Dear Human Resources

Our regular columnist, Aidan Stoate, New Zealand CEO at Inspire Group, shares his heartfelt insights into leading people.

If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

In professional development, there’s almost always a stronger argument for distance over speed. Sustainable success – for individuals and organisations alike – comes not just from capability, but from community. And in most modern workplaces, going far requires one crucial skill: the ability to connect effectively with others in pursuit of a shared goal.

At Inspire Group, our core purpose is designing and delivering transformational learning experiences for customers who are trying to address specific organisational challenges. Their priorities are typically how to build technical and behavioural skills, or to develop leadership potential for the future (and rightly so). But what is often overlooked, initially at least, is something just as important: the art of connection through networking. In fact, many organisations invest heavily in learning and development without ever truly supporting people to build meaningful relationships across teams, industries or levels of seniority.

That’s a missed opportunity.

Connection isn’t simply about exchanging business cards or adding contacts on LinkedIn. It’s about learning how to listen, communicate, empathise and collaborate. It’s about building relationships that are authentic, reciprocal and rooted in shared experience.

The best learning environments and experiences acknowledge this. They encourage peer learning and shared challenges. They create space for people to grow together, not just alongside one another. They foster empathy by giving people the chance to step into others’ shoes, to listen with curiosity, and to see different perspectives. Increasingly, they provide opportunities for people to explore outside of their natural operating environments, gaining industry insights, exchanging ideas with peers, and forming networks that last long after a formal learning programme concludes.

These aren’t accidental side effects of good learning experiences, they’re strategic outcomes. When we intentionally design learning that prioritises connection, we exponentially improve its impact. For example, asking participants to attend an industry event and strike up conversations with peers not only builds knowledge but increases confidence and community. Encouraging people to reflect on shared journeys or work together on real-world business challenges fosters relationships that outlast the classroom.

At a time when hybrid work, distributed teams and global networks are becoming standardised, teaching people how to connect is not a ‘soft’ skill, it’s a survival skill. Technical expertise can open doors, but strong relationships keep them open. Leaders who can build trust, collaborate across functions and tap into diverse networks will be far better positioned to navigate complexity and change.

HR and L&D professionals have a unique role here. We’re not just helping people learn; we’re helping them to belong, contribute and thrive in a professional community. That means designing development not only for capability but for connection. The future of work won’t be built by soloists. It will be shaped by people who know how to reach out, show up and go far – together.

Aidan Stoate is the New Zealand CEO of Inspire Group, an award-winning learning design consultancy that delivers world-class solutions to organisations globally. Aidan has a passion for helping organisations improve their culture and performance through innovative learning and development interventions. As an ICFaccredited organisational coach, Aidan provides subject-matter expertise for the design and delivery of leadership programmes, while leading the Inspire Group New Zealand business across all projects and disciplines. Having led organisations and teams in the United Kingdom, South-East Asia, North America and Australasia, Aidan brings a nuanced perspective while promoting inclusive, engaging and contextualised solutions that drive genuine behaviour change and strategic benefits.