As the year starts to wrap up, planning conversations are in full swing. Many HR and L&D teams are looking ahead to 2026 and where to focus next.
This is a great opportunity to step back and make sure your learning and development plans are genuinely aligned with your organisation’s goals, not just a continuation of what’s been done before.
Here are a few things we’d suggest thinking about as you plan for the year ahead.
1. Look back before you look forward
Before jumping into new priorities, take time to reflect on what you’ve already achieved.
- Which programmes or initiatives had the most visible impact?
- What feedback have you had from participants, managers, and leaders?
- Where did engagement drop off, and why?
If you missed it, our earlier blog on Measuring Training Impact includes practical ways to capture this kind of insight.
2. Reconnect L&D priorities to business goals
It’s easy for development plans to run on autopilot. Courses get repeated, topics resurface, and the ‘why’ behind them sometimes fades.
When planning for 2026, start by asking:
- What are the organisation’s top priorities for next year?
- What changes or challenges are on the horizon?
- How can L&D directly support those shifts?
Whether it’s equipping managers for growth, developing stronger collaboration across teams, or preparing leaders for change, linking L&D directly to what matters most for the business ensures investment and effort are well spent.
3. Focus on the moments that make the biggest difference
Rather than trying to cover every possible skill gap, identify the few areas where learning will have the greatest ripple effect.
For example, at Willow & Puddifoot we often see that improving manager capability has a huge impact – on performance, engagement, wellbeing, and culture. So if you’re planning next year’s focus, ask: where will strengthening people managers or leaders have the biggest payoff?
Our Defining the People Manager Role blog can help you get clear on what great management looks like before designing your support.
4. Plan for transfer, not just training
The best L&D plans think beyond the workshop. Real change happens when learning is supported before, during and after the formal training.
As you plan for 2026, consider how you’ll:
- Set clear intentions up front
- Support application afterwards
- Review and celebrate progress
Small structures like these keep learning alive long after training ends.
5. Keep things simple and human
L&D planning can easily become an exercise in spreadsheets and targets, but the goal is simple: help people do their best work.
So as you shape next year’s plans, focus on what will genuinely make a difference, for individuals, teams, and the organisation as a whole.
In summary
Planning for 2026 doesn’t need to be complex. Start with what’s worked, link learning to the priorities ahead, and focus your energy where it will make the biggest impact.
If you’d like help shaping your L&D plans or reviewing your current programmes, we’d be happy to chat.
About the Author
Louise Puddifoot is the founder of Willow & Puddifoot, where she and her team CRAFT™ confident, capable leaders at every stage. With over 20 years’ experience in leadership and learning, Louise designs practical development that builds confidence, capability, and impact. Her work is built on the CRAFT™ Leadership Framework, focusing on communication, resilience, authenticity, future focus, and transformation, to create real behaviour change that lasts.