A lot of people will wake up on Monday, January 5, 2026, and put “Go to the gym” on their calendars.
It’s part of the annual ritual; new year, new resolve, new commitment to getting into better physical shape. Some people are training to lose weight. Others just want to feel better. A few have something very specific in mind: a race, a milestone birthday, or a personal challenge they’ve been putting off for too long.
At the same time, Human Resources and Learning leaders will return to work and reopen their 2026 training calendars. They’ll follow up on proposals submitted in September and October, finalize budgets, and begin making decisions about what learning investments actually move forward for the new year.
And in both cases, there’s a fundamental question that too often goes unasked:
What are you training for?
Going to the gym without a goal usually leads to inconsistency and frustration. Corporate training without a clear outcome does the same thing, only at a much higher cost.
Is your organization training to:
- Drive measurable business results?
- Build the skills required to execute the strategy?
- Prepare leaders for harder, faster, more ambiguous decisions?
- Change how people think, not just what they know?
Over the past three months, we at Advantexe have been busier than ever. Not because companies want more training, but because they want more intentional training. Our clients are asking sharper questions and demanding clearer links between learning and performance.
As you come back online after a long, well-earned break, here are the five things we see organizations training for in 2026, and why they matter.
1) Understanding How the Company Makes Money
This may sound basic, but it’s foundational.
Organizations are doubling down on helping employees truly understand how the business works: how revenue is generated, where costs live, how cash flows, and how decisions in one function ripple across the enterprise.
What’s different now is how this is taught. Simulation-centric learning, paired with AI-enabled coaching, allows people to experiment, make decisions, see consequences, and connect their role directly to business outcomes.
In 2026, business acumen isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s table stakes.
2) Coaching and Giving Real Business Feedback
Performance conversations are evolving. Everyone out there is using an AI tool to practice coaching. But the approach has to be more than just using cool tools.
Managers are being asked to move beyond generic feedback and toward real, business-grounded coaching, feedback that connects individual behavior to financial results, operational trade-offs, customer impact, and strategic priorities.
The organizations winning here are training leaders to:
- Coach in the context of the business, not just behaviors
- Use data, scenarios, and consequences—not platitudes
- Develop people while still driving performance
This is where simulations and guided practice are replacing theory-heavy leadership workshops.
3) Financial Literacy for Non-Financial Leaders
Financial literacy can’t just be for finance people.
In 2026, leaders at all levels are expected to read a P&L, understand cash flow implications, interpret key metrics, and make trade-offs with financial consequences in mind. Not to become accountants—but to become better decision-makers.
The shift we’re seeing is from “finance awareness” to financial confidence:
- Understanding how decisions hit margins, cash, and ROI
- Recognizing unintended financial consequences
- Making smarter investment and prioritization choices under pressure
I just finished creating a learning tool (driven by “Avatar Rob”) that teaches 25 basic things you need to know about business acumen in less than one hour.
4) Strategic Business Selling
The selling process has changed at the core.
Sales professionals are operating in a different universe than they were even five years ago. Customers are better informed, procurement is tougher, and value conversations have moved far beyond product features.
In response, organizations are training sales teams to:
- Speak the language of the customer’s business
- Tie solutions to financial, operational, and strategic outcomes
- Navigate complex stakeholder environments with credibility
Strategic business selling is no longer an advanced skill; it’s a survival skill.
5) “Day in the Life” Business Simulations
This may be the biggest shift of all.
As technology accelerates, organizations are moving away from abstract training and toward hyper-realistic, role-specific business simulations that mirror the actual decisions people face day to day.
AI-driven conversations, micro-lever simulations, and scenario-based challenges allow learners to:
- Practice thinking, not just remembering
- Make decisions under time and information constraints
- Build critical business judgment in a safe environment
These experiences don’t just teach content; they build capability.
Happy New Year and a Final Thought
People don’t get in shape by talking about the gym.
They get in shape by training with purpose.
The same is true for organizations.
As you build your 2026 learning strategy, don’t start with the catalog. Start with the question:
What are we training for?
The clarity of that answer will determine whether your training becomes a checkbox or a competitive advantage.
