Beyond Speed: Recentring Humans in Learning and Organisations

/ Personal Writings / By

Training on Soft Skills – The Paradox of Time

1. A Changing Learning Context

We are living in a deeply paradoxical time.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was common to organise two-day training sessions in a row. These moments created a valuable pause — a space to step away from daily tasks, reflect on ourselves, and gain awareness of how we relate to our colleagues and hierarchy.

Behavioural change, both personal and collective, takes time. Developing human skills is not comparable to learning new software or mastering a technical tool; it requires introspection, emotional regulation, and integration through practice.

2. Acceleration and Fragmentation After COVID-19

Since the pandemic, time seems to have accelerated. Workload has increased, many retirees have not been replaced, and the rapid rise of new technologies now demands that we do more — and faster. The result is a culture of continuous acceleration: constant connectivity, reduced attention spans, and the inability to disconnect, even during lunch breaks.

Training formats have shrunk in parallel — from two days to one, then to half-day sessions. Managers, under pressure to maintain productivity, find it increasingly difficult to release staff for longer learning events. Even during short trainings, participants often remain connected, responding to emails or calls.

3. The Emerging Human Risks

This new rhythm has several serious consequences:

  • Difficulty disconnecting — people struggle to create mental space for reflection and self-work.
  • Disconnection from the self — individuals focus exclusively on tasks and deadlines, neglecting inner balance and meaning.
  • Technical over human focus — teams become task-driven and efficiency-centred, losing empathy and connection.

In psychosocial-risk prevention sessions held across European institutions, the same words recur: workload, stress, isolation, fatigue, lack of recognition. This pattern aligns with EU-wide findings: according to the EU-OSHA (2022) and Eurofound (2021) reports, stress and mental strain have become leading causes of absenteeism in European public administrations, with over 44% of workers reporting that work stress negatively impacts their health.

Once human limits are reached, organisations pay a high price: absenteeism, burnout, and reduced collaboration. Others must take on the additional workload, creating a vicious circle.

4. Re-centring Learning Around the Human Being

Training is a space for reflection, sharing, and regeneration — a breathing pause within an accelerated world.

As a marathon runner cannot run indefinitely without rest, professionals also need time to pause, regain energy, and reassess direction before continuing.

Research confirms that regular reflective practice and soft-skills development increase both engagement and productivity:

  • The OECD (Skills Outlook 2023) identifies emotional intelligence, adaptability, and collaboration as critical future-of-work skills.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) emphasises psychosocial support and learning spaces to preserve mental health in hybrid workplaces.
  • The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC, 2024) highlights soft skills and “human-centred digital competence” as key to integrating AI and automation in public organisations.

5. A Call for Institutional Commitment

Given the pace of technological change, rising workloads, and hybrid work isolation, it is urgent to re-centre human development within organisational priorities. Training should not be viewed as a luxury or something to fit in “when time allows”, but as a structural necessity — an investment in wellbeing, resilience, and long-term efficiency.

Institutions might even consider making at least one day per month of reflective or developmental training mandatory for all staff. This would not only support individual mental and physical health but also strengthen team cohesion, innovation, and organisational sustainability.

References

  • European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), Work-related stress: facts and figures (2022).
  • Eurofound, Working conditions and sustainable work: 2021 overview (2021).
  • OECD, Skills Outlook 2023: Skills for a Resilient Future.
  • World Health Organization (WHO), Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-being at Work: Policy Brief (2022).
  • European Commission – Joint Research Centre (JRC), The Future of Soft Skills in the Public Sector (2024).