As the year draws to a close and diaries start to quieten, this feels like a good moment to slow things down — just a little.
Before we rush into planning, goal-setting and shiny new strategies, it’s worth taking stock of what really resonated this year. The questions people kept asking. The challenges that refused to go away. The ideas that helped teams move from intention to action.
So, with a warm drink in hand (and perhaps a biscuit within reach), here’s a round-up of People Lab’s most-read blogs of the year — the pieces that struck a chord with leaders, IC, HR and EX practitioners grappling with how work is changing, and what people need next.
Back to School with The EX Space: Your Toolkit for Employee Experience
A practical reset for anyone feeling overwhelmed by EX — focused on building confidence, capability and momentum, not adding more noise. Read more…
The 5 Human Skills AI Can’t Replace – and Why They Matter Now More Than Ever
A timely reminder that as AI accelerates, it’s our most human capabilities — judgement, empathy, creativity and connection — that will matter most. Read more…
Wellbeing by Design: How to Make Wellbeing Work
An honest look at why wellbeing initiatives so often fall flat — and what changes when wellbeing is designed into work, not bolted on. Read more…
This World Values Day, Let’s Stop Printing Posters and Start Designing Experiences
A challenge to move beyond slogans and statements, and start activating values through everyday experiences people actually feel. Read more…
Reimagining the Digital Workplace: How Leeds University Put People First
A powerful case study showing what’s possible when digital transformation starts with people, not platforms. Read more…
The Future of Work Is Already Here — Are You Ready to Design It?
A call to stop treating the future of work as a distant concept, and start intentionally shaping it through experience design today. Read more…
Why EX Strategy Breaks (And How to Fix It)
A clear-eyed look at where EX strategies often go wrong — and the practical shifts needed to turn ambition into traction. Read more…
Time to Rethink the Language of Internal Comms
An exploration of how the words we use shape the experiences we create — and why outdated language can quietly hold progress back. Read more…
Recalibrate and Rise: The Capabilities Defining the Future of Internal Comms
A future-focused piece on the skills IC professionals need to build now to stay relevant, credible and confident in what’s next. Read more…
It’s Time to Ditch the Generic Comms and Start Designing Experiences That Land
A rallying cry for moving beyond broadcast and templates towards communication that’s intentional, human and designed to stick. Read more…
A final reflection
Looking back at this list, one thing is clear: the work isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing things differently.
Across EX, IC, wellbeing and the future of work, the organisations making progress are the ones designing with people, not just talking about them.
If these blogs help you pause, reflect, or see your challenges in a slightly new light, then they’ve done their job.
Thank you for reading, sharing and thinking alongside us this year.
We’re looking forward to continuing the work with curiosity, care and a people-first lens in the year ahead. 💛
