to directly provide answers and recommendations based on their own knowledge and experiences
• Coaching focuses on improving specific skills or achievements that can be measured, but mentoring is more about overall personal and professional growth and development over time, especially when it comes to career paths
• Professional coaching often involves paid fees, but mentoring is typically an informal, unpaid arrangement within a business.

As you can see, there are some key differences between the two, but they also go hand in hand when you want to bring out the best in your people.

We can help, too. Our new coaching collection has key eLearning courses designed to help you reach your peak potential. Check it out: https://bit.ly/4wnOkdJ

08/05/2026

Have you ever experienced the "story trance"?

It's exactly what it sounds like. One of those situations where you get lost in the story. This can happen in different situations, like when you're so engrossed in an eBook that you almost miss your stop during your commute. But it has an even greater effect when a decent narrator tells the story.

Consider going to see a talk by your favourite writer. For an hour, the audience is as one, moving their heads in unison, gasping, laughing, and holding their breath as the story unfolds. We feel the storyteller's emotions; it almost feels as if they are transferring their experience directly into your brain.

It's all very well being invested in amazing TED Talks, enjoying a superb eBook, or jogging to the latest podcasts. They are all great things, and you should enjoy them. But with these advances in technology, we may also be losing opportunities to take time to sit together, talk, and share stories face-to-face. And that's a critical tradition to keep alive.

This National Share a Story month, bring your team together and do just that.

29/04/2026

We’ve won again!

We’re so proud to share that iAM has been named Sector Winner for Environment and Sustainability at the Learning Excellence Awards 2026.

The awards took place last night at the Leonardo Royal London City Hotel. We rubbed shoulders with the very best in workplace learning and development.

The team at iAM have created a superb tool, designed to help schools take practical, measurable steps towards hitting Net Zero goals.

It is more than just a tool for schools, though. It uses iAM Learning’s own Sustainability for Schools courses to build enthusiasm and help people understand sustainability clearly, so they can apply it in practical, measurable ways.

Together, we’re combining tech and learning know-how to make a real impact.

We have a superb Environmental, Social & Governance collection for those who don’t work in schools. Courses cover workplace recycling, leading ethical decisions, green tech and carbon zero, plus more! Check out our ESG collection for yourself today:
https://bit.ly/4ebvRdT

27/04/2026

Over a third of employees think their employer isn't training managers properly to support neurodiversity. 🌈

And, according to studies, around 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent. That's a significant number of people already in the workforce who are unsupported. Are they just expected to adapt?

That's not a small gap. It's a structural failing.

We think intentions are often good, but when managers don't fully understand neurodiversity, support can be inconsistent.

For neurodiverse employees, that can mean feeling understood, unsupported or overlooked. 🙁

That doesn't usually start with policy. It starts with awareness. Managers should all:

👉🏼 Know what neurodiversity is
👉🏼 Understand how it can present differently from person to person
👉🏼 Offer meaningful support in day-to-day work

From this starting point, better decisions follow. Clearer communication, stronger practices and more inclusive environments add up to happier employees.

If you're looking for a practical place to begin, this course covers the essentials. It'll help managers understand workplace diversity, recognise its impact, and take simple, effective steps to improve their support. 🙌🏼

Creating a workplace that embraces neurodiversity isn't a one-off initiative; it's something you build deliberately. Start here.👇🏼

https://bit.ly/42rgvL0

24/04/2026

Most training libraries make you dig. Ours lets you explore with wide-eyed wonder. 👀

You can browse our entire content library anytime. There are over 400 courses, covering everything from compliance, health and safety and cybersecurity to leadership, power skills, mental health and beyond.

Our intuitive search will help you find what you want quickly. 🔎

Every course includes a clear overview of what it covers, why it exists, and who it's for. So you can decide quickly what's worth your time.

Follow it up with a glance at the course trailer. If it stands out, you can get started in minutes, with purchases available directly from the website. No friction, no back-and-forth, just pure, engaging training to upskill yourself or your people in next to no time. 🙌🏼

Whether you're simply exploring options or looking for a specific topic, it's all there.

But don't take our word for it: have a look for yourself.

Explore the full content library by clicking the link. 👇🏼

https://bit.ly/4tDl5lG

Discover engaging, CPD-accredited workplace training courses on compliance, cybersecurity, mental health, and more to enhance skills and boost retention.