No Bullsh#t Guides

  Most organisations wait far too long to think about training. HR and senior leadership often don’t start planning until Q1 of the year itself, when budgets are already allocated, diaries are full and teams are already behind. If you want stronger performance, better retention and real culture shift in 2026, planning now isn’t “early” — it’s essential. Here’s the uncomfortable truth… If your people aren’t growing, your results aren’t either. Planning ahead isn’t about booking venues or choosing a topic. It’s about asking: What skills will we need next year? What internal challenges are already predictable? What performance gaps keep showing up? And what behaviour needs to change? If you’re waiting until January, you’ll already be reacting rather than preparing. Why HR should move now Most HR teams know exactly where the challenges are: underperforming managers low confidence in communication inconsistent sales performance employee engagement issues conflict, stress, culture concer...

Why NBS delivers learning that wakes people up — literally and professionally . We’ve all seen it. The trainer stands at the front of the room, clutching a stack of printed slides like they’re holding the Dead Sea Scrolls . They clear their throat. They start reading. And by the 17th bullet point, the room is gone. Heads down. Eyes glazed. Someone is definitely asleep — and honestly, who can blame them? This isn’t learning. This is survival . Welcome to the world of off-the-shelf training , where the objective isn’t developing people; it’s simply getting through the day. The Real Problem: “Anyone Free to Deliver This?” Here’s the uncomfortable truth that many training buyers don’t see: A lot of providers don’t care who delivers your session. They care that someone delivers it. If the person can read English and show up on time, congratulations — they’re your trainer. No subject knowledge required. No experience necessary. No passion, no practical tools, no real-world understanding. Ju...

Recently, a well-known training provider (who will remain nameless) asked me if I could deliver a one-day classroom session on Japanese Etiquette . Not once. Not twice. But seven separate times , by different schedulers, all in the same week. Each message said the same thing: “Are you available to deliver this course?” Not one message said: “Do you have expertise in Japanese culture ?” “Have you ever lived or worked in Japan?” “Do you know anything about this topic at all?” And here's the truth… What I know about Japanese Etiquette could fit on the back of a postage stamp. But they didn’t care. Why? Because the person who booked this course through their website was expecting a training professional — and the provider simply needed someone (literally anyone) to stand at the front of the room so they could run the course and get paid. This is the dark side of off-the-shelf training. When training is sold as a product rather than a service: Quality doesn’t matter. Relevance doesn’...