2026 L&D Checklist: Six Months On 

Doesn’t time fly? Six months on from our original 2026 L&D Checklist webinar, we decided to revisit the key priorities outlined as shaping learning and development. 
 
Led by our Head of Consultancy, Lou and our Learning Consultant, Natalie, we asked what’s changed, what’s gaining momentum and where organisations still need to focus their attention? 

Missed the webinar? Watch the full recording here. 

The session focused on four core areas: business alignment, comprehension versus recall, learning in the flow of work, and the transition between AI and human communication. 

1. Business Alignment: Moving from Conversation to Action 

Business alignment remains one of the most important foundations for effective L&D. Six months on, whilst there are green shoots of progress there is still a way to go.  

The strongest examples of this are coming from organisations where L&D is being brought into the conversation earlier. When L&D teams work closely with commercial and operational teams, network partners and finance houses they can better understand the real business challenge and design learning that supports measurable improvement. 

Alignment starts with better questions 

One of the most practical questions discussed in the webinar was simple: “What is our biggest challenge?” 

It’s a useful starting point because it moves the conversation away from assumptions, departmental silos or quick fixes. Instead, it encourages teams to look at the data, understand the real story and agree what needs to change. 

That means being honest with the data. Not just reviewing the information that tells a positive story, but looking at the full picture: what’s working, what isn’t, where do gaps exist and what do people need to do their jobs more effectively? 

Moving beyond being a support function that simply delivers training on request and becoming a strategic partner helps the business understand capability, performance and behaviour. 

2. Comprehension vs. Recall: Learning Has to Be Remembered and Applied 

Comprehension and recall are closely connected, often interchangeably referenced, but they aren’t the same thing. 

Comprehension is about understanding information and its meaning.  

Recall is about being able to retrieve that information later and apply it correctly in the right context. 

Both matter, but many organisations still rely too heavily on completion data, attendance figures and end-of-module assessments as ‘proof’ that training has worked. 

The Forgetting Curve still matters 

The webinar revisited the Forgetting Curve as a reminder that learning in isolation is rarely enough. Without reinforcement, people can forget around 50% of what they’ve learned within an hour, 70% within 24 hours, and between 75% and 90% within a month.  

This matters for every learning format. If there’s no reinforcement after the event, the likelihood of sustained recall and application reduces dramatically! 

Conversation needs to move beyond “Did they complete it?” and towards “Can they use it when it matters?” 

Reinforcement needs structure 

There’s growing interest in reinforcement but conversations need to progress to action. 

 Spaced repetition, scenario-based follow-up, project work and practical application tasks can all help people revisit and apply key messages over time. 

Lou also highlighted the importance of measuring learning after the intervention, not just during it. Post-learning data can help identify where behaviour has shifted, where gaps remain and where learning may need to be adapted. 

3. Learning in the Flow of Work: Supporting People Where Work Happens 

Learning in the flow of work continues to be a major opportunity but a question of trust remains one of the key barriers. 

Businesses are often asked to prove that learning is happening and that it’s working. This can make organisations more comfortable with formal learning environments where attendance, completion and assessment data are easier to track. However, much of the learning that shapes performance actually happens outside the LMS. 

The webinar referenced the 70-20-10 model: 70% of learning comes from experiential learning (on the job), 20% from social learning (interactions and conversations), and 10% from formal learning activity. While the model has been discussed in L&D for many years, it remains a useful reminder that formal learning is only one part of the picture.  

Formal learning still has a role 

The answer isn’t to remove the LMS or stop delivering structured learning. Formal interventions are still important. The opportunity is to connect them more effectively with the day-to-day reality of work. 

Learning in the flow of work can include system guidance, peer support, coaching conversations, practical tasks, manager follow-up, performance data and social learning. It doesn’t always require new technology, although technology can make support easier to access and easier to scale. 

What really matters is that people have the right guidance at the right time and that the learning is connected to a clear purpose. 

4. AI and Human Communication: Support, Not Replacement 

AI has moved quickly from discussion to action. In the past six months, more organisations have started exploring how AI can support L&D, customer experience and communication. 

The webinar highlighted that many retailers and dealers are already using AI to support tasks such as drafting emails or assisting customer communication, and this can create efficiency, but it also needs guidance. 

AI should support people in their work, not do the thinking for them. 

The human lens is essential 

AI can help collate information, speed up starter tasks and improve consistency. But it doesn’t bring lived experience, empathy or a personal understanding of the customer relationship in the same way a person does. 

That means teams need to know how to use AI effectively and safely. For example, when AI drafts an email, the review and critical thinking mind of a human still matters to ask: 

• Does the message make sense? 

• Is it personalised? 

• Does it sound like the person sending it? 

• Does it reflect the customer’s situation? 

• Is it appropriate in context? 

These aren’t purely technical questions. They’re communication, judgement and customer experience questions. L&D has an important role to play in helping people build confidence in using AI while maintaining the human connection that customers and colleagues still expect. 

Final Thoughts: The Checklist Is Still Relevant 

Six months on, the 2026 L&D Checklist is still relevant, what was discussed in December wasn’t based on short-term trends, they were foundations for long term, effective learning strategies. 

The strongest progress is happening where L&D is involved earlier, uses data honestly and reinforces learning beyond the initial intervention. 

The key message is simple: learning impact needs to move beyond delivery metrics. Attendance, completion and assessment scores still have a place of course, but they don’t prove that people can recall, apply or sustain learning. 

For organisations looking to get more from their L&D strategy, now is the time to review what’s already happening, identify where learning is aligned to business performance, and consider where reinforcement and day-to-day support could be strengthened. 

To explore how these priorities apply within your organisation or how RTS Group can further support your learning strategy, contact us today. 

You can also register for our next webinar on 28^th July: The Dealership AI Reality Check: What’s Working, What’s Risky and What Comes Next, which takes a more focused look at how well AI is being used in dealerships and how businesses can support safe, consistent AI use across their teams.