Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
Free online resources curated for charity and not for profit organisations
In a sector that’s constantly evolving, curiosity and a commitment to learning help organisations stay open, adaptable, and forward-looking.
Creating space for ongoing learning also supports innovation, confidence, and resilience across teams helping charities respond to change and continue to grow their impact.
The resources and content highlighted on this page are aligned to the Building Tomorrow’s Skills in Today’s Charities report, written by Andy Lancaster for the Charity Learning Consortium.
5 Skill Development Tactics
Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
- Make learning part of everyday work: Encourage short learning moments that fit into busy schedules and encourage managers to create space for staff to develop.
- Model curiosity and psychological safety in action: Invite staff to share what they ’re learning and create a culture where it is safe to ask questions and for help.
- Connect learning to real work: Link development opportunities to current projects. Explore future role and career skills needs and offer meaningful stretch opportunities.
- Create collaborative learning spaces: Use learning circles, communities, knowledge swaps and “ working out loud” principles to share insights and build collective curiosity.
- Support future-focused learning: Enable development opportunities beyond current roles to enhance the Employee Value Proposition, for example shadowing others.
Top resources…
How to embrace lifelong learning
Lifelong learning is about continuously choosing to grow – staying curious, open-minded, and willing to learn from both new experiences and everyday life. It boosts confidence, wellbeing, and adaptability, helping us keep developing personally and professionally.
The Power of Curiosity
Curiosity is the driving force behind learning, creativity, and growth – pushing us to explore, ask questions, and discover new possibilities. It boosts intelligence, strengthens relationships, and keeps life engaging by helping us stay open-minded and continuously seek new experiences.
Cultivating Learning in Workplace Communities
This guide focuses on building a strong learning culture within organisations – shifting from simply delivering content to actively cultivating continuous, self-directed learning. It encourages aligning learning with real business needs, empowering managers and teams to take ownership, and using practical tools to embed learning into everyday work for lasting impact.
Articles
AIHR (no date) Talent management, AIHR.
Available at: https://www.aihr.com/blog/what-is-talent-management/
CIPD (2025) Talent Management (Factsheet), CIPD.
Available at: https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/talent-factsheet/
Collings, D. (2024) Talent management: Dispelling some myths, HR Magazine.
Available at: https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/features/talent-management-dispelling-some-myths
Danao, M. (2024) What is talent management? everything you need to know. Forbes advisor.
Available at: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-talent-management/
Endres, A., Gaytan, J. and Murphy, A. (2023) Effective Talent Management Practices of Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses , International Journal of Applied Management and Technology.
Available at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/ijamt/
Green, A. (no date) What is talent management?, ADP.
Available at: https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/w/what-is-talent-management.aspx
McKinsey & Company (2023) What is talent management?, McKinsey & Company.
Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-talent-management
Oppong, N.Y. (2023) ‘The seven myths of global talent management: A reflection’, Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), p. 100633.
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291123002383
Shawn Alborz, Woldu, H.G. and Skuza, A. (2022) Who is talent? Implications of talent definitions for talent management practice, Economics and Business Review, Vol 8 (22), No. 4, pp 136-162.
Available at: https://research.ebsco.com/c/ndp6bl/viewer/pdf/tb6sbdkpur
Videos and Webinar recordings
Disruptive HR (no date) Talent Management Animation, YouTube.
Available at: https://youtu.be/5b2qiYzG_tE?si=BE5dKz6WT9_xDXHp
GreggU (no date) What is Talent Management?, YouTube.
Available at: https://youtu.be/R7MYMVTQ_rg?si=sZKz7KDut5Hj4frt
Harnoss, J.D. (2023) Johann Daniel Harnoss: How your company can gain a global talent advantage, TED.
Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_daniel_harnoss_how_your_company_can_gain_a_global_talent_advantage
Korn Ferry (no date) The Secret to Agile Talent Management – Webinar Recording, YouTube.
Available at: https://youtu.be/2C82yuktJvQ?si=aqhC6Lnw0-pv8JvW
Krishna, A. (2023) The 7 pillars of unlocking potential, TED.
Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/anirudh_krishna_the_7_pillars_of_unlocking_potential
LinkedIn Learning (no date a) HR Tutorial – Talent management strategy, YouTube.
Available at: https://youtu.be/o88-FAcErtE?si=4KbAqlMI5bnkSrqJ
LinkedIn Learning (no date b) Talent Management Tutorial – What is a talent management strategy?, YouTube.
Available at: https://youtu.be/snl7eC8LDLk?si=aZMrvPH6iUV1Nwy5
TMA (no date) Three basic principles of great talent management, YouTube.
Available at: https://youtu.be/ltjDJAF2yrQ?si=LtcM1L2s3nI0WnWu
Vaduganathan, N. (2022) Nithya Vaduganathan: 5 hiring tips every company (and job seeker) should know, TED.
Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/nithya_vaduganathan_5_hiring_tips_every_company_and_job_seeker_should_know
Podcasts
Andy Storch (no date) The Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast – The top podcast for L&D Professionals, Spotify.
Available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/6UgxGIm1uqr9irpOSJnQxg?si=1687a5c763304b5a
Gartner (no date) The gartner talent angle, Spotify.
Available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/582I2i8y1FmV64V5bP4Pxk?si=244d0463ae524b39
Rob Stevenson: Recruiting, Employer Branding, and Career Growth Expert. (no date) Talk talent to me, Spotify.
Available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Z6P8hDcdkMvEi7KGMGbQW?si=e4b43a6628b548fb
Staffing.com (no date) The Talent Economy Podcast, Spotify.
Available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/24JSk7Vd9F5rmaJqBaPy4F?si=70e9b71fec5d4892
Weichert Workforce Mobility (no date) Moveminds: A talent mobility podcast, Spotify.
Available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IactJCFZlahQH3gIxN0ZE?si=8f504ac9e19e42bb
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