Reflections from the CIPD Festival of Work 2025: Technology, Trust, and the Human Element

Last week’s CIPD Festival of Work at London Excel was a powerful reminder of how fast the world of work is evolving — and how vital it is to keep people at the heart of that change.

Technology Is Outpacing Culture

One of the most striking themes was the pace of change in employee engagement. While technology is advancing rapidly, workplace culture is struggling to keep up. This gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity: how do we ensure that innovation enhances, rather than erodes, the human experience at work?

Growth Mindset and Psychological Safety: Lessons from Matthew Syed

A standout session for me was from Matthew Syed, former England table tennis number one and founder of Matthew Syed Consulting. He spoke passionately about the intrinsic link between growth mindset and psychological safety.

“A company led by an egotistical CEO, whose self-worth is tied to the company’s success, will struggle to foster psychological safety,” he noted.

This resonated deeply. How we receive feedback is shaped not just by what is said, but by who we are — our mindset, our self-perception, and our sense of trust. Syed’s example of a coach saying “your serve is off” illustrated this perfectly: is it a threat, or a gift? It depends on the environment.

He called for more conviction and humility in leadership, especially in politics — a willingness to test, learn, and grow. His insight that imposter syndrome is the flip side of a growth mindset was particularly thought-provoking.

Wellbeing and Neurodiversity

The Wellbeing Village offered a welcome space to pause and reflect. It was inspiring to see charities and organisations shining a light on mental health and wellbeing in meaningful ways.

A session from Autism Unlimited stood out. They shared that ADHD and autism assessment rates have risen by 700% in the past year — a staggering statistic. But the key takeaway was this:

Investing in neurodiversity doesn’t just support neurodivergent employees — it boosts engagement across the entire workforce.

This is a message we need to amplify. Diversity as a strength not as a difference is something that we have talked about in previous posts from the Akumen team.

Inspiration from the Front Lines

Meeting Sharon Livermore from Domestic Abuse Education Ltd was another highlight. Her dedication to helping organisations identify and respond to domestic abuse in the workplace was both moving and motivating.

And amidst the commercial buzz of the exhibition floor, the team at OnHand stood out. Their platform, which supports company volunteering and sustainability, felt like a breath of fresh air — a reminder that purpose-driven innovation is alive and well.

A Personal Highlight: Insights Discovery

As a coach, I was thrilled to take the opportunity to update my Insights Discovery personality profile. Gaining a fresh perspective on my own preferences and behaviours is always a bonus — especially in such a dynamic environment.

For those curious, my lead colour energy is Sunshine Yellow. On a good day, that means I’m optimistic, sociable, and interactive — which made me feel right at home at a buzzing conference like this one!

How Akumen Is Supporting Organisational Change

At Akumen, we know that navigating change, transformation, and uncertainty requires more than metrics — it requires meaning. That’s why we’ve developed a narrative intelligence tool designed to help organisations truly listen to their people.

Transforming open feedback — from surveys, interviews, meetings, and more — into real-time, decision-ready insight helps leaders see beneath the surface to understand trust, inclusion, engagement, and psychological safety at scale.

Whether you're going through a merger, restructure, leadership change, or cultural shift, our capability provides the clarity and confidence to act boldly. It’s built for enterprise, integrates with your BI tools, and delivers measurable impact — from reduced turnover to faster innovation.

In times of change, what you can’t hear can cost you.

Final Thoughts

The Festival of Work was a powerful reminder that while technology is transforming the workplace, trust, empathy, and purpose remain our most valuable tools. At Akumen, we’re proud to be part of that transformation — helping organisations turn stories into strategy, and insight into action.

Contact Eross@akumen.co.uk to chat!