Ikon Training

Is the demand for training increasing: What’s driving people to act for themselves?

By James Crown

February 5th, 2026

4 mins

Written by James Crown, Training Director at IKON.

Conflict is consuming more than we realise

Workplace conflict rarely announces itself as a headline issue. It shows up in smaller, quieter ways: Time lost to difficult conversations, energy drained managing tension, confidence chipped away by unresolved issues. But when you step back, the scale becomes harder to ignore.

The Confederation of British Industry estimates that workplace conflict costs UK organisations around £33 billion every year, and that leaders spend up to 20% of their time dealing with it. That’s not just a budget or a management challenge, but its time taken away from supporting teams, improving services, and leading well.

And yet, conflict often isn’t treated as a priority until it escalates. We tell ourselves it’s part of the job. That it will settle. That we’ll deal with it later. But what if ‘later’ is where the real cost sits?

When conflict becomes something, we absorb rather than address, it quietly reshapes how safe people feel to speak up, how confident they feel in their role, and how much capacity they have left to give. The impact isn’t always loud, but it’s constant. And for many people, it’s already taking up more space than they realise.

What we’re hearing in the training room

Worker on the receiving end of a tough phone call. In recent months, something has shifted in the conversations we’re having before training even begins.

People are enquiring on their own. Not because their organisations don’t care, but because budgets are tighter, teams are stretched, and individuals are being left to carry situations they feel under-prepared for. Alongside that, we’re hearing quieter admissions that don’t always make it into formal conversations,

“I’m not sure I’m handling this well.”
“I just want to feel more confident.”
“I don’t want things to escalate.”

It’s not dramatic, but honest.

To put it simply: When people feel uncomfortable at work, it starts to affect the quality of service they’re able to give. Uncertainty takes up space. It slows decision-making, heightens emotional load, and makes everyday interactions feel heavier than they should.

What we’re seeing in the training room reflects that reality. People aren’t necessarily dealing with more extreme behaviour every day. They’re dealing with more pressure, more expectation, and less margin for error. And many are looking for practical ways to feel steadier, clearer, and better equipped for the moments that sit just before them.

This shift matters. Because it tells us something important about where confidence is being quietly ruined.

When discomfort starts to affect confidence and service

Discomfort at work doesn’t usually show up as a single breaking point. So, when does it show up?

In hesitation.
In second-guessing.
In avoiding conversations that feel risky or emotionally blended.

In practice, that can look like rushed interactions, missed warning signs, or people defaulting to task-completion over connection. When confidence drops, capacity drops with it. Staff may still be showing up and doing their jobs, but with less headspace to manage tension, respond calmly, or adapt when situations shift.

Over time, that quiet erosion matters. Because confidence isn’t just about how someone feels, it directly shapes how safely and effectively they can respond in moments that require judgement, presence and control.

Is this more conflict or less confidence to absorb it?

In many cases, it’s not necessarily that behaviour has suddenly become more extreme. Conflict in the workplace has been an arising issue for a long time now. However, people often have less capacity to handle it appropriately.

When confidence is high, teams can navigate frustration, challenge and disagreement without it tipping into conflict. They read the cues, slow the moment down, and respond with judgement rather than reaction. But when confidence is low, often through sustained pressure, the same situations feel sharper and harder to manage.

That’s why conflict can appear to be increasing, even in environments that haven’t fundamentally changed. What is changing is the expectation of frontline staff responding well.

This links directly to the discomfort we see in the training room. When individuals tell us they feel unsure, unprepared, or hesitant to step in, it’s rarely because they lack care or intent. It’s because repeated exposure to pressure has narrowed their margin for error.

So, the answer to the question is often this: We’re not just seeing more conflict – we’re seeing less confidence to contain it early. And without that confidence, everyday moments are more likely to escalate, not because they’re bigger, but because they’re being handled closer to the edge.

Why is individual action becoming more common?

Often people tend to think these skills will come to them naturally. However, people are increasingly acting for themselves to feel confident in the workplace.

We’re seeing this shift for a few clear reasons:

Training budgets are tighter, and team-wide sessions aren’t always possible in the moment.
Roles are more exposed, with individuals managing challenging interactions on their own.
Pressure is constant, making it harder to wait for long-term solutions.
People want confidence now, not after something escalates.
Responsibility feels personal, especially when safety, service quality or wellbeing are on the line.

For many, this isn’t about stepping away from organisational support. It’s about bridging a gap to find a way to feel more prepared within the reality of busy working lives.

That raises an important question: If this is where people are turning, how does learning adapt to meet them there?

How learning can fit working lives

For individuals balancing pressure, uncertainty, and responsibility, timing and flexibility are just as important as the content itself. Learning needs to work around the reality of the job.

Smaller sessions, interactive formats, and online delivery can make a real difference. They allow people to engage without losing service hours, reduce the need to travel, and maintain focus on day-to-day priorities. When learning is accessible in this way, confidence can be built steadily, rather than being squeezed into high-pressure moments.

Let’s understand how these flexible approaches can help people get the skills they need while keeping their work manageable:

Preparing yourself before that incident happens

Many people only seek support once that pressure is already being felt, when confidence is shaken and options feel limited. But preparing earlier creates a different experience. It gives you room to reflect, practise, and strengthen your responses before they’re tested under strain.

Building capability ahead of time isn’t about assuming the worst. It’s about recognising that confidence is easier to grow when things are still manageable. When people feel prepared, everyday challenges are handled with more clarity, interactions feel less charged, and fewer situations reach the point of escalation.

Early action protects more than performance. It protects judgement, wellbeing, and the ability to show up calmly when it matters most for yourself, for others, and for the quality of service you provide.

Stay connected

Keep an eye on our social media for more tools, case studies, webinars, and resources designed to support clear, confident, safe communication at work.