With global economic uncertainty and hardship, organisations are likely to be making tough decisions in 2023, and if Learning & Development departments are going to survive and succeed, they are likely to be challenged to achieve more with fewer resources. In this episode, David explores his experience of leading L&D at Disney during the post-2008 banking crisis and shares lessons on how he rose to the challenge of achieving more with less. KEY TAKEAWAYS Whenever there is a recession, it is normally the L&D and marketing departments that are cut. Becoming more visible is an important part of ensuring the organisation appreciates the value of L&D. The fact that employment rates in the UK are high means that developing people is going to be important for businesses. L&D is not a perk, it is essential. L&D must stop leaning on generic online content that is not effective. If they don´t they will fail, and the department will be slimmed down. Focus on addressing issues that impact the organisation’s profitability and solve real problems. Technology is expensive, it must be a solution that is designed to solve the actual business problems your organisation has. BEST MOMENTS 'My stock internally rose because I grasped the nettle, and I knew what needed to be done.' ' Help stakeholders to address critical points of failure in their operation, what's not working, what's costing them opportunity? what's costing them good people?' 'Any good digital product needs to work with a notepad and a pen first, if you can't make it work with a notepad and a pen, it's not gonna work with a website. ' 'If you're laser-focused on solving real problems, then your solutions are smaller, thinner, lighter, and more agile, ABOUT ADAM HARWOOD Adam Harwood Bio Adam is Associate Director of Talent & Culture at Genomics having previously led L&D at luxury hospitality brand D&D and challenger bank Revolut. Adam has also worked in the L&D departments at ASOS and Ted Baker. VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The market for off-the-shelf content and programmes for the L&D profession is huge. This is despite it equating to next to no demonstrable return on investment. It’s seductive to think we can plug in a ready-made ‘solution’ but what does it really solve? And is our dependency on it going to be our downfall? KEY TAKEAWAYS The purpose of L&D has to be to make it easier for people to do their jobs. Anything that does not contribute to this is usually just a tick-box exercise. What is provided needs to create meaningful behaviour change. In most cases, a standardised training course doesn’t do that. If people are sent on mind-numbing courses, they tend to assume it is all going to be rubbish and just switch off to all of it. The examples used must be relevant to what each department does. A one size fits all approach does not work. Only 29% of people think that the online learning they have completed has been effective. Off-the-shelf training can be useful, but only in limited circumstances, Stewart provides some examples in the podcast. Asking people what is stopping them from doing their job is an effective way to identify training needs. BEST MOMENTS 'Until we understand the reason for poor performance, you can't really move the needle on it. ' ' I do think there is a reluctance to dig deep, we kind of fear what we might find sometimes, I think all organisations are guilty of that.' 'Unless there's a way to relate the material to someone's world, there's always going to be a mess, ' 'There is such an over-reliance on solutions that don't understand the problem. ' ABOUT STEWART EVERSON Stewart Everson Bio As manager of the National Bank Independent Network learning team, Stewart is responsible for driving the digital adoption of the company’s technology and ensuring employees have access to skills training and development opportunities, to grow their careers. EPISODE RESOURCES Nigel Paine’s work and resources - https://www.nigelpaine.com/ VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Helmer is the host of two outstanding Learning & Development podcasts: The Learning Hack and Great Minds On Learning. In this episode, John condenses his insights and learning from the conversations he’s led with Donald Clark about the people and approaches that have informed so much of the L&D profession. KEY TAKEAWAYS Experts tend to forget the gaps they had in their knowledge when they knew less, so tend to skip over things. It’s a form of educated incapacity. A surprising amount of learning is unlearning some of the things that are almost instinctive to us. Learning and development professionals don't know or aren't aware of as much of learning theory and science as perhaps you'd expect. Our job as learning professionals, as special as any field, is to disentangle what is valuable about the new and not be scared of innovations. There is a tendency for the industry to repackage old approaches. That is only OK if it has been updated and tweaked to work in a modern setting. BEST MOMENTS' The expert has difficulty unpacking. So, my job is to help Donald unpack. ''How do you know that it works, and if you don't know that it works, does it work, and then do less of the stuff that you don't know works,'' There's a whole lot of counterintuitive stuff involved in learning, which is sort of something we talk about in the learning theory, that has to be to get around to make learning work. ''You should be ambitious for your profession. ' ABOUT JOHN HELMERJohn Helmer is a writer, editor, and communications strategy expert specialising in the fields of learning, training, education, and publishing, with a particular focus on digital technology innovation. He has led many programmes bringing together thought leaders and practitioners for knowledge sharing and debate, and writes for and edits numerous blogs, as well as producing many white papers and research reports (including articles for peer-reviewed journals). GUEST RESOURCESYou can follow and connect with John via:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/Great Minds On Learning: https://greatmindsonlearning.libsyn.comThe Learning Hack: https://learninghack.libsyn.com VALUABLE RESOURCESThe Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has the role and remit of Instructional Designers changed in the era of Google and YouTube? What needs to happen to counter the vast suite of bad ‘click next’ e-learning? Dr Robin Sargent explores the approaches and skills required for the Instructional Design profession to evolve and meet the demands of the modern hybrid workforce. KEY TAKEAWAYS An instructional designer is somebody who can analyse a performance gap in any organisation and select a solution that solves it, Instructional design is definitely not all about E-learning. It is just one tool. One which is not right for all situations. Instructional designers who have a full understanding of what L&D does will always produce better results. Real-world examples and demonstrations make an enormous difference to how effective the learning is. The best learning materials show you how to do things rather than attempt to tell you how to do them. The future of learning is hybrid. BEST MOMENTS'I think it's a better mix, probably now, I think more people have had to climb a bigger wall to get into our industry than it used to be. ''It needs to be problem centred. People need to work in real-world contexts.''First step, build the final demonstration, the final whole problem, of what it is that you want your learners to be able to do. ''Structure a course, to give people the opportunity to practise, apply, and integrate into their real-world based on the actual context of what they're learning, ' Robin Sargent Ph.D. BioAfter stints as a training director for a billion-dollar company and an assistant dean of students for a large university, Dr. Robin Sargent opened IDOL courses to be the leading trade school teaching instructional design and online learning to people of all backgrounds. GUEST RESOURCESYou can follow and contact Robin via:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinsargent/Website: https://www.idolcourses.comAcademy: https://www.idolcourses.com/academyBook: https://www.idolcourses.com/bookShort Sims - https://www.shortsims.com/ VALUABLE RESOURCESThe Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ ABOUT THE HOSTDavid James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By pivoting their approach from a learning orientation to a performance orientation, Fredrik and Teemu have built a reputation for achieving real results. This has led to them being recognised within their organisation, including them being asked to take over the entire Learning & Development function at Telia and Teemu being awarded Telia Reinventor of the Year. As well as this, they were awarded Learning Team of the Year. In this episode, we explore their pivot and the impact this has had. KEY TAKEAWAYS Combining the skills of trainers, coaches and eLearning producers has led to a successful team. If L&D does not have a positive impact on the company´s bottom line, they are not being effective. You need to understand your learner´s workflows. The processes you use need to be agile, so you can create learning tools that adapt as the company does. They have someone anyone can contact when they are trying to work out how to do something or solve a problem. Another member of the team is responsible for pulling together the stats for new projects and those needed to monitor results. Methodologies solve problems, not platforms.  Invest in upskilling your team. If you meet resistance to change within the organisation. Say yes to their requests but insist on analysis. They soon understand whether what they are asking for has true value. BEST MOMENTS 'There is no silver bullet in learning and development.' 'We are not generalists who do everything. We are good at what we do separately, and we collaborate. ' 'Stop talking about learning and start talking about performance.' 'I think that the point of no return for our team members came when they got to see the impact that their new initiatives gave had on KPIs that they had set out to improve. ' ABOUT FREDRIK PETERSON HERFINDAL Fredrik is Head of Learning & Performance at Telecoms company Telia.   ABOUT TEEMU LILJA Teemu is Learning & Performance Lead for Sales at Telia. GUEST RESOURCES Fredik Peterson Herfindal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredrik-peterson-herfindal-825958a4/ Teemu Lilja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teemu-lilja-79a11bba/   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learning & Development roles can vary greatly depending on the individual’s specialism, ambition, and the opportunities within any given team. But the opportunity to run an L&D department solo is a unique experience and one that brings as much freedom and excitement as it does challenge and resourcefulness. In this episode, Aimee compares and contrasts her experience in L&D teams and her solo role now and provides insights into how to make this successful and a career move of choice. KEY TAKEAWAYS The term standalone R&D roles different things to different people. In this case, it means working alone in an organisation, as a generalist, doing whatever is required.  Working alone forces you to grow your skillset quickly. With standalone L&D you have to lean on others in the organisation. You have to be careful not to burn out when working in a standalone role. Working in a standalone role forces you to properly identify what is effective.  You cannot afford to reinvent the wheel. Tapping into what is there and building on it is essential. You end up being very close to all of your internal clients. BEST MOMENTS 'What is rarely explored is how one person does this (L&D) on their own. ' 'In a standalone role, you really have to be passionate.' 'Reserve your energy. Please look after yourself. You can´t do it all. ' ABOUT AIMEE YOUNG Aimee is L&D Manager at Snowplow, a behavioural data company, and is the only person in L&D. Before this role, Aimee worked in L&D for OLIVER Agency, Sumitomo and Taylor Wessing. Aimee began her L&D career at Towards Maturity benchmarking L&D teams and providing insights for the profession.   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learn how to do Learning & Development in the organisations and sectors we work in but what is the experience like in the US Air Force and Elon Musk’s SpaceX? In this episode, I speak with Matthew Gjertsen, who has done both and learned some important lessons about what really works.KEY TAKEAWAYS Good instructors and L&D professionals can identify the gaps and know how to fill them. If someone feels they are underpaid or not given the right tools to do the job L&D is not going to help. People learn to change the way they act by laying down new pathways in their brains. Changing and practising one aspect of behaviour is a highly effective way to move the ball forward. Use E-learning as a preparation for the next stage e.g., for on-the-job training. It is not the end game. If you use simulators build experiences that create an emotional reaction. How is explained in the episode? The more streamlined your learning is the better. Strip out anything that is not essential for that person´s job. Our brains are designed to learn things in context, so all learning needs to be contextual. Learning in the flow of work is an effective way to do that. BEST MOMENTS'It all comes down to behaviour… always ask what the behaviour is you are trying to change''You have to stack learning methods to really get the outcome. ''The best document is no document… only create something when it must be created. Even then, always be trying to get rid of it. 'ABOUT THE GUESTMatthew Gjertsen BioMatthew began his unique L&D career as a T-1 Instructor Pilot in the US Air Force and went on to become Training & Development Manager at SpaceX, where he was responsible for programs across the entire facility. Matthew is now owner of Better Every Day Studios and advisor to hearme.app.GUEST RESOURCESYou can follow and contact Matthew via:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/Website: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.comVALUABLE RESOURCESThe Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ABOUT THE HOSTDavid James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learning In The Flow of Work - or Workflow Learning - has been a hot topic in Learning & Development in recent years but how does this approach match up with employees’ expectations and what they believe to be effective to meet their development goals? In this special episode, David and Bob Mosher explore the findings of a recent survey conducted to explore the expectations of learners and perceptions of L&D to see where we are right now and what we need to do to meet learners where they need us to be. Link to Learning In The Flow Of Work Survey: https://360learning.com/guide/learning-in-the-flow-of-work-report/learning-in-the-flow-of-work-report/ KEY TAKEAWAYS Fitting learning into the workflow is incredibly effective. It turns training from something that is done once a year into an almost daily experience. Building materials for use in the workflow ensures the L&D team´s focus is on delivering the product or service the company they work for has to offer. Not having to take people off the job, means not having to find time for training. In all countries, on-the-job training delivered by peers was deemed to be the most effective. But quality varies and those that are good at it do not always have enough time available to train others. A lot of new managers do not get training before taking on their new roles. Build life rafts first, then teach swimming. Training has to solve the most critical issues first. Contextualised training is far more effective. BEST MOMENTS 'In the workflow is the most powerful and intrinsically motivating place for learning to occur. ' 'Only 29% of UK learners and slightly more in the US said online training was effective.' 'We´ve got into the habit of trying to educate generic managers. ' 'In the workplace, performance is the outcome. Learning is just one tool to get there. ' ABOUT BOB MOSHER Bob Mosher is a genuine Thought-Leader in L&D and Chief Learning Evangelist, at The 5 Moments of Need™, an organisation that specialises in helping learning professionals design, develop, and measure effective learning and performance support through the 5 Moments design methodology. Bob has been an active and influential leader in the learning and training industry for over 30 years and is renowned worldwide for his pioneering role in new approaches to learning.   GUEST RESOURCES You can follow and connect with Bob via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmosh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmosher/ Website: https://www.5momentsofneed.com/ Performance Matters Podcast: https://performancematters.podbean.com/   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learning & Development seems to be constantly evolving but at the same time revisiting and reinventing what has come before. In this episode, we discuss the emerging trends that have their origins in the past and the pioneers that we all need to pay more attention to. KEY TAKEAWAYS Even today, much of what we do in L&D is not evidence-based. This has to change. We are not taking successful methods from the past and reworking them for the modern world. Instead, we are simply rehashing old theories, without looking for evidence that they work. We don´t look back to see who might have done what we are trying to achieve before. You have to understand the jobs of the participants, and do the cognitive task analysis. L&D is not all about delivering learning. They are there to solve problems that are holding the business back Stakeholder management is a vital component of delivering solutions that work. BEST MOMENTS 'There is a big gap between positive endeavour and evidence-based practice.' 'Do it well, or don´t do it 'You need to work with problem analysis teams and then with problem-solving teams.' 'We need to think more holistically ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and contact Mirjam via: Twitter: @MirjamN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirjamneelen/details/experience/ How Learning Happens by Paul Kirschner - https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Learning-Happens-Paul-Kirschner/dp/0367184575/ How Teaching Happens by Paul Kirshner - https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Teaching-Happens-Effectiveness-Practice/dp/1032132086/ Guy Wallace Books - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guy-W-Wallace/e/B08JQC4C4V?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1662104935&sr=8-1 Joe Harless - https://hptmanualspring16.weebly.com/harless-model.html Donald Clark - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Donald-Clark/e/B08HVS5QSP?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1662105350&sr=8-1 Dr. Jane Bozarth - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jane-Bozarth/e/B001JS7VKO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4&qid=1662105930&sr=8-4 Patti Shank - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=patti+shank&crid=1I6XTHRPN5DBM&sprefix=patti+shank%2Caps%2C123&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 Connie Malamed - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connie-Malamed/e/B001SQ2JHW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1662106345&sr=8-1 Mike Taylor - https://mike-taylor.org/   ABOUT THE GUEST Mirjam Neelen Bio Mirjam Neelen is the Head of Global Learning Design and Learning Sciences in Novartis. She is part of a team that redefines how Novartis Associates build competence. With 15 years' industry experience, she has worked in a wide variety of learning design roles in organisations such as Accenture, Google, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In response to the COVID pandemic, remote working became the norm for organisations to continue operating. As restrictions eased and employees both proved that remote working was viable and preferable, Hybrid Working emerged as a term to describe the mainstream adoption of this flexible approach to working from home and commuting, when required. However, in line with a new way of working emerged a new approach to learning. Or did it?  In this episode, David, and Nigel Paine, who has 25 years of L&D experience and teaches on a doctoral programme at an Ivy League University, discuss this.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Hybrid learning is a bit of a cliché, which is great for marketing, but is not for customers. We need to ask if remote/hybrid learning is the optimum solution for all hybrid workers, rather than assume that is the case. The L&D industry is prone to following fads and to re-badging old products. Doing fieldwork is essential if you want to understand what will work and avoid being tempted to follow a fad that does not do the job. When gathering data, ask lots of why questions to gain a deeper understanding of the issues. Don't be afraid to discuss things that don't necessarily fall under the learning remit as a way of improving your understanding. Few of the influential L&D software vendors have worked in the industry, so their tools and services often miss the mark.  See yourself as a practitioner, bring your experience to bear and act together with your stakeholders to solve their problems.   BEST MOMENTS 'I see so many terms that just come and go …. and hybrid learning is one of those' 'The last thing I would ever do to anyone in an organisation is to tell them what they need. I would help them to work that out for themselves.' 'Go in there with a partnership approach and ask the right questions.  'I would like to see more L&D people who are in control of their practice…not just working out what software to use. '   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/   ABOUT THE GUEST With over 25 years of experience in corporate learning, Nigel is a regular speaker, writer, and broadcaster on the topics of development, technology, and leadership. Between 2002 and 2006 he headed up the BBC’s Learning and Development operation. Following this, he started his own company nigelpaine.com Ltd that is focused on building great workplaces. He teaches on a doctoral programme at an Ivy League University, he has written three recent books, presents a monthly TV programme (Learning Now TV), and shares a weekly podcast (with Martin Couzins) called From Scratch.  You can follow and contact Nigel via: Twitter: @ebase LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelpaine/ Website: https://www.nigelpaine.com/ Hybrid Learning Article: https://www-trainingzone-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.trainingzone.co.uk/lead/strategy/hybrid-learning-is-just-learning-dont-fall-for-the-fad?amp   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adult Learning Theory can help L&D to improve learner engagement, knowledge retention and skills application. In this episode, Dr Carrie O. Graham explores this topic and its application to the priorities of today’s L&D departments.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Adult learning theory focuses on the fact that adults learn very differently from children. Improving information retention and ensuring new skills are appropriately and accurately applied cement that learning. Learning can thrive in informal settings. Design the learning experience so that it places the environment where they will use those skills. Make things real for people by comparing what they are doing now with what they will do when using the new skills or information. Incorporate opportunities for problem-solving. Understand what motivates your learners, Carrie shares a couple of examples to help you with this.   BEST MOMENTS 'My work focuses on improving the engagement of the adult learner. Supporting their information retention.' 'Understand who they are as a learner.' 'If you’re thinking long-term, using a quantitative assessment of learning is absolutely mandatory. ' 'As you are building your content, make references back to who they are as a learner.'   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning and Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/   EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and contact Carrie via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarriegraham/  Website: https://www.drcarriegraham.com   ABOUT THE GUEST Carrie O. Graham Bio Owner of Carrie O. Graham Learning & Solutions, Dr. Graham helps subject matter experts improve learning outcomes by strategically integrating adult learning best practices. A published author, researcher, and conference presenter with 25+ years’ experience in learning, instructional design, and leadership development across industries. Dr. Graham has a reputation of understanding problems that are stated and revealing what is not stated, then asking critical questions to help people uncover clear and insightful solutions. Not believing in the “one-size-fits-all” approach she customises solutions to support unique individual and organisational needs.    ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.    CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where is L&D going? Ask vendors and they will tell you it’s heading in the direction of their product. Ask a seasoned L&D professional with a keen eye on the future of work and you get a balanced and nuanced view of the factors affecting our profession and its practitioners. In this episode, Lloyd Dean shares his experience, his view of the profession and practical steps forward.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Virtual reality is a highly effective tool. Lloyd explains how using it at a nuclear power station generated an ROI of £200,000. Curiosity is a key pillar of learning. Chatting with people from all areas of the business, including casual chats, is a fantastic way to better understand each area of the business. Improving your data analysis is a fast way to become more effective. Apply established approaches that are working elsewhere to your L&D. Agile is becoming increasingly popular. Why is it discussed in the podcast? Gauging the readiness to change makes it easier to adopt a bespoke strategy that will make it easier to overcome resistance. You must believe in the projects you are leading. Be genuinely open-minded when it comes to interpreting the data and holding a mirror up to the business.   BEST MOMENTS 'You have to be curious and not too far away from what's going on with the business.' 'Ask what´s the golden thread of what we do for you.' 'Reflecting on your why in L&D is important.' 'Where it goes well, senior stakeholders really articulate the vision and the why.'   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/   EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and contact Lloyd via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyddeanuk/   ABOUT THE GUEST Lloyd Dean Bio Lloyd is Principal Consultant at PA Consulting and former Head of Digital and Innovative Learning at EDF Energy. With more than a decade in the L&D profession, Lloyd’s focus is on the future of work and helping to modernise L&D functions.   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.    CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a backdrop of cuts in the L&D team at ETS, Gabe needed to re-evaluate how he could achieve the aims of the function. By refocusing on problems experienced within the organisation rather than learning to provide and applying the principles of lean, powered by automation, he achieved more than many L&D teams do with bigger teams. But how did ETS do this?    In this episode we explore what it means to run a lean, problem-driven L&D function, incorporating digital marketing principles and automation.   KEY TAKEAWAYS CoVid forced Gabe to go from being client-focused to being problem-focused. Build and leverage client communities to find the expertise and input you need. Use people´s everyday work as a curriculum for growth. It ensures training is highly relevant and current. Find evergreen problems that affect the whole organisation e.g. manager development. Newsletters and short meetups that invite people to respond to what you are doing and share their current needs uncover problems and test your effectiveness. To automate processes Gabe uses Loop and MS Power Automate etc. He shares details of how in the episode. Be clear about what is on offer, ask tough questions to focus attention and help users to determine if that piece of training is what they need. Manage expectations. Drip feeding content in 10 to 15-minute bites via email, followed by a group meeting is highly effective. BEST MOMENTS 'I had to dig into my bag of lean tactics that I had developed, over the years. We went from being client-focused to problem-focused ' 'Figure out how to optimise your product and to optimise your understanding of the need in the marketplace. ' 'Hitch a ride on your day job is all about carving time out for conscious reflection.' 'If you get people together and get them talking, they will likely come up with a great solution ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/  Gabe Gloege Bio   Gabe is Senior Director of Learning & Organizational Development at ETC and an advocate of modern, performance-oriented approaches to people development.   You can follow and contact Gabe via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabegloege/ Twitter handle:@gabegloege LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabegloege/ LI article on Lean L&D: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-lean-ld-gabe-gloege Description of "Hitch A Ride On Your Day Job": http://guide.cultivateme.xyz/pages/developing.html#hitch-a-ride-on-your-day-job   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI sells platforms. But what are we buying? Too often it’s just recommendations for off-the-shelf content. But AI is about so much more and its potential in helping us achieve the aims of L&D is huge. In this episode, we explore the potential of AI in L&D, burst some of the myths around it and challenge the profession to expect more, much more from it.   KEY TAKEAWAYS AI has huge implications for all aspects of our lives, including L&D. It is already a surprisingly big part of our life. If you use Google, you are using AI. AI needs a clearly defined task, a precision task. AI only knows its task. Donald provides a memorable example of this in the podcast. Universities are already using adaptive learning tech to recognise bottlenecks in the learning process and find solutions. It also can create some of the training content e.g summarising text and generating illustrative images. People learn incidentally, on the fly, AI can help them to find and access the information they need as they need it. With AI you have to remember the garbage in garbage out principle. The outcome is only good if the instructions provided are sound. AI is a tool L&D can use not a replacement for L&D. BEST MOMENTS 'It looks like AI is a form of technology that is heading in a direction which transcends our abilities. Certainly, our brains and cognition. ' 'AI is good at precision tasks.' 'the world is changing around the professional learning world of education and L&D, we have to move towards that world.' 'We have new software that can personalise learning.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ EPISODE RESOURCES   You can follow and contact Donald via:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Twitter: @DonaldClark AI For Learning Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Artificial-Intelligence-Learning-Employee-Development/dp/1789660815/ Learning Experience Design Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Experience-Design-Create-Effective/dp/1398602647/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=learning+experience+design&qid=1635256811&sr=8-1 Website: https://t.co/c6Wvp8yOOZ Great Minds In Learning Podcast: https://greatmindsonlearning.libsyn.com Email: [email protected]   ABOUT THE GUEST Donald Clark Bio   Donald Clark is an EdTech Entrepreneur, CEO, Professor, Researcher, Blogger and Speaker. He was CEO and one of the original founders of Epic Group plc, which established itself as the leading company in the UK online learning market, floated on the Stock Market in 1996 and sold in 2005. As well as being the CEO of Wildfire, an AI-driven learning company, he also invests in and advises Learning technology and EdTech companies. Donald is an award-winning speaker at national and international conferences, author of the books ‘AI for Learning’ and ‘Learning Experience Design’ and co-host of the podcast ‘Great Minds on Learning)   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Paul Matthews explains how a workflow approach to people development can link learning to the work itself and make a demonstrable difference to the way the work is done.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Learning workflow is not the same as learning in the flow or blended learning. Learning workflow is a sequence of orchestrated activities that are designed to achieve a behavioral change. Behavioral Needs Analysis (BNA) and measurable results are essential components of the learning workflow. Starting with an LMA OR TMA will send you down the wrong path, Paul explains why. Working out how to reduce the friction that is stopping change is also part of the process. The learning workflow approach can be very effective for people who are taking on new roles internally and for onboarding. A multi-rater tool used alongside measuring key KPIs is the most effective way to assess progress. BEST MOMENTS 'Usually, it takes, time, effort, and energy over a period of time for change to embed and become habitual.' 'If you don’t have a set of outputs defined in behavioral terms you actually don´t know where you are going.' 'Learning workflow is particularly good where behavior change is required, rather than when you only want people to memorize stuff.  ' 'Wherever you have the need for people to do a sequence of actions over time…you can use learning workflow. ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and contact Paul via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmatthews100/ Website: https://paul-matthews.com/ Website: https://peoplealchemy.com/ ABOUT THE GUEST Paul Matthews Bio Paul Matthews is a leading Learning & Development professional with a series of best-selling books to his name. An accomplished keynote speaker, he speaks around the world on a diverse range of topics. He brings learning and performance to life with stories that both fascinate and inspire. He also prides himself on reducing complex theory down to simple ideas and sharing them in a way that everyone can understand, and more importantly, use to get better results. As well as being a sought-after speaker, Paul provides consultancy services, training workshops, and webinars for blue-chip clients in the UK and beyond.   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fully established in other fields, Product Management is finding its way into L&D. As an emerging discipline in L&D, Product Management is growing in prominence due to its focus on delivering demonstrable, meaningful results.  Anne-Marie Burbidge has been applying the principles of PM to her L&D and as a successful Head of L&D has recruited for Product Managers. So what is it? How is it different? And is it better than traditional approaches at reaching desired outcomes? Find out in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS The training or resource you provide is your product. Taking a product approach to L&D, changes your mindset. The product management approach to L&D mirrors the way businesses work when serving external customers. Speak to your customers, and understand what their pain points are. Often, the questions people have that need answering first are incredibly basic e.g. how do I sign-on. Start fresh with each problem. Don´t rule any solution in or out. Recognise that transitions and change generate new questions and needs. If you have a backlog, tackle the issues that solve a problem for as many people as possible. Being through with your research and measuring the impact will slow you down initially. But over the long term, it will actually speed things up. Make sure that the resource is available at the point of need and can be used to easily find the answer to very specific questions. It’sts not about the input, it is about the output. BEST MOMENTS 'The product way of working is a mindset around how you do what you do.' 'A lot of the challenges occur at transition points…starting a new role, changes to the business.' 'Demonstrate to the business that you understand the problem. ' 'Once you know what the problem is, you can be laser-focused on solving that.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ EPISODE RESOURCES You can connect with Anne-Marie via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-marieburbidge/ ABOUT THE GUEST Anne-Marie is a Head of Learning & Development drawing on 15 years experience of running L&D teams. Anne-Marie is keenly interested in Agile principles and understanding how data can help us, using a range of tools and approaches to understand what's really going in order to grow capability and confidence effectively. Anne-Marie is a Head of Learning & Development drawing on 15 years experience of running L&D teams. Anne-Marie is keenly interested in Agile principles and understanding how data can help us, using a range of tools and approaches to understand what's really going in order to grow capability and confidence effectively   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learning & Development functions need to move beyond education if they are to fulfil their potential but what does that actually mean? In this episode, Nick shares his Learning Maturity model and we discuss what this means practically for L&D, organisations and each stakeholder within it. KEY TAKEAWAYS Learning Maturity is Person-Centred Design. Audience interest is critical. You need to address the things they care about in ways that transform. Emotion plays a vital role in learning. People prefer face-to-face to e-learning. Being better and faster at their job is the No. 1 thing people want. Training should help people to develop not just perform better. People stay if they feel valued and included. L&D needs to facilitate and increase the availability of learning experiences that are already being used within an organisation. Hybrid learning is different from blended learning. How is explained in the podcast. Often managers are there for the rain dance and they don´t care if it rains. BEST MOMENTS 'L&D is still largely set in an education mindset.' 'Understand what matters to your audience. That´s going to determine what they remember, It´s your key lever.' 'When the word learning is included in the communication, people are around 25% less likely to engage with it.' 'They were there for the rain dance, and they didn´t really care if it rains or not.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  ABOUT THE GUEST Nick Shackleton-Jones Bio Nick is a genuine thought-leader in Learning & Development, responsible for initiating the shift from ‘courses to resources’ and for the affective context model of learning. He began his professional life as a psychology lecturer and went on to lead learning functions at Siemens, BBC & BP. He’s now a consultant and author of ‘How People Learn’ (Kogan Page, May 2019) as well as being the winner of several awards for people development strategy, innovation, and learning content, including the Learning & Performance Institute’s Award for Services to the Learning Industry, 2017. You can follow and contact Nick via: Twitter: @shackletonjones LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shackletonjones/ Shackleton Consulting: https://shackleton-consulting.com/ CONTACT METHOD FOR DAVID JAMES Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the role of Learning & Development - and Enablement - is linked to employees’ readiness to perform it is critical that solutions work and demonstrably prepare people to perform. Strangely, too many in Learning & Development focus too much on the ‘learning’ and not enough on the actual ability to perform.  The criticality of the focus on preparation and performance led Alexis to up skilling from within by seeking an efficient way of leveraging internal expertise for the benefit of all. This is explored in conversation alongside how a product management approach helps to achieve desired outcomes. KEY TAKEAWAYS Understanding why you are teaching something is essential.  There is no point in teaching people something if you then set them up for failure by not equipping them to perform. Sprint planning principles ensure that people use what they learn before moving on to the next round of training. Use product management principles to create far more effective training. How, is explained in the podcast. Building personas focuses you on what each type of employee needs. Collaborative learning is highly effective. Replicating how people ingest information in their everyday life works e.g. breaking information into smaller chunks. The more people you engage with, the stronger your understanding of the business and what is needed becomes. BEST MOMENTS 'Enablement at Flexport is a combination of training, change management, and scalable communications.' 'I am a huge advocate for product management in L&D. ' 'Our onboarding program is, in part, on-demand and automated for anybody in the company to use.' 'You have to understand what's in it for them. You have to understand what they are focused on. ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ EPISODE RESOURCES Atomic Habits Book: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-James-Clear-audiobook/dp/B07RFSSYBH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21VO449B979Z4&keywords=atomic+habits&qid=1649694292&s=books&sprefix=atomic+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1   ABOUT THE GUEST Alexis Burbul Alexis is Senior Manager of Customer Enablement at Flexport, a company that coordinates the complexity required to move freight across a diverse network of logistics, improving the user experience for brands moving freight. Prior to her role in Customer Enablement, Alexis managed Sales Enablement at Flexport. Alexis is also experienced in Product Management, experience which she brought into her roles in enablement.   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.    CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the last in the L&D’s Pivot to Performance series, recorded on December 15, 2021. OPWL’s Dawn Snyder and Steve Villachica join David James, Guy Wallace, Anne-Marie Burbidge, and Sebastian Tindall. In addition to responding to the questions of previous webinar participants, the panel takes on new questions about their approaches and examples of their work.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Single-page businesses model canvases quickly demonstrate the impact of the problem on the business as a whole. You do not need permission to pivot to performance. Don´t tell them it is different, just present it, get buy-in and do it. Start small. Rework something low-risk. Maybe something you are already doing. Prove your change works. Don´t over-promise. This change is going to be an evolution, it won´t be perfect the first time. Get into the numbers. Ask, what works? How do you know it works? Focus your networking efforts on line managers. Capture the value of what you are already doing. Don´t try to educate people about L&D. Stay focused on the solution they are seeking. Saying - this change will be good, but maybe you are not going to like it creates unnecessary barriers. Don´t fall into the trap of helping the person who shouts loudest. Every project needs stakeholders that have the juice to make sure what you produce is implemented. Regularly update your client with what you uncover as the discovery stage progresses. BEST MOMENTS 'The neat thing about a canvas is that it is a one-page presentation of something complex. ' 'It is definitely evolution not revolution, start small.' 'They don´t want perfect, they just want something that makes things better.' 'One person´s bureaucracy is another person´s rigour. ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523    ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The aim of this series is to highlight the important shift that some L&D leaders and practitioners have made in order to more predictably and reliably affect individual and organizational performance, achieving much more as a consequence.   Dr. Villachica has consulted and worked in business, government, and non-profit settings for more than 25 years. He joined the faculty of the Department of Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning in the College of Engineering at Boise State University in 2007.   Prior to joining Boise State, Steve collaborated with colleagues and clients at DLS Group, Inc., to create large-scale performance support systems, e-learning, instructor-led training, job aids, and a host of award-winning performance improvement solutions for pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement agencies, securities companies and regulators, the Intelligence Community, and others. At Boise State, Steve teaches courses in instructional design, needs assessment, and workplace performance improvement.    Dr. Villachica’s research interests focus on identifying and leveraging exemplary performance throughout organizations. His current research efforts investigate aspects of student readiness for the workplace.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Enabling people to perform in ways that contribute to achieving strategic business objectives, is not only about training. You also need to identify what is getting in their way and remove it. Often, organizational stakeholders come to L&D with ill-informed requests for training. Be systematic and look at things systemically. Determine whether the gap is worth closing. Does it really contribute to achieving business objectives and is it worth the time and $ cost? Gather organizational intelligence – find out what is keeping your clients up at night. Don´t try to educate people. Instead, address their pain points Each project needs adequate sponsorship. Someone who has skin in the game. Interacting causes produce the performance gap. In the podcast, Steve explains how to identify the many, overlapping underlying causes, behind each issue. From day one of any project, implementation needs to be a part of the process. Align your efforts with strategic business objectives and keep re-aligning them as things change. It is possible to launch effective projects using remotely hosted meetings. In the podcast, Steve shares the approach he and his team have found to be effective. BEST MOMENTS 'If you want to address resistance, address people´s pain point, don´t try to educate them. ' 'Ask what do you want people to be doing in the workplace that they´re not doing now?' 'Know the difference between what an organization says about itself and what it actually does. ' 'The first step is to get in there and do the organizational intelligence work. Find out what the lay of the land is. ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and contact Steve via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-villachica-96a0a69/ Website: https://www.boisestate.edu/opwl/ SUPPORTING RESOURCES: - Addison, R., Haig, C., & Kearny, L. (2009).  Performance architecture: The art and science of improving organizations. Pfeiffer. - Chevalier, R. (2008).  The evolution of a performance analysis job aid. Performance Improvement, 47(10), 9-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.20034 Gillum, T., & Mortenson, K. (2019).  Performance eating rabbits: What B.O.L.D. people see and do. Outskirts. - Hale, J. (2007).  The Performance Consultant’s Fieldbook: Tools and Techniques for Improving Organizations and People (2nd ed.). Pfeiffer. - Rosenberg, M. J. (2005).  Beyond E-Learning: Approaches and Technologies to Enhance Organizational Knowledge, Learning, and Performance. Pfeiffer. - Rummler, G. A. (2006).  The anatomy of performance. In J. A. Pershing (Ed.), Handbook of human performance technology: Principles, practices, and potential (3rd ed., pp. 986-1007). Pfeiffer. - Silber, K. H., & Kearny, L. (2009).  Organizational intelligence: A guide to understanding the business of your organization for HR, training, and performance consulting. Pfeiffer. - Uday-Riley, M., & Guerra-Lopez, I. (2010).  Process Improvement. In R. Watkins & D. Leigh (Eds.), Handbook of improving performance in the workplace: Selecting and implementing performance interventions (Vol. 2, pp. 418-437). John Wiley & Sons. - Watkins, R., & Kaufman, R. (1996).  An update on relating needs assessment and needs analysis. Performance & Instruction, 35(10), 10-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.4170351005   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The aim of this series is to highlight the important shift that some L&D leaders and practitioners have made in order to more predictably and reliably affect individual and organisational performance, achieving much more as a consequence.  For the fifth episode, Guy Wallace and I speak with Filip Lam, Head of L&D at Klarna about how his performance-oriented approach, coupled with smart technology, means he can move quickly and demonstrably add value whilst almost eliminating administration with automation. KEY TAKEAWAYS Don´t be afraid of automation. The fact it works so well elevates appreciation and demand for the L&D team. Using Filip´s approach a two-person team can facilitate training for hundreds of employees. The right LMS is essential for automation. In the podcast, Filip explains how to choose the right LMS for your organisation. Let your users create the training, pick the best, then tweak and use that. Making other people better should be a part of every single person´s job. That mindset results in users for whom creating training becomes second nature. If the training does not accurately reflect the way something is done in reality, it will not be effective. You cannot shortcut the research stage of L&D, but by bringing all of the stakeholders involved in a process together you can do things much faster. There is no need to wait for buy-in or the culture to change to be able to pivot for performance. You can just do it. Be laser-focused on what makes a difference.  If you don´t understand the performance problem and gap you cannot have a positive impact. Don´t be afraid to challenge and organisation on what they think should be done. Standadising elements of your approach enable you to replicate your success and do so at scale.   BEST MOMENTS 'In 13 months, we went from having 50 trainees on our platform to 1,950. And that is with two people in the team.' 'don’t be frightened of automation, it's eliminating your admin and elevating what your humans are there to do.' 'You train the way that you want to perform.' 'You need to change your process to fit humans, not the other way around.'   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523    EPISODE RESOURCES Looop LMS - https://www.looop.co https://www.amazon.co.uk/Driving-Performance-through-Learning-employees/dp/0749497432   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The aim of this series is to highlight the important shift that some L&D leaders and practitioners have made in order to more predictably and reliably affect individual and organisational performance, achieving much more as a consequence.    For the fourth episode, Guy Wallace and I speak with Dawn Snyder. Dawn consults on learning and performance strategies, curriculum architecture, performance assessment, evaluation, and change management and has a proven track record of bringing practical, cutting-edge solutions to organisations that want to take performance to the next level. She helps these organisations achieve results using an interdisciplinary approach and is the go-to consultant for initiatives that impact global learning and performance and talent development.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Approach all of your work through a performance mindset. Create research strategies that focus on the problem and the results, you need to achieve e.g. gap analysis and cause analysis. Structured interviews, followed by validation of what is gleaned from them is essential. Look at all of the data that relates to the problem at hand/the objective. Dawn explains how to do this without being overwhelmed. Behavioural and performance issues, e.g lateness, should be addressed immediately, that means during induction and training.  Training a new hire to handle everything, including rarely performed tasks is a mistake. Focus on the core tasks. Training has to be an opportunity for people to practise what they will actually be doing. Not just theory-based. Most training is too heavy on the content and way too light on practice time. Training criteria are not dictated by trainers. It is dictated by what has to happen on the job. L&D done right, often results in systems and work environment changes. Starting small, with stakeholders who are willing to do things differently, creates small wins that snowball. BEST MOMENTS 'I was very interested in the fact that educational systems can empower and enable people or they can disenfranchise people. ' 'Look at any data that informs that performance.' 'if you take people and train them to do X, but you actually reward them for something different, you can pretty much kiss that training effort goodbye' 'We reverse engineered all the practices and all the content to be geared towards preparing them to do those things that they had to do on the job.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and contact Dawn via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-snyder/ Website: https://www.dawnsnyderassoc.com/ Books Dawn Mentions:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fundamentals-Performance-Improvement-Optimizing-Organizations-ebook/dp/B007RT1Q50 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Serious-Performance-Consulting-According-Rummler/dp/1890289167 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Human-Performance-Improvement-Building-Practitioner-ebook/dp/B079H317YH https://www.amazon.co.uk/Performance-Consultants-Fieldbook-Techniques-Organizations-ebook/dp/B008O5JZPY https://www.amazon.co.uk/ounce-analysis-worth-pound-objectives/dp/B00070OSJM International Society for Performance Improvement - https://ispi.org/ The Association for Talent Development - https://www.td.org/ The Learning Development Accelerator Organisation - https://ldaccelerator.com/ The Hale Center - https://halecenter.org/ ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The aim of this series is to highlight the important shift that some L&D leaders and practitioners have made in order to more predictably and reliably affect individual and organisational performance, achieving much more as a consequence.  For the third episode, Guy Wallace and I speak with Anne-Marie Burbidge, Head of Learning & Development at Utility Warehouse (a UK-based multiservice utility provider) who draws on 15 years experience of running L&D teams. Anne-Marie is keenly interested in Agile principles and understanding how data can help us, using a range of tools and approaches to understand what's really going on in order to grow capability and confidence effectively. KEY TAKEAWAYS Often, training is only a part of the solution. It will not work if issues with the underlying processes are not addressed. Ask what good looks like. How will the improvement be measured? The more clearly this is defined the more targeted and effective the training will be. If you don´t think training is the answer, don´t be afraid to say so. Position yourself as a partner, as an enabler, within the organization. Don´t wait for the perfect situation before pivoting. Start small. Those little wins add up, build trust and ultimately lead to big changes. Find the keen bean in the organization, they will be a great early adopter. Build your internal network. Talk to users, people at all levels, and from all areas of the business. The more you do the more your understanding grows. Approach all of your conversations wearing opportunity goggles. Always be on the lookout for ways to improve things for the business. Don´t wait to be asked. Look at things holistically. When you find a solution to a problem, ask where else in the organization that problem exists, so the solution can be used there too. This is an important aspect of product management. Short videos are a great way to share those little bits of knowledge that smooth things out. When you do not fully understand the problem there are always unintended consequences. Identify what is being produced and measure that. Ask how can you tell good from bad results? BEST MOMENTS 'People can only perform to a level that the environment around them allows.' 'Understanding what the real problem is, leads you a fair way towards the solution.' 'When someone comes to you and says I need training, don´t hear training, hear help.' 'Pilot, test, experiment, and scale-up.' 'Good L and D is quite stealthlike in many respects, but you are also well networked.'   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523    David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The aim of this series is to highlight the important shift that some L&D leaders and practitioners have made in order to more predictably and reliably affect individual and organisational performance, achieving much more as a consequence.  For the second episode, Guy Wallace and I speak with Sebastian Tindall, Head of Learning & Development at Vitality. Sebastian has also held strategic roles in Santander Bank and The Co-Operative Bank. Over recent years his work with global L&D functions in South Africa, India, and the USA have catalysed his passion for creating a diverse range of innovative high-impact learning solutions. KEY TAKEAWAYS You need more than training in your arsenal to solve an organization's problems. A resource that improves performance could be anything, for example, a tool or a system tweak. Ask what people need to do to get it right every single time. This approach identifies impossible or inefficient processes. Training should not be the go-to. Processes should be so simple and intuitive that training is not necessary. People should not be over-trained and boxed in. The aim is to make them intuitive, flexible, and agile. The initial conversation should always be about the business performance issue. Ask managers to explain exactly why they want the training. Sebastian´s team typically turns a project around in 7 days. Taking a lego block approach enables any team member to pick up and work on any stage of any project, which greatly reduces delays. Analyze how people use your systems to make sure they can find information fast. Sharing good results provides you with instant permission to change and improve things even more. Managers need to see the training and to have more access to L&D while their teams are being retrained, so they do not get blind-sided. BEST MOMENTS 'I don´t have a training bias, I have a performance bias.' 'Typical turnaround for a project for us is 7 working days. We are built for speed. ' 'Our definition of performance is the ability to complete a task correctly, every time. ' 'Flip it and ask what will support them in their role'.'   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the first in the ‘L&D’s Pivot To Performance’ series, in which David James and Guy Wallace speak with Dr. Kenneth Yates about Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA).    The aim of this series is to highlight the important shift that some L&D leaders and practitioners have made in order to more predictably and reliably affect individual and organisational performance, achieving much more as a consequence.    KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D needs to pivot from being learning-focused to being performance-focused. In the modern workplace, most tasks involve decision-making. How those decisions are to be made is hard to capture and turn into meaningful training. Experts omit up to 70% of the critical information when describing what they do. Using the CTA approach to conduct interviews with 3 or 4 experts fills in much of the missing information. Knowledge, motivational, cultural, and organisational factors all influence human performance in the workplace. Identifying the actual problem you are trying to address is essential. Yet, frequently this step is rushed. Asking if a problem was solved what would be achieved focuses everyone´s attention and motivates them. Dr. Yates uses gap analysis to diagnose problems. He explains why and how in the podcast. The gap analysis framework can be used for problem centred issues and to improve processes. Culture influences our performance and how we learn. As well as the language that needs to be used. The Human Performance Framework can be done surprisingly quickly when people buy into the process. Conducting CTA is time-consuming, but because it is highly effective you get good ROI. BEST MOMENTS 'Experts actually omit up to 70% of the critical information the novice needs.' 'When we find a procedural gap in human performance we need to conduct CTA.' 'Ask – if this problem were solved, what goal would be achieved.' 'Motivation accounts for up to 40 and 50% variance when it comes to learning achievement.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  SUPPORTING RESOURCES Clark, R. E., Pugh, C. M., Yates, K.A., Inaba, K., Green, D., & Sullivan, M. (2012) The use of cognitive task analysis to improve instructional descriptions of procedures.  Journal for Surgical Research. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/journal-for-surgical-research-clark-sullivanedit.pdf   Clark, R.E., Feldon, D., & Yates, K. (2011, April) Using Cognitive Task Analysis to capture expert knowledge and skills for research and instructional design. Workshop presented at the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/aera_cta_workshop_2011_04_11.pdf   Yates, K. A., Sullivan, M., and Clark, R. E. (2011).  Integrated studies in the use of Cognitive Task Analysis to capture surgical expertise for Central Venous Catheter Placement and Open Cricothyrotomy. American Journal of Surgery. 203(1). 76-80. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/yates_sullivan_clark_2011_integrated-studies-on-the-use-of-cta.pdf   Sullivan, M. E., Yates, K. A., Baker, C. J., & Clark, R. E. (2010). Cognitive task analysis and its role in teaching technical skills. In Tsueda, S., Scott, D. and Jones. D. (Eds.). Textbook of Simulation, Skills and Team Training. Woodbury, CT: Cine-Med. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/chapter-in-textbook-of-simulation-cognitive-task-analysis-and-its-role-in-teaching-technical-skills-sullivan-yates-baker-clark.pdf   ABOUT THE GUEST Dr. Kenneth Yates Bio   Ken is a Professor of Clinical Education in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He is also Co-Director of the Center for Human Applied Reasoning and IOT, a joint center of the Rossier School of Education and the Viterbi School of Engineering to combine cutting-edge cognitive science and education research with the emerging Internet of Things technologies to revolutionise personalised learning.   His research focuses on the use of Cognitive Task Analysis methods to capture the underlying knowledge and skills that experts use to solve complex problems and the design of instruction to effectively teach this expertise to others. He is also interested in how information communication technologies can be used to deliver instruction more efficiently to a wider audience.   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at Looop by 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the last episode of 2021, we pause for reflection, summarise some of the learning from 26 episodes so far and look forward to next year. The first episode of 2022 will be released on 11th January.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Digital is about working with those to overcome challenges not about the next shiny object. L&D  needs to take a more rigorous approach to analysis. Results can be and should to be measurable. L&D teams that produce real measurable results grow. The rest shrink. The product manager approach has exponentially increased the speed at which teams achieve results. Having an outcomes conversation rather than talking about learning, gets decision makers onboard fast. The last two years have drastically changed L&D and the way we share and maintain the culture. BEST MOMENTS 'Many in L&D conflate digital soloutions with system implimentations,' 'The product manager approach helps to alliviate any doubt over the value of L&D.' 'L&D teams should not wait to align the planets before they can adapt or modernise their approach.' 'I think product management will be the dominant skill in L&D. It will facilitate collaboration towards demonstratable results.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TikTok and Facebook are just two companies that consider their culture to be crucial to their success and this week’s guest, Michal Oshman, has not only worked for both but she is Head of Culture at TikTok EMEA. In this episode, we explore what culture is; why it’s important; and what Michal does at TikTok to maintain and grow theirs When culture is at the heart of a company it is everything and being intentional with care and dedication is what makes people feel they are truly part of something, listen in and hear more   KEY TAKEAWAYS Culture is at the core of the company, it’s about values, behaviours, branding, diversity, inclusion and meaningful moments The founders of Tiktok think about culture as a product and give it the same amount of attention With a product mindset, you take greater accountability  making sure your  results change things You can measure culture by the amount of engagement People want to feel they are part of something and that they matter, that is culture The role of learning and development is translating business into behaviours   Culture doesn’t live within one individual it's connected to community and being together We want our company to be a safe creative place where people can share their narrative You need to understand what  people need from the culture of the company The L&D team needs to be able to build and have the honest conversations that mean companies can have a positive culture Culture is everything, how we compensate, how we promote, how we have a career conversation, how we get feedback Culture is hard to define but you know when it’s there and anyone working on culture needs to be curious and willing to learn because it’s a very personal experience   BEST MOMENTS ‘I love the idea that our space is where people can share their content and creativity’ ‘When leaders think about things in a different way they open up’ ‘Culture is not static it's ever-changing’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523    EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and connect with Michal via: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaloshman?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalho/   ABOUT THE GUEST Michal Oshman Michal Oshman is Head of Company Culture, Diversity & Inclusion and Employer Branding at TikTok EMEA and formerly responsible for international leadership and team development at Facebook. Throughout her career, Michal has trained and coached hundreds of tech leaders. She has three university degrees in psychodynamic and systemic thinking, sociology and anthropology. Michal is also published author of the book What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?: Discover A Life Filled With Purpose And Joy Through The Secrets Of Jewish Wisdom.   CONTACT METHOD You can follow and connect with Michal via: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaloshman?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalho/   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD    Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/   Website: https://www.looop.co/      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Curation is a term that has been used in L&D for a number of years but its actual purpose often seems to be diluted down to ‘making more content’. As discussed in this episode, curation is a useful skill to have in the L&D kitbag to draw on expertise and know-how that resides elsewhere, repurposed as solutions to real problems. Thank you to Shona Hodgson for suggesting this topic. KEY TAKEAWAYS Curation in L&D is about finding content, shaping it and helping everyone to apply it to their roles. When looking for content to curate, don´t forget internal sources. Before looking for content be crystal clear about what you are trying to achieve. Being clear on the problem you are trying to solve makes it far easier to recognise relevant content when you find it and to quickly adapt it. Ask yourself what experience you want people to have and what that engagement piece will be. You don´t need any special tech to be able to do curation successfully. When you curate something you still need to build in support tools and resources. BEST MOMENTS 'We don´t have to create everything from scratch' 'When you are laser-focused on solving real problems, then often the solution stares you in the face' 'I think am I adding value beyond that piece of content. ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and connect with Mike via: Twitter: @MikeShawLD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeshawld/ Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-377679232 Ready, Set, Curate: 8 Learning Experts Tell You How Ben Betts https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Set-Curate-Learning-Experts/dp/156286940X   ABOUT THE GUEST Mike Shaw Bio Mike Shaw is Global Learning & Organisational Development Manager at Emerald Works and an experienced leader in the field of People Development, having led teams at Mitie and Hereward College. Mike is an active member of the L&D community and co-host of the Burnham & Shaw Chat podcast series with Rachel Burnham.  ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A company that looks to the future will know how to prepare for it. Strategic Foresight takes a comprehensive view of your past experiences and decisions, and brings dynamic clarity and focus to your company by creating a transformational framework for you to understand your decisions, processes, landscape, and pathways. In this episode, Frank and David explore Strategic Foresight and the work they did together at Disney. KEY TAKEAWAYS Strategic foresight is about leveraging what is emerging and on the horizon, not accurately predicting the future. Firms that use it adapt and transform quickly and are resilient. Strategic foresight ensures that you build a workforce with the talent and skills to be ready for what comes next. Using strategic forsight it is possible to model and be ready for crisis events ”black swans” like CoVid. Events that speed up change. The disruption of CoVid has drastically changed the way we look at education. In some countries, students are now graduating with businesses as well as degrees. Generation cohort, purposeful work, neuro breakthroughs, phygital and the metaverse are just five examples of how the way we think and live is changing. All of which are talked about in the podcast. Research + data + intuition + creativity is the equation for strategic foresight. How that is applied is discussed in the podcast. It is not enough to identify trends. They merge and form new patterns of behaviour and create new worlds that organisations need to be ready to operate within. BEST MOMENTS 'Foresight really is a way for people to leverage the future. ' 'You need people that are able to meet whatever is coming next..to lay ahold of new opportunities.' 'In foresight, we have to look at multiple alternative futures. ' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  CONTACT METHOD FOR GUEST You can follow and connect with Frank via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankspencer/ Website: https://thefuturesschool.com/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wicked-opportunities-podcast/id1527341331   ABOUT THE GUEST Frank W. Spencer   Frank W. Spencer holds a Master of Arts in Strategic Foresight from Regent University and has worked on strategic foresight projects for companies such as Kraft, Mars, Marriott, Duke University and The Walt Disney Company. He is a prolific speaker, having delivered presentations to groups and conferences in Atlanta, Buenos Aires, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Shanghai, Melbourne, Washington, New York City, Singapore, Mumbai, Wellington, Moscow and San Francisco over the last 20 years on topics such as leadership development, the importance of developing the skill of futures thinking, creating environments of foresight in businesses & organisations, recognising emerging trends and issues, identifying unseen opportunities, reaching aspirations and preferred futures, talent management, work, technology, and social innovation.   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David & Kattie led L&D in different regions - at the same - at The Walt Disney Company and in this episode they reminisce about what it was like, some of the great opportunities they had and some of the challenges they faced.  This is a candid conversation that will appease Disney fans - and L&D fans - alike. KEY TAKEAWAYS For large organisations like Disney, the approach to L&D has to be different for each business unit and its growth trajectory. Teaching someone something, changing them and then putting them back into an unchanged environment does not move the needle much. In Orlando, 18 to 20,000 people go through orientation, every year. In the podcast, Kattie explains how that is achieved. For Disney storytelling was an effective way to immerse new hires into the culture and get them to understand that they were playing a role in creating the guest´s stories. All employees need to be clear on the company´s mission and how they fit into achieving it. It is not enough to teach people processes, they need to be equipped to quickly make decisions on the job. There is no point in teaching a class using the standard corporate approach if it means that the learning objective will not be achieved. When a business is moving super fast, you need different techniques and smaller training blocks. Kattie shares some ways to create and deploy them. The best learning resources enable people to learn at the moment that they need it, or shortly thereafter. Flexible approaches and tools that adapt to the audience, culture and environment are best. BEST MOMENTS ' 'It starts with the mission, the shared value.' 'When you are training masses of people keep it simple and help them to navigate their day, their job. ' 'You’ve got to have tools and resources available for individuals to tap into learning in the moments they need it.' 'The means and methodology needs to be flexible enough to adapt and adjust to the audience and culture.'   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and connect with Kattie via:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kattie-capozza-8695b07/ Website: https://www.discoporcupine.com/ House of Apis: https://www.houseofapis.com/   ABOUT THE GUEST   Kattie Capozza Kattie Capozza spent more than 25 years in L&D at Disney, in the Parks and Studios, and worked in both the US and in Asia. Since leaving Disney, Kattie has led Talent and Development for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and now runs both her own consulting and coaching firm as well as House of Apis, which aims to inspire women and girls to realise their superpowers for greatness in their own unique ways.   ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restrictions as a result of the global pandemic have seen many L&D leaders seeking more predictable and reliable ways of affecting individual and organisational performance with digital and virtual solutions. At this time, approaches developed and advocated by Bob Mosher (and Conrad Gottfredson) have gained even more traction with high-profile examples of them making a huge difference. In this episode, Bob shares insights into L&D today and what he’s seen as the shift being made to achieve more in these challenging times. KEY TAKEAWAYS Never be afraid to experiment when it comes to conversations, by doing so we can achieve a great deal more, and keep the dialogue open for future possibilities. There are risks with returning to work in the wake of the COVID lockdowns, especially as there seems to be a yearning for more face-to-face interaction in business. It's not too late to pivot or adapt practices, even though we are moving away from restrictions. We are still in a period of opportunity and acceleration. Until we make the work transparent, we cannot build performance solutions for it, as we're only guessing what people need in order to work well. BEST MOMENTS 'It's great getting people together, but is it the answer to that problem?' 'It's not necessary to wait until the planets align' 'The opportunities still remain!' 'The idea of protecting our domain because of a job security side to this is just not true'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Bob Mosher is a genuine Thought-Leader in L&D and Chief Learning Evangelist, at The 5 Moments of Need™, an organisation that specialises in helping learning professionals design, develop, and measure effective learning and performance support through the 5 Moments design methodology. Bob has been an active and influential leader in the learning and training industry for over 30 years and is renowned worldwide for his pioneering role in new approaches to learning.
 You can follow and connect with Bob via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmosh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmosher/ Website: https://www.5momentsofneed.com/ Performance Matters Podcast: https://performancematters.podbean.com/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether L&D are advising others’ on their careers or we’re navigating our own, it’s useful to acknowledge how careers are changing and how societal shifts mean we need to shift our approaches to progressing our careers. In this episode, we explore current thinking and practice for post-COVID times. KEY TAKEAWAYS The COVID situation has demonstrated the importance of being ready for change and challenges. Everyone needs to become a continuous learner and embrace the growth mindset, so they can quickly adapt. There is no such thing as failure. Regardless of what happens, you are still learning. The job market is constantly evolving, so you must too. People love helping friends, so there is no need to try to do everything on your own. Work out what you like and what you are good at. Create a vision for yourself. As you go through life your why will change. Recognise this and adjust your goals to accommodate that fact, a lot of people forget to do that. Build your personal brand (reputation). In a gig economy, this is especially important. Understand that everything happens for you, not to you. In the podcast, Andy explains what that means and how it radically improves your mindset. The opportunities we have now are amazing. The fact you can work anywhere opens up all kinds of possibilities. You’ve got to be the one to take the initiative and act. BEST MOMENTS 'We can all do things to prepare ourselves for major challenges and opportunities.' 'Invest time in learning, growing, networking and connecting with others.' 'When we focus on gratitude, we choose to be happy.' 'There is no better time to truly take ownership of your career than right now. The opportunities are amazing.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and connect with Andy via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/ Website: https://andystorch.com/ Twitter: @AndyStorch Own Your Career, Own Your Life Book: https://ownyourcareerownyourlife.com/ Podcasts: https://andystorch.com/podcast/   ABOUT THE GUEST Andy Storch Bio Andy Storch is a Consultant, Coach, Author, and Speaker. He is the host of two podcasts including The Talent Development Hot Seat and the Own Your Career Own Your Life Podcast as well as the author of the book, Own Your Career Own Your Life. Andy is also the founder and host of the Talent Development Think Tank conference and community.   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cognitive Task Analysis gets to the decision-making behind performance so that what is done by Subject Matter Experts can be accurately shared and then replicated. In this episode, Dick Clark shares insights and experience into what CTA is, why it is critical to successful L&D and how to get started.   KEY TAKEAWAYS CTA improves the interview strategies that designers use to discover from experts what trainees need to learn. A lot of what experts do (about 70%) is hidden because they have learned to do things automatically. CTA draws out the thought processes behind far more of the actions experts perform. CTA trained groups learn 43 to 45% more and do so in about 35% less time. CTA trainees also make only minor mistakes. The creation of CTA training takes more time. But, the positive results achieved quickly cover the time spent creating the training. There are 100 types of CTA. In the episode, Dick narrows that field down and explains the technique that has been proven to work best. Revising and critiquing the training using another expert greatly improves the overall result. The process of creating CTA training often identifies problems that organizations have learned to work around. Providing the opportunity to solve those problems and work more efficiently. CTA is flexible, it works for all types of work. Including, technical, management, leadership and many soft skills. Selecting the right experts is essential. Dick covers how to do this in significant detail including what they ask them. Often, the rigorous analysis stage of CTA uncovers opportunities to create simple job aids that greatly enhance performance. AI is set to replace many elements of the analysis and design processes. AI will greatly speed the entire training process up, which will generate a huge step change that will make TLDP an even more critical department. BEST MOMENTS 'As task analysis is now performed only about 70% of the decisions that experts make are being captured. ' 'In the surgical CTA study, we solved enormous problems that the surgeons didn´t know they had.' 'There are places where job aids are just as effective, and certainly more efficient, than training.' 'A lot of AI programmes are going to be developed that is going to replace analysis and design. '   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523   EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and connect with Dick via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dick-clark-3b16571/ Email: [email protected]  Blink by Malcolm Gladwell   ABOUT THE GUEST Dick Clark is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology and Technology, Clinical Professor of Surgery and has served as Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Technology at the University of Southern California. Dick is the author of over 300 published articles and book chapters as well as three recent books - Learning from Media: Arguments, analysis and evidence, Second Edition (2012, Information Age Publishers); Handling Complexity in Learning Environments: Research and Theory (2006, Elsevier) and Turning Research into Results: A guide to selecting the right performance solutions (2008, Information Age Publishers) which received the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Award of Excellence.   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just a short message from David, to let you know that he is taking a few weeks away from podcasting to recharge. But, that he is still available on other platforms, which he shares in the podcast. Along with a request for a bit of help with inspiration from his audience. VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jobs-to-be-Done is best defined as a perspective — a lens through which to observe markets, customers, needs, competitors, and customer segments differently, and by doing so, make innovation far more predictable and profitable. In its application to Learning & Development, it is an approach to truly understand the needs of both employees and L&D in order to develop products that make a predictable and demonstrable difference.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Many organizations waste a lot of time and resources on things that do not really add value. Having a granular understanding of who your customer is and what their needs are is essential for an L&D department. Invest time upfront in identifying the customer's actual needs. Focus on tangibles, things that can be properly quantified and measured. Focusing on the jobs that need to be done, improves understanding. It produces highly focused and tailored L&D products that solve actual problems rather than just perceived ones. Employees are business performers, not learners. Looking at them like this helps to ensure that training enables them to grow and perform better. In the podcast, Tony shares the 5-step outcome-driven innovation process that ensures you focus your energy in the right places. Be sure to involve the people who actually do the jobs. They are the ones that have an in-depth understanding of each process. Knowledge that their manager doesn't have. The Jobs-To-Be-Done approach can be applied anywhere. BEST MOMENTS 'Focus the entire organisation around a common understanding of needs, so that everyone´s pushing in the same direction to create customer value. ' 'What makes education so complicated is that there are multiple stakeholders in it for different reasons.' 'Once you know what the unmet needs are you can make the right decisions ' 'Innovations is a science, you don´t have to guess at this' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 EPISODE RESOURCES You can follow and connect with Tony via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyulwick/ Website: https://strategyn.com/tony-ulwick/ Twitter: @Ulwick Jobs To Be Done eBook: https://jobs-to-be-done-book.com/   ABOUT THE GUEST Tony Ulwick is the author of the original Jobs-to-be-Done book, What Customers Want, his recent release, JOBS TO BE DONE: Theory to Practice, and additional articles on ODI published in HBR and MIT Sloan Management Review. Through his involvement in hundreds of innovation initiatives, Tony has helped companies reinvent underperforming products, create new business models, and build and implement company-wide innovation programs. His work is cited in hundreds of publications.   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The opportunity with digital L&D has always been to achieve more but when online learning has been resisted by employees and with eLearning being tarnished by poor click-next courses, it seemed the opportunity was beyond us. However, by pivoting to Agile, working closely with their clients and leading with resources Sebastian and his team at Vitality Health address almost 10x the number of projects they could before; they’ve achieved real results, and grown their team because of their success. So it is possible. Find out how in this episode.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Resource L&D customised L&D reduces training time by 56%. Effective training that does not take people away from their jobs for long is what businesses want. To be truly relevant and up to date training needs to be created fast. Sebastian´s team do it in about 7 days. Sit down with your client and use data and guided processes to help them to identify the critical tasks and the steps the training needs to cover. Trust the end user to tell you what they need and be guided by them when tweaking the training. Analyse after every release and make adjustments to make the training better, based on feedback from your client and trainees. The training you provide needs to be fluid and able to evolve as the business does. You want people to be able to dip in and out of your training resources to address small skill gaps without having to take a full-blown course, every time. The tools the L&D department provide should not be limited to courses or handouts. Things like calculators and other modern resources can be provided too. L&D has to be an integral part of the business. It plays a role in delivering the right product at the right time to the customer.   BEST MOMENTS 'L&D departments can demonstrate value' 'Identify what needs to be done, not what people need to know.' 'The number one thing for us is to be able to support our staff members to be able to do their job as quickly and efficiently as possible.'    VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Sebastian Tindall Sebastian is Head of L&D at Vitality Health and has also held strategic roles in Santander Bank and The Co-Operative Bank. Over recent years his work with global L&D functions in South Africa, India and the USA have catalysed his passion for creating a diverse range of innovative high impact learning solutions. ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The step-up into L&D leadership can often be underestimated because it’s hard to understand unless you’re doing it. Too often L&D professionals bemoan the absence of the conditions for change but this is where leadership comes in. In this episode, we discuss what it means to become a leader of an L&D function, what the new expectations are, what a leader needs to do, and how to bring people with them.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Successful L&D teaches people the skills they need to solve problems the business faces. L&D is about creating business solutions. When your L&D strategy is resisted, show true leadership. Stand your ground and negotiate for the type of L&D you know the business actually needs. Don´t wait for the perfect conditions to modernise. Take the lead instead. Establish where people are on the learning development readiness scale and tailor what you offer to that individual's needs. Facilitation is a key component of successful L&D. In the podcast, Paul explains how he uses book clubs to break down barriers and facilitate change. Getting people to learn together is fantastic for team building and reducing the hierarchy. You can´t force change. Guidance, support, and two-way conversations are essential when leading people to do things differently. Give people what they ask for, add something extra, then watch them adopt and use those new techniques and skills. Be humble enough to recognise that you do not know it all. Develop your network. It is great to have someone to turn to for counsel.   BEST MOMENTS 'You are not developing learning and development solutions. You´re developing business solutions.' 'Ask where do they sit on the learning and development readiness scale, tailor that story to their needs and bring them on the journey.' 'The art of negotiation is getting a deal. '  VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  EPISODE RESOURCES Scrum by Jeff Sutherland   ABOUT THE GUEST Paul Smith Paul is Head of Learning & Organisational Development at Retail Prodigy Group in Melbourne Australia, having relocated from London whilst working with Apple. Since then, Paul has led Learning and Talent functions with BUPA Australia, Momentis, CPA Australia, and Officeworks. ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stepping up to L&D Manager can be both exciting and daunting but we can all learn from those who’ve done it already. In this episode, Jack describes his role, his assimilation, and his development, alongside the expectations and experiences that have helped him establish himself at this new level.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Becoming a manager is a huge change. You actually are changing your career when you take on a management role. Don´t spend too much time continuing to do the work you did and were good at before. If you do you will stretch yourself too thin. You need to manage your profile in your organisation to make sure you get credit for what you do. Jack spends about 20% of his time supporting and developing his team. A big chunk of the role is providing air cover for your team. Managing expectations, keeping them away from the stress, etc. Your team must know what is going on in the business as a whole. What its goals and priorities are. Pause regularly to think about the problems you are trying to solve and check you are on track. You need to put your internal customers at the heart of everything you do. To prepare to become an L&D Manager, benchmark yourself and work to fill any gaps. Step out and push yourself to develop and practice management and leadership skills. When you first become a manager you may need to push to be included in the right conversations. BEST MOMENTS 'What we get back from working with the team, is brilliant ' 'Progressing as a manager is a career change' 'We´ve just not got all of the answers. But we are willing to go and seek them' 'Don´t wait to get your seat at the table. Pull up a chair or ask for it. ' ABOUT THE GUEST Jack Lockhart Bio Jack is Learning Experience and Performance Manager at PerfectHome, having progressed to manager-level via L&D roles at Virgin Media and The Training Foundation. Jack is a prominent voice on social media relating to modern L&D practices and approaches that drive demonstrable value to organisations.  You can follow and connect with Jack via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacklockhart/  VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523  ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting your career in L&D can be exciting and daunting. Where do you start? Which skills are important? What pitfalls must you avoid? Especially in these times when the whole profession has shifted and digital approaches are transforming the practice. In this episode, Lexie Hockaday (Junior L&D Product Manager) explores her own journey and development, alongside her line manager, Anne-Marie Burbidge (Head of Learning & Development). KEY TAKEAWAYS There are many ways into L&D. Not everyone has to do a learning apprenticeship. Spend time out in the business building up your understanding of how things actually work. Focus on what the business is trying to achieve so that you can deliver effective training. Follow up on your trainees to ensure that what you offer is delivering results. Digital resources enable you to curate content, constantly update it and deliver training fast. Learn to utilise the data you can extract from the tech systems you use. In many cases, light solutions e.g. a short how-to video is the answer, rather than a full-blown course. BEST MOMENTS 'One of the beauties of learning and development is you can come in from any number of routes.' 'I always start with what´s the why, what are people and the business trying to do? ' 'Keep the end-user, the human, the person at the heart of everything you do. ' 'I see learning and development as part of the overall employee experience. '    VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Anne-Marie Burbidge Bio Anne-Marie is Head of Learning & Development at Utility Warehouse, a UK-based multiservice utility provider, and draws on 15 years experience of running L&D teams. Anne-Marie is keenly interested in Agile principles and understanding how data can help us, using a range of tools and approaches to understand what's really going in order to grow capability and confidence effectively. Lexie Hockaday Bio Lexie is Junior L&D Product Manager at Utility Warehouse and - at the point of recording - is studying on the CIPD Level 5 Qualification in Learning & Development.   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is a Learning Culture essential if an organisation is to realise the potential of its people or is it, perhaps, a false nirvana? In this episode, it is explored when and how it becomes possible to develop a Learning Culture, we bust some myths around it and seek to empower L&D to begin it’s progression right now rather than wait for the perfect conditions - because those will never arrive. KEY TAKEAWAYS A learning culture has tended to mean that companies believe their learning departments or content is adequate. However, these are merely provisions. A learning culture is the point at where people can access learning at any time with no barriers to entry, and where access is encouraged. Before we develop a learning culture, it's essential to switch the conversation from learning performance and results, and not delaying the progress by thinking we have to change the culture first. No CEO will ever lose sleep over how many people have not completed courses. We need to be using measurements and metrics that business managers understand. BEST MOMENTS 'It is literally the lifeblood of the company' 'That is not a learning culture - that is a provision' 'I believe there is so much more than people completing courses and happy sheets' 'We're seeing much more of a "need to have" than a "nice to have"'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST A multi-award winning Learning leader with experience of heading up international Learning & Talent functions. Having worked across different organisations and sectors, Dr Hannah Gore has in-depth - as well as hands-on - knowledge of what it means to successfully align L&D with business outcomes and select the most appropriate approaches in order to make a demonstrable difference. Now a consultant, lecturer and Board Director at the eLearning Network, Hannah is an influential figure in L&D, helping to promote Learning Cultures as a way of achieving real results. You can follow and connect with Hannah via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahgore/ Twitter: @HRGore Website: https://drhannahgore.com/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sukh Pabial recently conducted some research to understand the impact of COVID-19 - and subsequent restrictions - on L&D. In this episode, the results of this research are shared and explored in order to help understand where we are now and where we, as a profession, should prepare to go. KEY TAKEAWAYS The furlough scheme saw to it that many jobs were saved, but for those in L&D, if robust remote learning methods were not implemented, then a huge proportion of workforces could not be developed while furloughed. The shift to remote development has been significant. 85% of workforce learning is now done digitally and virtually. Everyone who pivoted from their original existing L&D strategy and content delivery, to one more focussed upon needs and priorities, created a huge contrast to the way things worked previously – an as-and-when framework. From a professional capability perspective, the shift to digital and virtual has been transformative. BEST MOMENTS 'The overall finding is that 85% shift to virtual’ ‘This has left a huge population who cannot access skills development’ ‘I think our “solutions” are so insubstantial that they require support from elsewhere’ ‘This has allowed them to make the shift they wanted to make’  VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Sukhvinder (Sukh) Pabial is a senior Learning & Organisational Development leader who, as CLO of Challenging Frontiers, actively works to progress the thinking and practice of L&D. Sukh’s interests lie in L&D strategy and consultation, innovation in business, positive psychology and emotional intelligence. Sukh is an occupational psychologist by education, and has extensively studied the fields of positive psychology and emotional intelligence.  Twitter @sukhpabial LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukhvinder-pabial-01113b1b/ How Has COVID Impacted L&D? Research Results: https://challengingfrontiers.com/impact-covid19-ld Website: https://challengingfrontiers.com/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Design Thinking is an emerging trend in Learning & Development but one that can easily be misunderstood or misappropriated - but it can also be incredibly powerful. In this episode we dive deep into what it is, how it can help L&D and how to use it.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Approaching problems from the perspective of the user, and being informed by data, is a way to solve real business problems. Design is not one single thing, but a collection of choices that come together to create a better experience. In order to best understand how to create design as a way of thinking, we must conceive of it as an investment in time and understanding. Far too many people jump upon buzzwords in order to make it seem as though they are being proactive. But this is the root cause behind the misconceptions that are keeping L&D in the past BEST MOMENTS 'We should be saying design... as a way of thinking...' 'Design is an approach that people can use to solve big problems' 'Change can't travel throughout our profession because of the mis-branding' 'If we understand the thought behind the problem, we don't need a piece of e-learning'  VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Danny Seals is Director of Design, Experience & Innovation at GP Strategies and the purpose of his work is to create impactful change through using good design. He pulls from various design disciplines and mindsets such as human centred design, design thinking, service design, system thinking and experience design.  You can follow and connect with Danny via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyseals/ With a background in the engineering and aerospace sectors, Tim Brind understands ROI and how to add value; an approach that combines performance consulting with human centred design to ensure the production of innovative, user-centric learning experiences and creative problem solving. You can follow and connect with Tim via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-brind-81707513/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The digital skills gap within L&D has been called out as one of only 4 areas that could be critically holding back organisations and unless we recognise this and develop ourselves then we’ll continue to be part of the problem rather than those at the forefront of addressing it. In this episode, we discuss the difference between what L&D perceive to be digital and the opportunity that it actually presents.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Having the right mind-set is a prerequisite of success. You can't succeed in digital initiatives without a good mindset as it limits your chances. L&D has taken a long time to warm to themes of remote development, but this thawing of attitudes has been greatly sped up by the impact of lockdown. Remote is now seen as the norm, and so L&D has begun to fully embrace the possibilities. We do not necessarily make the most of the connection theme. We tend to think of it as being connected to a system, or connected to an instructor, but while they are important, this is limiting. It is incumbent upon us to measure success not in the number of clicks or downloads of software, but the success and penetration of ideas and learning. BEST MOMENTS 'Part of it's about how you organise. Part of it's about how you take decisions' 'L&D is starting to warm to these themes now' 'It's been a huge area of growth, and I don't think it's going to stop' 'These are themes from my working history that I still think are very valid'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Myles is an experienced consultant, senior manager and general manager of online and digital business in the private and public sector. He has a particular depth of experience in digital transformation, leading the development of digital and online learning and products in the corporate and education worlds with extensive experience of digital learning strategy, managing implementation and digital product strategy and design. You can follow and connect with Myles via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-runham/ Twitter: @MylesRun Blog: https://mylesrunham.com/blog/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As podcasting grows, in terms of listeners and the number of podcasts available, the opportunity for internal use in organisations is also growing. This has been an area that many in L&D have been experimenting with as a new channel and another modern way of sharing messages and insights. In this episode we explore examples of what’s working well in some organisations and tips for getting going with podcasting.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing areas of content development. They are swift to deploy in service of a defined need. If seeking to deploy podcast content, we should always aim to experiment rather than launch as a new commitment. This can lead to the feeling of wearing a millstone. Podcast listening is up 40% over the last three years. At Podbean alone, over 100,000 podcasts were begun in 2020. There is no gatekeeper for the world of podcasting, allowing for a surfeit of creativity. This also allows listeners to tune in to more specific niches. BEST MOMENTS 'A lot of people found their creative vibe during lockdown' 'See if it gets you the results you seek, and not just some attention' 'More Americans listen to podcasts every week that attend religious services' 'Podcasts really foster independent creation'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Shannon works with podcasters and organisations running internal communications and training podcasts, to support their efforts and address their needs. In addition Shannon run community outreach: interviews, social media, events, collaborations, and sponsorships. She also speaks at podcasting and employee development/training/HR conferences on various aspects of podcasting. You can follow and connect with Shannon via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmartinwrites/ ‘Podcasting for Learning and Development & Internal Communications’ LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13872219/ Podbean Blog: https://blog.podbean.com/  ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If addressing Skills Gaps was as easy as plugging in a new platform filled with categorised content then L&D wouldn’t be recognised as part of the Skills Gap problem rather than addressing it. Yes, that’s right, Organisational Learning is deemed under-skilled at addressing ‘broad-based re-skilling efforts’. So how did we get here and how do we sort ourselves out? These questions - and many more are explored in this episode.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Training and learning are different things. We are creating a flawed system through our own educational institutions. We are taught the basics, but not taught how to apply these lessons. The industrial strategy council has highlighted that five million workers could become acutely underskilled in basic digital skills by 2030. Skills gaps are impacted both positively and negatively by more factors that many realise, including the political landscape and economic requirements of any given territory. Approximately, we spend 44 billion pounds per year on L&D, and yet the returns do not seem to be worth the investment. BEST MOMENTS 'We're not addressing a skills gap - it's just keeping a nice chat going' 'We can't just go out and recruit to make this business successful - we're going to have to grow some' 'As a learning profession we have turned the other way' 'What is the outcome that we deliver, year on year, for that spend?'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 Industrial Strategy Council ‘UK Skills Mismatch 2030’ Research Paper - https://industrialstrategycouncil.org/uk-skills-mismatch-2030-research-paper UK’s Digital Skills Gap Poses Risk To Economic Recovery - https://news.microsoft.com/en-gb/2020/11/23/uks-digital-skills-gap-poses-risk-to-economic-recovery-research-reveals/ ABOUT THE GUEST Simon is a modern and experienced Executive-level People Leader who has delivered meaningful commercial Change and Transformation via appropriate Learning, Organisational Development and Talent initiatives. Simon has a varied history and experience of working in different sectors and economic climates. From start-up to large multi-national companies, including NBC Universal, Fujitsu, Sonnedix and NatWest / RBS.  You can follow and connect with Simon via: Twitter: @simon1gibson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongibsonlearning/  ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working for so long in operational and senior leadership roles prior to a career in Learning & Development will shape anyone’s view of the value of L&D but also its potential. In this episode, this is discussed with Paul Jocelyn who had a 28 year career at Tesco, the first half in stores management and the second half at Head Office. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes we are so focussed upon the goals in the near future, that we fail to recognise the monumental shifts we are a part of. Those of us in a more operational role prior to our joining the L&D world, have a rarer insight into the needs of others, and how learning can be better implemented. L&D itself is changing as the result of the way the working landscape in general has changed. As expectations change, so too must the way in which deliver solutions. The most effective learning always comes from the people who have walked the path before us. We learn far more from experience than we do from a handbook. BEST MOMENTS 'It was much more of a learning organisation that it gives itself credit for' 'Throughout that time it was an organisation that clearly pushed boundaries' 'Being in second place and wanting to overtake was very much part of the psyche early on' 'It was the experience, the3 environment and the challenges, rather than a handbook or a process flow' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Paul has more than 25 years of corporate senior leadership experience in Operations, Business Transformation, Marketing, Capability Building and Learning and Development in the UK and internationally.  As a consultant, advisor and speaker Paul works with organisations with the new challenges of:  How do we build a learning business – with the new capabilities and confidence we need to help us adapt and grow in a complex world? You can follow and connect with Paul via: Website: https://www.jocelynconsultingltd.co.uk Twitter:  @PaulJocelyn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauljocelyn/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So here we are again, like so many countries around the world, in Lockdown. But as we’ve learned over the past year, this does not mean that business completely stops and many are finding innovative ways to continue operating and certainly preparing for the next phase: Post-vaccination. In this episode, we get to hear from three successful and innovative L&D leaders about what’s happening in their teams, how they’re preparing for what comes next and their hopes for the future. KEY TAKEAWAYS For many, previous lockdowns were seen as something of a holding pattern, a case of keeping heads above water. Now, operations are seeking to grow during lockdown. There is a huge value in bringing people together and holding a conversation around a table in order to share perspectives and experiences. There can never truly be a digital substitute for this. Experimentation and creativity have become the most productive way of re-shaping the work environment. It has made us realise that collaboration is the key to moving forward. The key to keeping our people motivated is to make sure that our values and our purpose are being effectively communicated and embraced. BEST MOMENTS 'People want to feel valued. They want to feel like they're working towards a unified purpose' 'L&D hasn't changed. This has just challenged us to make it even better' 'It all started with recognising that this is unusual, and that no one has all the answers' 'That creation of blended learning is very much what we're pushing for' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Eva Adam Bio Eva Adam is Learning Design Lead at Philip Morris International providing innovative solutions that help the company to achieve its strategic objectives. Eva leverages digital solutions and Experience Design to achieve real business results and successfully brings employees and stakeholders along with digital transformation. You can follow and connect with Eva via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-adam-25947787/ Alice Collier-Niblett Bio Alice is a thoroughly modern L&D professional with a background of leading with digital solutions and bringing her team and organisation along with her. Previously at ASOS and now with Monzo, Alice is a member of a team that operates in a way that is leading-edge and aspirational for many: Data-driven, performance-focused and agile. You can follow and connect with Alice via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-collier-niblett-849154b8/ Sean Cooper Bio Sean is Learning Demand Design & Delivery Manager at Drax Group, having previously been L&D Manager at Jet2. He is a forward-thinking, outcome-focused L&D leader who uses data, experimentation, Agile principles and digital-first solutions to affect the way the work is done and desired results. In recognition of this, he and his team at Jet2 achieved the Silver Award at the Learning Tech Awards. You can follow and connect with Sean via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-cooper1982/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Induction is common to all most all organisations. What’s also common is getting it wrong. Hours spent delivering slide after slide after slide with no intention of preparing attendees with the information and know-how that will impact their working. This was the case for Ross Stevenson at Trainline.com and this was the reason he decided to do something different - and do something that works. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D must be seen as absolutely integral to any organisation, so that all of our people recognise the importance and value of developing and growing. By making the learning experience employee-centric, instead of merely convenient and topic-centric, we can all make the difference required to welcome new starters and prepare them for performance. Far too many organisations still deliver "Death By Powerpoint" presentations, but we all know that this does not work effectively any more. Video content is a fantastic way of creating engagement, and far more attractive to people than simple paperwork that is often ignored. BEST MOMENTS 'I'm the A to Z of L&D' 'If we invest in people we can help people grow and have high performing teams' 'To make sure that we provide people with a real value-add experience touches on a human and a digital element' 'It's about not having a finite approach, and looking at an infinite approach' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Ross is Senior Learning & Talent Development Manager at Trainline.com, having previously been Digital Learning Manager at Tesco. He is an advocate of progressive L&D practices that impact individual and organisational performance.  
 In addition, Ross is author of the Steal These Thoughts blog and podcast. 
 You can follow and connect with Ross via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstevensonuk/ Twitter: @_Rsvenson Website: www.stealthesethoughts.com ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve discussed the principles of Digital Marketing and its application to L&D in previous podcasts but this one is slightly different. Satoshi and the team at SwissRe have up-skilled themselves and experimented with both the approaches and tools of Digital Marketing to get closer to employees and create a compelling Digital Learning offering. KEY TAKEAWAYS Too few L&D professionals see the overlap between L&D and digital marketing when it comes to efficiently influencing behaviour. The main challenge for democratised learning is how people can find the most relevant content in the moment of need. We recognise things as learning needs based on minimal observation, or even because of our preference, but these things are not real needs. They are assumptions. The principles of marketing can be used to enhance the learning experience. Effective marketing is used to nudge a user along a funnel and towards a proposed end goal. It's the same with learning. BEST MOMENTS 'We put a lot of emphasis on the learning experience. We wanted to be more digital and personalised' 'We have to find ways to promote the right content through digital channels' 'It's so much about education, but it has to start with them' 'We don't have a crystal ball to predict the skills of the future' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Satoshi is Learning Experience Lead at SwissRe and is passionate about learning and emerging technologies. Especially how technology can help to build the most impactful learning solutions and provide everyone access to knowledge at anytime, from everywhere, in the moment of need. You can follow and connect with Satoshi via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satoshi-probala-7a546097/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the last episode of 2020, we pause for reflection, summarise some of the learning from 26 episodes so far and look forward to next year. The first episode of 2021 will be released on 5th January. KEY TAKEAWAYS Many priorities from the world of 2019 were put aside in the wake of the COVID pandemic. It has forced us to re-evaluate what's important, and how we work in the world of today. Emerging trends have had a chance to shine in the new working landscape, including agile, experimentation and digital resources. Things have accelerated almost ten years in the space of a mere few months. Expectations of L&D have allowed us to modernise solutions at a never before seen pace. BEST MOMENTS 'We talked through the opportunities for L&D as organisations needed to adapt - and fast' 'We're moving fast to address the emerging needs of employees' 'L&D should become more proficient in its use of data' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a comparison that provokes strong reactions from L&D professionals who see mostly distinctions between Digital Marketing and Workplace Learning. But both seek to be where people are looking for answers to their questions in order to influence their behaviour, via education and prompts. Not only does L&D have more in common with Digital Marketing than we’d like to admit but Marketers have also been on a journey we’d be wise to follow. We explore all of this and more in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS We are competing for the attention of our people. There is a significant amount of noise in the world right now. The key is to prove the value of learning experiences, and start to build trust in order to win that attention back. There is a huge transformation occurring that has meant a powerful learning for marketing forces, who are able to use this to adapt and evolve as impacts are required to be proven. Far too often, we zero in on the sinister, and some would say intrusive side of digital marketing, instead of looking at the grand opportunity to provide the help that people so clearly crave. Data must never be treated as absolute, but as a tool to help us hypothesise. Data does not mean everything. It merely helps us to gather an informed perspective on proposed outcomes. BEST MOMENTS 'We are in an attention economy' 'It is at that point of need that we have the biggest opportunity to influence' 'The biggest thing is understanding your audience' 'The best decisions I make are based on data' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Ashley has extensive experience of building Marketing functions and is an expert in Marketing automation, search engine optimisation (SEO) and content marketing. Ashley is a Marketing Consultant delivering Marketing skills and solutions for L&D and learning technologies. Branding. Strategy. Original, lead-generating campaigns. Copywriter and storyteller. HubSpot expert; enablement coach. You can follow and connect with Ashley via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashsinclair/ Website: https://www.maas-marketing.co.uk/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DESCRIPTION L&D is as renowned for not knowing the impact that interventions have as the training that's delivered. For some stakeholders and organisations it’s enough to know that training took place but that’s becoming less and less the case. In this episode, Kevin brings his experience of investigating learning impact via his latest ebook: The L&D Detective Kit For Solving Impact Mysteries. KEY TAKEAWAYS Impact is the extent to which training and learning is activating performance and business goals. The aim of the book is help L&D teams to help measure how training and learning are activating behaviour and performance. Before trying to solve a problem or measure the impact, we must use the impact standards in order to ascertain whether or not it was designed for impact at all. There are six questions designed to define this. We must seek to challenge the ingrained L&D approach, by where a set schedule for training is established, but also the expectations of stakeholders, who see development in a more analogue way, by returning to the question of “What is the business goal?” We must build training and learning solutions with intention, with purpose and specificity, for activating performance in business goals. It is not enough to simply reserve training time and assume that it is enough. We are better to narrowly focus on communication skills that the business has identified as critical. BEST MOMENTS ’This is my way of giving back to the L&D community’ ‘You don't want to put too much work into something and then find that it wasn’t designed for impact’ ‘If all we’re talking about is providing more water-cooler moments, then we’re diminishing our value’ ’The greater opportunity is when we are investing in employees in a way that helps them achieve business goals' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Kevin is the Learning & Development detective, solving the mystery: “What is the impact of learning?” He does this by investigating how learning activates performance and business goals. He is also author of the eBook, 𝘓&𝘋 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, in which he shares the secrets to his success. for investigating and measuring impact.  You can follow and connect with Kevin via: Your free copy of The L&D Detective Kit For Solving Impact Mysteries:  https://kevinmyates.com/l%26d-detective-kit Twitter: @KevinMYates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevmyates/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevmyates/ Website: https://kevinmyates.com/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As organisations adapt to the challenges of COVID and Lockdown, L&D has adopted the essence of Agile by responding quickly to emerging needs, working closely with those expected to perform differently and being accountable for enabling performance and results.  This has been necessary to play our part but there’s more we can do to develop ourselves and extend our value further. In this episode, Natal breaks it down for us to experiment further with Agile. KEY TAKEAWAYS HR have found themselves on the front line of leading business response to the pandemic. They are not only shaping the future of care for our workforce, but also leading the charge in terms of development and how this is implemented and deployed. The syntax of agile can overwhelm, and in some cases cause us to refute altogether, as the learning curve can sound too steep. If we simply return to the core elements and mindset, it is far easier to implement and understand. Agile is a way of working that has already proven successful in transforming not just functions, but entire organisations. It is far more than a buzzword, and far more effective than micro-learning. Agile is intimately linked with digitalisation. It comes from software development and accelerating so many of the digital products we have in our lives. We cannot separate agile and digital. BEST MOMENTS ‘All eyes on HR!’ ‘What do people need to solve, what are the problems they face, and how do we help them get better?’ ‘It’s the end of the operating model as we know it, and I think that’s a great thing!’ ’The opportunities of what we can now do with connected learning in a digital space is so amazing' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Following over a decade working in senior HR, Talent and Organisational Development roles, Natal Dank is now a leading figure in Agile HR and People Experience. Natal heads up learning, coaching, and community at PXO Culture and is seen as a pioneer in the Agile HR movement. In 2016 Natal hosted the first Agile HR Meetup in London with the aim of building a community of like-minded disrupters, which has since grown into a regular event held across the world from Sydney to Paris and online. A year later she co-founded the Agile HR Community and has recently published the book, Agile HR. Now, through PXO Culture, Natal is focused on defining modern HR for the 21st Century.   You can follow and connect with Natal via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataldank/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NatalDank Website: https://www.pxoculture.com/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transitioning to a senior leadership position can be hugely challenging as experienced managers enter unchartered terrain. Without understanding quite what to expect, professionals are thrust into the most challenging of circumstances and many of them will fail.  In this episode, insight is shed onto this transition, with stories, tips and advice from one of the world’s most renowned CLO’s. KEY TAKEAWAYS We must recognise that the building blocks of any successful learning begins with being great business colleagues and partners. A more product-centric approach weakens the strategy. Delivering learning well is of primary focus. We must also consider the potential impact of this learning, and then tell this story in way that demonstrates value. We must consider capability building so that we can source initiatives, externally or internally, in order to meet the needs of the business. Saying yes to any request has almost been seen as validation by learning professionals. But we should never be afraid to say no. We must make each decision meaningfully, and for the good of the business. If we recognise that it is not, we must not compromise. BEST MOMENTS ’The focus starts always with the business’ ‘Don’t be afraid to say no’ ‘First and foremost we must always be aligned to the business’ ‘Being agile is at the core of our being able to grow our business for the future' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Kimo Kippen is a thought leader, speaker and advocate for life-long learning and talent development. A native of Hawaii, Kimo was Chief Learning Officer at Hilton, recognised by CLO Magazine as Chief Learning Officer of the year - 2015, and former VP of HR at Marriott International. 
 You can follow and connect with Kimo via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimokippen/ Website: https://www.alohalearningadvisors.com/ Email: [email protected] ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learning Games have been popular in L&D for a number of years but whilst the number of games designed and launched for organisational use has been significant, whether they’ve achieved what they’re designed for is another matter. So what does it take to design Learning Games that affect performance and results - and when is it most appropriate? We explore these questions and much more in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Learning games are still very basic, not user-centric, and not even considered to be game-centric. People seem to expect that the addition of leaderboards or the like are enough to create a lasting, impactful experience. Games must be designed around business objectives. We must clearly and initially identify the problem we need to solve before thinking about how to use games to get there. We must design for success. Why are we looking at learning, and what can we do to design true innovation into the learning experience we hope to offer? Games help with specific needs, and aid in a targeted way. For maximum effectiveness, they must be deployed en masse, and if no other type of learning will suit the audience and need. While many L&D budgets are low, it is simply not good enough to produce something lacking in quality and effectiveness. It must meet expectations.  BEST MOMENTS ‘In learning game terms, we’re still in the Pong era’ ‘It’s really hard to build a game that gets any kind of traction’ ‘What does success look like? What is it that you want your learners to do differently?' ‘Games are not a silver bullet’ ‘Game learning is incredibly effective if done well' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Deborah Baird is Learning Design Lead at Philip Morris International as well as a Game Learning Producer and Lecturer. A self-confessed game fanatic, Deborah combines her passion for Learning and Gaming to produce solutions that solve real business problems. 
 You can follow and connect with Deborah via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamelearndebs/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So many people talk about where L&D is going but who’s actually doing it? Brian Murphy is.  In this episode (recorded prior to lockdown), Brian explains his approach to L&D, how it focuses on - and seeks to address - performance, his "from courses to campaigns" approach and the journey he’s taken with his teams and organisations. KEY TAKEAWAYS Thinking about the profession through a business lens, and being more marketing oriented, has allowed us to see the elements of L&D that require adjustment and upgrading. We cannot hope to implement the same strategic development across a business that stretches across many divisions. The culture of certain departments will be drastically different, and therefore require a unique approach. Informal learning is a huge part of how we learn and develop. We assimilate information far more effectively through exposure to others, and through experiences. We must seek to learn and understand the language of the people that we are trying to support, and what they are trying to do. Beginning from a place of data helps us to realise the critical points of failure. BEST MOMENTS ’There’s never been a better time to be in L&D’ ‘We want people to actually be ready, and what is it that you can do to help us?’ ’Sometimes we mythologise our own abilities and products’ ’The right answer is the right answer' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Brian is an experienced and award-winning L&D leader with a reputation for innovation and achieving results. As Head of Learning & Leadership at Citi, Brian achieved the Gold Award for Innovation In Learning from the LPI (2017) and the same standard for Best Use of Social & Collaborative Learning Technologies from Learning Technologies (2016). Now at AstraZeneca, Brian is Head of Learning Transformation.   You can follow and connect with Brian via: Twitter: @bnmurphy14 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murphybrian1 ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not many in L&D recognise the opportunity to automate L&D administration, compliance and entire digital learning journeys, saving enormous amounts of time as well as guiding employee performance.  But what does it take to get to this and how do L&D teams take advantage of this opportunity, especially during these tough times? We explore all this and more in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS The most rewarding and satisfying results come from helping organisations get to a better place in terms of improvements in culture, performance and communication. There is a low expectation of what learning and development offers. It can be seen as a perk of sorts, which has led to a perceived “dumbing down” of the profession. Spend less time trying to work out what solutions there are out there, and more time understanding the performance problems in your organisation.  One of the main advantages provided by smart technology has been building user insights into any campaign, allowing us to move away from “content play” to a real dialogue. BEST MOMENTS ‘One of the biggest challenges for organisations is data’ ‘It’s about predefining a route that you want people to take’ ’Those conversations are what gets me out of bed in the morning' VALUABLE RESOURCES New eBook: Digital Learning That Works Harder (So You Don't Have To) - https://www.looop.co/digital-learning-that-works-harder/ The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Mike Collins is a pioneering and influential voice in L&D, having been Senior People Experience Specialist at River Island and in the Learning Transformation team at Direct Line. You can follow and connect with Mike via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/communitymike/ Twitter: @Community_Mike ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As things have changed in recent months, Learning & Development Leaders have had to adapt too. Whereas before the People Development Strategy could have looked like an incremental build on the existing situation, it now has to speak to equipping people to adapt and perform in extraordinary circumstances. In this episode, Jilly Julian talks about this in the context of Legal Services.   Jilly Julian Bio Jilly is Senior L&D Business Partner at Horwich Farrelly, having previously head People Development roles at MAG (Airports Group), The Co-operative Group, PZ Cussons and Capita.   You can follow and connect with Jilly via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilly-julian-71024110/ Twitter: @JillyTatsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Sean Cooper took over L&D at Jet2 he was given a blank sheet of paper to redesign it but to achieve real business outcomes. By believing that he could this with digital-first, rather than classroom-first, and by adopting a data-driven and Agile approach, he transformed L&D, achieving more than he thought he could - and was recognised by the industry.  KEY TAKEAWAYS The traditional form of eLearning is not engaging. Many are simply clicking through until they reach the end with the aim of taking the test so that they can tick a box. They are not truly learning this way. The aim is not to create a single bank of information that is irrelevant to many users. It should be an entirely bespoke resource that fits each worker and their unique journey through business. Not every form of learning has to be set in stone. By making small, incremental changes, even in terms of ease-of-access, we slowly change the face of learning and development for the user. By solving problems that are truly important to the organisation, it becomes important to stakeholders or the individuals we are seeking to influence. BEST MOMENTS ’eLearning: that’s not learning to me’ ‘You need to employ this quickly, otherwise you’ll lose what you’ve learned today’ ‘Where I’ve now seen my passion is looking at the blend; the classroom and the digital’ ‘By challenging whether you need to bring people together for the delivery, you create something that is so fit for purpose' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Sean is Learning Demand Design & Delivery Manager at Drax Group, having previously been L&D Manager at Jet2. He is a forward-thinking, outcome-focused L&D leader who uses data, experimentation, Agile principles and digital-first solutions to affect the way the work is done and desired results. In recognition of this, he and his team at Jet2 achieved the Silver Award at the Learning Tech Awards ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have been dramatic and far-reaching. Many organisations and even industries have faced existential threats. But the situation has also provided L&D with huge opportunities. In this episode Robb Sayers explains how these opportunities have presented themselves to him and how he sees L&D progressing from here.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Lockdown has allowed certain activities in development to be brought forward, with the aim of increasing engagement, and investment in skills and capabilities. People aren’t always interested in how they learn. They simply want to learn. By improving their skills, they make their jobs easier and more intuitive.  It is our role in L&D, to look at the landscape as we return, and do our best to provide disruptive thinking. We must talk about the things that we do not wish to return to. Fundamentally, onboarding should be condensed to two objectives:  To help someone feel as though they’re welcome and that they have joined the right organisation To help that person achieve efficiency in their role at speed The biggest learning we’ve all taken from 2020 is that the world can change in an instant. We will walk forward from this period with a greater ability to be ready for change. BEST MOMENTS ‘We learn most when we’re muddling along’ ‘If you change the context in which people operate, everything else changes’ ‘People want the stuff that’s going to help them when they need it’ ’The world around us has changed, and therefore you have to adapt' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Robb is UK Capability Lead for Viiv Healthcare, having held various People Development roles at GlaxoSmithKline, including the position of Director of Learning Capabilities. You can follow and connect with Robb via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-sayers-1b896225/  ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too many L&D teams still only expect their digital offering to supplement face-to-face and drive engagement as an end in itself. But that’s no longer enough. The opportunity now is to influence performance and therefore results. Peter Manniche-Riber challenges himself to do this and in this episode he shares the method he uses to have a different type of conversation with stakeholders and build solutions that make the difference. KEY TAKEAWAYS Far too many people are still focused upon how learning and development can be restricted, limited and measured. The task ahead is to better educate stakeholders about true people development. Many in the L&D sector are generally anxious about actually leaving our environments in order to find out what people need. But by doing so we can better identify solutions. There is a shift from learning objectives to performance outcomes. We need to encourage discussion about what people should do differently and how we measure this, and what the impact is.  The future of development relies on listening to, and understanding, our people. We can do this by employing  in-house analysis, to find out what people are talking about, praising and unhappy with. BEST MOMENTS ‘My work is not a “tick the box” exercise. It’s about people. It’s about learning’ ‘What do you want people to think, feel and do, on the other side of what it is you want to achieve?’ ‘If you don’t know what people care about, then you don’t know what the solution is’ ‘I haven’t come across one piece of effective e-learning that made a difference' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Peter is Head of Digital Learning at Novo Nordisk and an advocate of solutions that work predominantly for the learner. As a certified Scrum Product Owner, Peter mixes contemporary approaches to L&D to best fit digital solutions. Prior to his current role, Peter was Head of Learning at Kanda and Senior Learning Manager at Siemens Gamesa. You can follow and connect with Peter via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-manniche-riber-5565628b/  ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having introduced Agile into River Island, Nebel is in the process of doing the same at her current organisation, Roche. Not just into the HR team, where she is Director of HR & Communications, but across the entire employee population. Learn from Nebel’s rich experience of succeeding with Agile in HR and L&D - with real examples - and how you can do the same. KEY TAKEAWAYS Working in an agile space is about breaking things down incrementally, delivering at a pace that suits the business, iterating, and creating effective channels of communication so as to better encourage co-creation. Checking in with your team is a founding principle of agile working, and one of the practices that encourages accountability, creativity in solutions, and the close-knit bonding of teams, no matter how remote they may be. The pace of agile can sometime be daunting for those who have not experienced it. But businesses should always be evolving, and we must never limit progress based upon unfounded preconceptions. Initial development is often so focused towards ensuring that someone can perform the breadth and depth of their new responsibilities, but making sure that we engender a feeling of excitement, creativity and comfort, is far more important in the initial phase. Agile can be introduced to a cautious environment by introducing small elements at first, and then building upon these slowly. Focus on impactful solutions that will demonstrate effectiveness. BEST MOMENTS ’There’s an element of discipline in the way you work with agile’ ’The biggest impact that I’ve observed is how it brings people together’ ‘Find the advocates and build your army’ ‘Unless you listen to feedback, how can you ever know what the solution needs to be?’ ‘Agile brings a level of curiosity' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 Natal Dank: @nataldank Agil8 Scrum Master Training: https://www.agil8.com/training/certified-scrum-training/certified-scrummaster/ ABOUT THE GUEST Nebel is an award-winning HR leader with a track record of building Agile HR and L&D teams that deliver real business value. Currently Director of HR & Communications at Roche, Nebel spent more than 4 years at River Island where she led the Talent team before becoming Head of People Experience. Prior to these roles, Nebel was also Head of Learning, People & Performance at Virgin Holidays. You can follow and connect with Nebel via: Twitter: @BrightonBelle39 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nebel-crowhurst-2999648/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic have been immediate and far-reaching. L&D teams have had to move quickly to respond to very real, and very urgent needs. But what could this mean for our profession in the mid- to long-term? And to what extent are there opportunities for L&D? KEY TAKEAWAYS COVID’s effects have not just been on a business and economic scale, but also on a personal level. We have had to deal with issues pertaining to business, staff, and ourselves. The strain has been unprecedented. There have been challenges, but also obvious benefits to the new way of working. It’s a case of capturing these benefits and ensuring that putting them into practice ensures we do not slip into less efficient ways of working. Needs are emerging constantly, and prominently, for many workers, and they need to be swiftly addressed. These challenges need focussed, creative thinking, and rapid delivery. There is a real opportunity for L&D professionals now to spend more time in discovery, to become more fluent in thinking in the same ways as data scientists, in order to deliver more targeted solutions. It is incumbent upon us to provide inspiration, empowerment, and the agency to think more creatively in terms of identifying developmental needs. BEST MOMENTS ’There’s no competitive advantage to be gained from COVID’ ‘We’ve been able to move at pace and provide people with what’s needed’ ‘Leading with digital solutions can meet people where they are’ ‘Classroom solutions have been thrown at poorly-defined problems for far too long’ VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 Ben Chambers LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benchambers/?originalSubdomain=uk  Ben Chambers Twitter - https://twitter.com/benchambers99 ABOUT THE GUEST Ben Chambers leads the Business School at Grant Thornton and is responsible for learning, talent and performance, having held senior positions at GSK and Tesco, amongst others. He is also founder of the Talent and Leadership Club, a collaboration group for talent and leadership professionals that has been going for over ten years now and has around 500 members. ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serena Gonsalves-Fersch is conducting extensive research, as part of a doctorate, on the future of our profession.  In this episode, we explore Serena’s findings so far, how these findings map to Serena’s considerable experience and what the future of Learning & Development could mean for all of us. KEY TAKEAWAYS There are a remarkable number of opinions on what L&D should and could be doing. However, when you’re working in the sector, and beneath the expectations of internal stakeholders, the experience is radically different. When you are in a startup or hyper-growth organisation, it requires a completely different approach and way of thinking when it comes to how we can best effect business change. Learning is an ever-evolving pursuit, but so too is the methodology of learning itself. We cannot hope to advance our knowledge, if the practices do not evolve with us on a personal level. We should never be afraid to experiment when it comes to learning. Even if we fail, we have learned a lesson.  Recognising the difference between an individual’s learning requirements and their personal attitudes and approaches, is key to discerning the real needs. By mislabelling a personal issue as a learning issue, essentially offer complicity. BEST MOMENTS ‘It’s easier to start from the bottom up, and look at how we build’ ‘In a smaller organisation, the critical path seems more obvious’ ’The human race would not have survived if we were not constantly learning’ ’There’s no such thing as an L&D emergency' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Serena Gonsalves-Fersch is an experienced L&D leader with 20 years in the profession, having worked at IBM and KPMG, amongst others. With your most recent role as Global Head of Learning at Cloudreach. You can follow and connect with Serena via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serena-gonsalves-fersch-flpi-a23589/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Organisations have moved quicker than they could have ever predicted in light of the current crisis, and L&D teams within these organisations have had to do the same.  Sarah Allen and her team at AXA UK are an example of how quickly things changed, and how swiftly an L&D team needed to respond in order to meet changing needs. So what did that mean - and what will it mean from here on out? KEY TAKEAWAYS The insurance industry has a responsibility to protect customers during normality, and to support customers when life hits hard. L&D’s role in insurance is to enable teams to be at their best during this time of support. Connection to teams, especially those working remotely now, is crucial to determining the needs of managers facing the problem of how to motivate, and get the best out of their teams. Working digitally has accelerated the deployment of the four guiding principles: agile mind-set, digital-first, design once-deploy often, and outside thinking. The question now is which parts of this new normal should we embrace, develop, and incorporate into our new way of working, and which parts of the pre-COVID world we can, and should, leave behind. BEST MOMENTS ’I’m excited to be in a profession where I can see that we only have an opportunity to add more value’ ‘We’re doing a lot more listening than talking’ ‘It makes you wonder what we were so scared of before’ ’There’s going to be a lot of “new”, moving forward' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Sarah is Head of Learning, Talent & Leadership for AXA UK, having risen through the ranks of the L&D team at AXA Investment Managers. You can follow and connect with Sarah via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahnelsonallen/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The current crisis has changed plenty, some will last well beyond lockdown and some will pass. One thing for sure is that organisations will want to make up for missed opportunities, when restrictions are relaxed, and businesses will want to make up for lost revenue.  We can anticipate an unforgiving period in the short- to mid-term and L&D will be under greater scrutiny to make a significant contribution. To this end, we can expect a hastening of some emerging trends in L&D, such as the pivot from a ‘learning’ focus to affecting performance and productivity more reliably, in order to achieve results. This is explored with 3 experienced L&D leaders: Kevin M. Yates, Gemma Paterson and Alice Collier-Niblett.  KEY TAKEAWAYS The current situation has reversed many long-held expectations around the capabilities and benefits of programme development, and has helped to accelerate plans to overhaul current development strategies. To understand the effectiveness of any training, we need to understand our deliverables from the outset, instead of focusing on the format or appeal of the courses themselves. No matter what our working environment looks like, there is still the need to measure results and impact. The challenge is in working out how to measure results remotely. We can’t hope to know about the driving motivations of our workforce, and the areas in which they wish to improve, unless we are the centre of that world alongside them. In order to ensure that we’re advancing in the correct manner, the first ingredient to be considered should be the people themselves. Do we have the right people, and the right mix of people in order to achieve that goal? BEST MOMENTS ‘We had to change, we had to adapt. And as a result, we’ve been able to help a lot more people’ ‘Perpetual data should be a desirable state’ ‘We need to now be contextualising what performance means at home’ ‘Move away from creating a course, and move toward creating impact’     VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Kevin M Yates Kevin’s expertise is answering the question, “Did training work?”, with facts, evidence, and data. His work is global and multi-industry. He's a sought after subject matter expert and international speaker. 
 You can follow and connect with Kevin via: Twitter: @KevinMYates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevmyates/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevmyates/ Website: https://kevinmyates.com/ Gemma Paterson  Gemma has been leading teams to develop, manage and market digital products in learning, talent, social media and marketing for over 10 years. As Head of Technology & Innovation for Learning at Aviva, Gemma leads a team to deliver commercial outcomes through innovative approaches to learning, talent and organisational development, with a focus on the digital transformation. Using innovation, technology, storytelling and experience design her ultimate aim is to deliver real business results.  You can follow and connect with Gemma via: Twitter: @GemStGem LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmacritchley/ Alice Collier-Niblett Alice is a thoroughly modern L&D professional with a background of leading with digital solutions and bringing her team and organisation along with her. Previously at ASOS and now with Monzo, Alice is a member of a team that operates in a way that is leading-edge and aspirational for many: Data-driven, performance-focused and agile. You can follow and connect with Alice via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-collier-niblett-849154b8/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world copes with the Coronavirus pandemic, L&D departments are adapting to lead with digital solutions, to engage a remote workforce and influence their working. In this episode, Alice talks about how she’s been leading with digital solutions, in her current and previous roles, and how she uses data, experimentation and a campaign approach to achieve real results. KEY TAKEAWAYS The new way of remote working is forcing innovation in digital learning through, which is a huge opportunity for L&D professionals to implement long-planned methodologies. We need to look at the problems before we attempt to fix them, analyse the data to see if the issue is authentic, evaluate the issues impact on people, and using our skills to ascertain the best way of making a difference. Every organisation is different. They are the composites of values, beliefs and core drivers, influenced greatly by the cultures we establish. They are as unique as a fingerprint. People will always approach challenges from their own perspectives, and through their own filters. It is the job of L&D to guide and engage people in doing so. L&D must always recognise that there are inefficiencies in any organisation, and unless we engage appropriately and at speed, we will only ever make peripheral differences. BEST MOMENTS ‘We have to be a little more thoughtful about what we’re trying to do’ ‘It’s about developing an experiment that will move the needle’ ‘You need to refine that part of you, otherwise this organisation is going to eat you up!’ ’We should be thinking about designing for performance first'    VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Alice is a thoroughly modern L&D professional with a background of leading with digital solutions and bringing her team and organisation along with her. Previously at ASOS and now with Monzo, Alice is a member of a team that operates in a way that is leading-edge and aspirational for many: Data-driven, performance-focused and agile. You can follow and connect with Alice via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-collier-niblett-849154b8/ 'Supporting People During COVID-19: Working In Sprints' Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/supporting-people-during-covid-19-working-sprints-collier-niblett/?trackingId=dsrrK3dMwZjYtPXHlThPJA%3D%3D ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a strange and worrying time for us all at the moment and the role of L&D will need to adapt in response.  But will it be enough to send people to the online content we had before? Well, if it wasn’t before, how can it be the case now? Many of the changes we were beginning to see in our profession are likely to be required more quickly (data-driven decisions, performance-focused and user-centric digital solutions) as we seek to make a meaningful difference, remotely.  In this episode of the podcast, we’ve invited an experienced panel, Bob Mosher, Adam Harwood and Barbara Thompson, who will share their insights, alongside their challenges, hopes and fears. But, overall, we’ll be exploring the big opportunity for L&D to step up and achieve more. More than we might have hoped we could with the limitations thrust upon us. KEY TAKEAWAYS Businesses, having poured their energies in to developing new, remote ways of working, are now focussing on the processes and systems needed in order to be able to open their doors when the lockdown is over. Adaptive, responsive and iterative services within companies are helping remote workers the most. Many are rising to the challenge and are becoming highly productive. Content aggregation is something we will need to be open to, rather than curation. This will involve a whole new understanding of methodologies. Be there at the moment of need to influence the moment of apply, because that moment in order to ensure that people are fulfilling their requirements according to organisational expectations. Now is the time for e-learning, as well as other approaches, to find their proper place in L&D. It is up to us to regard the landscape and decide where they fit in this brave new world. Disruption allows us to innovate. The future of L&D must be people-based. We must start by listening, and subsequently addressing the needs of our teams, instead of pre-supposition and technology-based solutions. BEST MOMENTS ‘I’ve never seen so much dialogue about L&D, what we can do, what we can achieve’ ‘From now on, we make sure we pull up a chair and join the conversation’ ’The new normal is being created right now’ ’Too often we have pivoted on content - and it was always context’ ‘Disruption makes things new again. What might not have been possible, suddenly is’      VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 Adam Harwood Twitter - https://twitter.com/adamharwood26 Bob Mosher Twitter - https://twitter.com/bmosh Barbara Thompson Twitter - https://twitter.com/CaribThompson ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Learning and Development Podcast Live   It’s a strange and worrying time for us all at the moment and the role of L&D will need to adapt in response.  But will it be enough to send people to the online content we had before? Well, if it wasn’t before, how can it be the case now? Many of the changes we were beginning to see in our profession are likely to be required more quickly (data-driven decisions, performance-focused and user-centric digital solutions) as we seek to make a meaningful difference, remotely. In this special upcoming episode of the podcast, we’ve invited an experienced panel, Bob Mosher, Adam Harwood and Barbara Thompson, who will share their insights, alongside their challenges, hopes and fears. But, overall, we’ll be exploring the big opportunity for L&D to step up and achieve more. More than we might have hoped we could with the limitations thrust upon us. Join us for this live podcast on Apr. 8, 2020 at 3:00 PM BST.  Register here:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1871022850106365453 ABOUT THE HOSTDavid James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.CONTACT METHOD Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’ L&D fully jumps onboard with Data & Analytics. This is the view of Trish Uhl, who, in this episode, explores how data has already transformed organisations, industries and consumer expectations and why L&D can no longer wait until the hype has passed. L&D is late to the party but the good news is it’s not too late.  KEY TAKEAWAYS What few people in L&D really understand about how data can help their business practice is: It’s not just about having numerate skills It’s about quality, not just quantity Data should be formative, not just used in retrospect We need to have the right perspective in order to understand the urgency moving forward. Data and analytics have existed in L&D for decades. The period we’re in now is not the “early adopter” phase, but the mainstream. In businesses and organisations today, we’re in the largest IT migration in the history of humankind. We’re moving from information processing to cognitive computing. Data is not just for archives anymore, but also for dynamic use that allows us to anticipate. In much the same way that households are now using a more data-centric environment to determine things like energy usage, businesses too, should be using data in a more immediate way to determine direction. People are put off by the fact that data is seen as a monolith of numeracy, when in fact the figures themselves are a small percentage of how data should be translated and used. The first thing we have to do is change our minds about being right. We need to be willing to be wrong. We have to be willing to test and experiment to see if we’re on the right track. The world is moving whether we’re on board or not. Through productivity tools, we can see the data flowing through our business, and see how effective our on-boarding strategies are.  It starts with an assumption or a hypothesis. Ask the question, and instead of looking to previous, perhaps outdated methods of answering it, look to how we can find creative ways to seek out the solution.  If we fail to adopt and create new ways of learning, then how can we hope to implement new ways of working? To avoid it, we need an adaptable learning eco-system. BEST MOMENTS ‘It’s being a “citizen-data” scientist’ ’There is no big reveal at the end’ ’The early adopter phase is over’ ‘It’s no longer about aspiration, it’s about expectation’ ‘We’re putting intelligence into our households’ ’80% is coming up with the right questions of value’ ‘What you’re describing here isn’t the future of L&D, but the present, and we need to grab hold of’ ’This digital disruption requires that people in enterprises adopt new ways of working'   ABOUT THE GUEST Trish is a globally experienced strategist and consultant leveraging data science, artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technology, analytics and evidence-based actionable insights to deliver business value. Her work sees Trish keynote speaking at conferences, teaching workshops and working directly with client leadership teams across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. You can follow and connect with Trish via: Twitter: @trishuhl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishuhl/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘To solve real problems requires challenge, and a change in mindset and skillset’ Is L&D really prone to solving problems that are only really problems for L&D and neglecting the real problems that our organisations and employees need addressing? In this episode, the topic is explored and examples given of where L&D are guilty and what we all need to do instead. In this episode, David is in conversation with Rob Moors who has considerable experience in Learning and development and is passionate about connecting L&D professionals with real problems and equipping them with the understanding and skillset to make a difference.   KEY TAKEAWAYS A non-problem is a symptom and in L&D it is still the symptoms that are dealt with. Why do L&D attempt to solve non-problems? L&D measure themselves through how many people apply to do their courses and don’t always align themselves to the vision and organisational goals of the company. How many training courses have been supplied rather than how many problems been solved. It’s about concentrating on what important not what’s urgent. To solve real problems requires challenge and a change in mindset and skillset that L&D may not have. It’s not just L&D professionals who need to change its also a requirement of the stakeholders to change to uncover the real problems. L&D need to be performance partners understanding what they are trying to achieve within and for the organisation. Switching from the language of training to the language of performance is critical if you want to uncover real problems. By understanding what’s really going on and what needs to go on, the blockers and what is actually being experienced by people working in the situation L&D can then influence and do something that actually works. The key actions are; Trust in the positive intention of others – reconnect everyone with the vision and goals of the organisation. Believe in people to help you  find the answers – L&D professionals often only ask other L&D people Understand your team and you are your responsibility -  you need to be your own case study to move forward and develop.   BEST MOMENTS ‘L&D professionals are not intentionally getting up every day intending to be ineffective’ ‘There will be 3 or 4 critical things going on in an organisation at any time and its vital L&D prioritise those’ ‘Look to achieve the greatest value over the greatest number of people’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning & Development Podcast    ABOUT THE GUEST Rob Moors Rob has been Learning & Development professional for over 20 years; with large organisations such as Sky, TalkTalk and the NHS, as well as a number of smaller tech security enterprises. Rob’s passion is that of bridging the gaps between training and learning; learning and performance; and performance and people. 
 Rob is now Chief Learning Officer with Learn Do Get. 
 CONTACT METHOD You can follow and connect with Rob via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbymoors/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/learn-do-get/ Website: https://www.learndoget.com/   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this fascinating episode packed with thought-provoking content David is in conversation with Guy Wallace, Performance Analyst and Instructional  Architect for Enterprise, Training and Development. With more than 40 years in the field of Learning & Development, Guy Wallace knows that focusing on performance and taking the time to analyse the performance context is essential for making meaningful change. The problem is, he’s been banging this drum for decades and the profession is still yet to fully switch on to this. In this episode, David and Guy explore the current state of L&D, what it’s going to take for the profession to refocus and Guy’s rich experience.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Our clients come to us because they think that the training will solve their problems. They really want to improve the performance impact and they see training and learning as a means to that end. A lot of content is focused on topics. We don’t teach reflecting the performance orientation We don’t look at the current performance state or the variables and the barriers. In Learning and Development, we give the hard work to the learner expecting them to be able to transfer the learning into their context. When you have reviewed and created a gap analysis if you can’t resolve the gaps you need to teach the novice performers what the master performers already know. In a facilitated group process 8-12 subject matter experts along with supervisors, management work together to produce a performance output model and then review what’s missing, what are the barriers. You need to account for what people already know and then provide self-paced content training. Teams that aren’t afraid to ask the difficult questions are those that make the most difference. The more that is explored in discovery and analysis, the higher the chance of doing things that will make an impact. With technology Learning and Development can centralise job/performance aids making them easily accessible and evergreen. The question is do we understand the performance context? do we understand things as a system flow? Learning and development professionals initially learn in the classroom, learning from delivery onwards so it takes time for them to be able to have conversations around performance. A pivot is required from learning focus to performance focus   BEST MOMENTS ‘Learning and Development  will either disrupt or be disrupted’ ‘The research shows that all of us operate on non-conscious knowledge – we don’t even know what we know’ ‘We are opportunity-rich and legacy poor’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning & Development Podcast    ABOUT THE GUEST
 Guy Wallace Bio
 Guy Wallace is a Performance Analyst and Instructional Architect and has been designing and developing Instruction/ Training/ Learning and Performance Support content for Enterprise Learning and business-critical target audiences since 1979. In 2010 he was the recipient of ISPI’s Highest Award, approved by two successive Boards of Directors, Honorary Life Member, for his contributions to the technology of Performance Improvement, and for his contributions to the Society. 
 You can follow and connect with Guy via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/guywwallace LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guywwallace/ Website: https://eppic.biz/   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workflow Learning, Learning In The Flow of Work, or Learning at the Point Of Work? However we wish to call it, guidance and support at the moment they need it is a sure fire way of gaining engagement in L&D solutions and, more importantly, helping people do more of the right things in order to get results. In this episode, Conrad Gottfredson, a true pioneer in this field, shares his insights and experience of this methodology and approach. 
  KEY TAKEAWAYS Workflow learning environments 1 Experience acceleration model The real environment for learning is the workflow and real learning happens when people apply what they have learnt in the workflow. The greatest skill an employee can have is adaptiveness, Its about the transition from formal learning and the reach into the workplace. 2 Flow of work People learn exclusively in the flow of work, this is where we build a digital culture This enables individuals to initiate their learning in the flow of work 3 Gear G – gather online to learn E – expand understanding A – apply what you have learnt R – report back and receive feedback When we build a workforce solution we draw on all 3 of the models. It is around creating an environment where it is seen as a complete solution. You are with them when they need guidance and support the most. The discipline of performance support This is about understanding that when you build an infrastructure that supports people I the flow of work that carries with it the ability to gather data about how they are doing This has opened up our ability to truly measure impact in every way possible If you provide people with what they need when they need it then engagement is the least of your problems. Having performance support infrastructure enables a move towards workflow learning and also supports more formal learning At the heart of the skill set is being able to map the moment of apply, as it occurs in the flow of work. We focus on the point of apply at the work flow level. Once you have a map and you know what it is you need people to do then you can orchestrate the tasks to fit.   BEST MOMENTS ‘You are missing the tools that are needed to measure’ ‘Organisations waste a lot of time searching for the right tools and resources to do the job’ ‘Half of what is done formally could be pushed into workflow learning. ‘You have to know how to design a solution that encompasses all 5 moments of need’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning & Development Podcast    ABOUT THE GUEST Conrad Gottfredson
 Conrad Gottfredson has more than 30 years of experience in the field of Learning & Development and holds a PhD in Instructional Psychology and Technology. His consulting work has helped governments, non-profits, and multi-national organisations wisely employ emerging technologies and methodologies to help people achieve personal and organisational goals. Conrad has pioneered methodologies (The 5 Moments of Need) for developing and delivering Workflow Learning to those who need it, when they need it, in the language and form they require.    CONTACT DETAILS 
 You can follow and connect with Conrad via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conrad-gottfredson-84149255/ Website: https://www.applysynergies.com/   The 5 Moments of Need (including White Paper): https://www.5momentsofneed.com/     ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘We are not always the best at learning in learning’  David is in conversation with James Poletyllo, Director of the Learning Effect, he has extensive experience in people development and champions the development of the profession and brings challenge to ineffective practice.  Is Learning and Development sleepwalking into extinction?  This is an uncomfortable question to be asking - let alone to be answering - but it’s an important one. One that James Poletyllo explored in a recent article. In this episode, we dive deeper into our experiences of L&D to seek examples of this and where our profession might need to more consciously evolve to stay relevant.  There is a blurring of boundaries as we move into a more connected world and this is an opportunity for L&D to do things differently and in a more agile way, listen in and hear more.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  It seems to be different modes of delivery but the same old stuff.  Sometimes you get excited by and driven by the newness of something regardless of whether it is the right solution.   A good learning professional is really involved in the business and there to make sure the change that is being implemented will resonant with those on the front line who are trying to make it work and it’s not just one hit and will have real value to the business  We are still viewed as not having a real impact on the business  We need to get better at creating an architecture and infrastructure that allows a business to learn and share knowledge more quickly and to impart knowledge and information across the business more quickly.  There is an opportunity to look at things and ask how we can identify learning opportunities in a more agile way?  How can we get solutions out there more quickly?  How can we drive personalisation  How can we really make adaptive learning work  As a L&D professional, we don’t have to know everything but we have to be facilitators of the organisation  A myriad of skills are needed in L&D including engagement, data, curation of content, technology and being able to create experiences that add value.  Get close to what’s important in the business and ask how are you going to create purpose for the learner.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘We should work on being solution-focused to solve problems at the speed  business needs’  ‘Let’s step back and look at what we are trying to achieve’  ‘We can’t just rebrand we have to do things differently’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Learning & Development Podcast   Article ‘Ten reasons why learning and development is sleepwalking into extinction’     ABOUT THE GUEST  James Poletyllo Bio  James has almost 20 years of experience in People Development in sectors as diverse as Telecoms, Local Council, Healthcare, and Hospitality, with many of his roles at a senior level. Now, as a consultant, he champions the development of the profession, whilst challenging ineffective practice that seems to be holding us back.  
  CONTACT METHOD  You can follow and connect with James via:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespoletyllo/  Website: https://www.thelearningeffect.co.uk/  Article ‘Ten reasons why learning and development is sleepwalking into extinction’: https://www.trainingjournal.com/articles/opinion/ten-reasons-why-learning-and-development-sleepwalking-extinction     ABOUT THE HOST  David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Important Information About The Learning & Development Podcast This is a very short episode announcing that new episodes of The Learning & Development podcast will be released fortnightly for a while with the next episode being with you on Tuesday 21st of January.   ABOUT THE HOSTDavid James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The field of play has evolved for L&D and now includes supporting a dynamic learning performance ecosystem. If the field of play changes, it implies we must evolve and adopt new rules of engagement.”  What Gary is referring to here is the the Point Of Work. In this episode, the point of topic is the Point Of Work, which is broader than workflow learning and an essential area of focus if we (L&D) are to make a real difference in our organisations.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Workflow learning is learning in the workflow where the worker does not have to disengage with the work in order to resolve a moment of need.  The concept of learning in the workflow is one where learning is accessible, but you have to disengage with the actual work to go and find it.  Point Of Work is not necessarily a destination. It’s a discipline. The whole concept is a mind-shift, a strategic re-think of how we are going to approach a dynamic learning performance eco-system.  “Changing the conversation” is one of the key objectives that a Point Of Work assessment is designed to facilitate. It has to start at the top.  The question we should truly be asking is what is that operationally, people-wise, or systemically, might actually be the problem that is preventing your people from doing what they are here to actually do?  If you go down through from a senior leadership position to an individual contributor, you have multiple points of work, and you have multiple perspectives that are influencing those points of work.  The shift from learning to performance is one that comes up more and more these days. In a study, only 26% of respondents said that the ability to support performance was prevalent within their function.  We need to pick the greatest pain-point that we’re dealing with and figure out how to resolve that. What that will then become is proof-of-concept. Conversations will arise from this, which will fundamentally shape development. BEST MOMENTS ‘It’s in the workflow. It’s in the application. There’s no downtime’  ‘Off-task time is required in order to engage in learning in the workflow’  ’No. I want it all’  ‘What is the problem that we are truly seeking to address here?’  ’There was a landmine there of a different kind!’  ‘It starts small and it scales’  ‘Human performance outfitters drives living and learning’      ABOUT THE GUEST Gary Wise is an established Workforce Productivity Strategist and Coach with over 35-years of cross-industry leadership experiences in corporate Learning & Development. During the first 20-years he amassed an impressive string of failures; not failures in team leadership or poorly designed Training solutions, but failures to recognise a blind spot – the myth that Training solutions drive and sustain workforce performance.   During the next 15-years, he postured a reality that Training only promotes potential; measurable workforce performance does not manifest until knowledge workers reach a new ground zero – Point-of-Work  You can follow and connect with Gary via:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garywiseprofilemyca/  Website: https://livinginlearning.com/  ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week David has talked to guests about what lights them up in the world of people development across 31 episodes this year.  As a way of wrapping this up for2019 in this episode, he shares a summary of his learning so far and looks ahead to next year.  In 2020 truly understanding user-centricity, human-centred designed will be key and learning what this really is that will be important for every learning and development professional.  By understanding what it is people are trying to do, the experiences they are having what’s required of the organisation then better experiences can be designed in order to improve performance and insight. If we can understand the experiences people have then we can design even greater experiences       KEY TAKEAWAYS  The shift from learning to performance is well underway and it was a key theme for many of the guests on the podcast.  The emergence of data in learning and development that is far beyond the valuation data available previously is a good signifier of where we should be applying our attention.  if we are going to address the primary concerns of our workforce and organisations it’s going to be around performance.  We need to move forward and with the changes to the workplace and work, we need to change the way we work to bring greater impact.  An agile mindset which is working with and for the client understanding what it is they are trying to achieve and iterating this over a period of time to affect performance, output, results and data can be a game-changer for learning and development.  Resources, not courses are both a mindset and a practice and it continues to gain momentum within the learning and development arena.  Learning in the flow of work is learning while you are working it’s not stopping work to learn  You are building your knowledge and incite from where you work and is focused on what you are trying to achieve.  People are already having experiences at work – these may be good, bad, effective, ineffective or largely indifferent and it’s about understanding what people are already experiencing in relation to what they are trying to do and designing Learning and Development experiences that move the needle in the right direction.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘What  does acceptable performance look like and what performance needs to be addressed and what needs to be the focus to understand performance to a greater degree?’  ‘Everyone is now experimenting to see if they can move the needle in the right direction’  ‘It’s not an emerging trend it’s one that’s being embraced a lot more and will help us to affect performance’        VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Learning & Development Podcast      ABOUT THE HOST  David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"L&D is fast becoming more than just a support function, one that is a strategic partner to the effective operation of any business”: this is a phrase Jeremy McLellan uses in his LInkedIn bio and a great description of the value he brings to his employers.  In this episode, we talk about how Jeremy has evolved his own practice, how he has brought his organisations along with him and achieved real business results. KEY TAKEAWAYS The paradigm shift in technology and its everyday applications has driven change in the way we consume education. The result is that we have adapted our own behaviours to suit this, but business training and development hasn’t yet caught up.   Expectations from our stakeholders, organisations and bosses, are that we run programs based on requests. Jeremy has begun to solve this by blogging, opening discussions and holding conversations. Communication is key.   An effective tool was to role-play the candidate experience with staff members, everything from arriving at the office to the setting of each environment. It even went so far as to include calls and conversations. The feedback proved extraordinarily accurate when real candidates arrived.   We do not tend to acknowledge the actual situations and challenges that people face in the context of their work, then a great deal of effort and credibility loses out.   When development was certificate-based, people saw each session as little more than a step toward their goal, instead of a real and fruitful development experience. Once the certificate was earned, the experience and knowledge was sidelined.   trust is vital between candidates and L&D. We all face resistance due to the expectations of candidate’s prior experiences. It’s best not to force something. We need to go where we’re wanted and needed, and look for the areas that are open to embracing change. BEST MOMENTS ‘Business L&D needs to bridge the gap’ ‘Googling our way through life’ ’There were so many rituals that I thought were bonkers and unreasonable’ ‘When you write something down it frames that thing in your own mind’ ’To try something different in an organisation requires currency’ ‘Resistance can be born out of miscommunication or lack of vision'   ABOUT THE GUEST Jeremy McLellan is Head of Learning and Development Europe at Alvarez & Marsal and previously held the same title at Hudson. As a progressive L&D leader who focuses on performance and results, Jeremy challenges his teams to make the difference that makes a real difference, helping people to do what they’re trying to do better and helping his organisation to more effectively and efficiently achieve its aims. You can follow and connect with Jeremy via: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mclellan-evolving-learning-b6a12711 ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this fascinating episode, David is in conversation with Haydn Bratt founder of MINDSET and a personal leadership coach. He works to change the ways people lead so people can express their brilliance in the workplace.  They discuss the changing face of leadership and the different drivers that impact on business today.  The old models of leadership are no longer achieving the results businesses are striving for so what needs to be different and how can it be achieved?  This thought-provoking discussion will benefit any Learning and Development professional listen in and learn.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Future leadership is about how do we equip the people in our businesses to lead into and master tomorrow.  The world is changing there is a lot of different drivers impacting business today.  The old models of leadership are no longer working or achieving the results businesses are striving for.  There are a group of people coming into the workplace with a completely different set of expectations.  There is rapid growth in technology and this is driving different ways of working.  Knowledge is no longer the currency it used to be and there is a change in the dynamic around how people are working together.  There is an emergence of the need for leadership with an emotional connection.  People want to feel a sense of belonging to the people around them and a connection to the leaders of the organisation.  There is a genuine fundamental foundational need for an alternative way to lead organisations.  As an L&D professional, you need to invest in yourself in the areas you are passionate about.  Become more of a challenger and build your ability to look beneath.  If you are passionate about learning and development first educate yourself about the trends and then start thinking about where your organisation is going.  No organisation fails from a lack of hard work we fail through a lack of quality thinking        BEST MOMENTS  ‘One career in one organisation is gone for many’  ‘They want to feel more than just a number in the organisation’    ‘There are a set of behaviours that have always existed in great leaders over the years and we are now seeing a greater demand for these leadership skills’  ‘There is a fundamental shift in the power dynamic’        VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Learning & Development Podcast   Mindset Leadership website  Haydn Bratt LinkedIn    ABOUT THE HOST  David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More and more, forward-thinking organisations are exchanging traditional hierarchies for networks of empowered teams. These teams are more agile, connected by tech and may only be brought together for short amounts of time. In this podcast, we discuss the importance of measuring high performance in teams and what we need to do to develop them accordingly.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  There are now fusion teams that are brought together for a specific activity.  You are not just part of a set team you are teaming with others.  Our environments are highly complex so it’s important that our definitions of high performing teams continue to evolve.  When a measure becomes a target, it is no longer a measure.  A measure will always help the team to learn more and work out where look for it.  In real situations, the dynamics are continually changing.  We need to understand what we want to affect,  the current state of play and what the priorities are for the people within the team.  When you are in a complex environment you cannot ask the question ‘what’ or ‘how’ you can only ask  - who can I speak to?  Currently, you have to learn the tool first and then use it with the team.  The team has to be able to self-service the data and deal with its environment and the individuals.  To start you can identify the number of teams you have and what types of teams you have within your organisation then look at the environment.  If you are at a point where you are moving teams you can look at a different way of evaluation, one that empowers people.  Find out what you need your teams to be able to do and the environment they need to do it in. What environments need to be created so that teams can be effective.  Start from a place of knowing not a place of assumption.  What teams are currently using as tools are far too slow we have the technology, the people, the knowledge and the science its now about creating the tool that  works in real-time helps us learn on the go  providing the information that indicates progress is in the right direction. People are then in a position to make decisions and performance  becomes a by-product because the team are energised  If people are coming in happy and leaving happy it’s an indicator of positive team energy.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘The answer are everywhere else but in your own industry’  ‘It’s making the world your classroom’  ‘As a team lead, I wanted help to be able to practically support my teams’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Learning & Development Podcast      ABOUT THE GUEST  Imran Rehman Bio     Imran Rehman is an organisation and performance specialist, with an expertise in measuring and developing high performance.  Based in Vienna, Imran is a leadership coach as well as co-founder of Kokoro, an intuitive app to measure emotions in teams, in real-time.     CONTACT METHOD  You can follow and connect with Imran via:  Twitter: @ImsRehman  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranrehman/  Website: https://bekokoro.com/     ABOUT THE HOST  David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Resilience and Why is it such a Hot Topic? Interview with Dr Carole Pemberton, Resilience Expert and Developer of Coaches  There has been a generation who have seen themselves as helicopter parents, watching over their children,  but in reality, they are lawn mower parents, mowing out of the way any obstacles but resilience is the learning that you take from the things that go wrong when obstacles are overcome. All the time spent having adventures and playing with others is important in building resilience and without this learning, it can be challenging for individuals to cope when things go wrong at any point in their lives.  In this fascinating interview with Dr Carole Pemberton a resilience expert, we find out about the role of resilience in individuals and organisations and how L&D can support and develop resilience effectively.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Resilience is a requirement when working in any organisation as the environment can be subject to constant change.  There is no longer a fixed path through an organisation.  There’s a whole climate that feels less certain and within that in order to work a level of agility is required, you’ve got to be able to flex and adapt.  The situations in which we expect people to be resilient have changed dramatically  The evidence shows that it is less about a particular approach to resilience and more about on-going support.  If we think about resilience as an outcome that is a result of a variety of things  - your confidence, optimism, ability to flex are all contributors to your level of resilience.  It can be helpful to start by asking about the resilience you already have.  Developing resilience is a commitment by the organisation, the team and the individual.  There is something about sharing that helps people deal with problems and challenges.  One of the most important things you can create is a supportive environment where people feel confident about sharing.  Being able to talk with group or peers can leave the individual feeling more resilient and more resourced.  For L&D building in ongoing support and including it as part of training programs alongside the recognition that it has to be an ongoing conversation can be effective in building resilience.    BEST MOMENTS  ‘Resilience can be applied at a team level – are they supportive of each other, does this team notice when something is going well and support each other’  ‘You can start with a conversation and gain a feeling about how things are going’  ‘Most of your resilience comes from the stuff you didn’t want to happen’  ‘Most of the time most of us are resilient’  ‘Sometimes people don’t start a conversation until its almost too late’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Learning and Development Podcast  Resilience: A Practical Guide for Coaches  Carole Pemberton website    BEST MOMENTS  ‘The L&D world needs to become much more confident working in these ways’  ‘For people in senior positions, it’s about letting go and trusting in something new’  ‘You need to be where people are and understand why they want to learn in the first place’  ‘There is a recognition now that everything is changing, and it is happening at a pace so beware of certainty’     ABOUT THE GUEST   Dr Carole Pemberton has over 30 years’ experience in helping individuals to have more successful and satisfying working lives. She does this in her work as an executive coach and career coach working with clients across the globe and across sectors. Her doctorate in resilience coaching positions her as having a particular expertise which is supported by her advanced level qualifications in Executive Coaching and Career Coaching.   Carole is an author whose publications offer coaches and managers practical tools for enhancing their effectiveness, based on research and experience.   You can follow and connect with Carole via: Website: https://carolepemberton.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] ‘Resilience: A Practical Guide for Coaches’ Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resilience-Guide-Coaches-Carole-Pemberton/dp/0335263747/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425577961&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=resilience+a+practical+guide+for+coaches   ABOUT THE HOST  David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an article of the same name, Mike Bedford commentated on a revolution that he’s seeing - and experiencing - in the Learning & Development profession, and encourages us all to get involved.  In this episode, we discuss the revolution, which is a backlash against ineffective practice and maintaining the status quo. KEY TAKEAWAYS Revolution is about change. In terms of an L&D revolution we need to change, but we also need to unite behind a common purpose. At present the L&D industry feels too fragmented, but needs to come together or risk becoming obsolete. Employees often misperceive L&D as the training itself, rather than the functional improvement that results in effective targeting of training needs. Disruption in the sector means breaking the cycle of Order - Content - Delivery. The disruption needs to come from us instead of elsewhere. Telling an evidence-based story, and using effective evaluation is far more valuable to L&D and to their respective parent companies, than any kind of stat sheets or numbers. Mike has adopted a blended approach towards L&D for his organisation. Because many of the workforce are scattered, he rules nothing out. Some development is done remotely or through e-learning, while some is done in-house. They are currently looking at the first six months of 2020 for potential direction. Sometimes, when the training requested by the workforce does not seem a fit, it is Mike’s job to look at the deeper reasons that have led them to ask. The questions asked and the solutions are becoming more bespoke. We need to stop being so entrenched in our preferred methods of delivering our craft. We need to be more fluid and embrace the entire profession. Ask ourselves how equipped we are to hold the right conversations and develop the solutions that will move the needle. BEST MOMENTS ‘It feels to me like revolution is in the air’ ‘We’re in the business of improving performance outcomes’ ‘Disruption needs to come from us’ ‘LinkedIn knows more about you than your HR department does’ ‘People think I’m anti-training, but I’m not’ ‘We’re changing the world one conversation at a time’ ‘We have more things in common than we do differences'   ABOUT THE GUEST At the time of recording, Mike was Head of Learning & Development and Wellbeing at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. He is a self-proclaimed L&D modernist and blogger.   You can follow and connect with Mike via: Twitter: @BeddyMike LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebedford/ Read ‘The L&D Revolution’: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ld-revolution-mike-bedford ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Lancaster is Head Of Learning at CIPD and author of the book ‘Driving Performance Through Learning’, in which he charts a course for L&D that challenges traditional expectations and shows the way towards the future.  In this episode, we explore the drivers of this change and how L&D can - and should - adapt to meet the needs of the modern workforce. Please note, as a special offer to listeners, the link below to purchase Andy's book will give you 15% off the cover price. KEY TAKEAWAYS What can we practically do to support the transformation of organisational learning; to really support performance improvement? - this was the question that spurred Andy to write his book.   Learning and development in any organisation, private or public, should always be driving that company’s performance and purpose.   Performance itself is a contentious, and indeed sometimes controversial word or concept. Many believe that performance is open to interpretation, and therefore a difficult metric to measure.   When preparing to write the book, there were several key themes that emerged for Andy surrounding the emerging organisational landscapes (we need to understand how organisations are changing), and foundational principles (transformational approaches to development). These manifested in three themes: Work - operational models are being disrupted everywhere. The way we approach development has to change. Workforce - There are a greater range of ages in the workforce than ever before. There is less hierarchy. Workplace - Single locations are becoming rarer these days.    In Andy’s experience, he has found that change is generally embraced when it comes to development, but there will always be an element that resists due to the transition to the new way of working, and the ever-evolving working environments.   We need to ask what foundations look like. We need to ask what learning approaches look like. We need to think about these questions in a new way, and use technology to aid in answering.   Around 50% of all Learning & Development professionals are extremely concerned with the state of their own development.    Smart devices are changing the way we live. They guide us throughout our day and act as personal assistants in every way possible. We need to better understand a way in which these highly personal devices can drive our own learning and development in a revolutionary way. We need people to have more self-direction in the workplace, with a greater sense of autonomy (essential), and learning needs to be interrelated with others in that space BEST MOMENTS ‘You have to have a very compelling reason to write a book’ ’Performance is not a contentious word’ ‘Unless you paint a compelling vision, change is a very difficult concept to go with’ ‘We’ve got to think about a bigger vision’ ‘People want to change. We have to be modern learners ourselves’ ‘It’s now about creating not fixed dishes, but buffet menus’ ’Self direction is what really motivates us’ ‘I dream of painting and then I paint my dream’ ’The best way to predict the future is to create it' ABOUT THE GUEST Andy Lancaster has more than 25 years’ experience in learning and organisational development in commercial, technological and not-for-profit organisations and has also worked as a consultant.  As Head of Learning at CIPD, Andy is responsible for professional development and learning products, content and qualifications for L&D, coaching and mentoring and management and leadership. You can follow and connect with Andy via: Twitter: @AndyLancasterUK LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-lancaster-ab995418/ Link To Book With 15% Discount Off Cover Price when you enter the promotion code AHRDL15 at the checkout: www.koganpage.com/DPTL ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Performance Consulting is recognised as a key skill-set for the modern L&D professional who wants to make a difference in their organisation. In this episode, Nigel Harrison helps us to understand what Performance Consulting is and how it’s helping L&D to align to its organisation to achieve more.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  Performance Consulting is how you ask your client questions to uncover the apparent need. It doesn’t assume that learning and training are the best solutions. Deliberate beforehand if what L&D strategy is the way to go.  Some use L&D for work compliance, some use it for personal development, and some use it to improve the business performance. You need consulting when something’s bound to be crucial to the business goals. Great L&D can help you in cost reduction and in work efficiency.  There are great risks when we become lenient of people we take in our company. We want people who understand your business needs and can move with us forward.   Application > Theory. Your priority is to ready them in what they’ll be facing in work. Give it a second thought if an academic or educational appraoach is the correct one for them. You should be able to introduce them to the work culture, increase their productivity, and be knowledgeable with your obectives.  Why people have the hard time seeing that performance is greater than training courses? Some seniors are immovable in incorporating changes in the traditional apporach they’re used to—the mentality has to change. Some, though know of the recent developments in L&D, just don’t have the means to push through such changes.  BEST MOMENTS  “A lot of learning and development are misaligned with the business.”  “Our job is to help people do things better.”  “We are so fixed in our training bubble and we don’t have the time to see what’s really going on.”  ABOUT THE GUEST  Nigel Harrison is recognised as an authority in Performance Consulting and has worked globally with clients to develop the skills for sustained business impact. He’s a Chartered Business Psychologist, Author of “How to be a True Business Partner by Performance Consulting” and founder of Performance Consulting UK Ltd.  You can find out more from Nigel via:  Website: https://performconsult.co.uk/   The Performance Consulting Process: http://performconsult.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/new-web-site-7StepProcess.png   ‘How To Be A True Business Partner’ Book: https://performconsult.co.uk/book-shop/  ABOUT THE HOST  David James   David has been a People Development professional for over 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.   As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD   Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes in the Retail landscape have meant that companies have had to adapt or collapse if they don’t meet the changing expectations of consumers. But a business can’t change if it’s people aren’t ready. In this episode, these changes are explored and Mike shares how River Island’s approach to L&D has had to adapt too.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Challenges  Resale and in particular fashion is facing real challenges with competition and changes in the buying trends of consumers. As a business, we have to focus on serving our customers better.  In retail ,recruiting and having the right people with the right expertise is vital and there are challenges in attracting and keeping the right people.  Retail is still about how people feel - both the customer and the people within the business.  Our employees may not our customers but we need to take the mindset methodologies and the approaches we apply with customers and use them for the people who provide the service to the end-user.  Learning  There are so many different ways we can support people in getting access to the information they need at the time they need it, feeling connected with the organisation and that they have meaningful work and are developing professionally.  People do want to learn but they will only learn when they have the autonomy to do so and can link it to developing their competence and expertise. This then, in turn, drives the motivation to go out and find learning for themselves.  If you can guide and support people towards confident and competent doing then you will have their attention.  When you create a program for everything you create rules and barriers for people wanting to engage and then what we offer as learning and development becomes a blocker to actual performance.  As L&D professionals we need to have a suite of tools and solutions that we can mix and match to suit the individual need and we need strong enough relationships with our colleagues to follow it through, understanding what the problem is and working collaboratively to solve it.  We should be able to attribute hard business metrics to the things we are doing and we can only do this if we have credible relationships with our colleagues and are trusted to work with them.  Data-driven learning  There are lots of different ways of using data but it’s helped me to tell stories with credible points.  We need more people telling stories about how data is helping them.  Data is the foundation of digital from which the approaches and tech are built  If you can talk with authenticity and not talk about the tech, but talk about the value then you start to change hearts and minds and gain traction.  It’s about challenging yourself taking your opportunities learning from other people and don’t be afraid of taking a jump and being brave.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘The bedroom is the new changing room’  ‘I wanted to feel that buzz and excitement about contributing to real business change’  ‘The way and means in which  learning and development serve an organisation would be better served in listening more’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Learning & Development Podcast     ABOUT THE GUEST  Mike Collins  Mike Collins is Senior People Experience Specialist at River Island and podcast host on The Lancashire HotPod. Previously, working for RBS for 10 years winning numerous awards for the work he had been involved in. Mike has also worked for CIPD training provider DPG plc, specialising in social & collaborative working and developing L&D qualifications.     GUEST CONTACT METHOD  You can follow and connect with Mike via:  Twitter: @Community_Mike  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/communitymike/  Instagram: layzmc   Podcast: https://www.thelancashirehotpod.com/    ABOUT THE HOST  David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since it’s rise to prominence, e-Learning has promised so much and often failed to deliver. Is this the fault of the medium or the fault of L&D?  This episode explores the evolution of technology-enabled learning and what it will take for L&D to truly capitalise on the potential of digital. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D has had a strange relationship with technology. It has been very difficult to get the average person to engage with tech-based development, but although strides have been made, we are still not there yet.   Technology is best at educating large numbers of people remotely, and at once. The problem is that many companies use tech to educate when they don’t want to. This generally results in an unpalatable product.   If you don’t engage with your target audience early enough, and effectively enough, you’ll end up shaping your development in ways that may not be suitable. Remember you have two customers: the business and the learner. Each person has different requirements in terms of learning practices.   Once we do understand the business and client needs, we need to make the learning experiences engaging, accessible and relevant.   If you can solve real problems for people, you don’t just help them, you can disrupt entire industries. Disruption can be uncomfortable, but incredibly innovative. BEST MOMENTS ‘Learning is a very human experience’ ‘L&D has not kept up with the world, and is not delivering the experience people want’ ‘Given the choice, people can choose bizarre and unsuitable ways of learning’ ’The simplest things are often what people need’ ‘We know so much more now about what makes good learning' ABOUT THE GUEST Clive Shepherd is a workplace learning and development specialist, with a particular interest in the application of media and technology. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Clive has headed up a corporate training function, co-founded a leading multimedia development business and operated as an independent consultant. In recent years, Clive has devoted his attention to the new role of the learning architect, the design of next generation blended learning solutions and the design of digital learning content.   You can follow and connect with Clive via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliveshepherd/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliveShepherd Blog: hhttp://www.cliveonlearning.com/ Website: https://skillsjourney.com/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we know what we do works? Well, Kevin M Yates has made this his mission. In this episode we talk about how expectations of L&D have grown and how we need to adapt in order to demonstrate our impact.  KEY TAKEAWAYS At a senior level in Learning & Development there seems to be a paranoia/anxiety that training isn’t getting results or equating to any kind of business performance, capability or change.   There’s been a transition in the expectation of what L&D is. Decades ago, expectations were very different. Right now, the expectation is that people will use their performance in a way that helps the business win. In the past, this focus on performance in that context was not resonant.   Happy sheets, attendance, completion and satisfaction, the main parameters chosen to measure the success of training, don’t actually measure whether or not anything has been learned.   Organisational goals are where L&D should begin, before looking at the gaps in performance and capability that are limiting people’s capacity for achieving those.   Learning solutions and experiences need to hit three criteria for full-blown impact analysis: Whether or not the learning solution is strategically and intentionally aligned to a business goal. Whether or not the solution or experience has high visibility within the business. Whether or not it’s expensive Being curious and creating relationships are keystones to successful implementation of L&D, and the measurement of its success.   BEST MOMENTS ‘We are expected now to impact people’s performance in a very measurable way’ ‘I believe that those metrics and measures tell a story’ ‘You’re always defining those things before you go and investigate’ ‘Be curious’ ‘I consider myself a curator of knowledge and information' ABOUT THE GUEST Kevin’s expertise is answering the question, “Did training work?”, with facts, evidence, and data. His work is global and multi-industry. He's a sought after subject matter expert and international speaker.   You can follow and connect with Kevin via: Twitter: @KevinMYates - www.twitter.com/kevinmyates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevmyates/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevmyates/ Website: https://kevinmyates.com/   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too often, L&D technology implementations promise so much and deliver so little. The word ‘transformation’ is used prior to launch but, due to lack of sustained engagement, driving traffic to justify the expenditure becomes the goal. In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, Lori and David talk about what it really takes to make large-scale, organisation-wide digital transformations successful. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D transformations today mostly depend on learning experiences not on business KPIs. This is the reason tech implementations are very hard to do inside the companies. Lori adds that before choosing any tech platform, it’s best to base it on the exisiting problems. Lori forms strategies rooted on what’s really needed in the business. She does this after evaluation. Will it target the KPIs? Is it revenue-generating? Is it regulatory? She suggests using the software Workfront. There are many resources out there, but there will only be enough resources which create meaning and impact to the team. Learning should be about presenting content with nurturing, understanding, and connections. Use the data that already exists when designing better solutions. Observe ‘digital body language’ by analysing the online engagement of each individual so you can respond properly to their needs. Implementing the emerging technologies in the company does not remove the clasroom trainings. The existing learning strategy might be improved with some new implementations. Based on Lori’s observations, she sees a pattern in the companies management of L&D programs. One-third of them are on-board with L&D tech implementations and have high learnability scores, another one-third are on-board but they won’t get through, and the ones left are the traditionalists who won’t make it also. What are the main pitfalls that L&D fall into, in their best efforts to digitally transform? They don’t start with finding the solutions. They fall inlove with the platfomr before realising it’s gonna work. They aren’t talking to the learners. They don’t engage enough with the Chief Technology Officer. BEST MOMENTS “It’s funny we find L&D teams themselves don’t initiate the change. It usually coming from pressure—they might be not meeting their sales or there might be new regulatory requests—whatever it is, it’s the external pressure that’s on them they now have to respond to. And, we try to get them back in control.” “We’re speaking to them like true business partners.” “The pressure on them to continue to learn maybe lies in being relevant and redundant.” “Fix the root problem.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Workfront - https://www.workfront.com ABOUT THE GUEST Lori Niles-Hofmann is a senior learning strategist with over 20 years of L&D experience across many industries, including international banking, management consulting, and marketing. Having held L&D leadership roles at KPMG and Scotiabank, Lori’s specialisation is large-scale digital learning transformations. You can follow and connect with Lori via: Twitter: @LoriNiles LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorinileshofmann/ Website: http://www.loriniles.com/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for over 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Data is the new black” according to Laura Overton. So how do we differentiate the fad from the facts? Laura has a unique perspective on L&D, which is as broad as it is deep. In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, we explore the applications of data and evidence-based practice in L&D, what these are and why we all need to pay attention.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  What’s different now? Unlike in the previous years where we have just started modernising some practices, the main focus lately has been on how companies can keep up with the rapidly-changing technologies present. A business must sought to study and analyse if a new technological solution might increase their business value.  What do ‘evidence’ and ‘data’ mean in L&D? Data is just a plain input (a numerical figure, a fact, etc.), but proper handling of it will greatly improve efficiency. It’s easier to gather and analyse data when we have the evidence, which involves the opinions, the observations, and the hypotheses.  Data analytics, Machine Learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are just a few of the buzzwords we hear recently if we ask about emerging technologies. But remember to remain cautious and inquisitive of the systems you wish to adapt in your company. Being trendy does not equate to being the best.  According to Rob Briner’s The Role of Scientific in Evidence-Based HR, we can base our evidences on four different sources: scientific research findings, organizational data, professional experience and judgment, and stakeholder’s values and concerns. These can help answer questions you have in the business.  Dealing with organisational changes can be very difficult. But, the use of the available data can help ease the transitions happening without disrupting the work culture and work environment.  Some stakeholders would immediately suggest some solutions without even knowing the entirety of a certain situation. As an HR practitioner, it’s your job to present the actual data and the possible solutions based on it and some evidences.  What can L&D learn from marketing? Marketing is capable of gathering huge amounts of information, from the tidbits to the most critical ones. One of the known marketing experiments is A/B testing, which tests variations of a campaign so a company can know what’s best to use. The same experimentation can be adapted when choosing the best HR practices.  For Laura, the secret ingredient in the engagement between data and evidence are the questions you have in the current situation that you’re willing to challenge. They’ll help you gain the information you need to arrive at the best HR practices.  BEST MOMENTS  “The market dictates strongly where the practitioners should be going rather than it being an equal relationship which increases the amibiguity, as well as anxiety in the profession.”  “Data on its own is potentionally dangerous.”   “It’s about the questions we ask.”  “It’s not taking one set of data, but it’s looking at range of data.”  “Data can really shift conversations.”  VALUABLE RESOURCES  Sentiment Analysis | https://monkeylearn.com/sentiment-analysis/   The Role of Scientific Findings in Evidence-Based HR | https://www.cebma.org/wp-content/uploads/Briner-Barends-The-Role-of-Scientific-Findings-in-Evidence-Based-HR.pdf   Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa) - https://www.cebma.org  How to Start Thinking Like a Data Scientist | Harvard Business Review | https://hbr.org/2013/11/how-to-start-thinking-like-a-data-scientist   The Learning & Development Podcast: Agile L&D | Apple | Spotify | Omny  ABOUT THE GUEST  Laura Overton is an award winning learning analyst dedicated to uncovering and sharing effective practices in learning innovation that lead to business value. Her work is based on 30 years of practical experience and a commitment to supporting evidence based learning decisions and has shared her ideas as author of over 40 reports and hundreds of articles over that time. As the founder of Towards Maturity, she is also known for leading the first 15 years of a longitudinal study programme (2004 – February 2019) respected for uncovering and share learning strategies that lead to business success.  You can follow and connect with Laura via:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraoverton/   Twitter: @lauraoverton  ABOUT THE HOST  David James   David has been a People Development professional for over 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.   As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD   Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/   Website: https://www.looop.co/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Bob Mosher, Workflow Learning is "learning that occurs while I do my job" - not when I stop work to engage in learning content like when we attend a course, complete e-learning, log into a webinar or other ‘learning activity’. It’s performance-focused and is measured in terms of its ability to deliver results.  This conversation unpacks this, along with the 5 Moments of Need framework, and is a fascinating exploration of L&D practice that makes real difference. KEY TAKEAWAYS The danger of “training” is that there’s so much baggage in terms of what that word means, and what it has meant in the past.   The Five Moments Of Need are: New More Change Solve Apply   Designing for the moment of apply is hugely different from the current approach of content-driven learning. It’s equal to the question of “are we learning to swim, or are we learning not to drown?”   Happiness in learning does not always equate to a leap in performance. As trainers and developers, we need to remember that.    We must make sure that we understand that failures in the classroom is a legacy problem. It has become overburdened, and is not good at the main purpose for which it has been designed.    When you are done with your deliverables, and you look back on the effect that it has had on the workforce, if they have not enabled learners to perform effectively on their own in the workflow, it has failed, because transfer and sustain did not happen.   Performance support needs to be re-evaluated by the industry as a whole. It is a discipline, it’s not a thing.   If you want to shift to performance first, but you build training first, you will never have time to build performance assets.   We need to orchestrate the asset appropriately, not just for the thing it solves, but the way in which it solves it.   Workflow learning is consumed while doing the work, guiding learners along so that ultimately they perform while learning. By far, the most effective form of learning Bob has seen is trial and error.   BEST MOMENTS ‘We’ve got to get out of the training business’ ‘I am a performance architect’ ’The sweet spot of learning and development is the moment of apply’ ‘What is the deep end like for a learner?’ ‘Carpentry is not a hammer. Surgery is not a scalpel'   ABOUT THE GUEST Bob Mosher is a genuine Thought-Leader in L&D and Chief Learning Evangelist, at The 5 Moments of Need™, an organisation that specialises in helping learning professionals design, develop, and measure effective learning and performance support through the 5 Moments design methodology. Bob has been an active and influential leader in the learning and training industry for over 30 years and is renowned worldwide for his pioneering role in new approaches to learning. You can follow and connect with Bob via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmosh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmosher/ Website: https://www.5momentsofneed.com/ Performance Matters Podcast: https://performancematters.podbean.com/   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Lind is Head of Global Digital Learning at GE Healthcare and a seasoned L&D executive.  In this episode he talks about how speaking the language of business, rather than the language of L&D, has helped him influence his stakeholders, transform his function and do more with digital. KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the biggest differentiators in Christopher’s success is the ability to speak the language of business, as well as the language of L&D. In L&D there’s a tendency to be caught up in your own space; the way thinking is done, even down to the phrases used. But to business leaders, lots of what they hear doesn’t make sense. It’s fine to be passionate about L&D, but we need to communicate that passion, along with ideas and input, by using laguage that everyone understands, otherwise it seems like a closed community. We can either take what business leaders say and start talking about learning needs and solutions, or stay with their map and talk about the business. A better place to start is not to enquire about the state of the people, who are of course important, but to enquire about the state of the business itself. L&D people need to have a genuine curiosity about the business when you ask the questions, which will allow an authentic response. Remember also that you’re going to get knocked down. Get back in there and keep trying. There’s a misconception that Learning And Development should mimic the school scenario, but it’s up to us to bust that preconception. It should not take the form of “learn before work”. Technology is allowing entirely new ways of learning, including livestream tutoring and networking that can allow people to learn on the job with the help of a connected mentor. BEST MOMENTS ‘We talk about things that make sense to L&D practitioners, but to business leaders it’s just Greek’ ’The first conversation we have with stakeholders, there’s a fork in the road’ ’Speaking the language of business requires us to refocus the conversation’ ‘You’re gonna get knocked down, and that’s okay’ ’Technology is changing things at a pace that is out of this world’ ‘Instead of being a content department, we can be an experience department' ABOUT THE GUEST Christopher is a bold, digital-first learning and talent development leader that’s always been directly embedded in the businesses he serves. As a result, he’s spent his entire career reimagining the landscape of learning and talent development while going head-to-head with business operation leaders and being directly accountable for the outcomes.   You can follow and connect with Christopher via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlind/ LINKS The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gemma Critchley is Head of Technology & Innovation for Learning at Aviva and her mission is to make work feel more like real life by focusing on creating effortless, useful, beautiful experiences that solve real business problems.  We discuss this in detail in relation to the actual work Gemma and her team do and the results they seek. KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the most important things in learning and development is to design things with and for people, really focussing on what they care about, what they’re struggling with, what their problems are, and design accordingly.   Innovation can be a scary word. But by looking at what is taking place within organisations, and not keeping learning and development within a bubble, we can listen to the people who do the actual work, and develop in a positive way.   The Five DI Methodology is about defining a problem before you start the work: Define, Discover, Design, Develop, Deploy, Iterate.   There can be a mentality that when you create a learning project and put it out into the world, you’re done. But you should always look at the impact it’s having, measure it, and make it better.   Technological innovations in L&D mean that instead of treating development as some kind of field trip, companies can treat it more as though it’s part of the workflow, meaning that it can be communicated and absorbed more efficiently.   When people go through transitions within the context of an organisation, things become predictable, repeatable and then it’s all about the timeliness. If you can anticipate when people experience that then you can have that point on an automated workflow to surface the things that people require, and when.   Gemma found something of a culture shock when she moved from marketing to L&D, in that marketing is very much data led. By tapping into the data being amassed about her customers, she was able to pinpoint the exact requirements and most effective methods of reaching them at all times. L&D’s data only seems to come after the fact, and so being able to pinpoint the development required is much more difficult. But the industry is getting there.   Judge the success of any venture by measuring the difference in the business as a result of having implemented something new. BEST MOMENTS ‘We forget that there’s a human in Human Resources’ ‘Let’s not focus on what’s wrong, let’s focus on what could be better’ ‘Learning and development is about finding out what people are up against and then helping them’ ’That’s what learning is missing: that campaign mentality’ ‘We use data as the autopsy’ ‘You’ve got a North Star that you can work to. You need a guiding light' ABOUT THE GUEST Gemma Critchley has been leading teams to develop, manage and market digital products in learning, talent, social media and marketing for over 10 years. As Head of Technology & Innovation for Learning at Aviva, Gemma leads a team to deliver commercial outcomes through innovative approaches to learning, talent and organisational development, with a focus on the digital transformation. Using innovation, technology, storytelling and experience design her ultimate aim is to deliver real business results. You can follow and connect with Gemma via: Twitter: @GemStGem LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmacritchley/ LINKS The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 How People Learn by Nick Shackleton-Jones https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-People-Learn-Designing-Performance/dp/0749484705/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4QWWKQ5GU5HT&keywords=how+people+learn&qid=1565856607&s=books&sprefix=how+people+learn%2Caps%2C132&sr=1-1 ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agile is at risk of becoming a buzzword in L&D and misinterpreted, watered down or disregarded as just a fad. However, it’s working to help Sky move at pace, achieve more and achieve real results. In this episode, Tracey Waters, Director of People Experience at Sky, talks about her team’s adoption of Agile, what this actually means, and how it is experienced - from all sides. Discover today on The Learning & Development Podcast why we need to be disruptive with our L&D approaches (e.g. classroom learning), what technologies we can utilise inside our business, how you can influence more value to the team, how Agile can help you and your team’s perfomance, and many more. KEY TAKEAWAYS Why transition to Agile? It encourages better understanding of each team member, it’s built it on iterations, and it’s data-driven. It delivers capacity, flexibility, responsiveness and adaptability. Tracey believes that classroom learning has not been very effective and only brings little to no benefits. It does not improve how people work. Here are the 4 R’s that classroom learning causes: Relationships – People get a lot from meeting others in the same boat as them and learning from their experience. Recuperation – It gives them a chance to get away from tasks even just for a while. Recognition – They get motivated to complete the training because of the awarded certificate. Reward – People felt good about being nominated or accepted onto a programme. Focus instead on how every operation can be valuable to each individual. If they see that what they’re doing have beneficial outputs, it’s easier for them to get influenced and motivated to perform well. With this approach, they can still build relationships, learn new things, and improve themselves. Utilise technological innovations (i.e. Agile). There’s better understanding, and reaching out becomes easier when the data is always available when you need it. You also make every moment memorable for them and offer invaluable support when there is full awareness of the situation. Some might have doubts on incorporating Agile. The key thing to remember here is it helps distinguish what works and what doesn’t anymore in your business. And with these as the basis, we can choose what to improve and what to change. Visual management is very useful. You need two softwares: one is where the team can communicate (e.g. Slack, Microsoft Teams) and the other one is a visual planning board where the work flow can be tracked (e.g. Trello). Before looking into different approaches such as Agile, know your WHY. Take the time to go back to your planning board and evaluate your goals, visions, and objectives. If you think Agile is the vehicle that will get you to all of them, then it’s easier to get started from there. BEST MOMENTS “If we run L&D, we should be embracing a philosophy that is fundamentally built in learning and high-performing teams.” “When you also learn from psychology perspective and neuroscience perspective how people learn, it makes classroom learning more bonkers.” “If you start with a consumer-grade technology experience and build around that, then you can actually be flexible of what you offer to people.” “The whole emphasis is on we’ll get better at this together, we’ll make mistakes together, and we’ll make sure that we get better.” “If you aren’t getting resistance, then I’m not sure you’re disrupting the model.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Agile Software | Wikipedia The Learning & Development Podcast: How People Learn With Nick Shackleton-Jones | Apple | Spotify | Omny How People Learn: Designing Education and Training that Works to Improve Performance by Nick Shackleton-Jones Slack Microsoft Teams Trello ABOUT THE GUEST Tracey Waters is Director of People Experience at Sky UK and a pioneer in the application of Agile to Learning & Development. With over 15 years of experience in the profession, Tracey has overseen Sky’s transition from a traditional L&D operating model to fully embracing Agile to move at speed and solve real business problems. You can find out more about Tracey’s work and the Agile HR Community via: Agile In Learning Blog: https://medium.com/agile-in-learning Fosway Innovation Profile on Sky: http://www.fosway.com/innovation-profile-sky/ Agile HR Community: https://www.agilehrcommunity.com/new-events ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for over 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here Technologies has a fascinating culture of autonomous learning that fits perfectly with their company culture. In this episode, Toby Newman talks about the shift that was made, what that looks like now, and his own journey from trainer to a totally modern Learning & Development professional. KEY TAKEAWAYS eLearning has changed radically over the years, putting far more control into the hands of users, and turning the experience into less of a teacher-pupil relationship. Access to online and remote access to professionals has changed the landscape.   Online training is so popular because it fits in with people instead of trainers. But face-to-face training should never be discounted, as it has many of the benefits that remote training cannot.   Autonomy is on the rise, with location technology at the core its DNA. From Smart Cities, to Navigation, location is an ever-expanding industry.   Technological advances happen so frequently, and leaps in learning are so persistent, that Toby insists upon instilling and implementing a learning culture in the business, so that the company can always keep moving in the right direction.   Learning is one thing, but discussing it in depth afterwards is just as powerful, and can help to embed the information in a different way.   The main aim for Toby is to develop tools in order to build bridges between those with the expertise and those seeking the expertise, rather than building programs filled with content. It’s a far more “blended” approach.   Toby’s autonomous approach to training allows those who wish to develop faster, the ability to do so. Often training takes place with large numbers of staff, many of which are not engaged, or do not wish to develop. By allowing those who wish to progress the opportunity to do so independently, the training becomes more targeted and effective.   Go to expos - For Toby the biggest thing going to the Learning Technologies Expo, and simply walking around, talking to people, and listening, gives you an eye towards where the industry is heading.    Take responsibility for your own development as a professional, keep your ear to the ground, but also filter. Understand your own organisation, too.   It’s important to ask our customers for direction, but we must also understand where the industry is going and use our own instincts. BEST MOMENTS ‘I just went by what I felt was right’ ‘What I’d love to be able to do is some kind of “Matrix” thing; plug yourself in, download it, and away you go’ ‘We provide the solid foundation and a couple of walls, but they get to build the inner house’ ‘You put your energy into the people who want to be there’ ‘Provide people with the bridges and resources to be able to get what they want’ ABOUT THE GUEST Toby is L&D Manager at Here Technologies, an Open Location Platform company, based in the Netherlands, with a fascinating culture of learning. An experienced Learning & Development professional with 15 years in our profession, Toby has worked across different organisations and industries, including Telecommunications and Retail. LINKS The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 Toby Newman on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theneverendinglearner Toby’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoUEYHTCDPcdwXMsQNkb1Qg?view_as=subscriber Toby’s TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hHrXGDqNzc&list=PLDoXrtJe8hy4EJ2PswlFy-zSTmv1LEddn ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ . https://applysynergies.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last 12 months, Adam has gone from Digital Learning Partner at ASOS, to L&D Manager for Revolut and, finally, Head of L&D at D&D London. And not because he’s flighty but because his skills are in high demand. In the episode, Adam talks about his rapid rise in L&D and what others can take from his focus and development.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Resources before courses  The sweet spot is where we can help people to get stuff done by creating things that speak to their challenges and questions.  It all comes down to asking the questions.  A business starts and ends with the people.  It's working with and for the client in an agile sense focusing on the outcomes rather than the product.  It’s all about taking them on a journey building resources that can actually help.  Performance support is at the core of resources. Asking questions and unpacking the answers ensures you can really help and drive effective change across an organisation.  If you want to be the change that you see and create the job you want then you need to understand the background and mandate of the organisation.  Finding the right people  You have to work hard to find people who are truly forward-thinking, reframing what you are looking for to attract the disrupters who will drive change.  Its someone who is willing to find out what the real challenges are, and seek the real answers.  It's having an appreciation that digital is woven into our lives at all points of time  For any young aspiring learning and development person, there are great opportunities  It's about being in real life and wanting to make a difference  Understanding  what is holding L&D back from having a greater impact  Organisations have an expectation of what an L&D department is for within the company.  We are stuck in the prison of what we have always been doing when there are real problems and challenges that need to be supported.  When learning and development reappraises and understands that it can have a more important role then it will be able to focus on creating that role within a company.  It's about what the problems really are and understanding how you can support individuals in solving them.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘Wanting to affect what is important to the business and increase the expectations of what the L&D function can do, it's bold and it's brave’  It's easy to run a schedule of programs because it's easy to measure   ‘I looked at what they are trying to achieve as a company and how L&D could remove the friction’       VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Learning & Development Podcast     ABOUT THE GUEST  ADAM HARWOOD     Adam Harwood is Head of L&D with D&D London, having recently been both L&D Manager at Revolut and Digital Learning Partner at ASOS.   Adam is renowned for his views on digital and its potential to transform L&D and truly affect employee performance in service of organisational results.   In addition, Adam is active in the L&D community.    GUEST CONTACT METHOD  You can follow and connect with Adam via:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamharwood26  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamharwood1984/  Article Adam mentioned in the chat: https://peopleatwork.cipd.co.uk/2018/12/21/were-the-ones-who-bring-people-together/    ABOUT THE HOST  David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We did something different in this episode and took your questions.  We posted on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for suggestions and were overwhelmed by the response - and by the quality of the questions.  So we discussed everything from David’s experience - what he’s most proud of, and what he’s no so proud of (in terms of L&D projects); about the current state of L&D’; overcoming challenges to modernising; and the future of the profession… But much much more as well.  David is joined by Adam Harwood again but in a switch of roles, as Adam asks the questions on behalf of listeners.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  What’s the most inspiring learning project you have seen? Disney Digital Lab’s transition of their publishing business to digital. They brought in experts to create awareness to the general. There were apprenticeships and the transition became successful.  What’s the most disastrous project you’ve seen? It was a customer service training for a telecommunication company. It didn’t just cost money, but it also cost time.  What’s the most frustrating thing you ever dealth with? The one with Disney Digital Lab.  If there’s only one person who you will listen to for the rest of your life? Tracey Waters  Is it time to rename L&D to L&P? When people are learning, they’re doing it because they want to achieve a certain goal. David is more drawn to the ‘performance & capability’ part of it. L&Dneeds a clearer vision  Is there a big gap between the modern and tradtional approach in L&D teams? It’s big since they came from two different roots. Not everyone is talking about the same thing.  Why are we having a hard time developing L&D professionals? It’s because we build everything from scratch. We all start with a vision. It’s easy but complex at the same time.  What do you advise when you meet with the professionals? Work on real problems so people will engage.  “If we work with data, understand, and show how to address these real problems, then we understand the language of the business.”  Do you think the future leads to L&D moving into more operations or operations moving into more L&D? There will be advancement in HR management and analytics. We will align more with the operations if we create a new vision for L&D that focuses on the outcomes.  What advice can ou give for those who are starting out on a project? Gather and analyse data. Make sure you’ve understand fully before starting out any tasks. David wished he had learned technology even before.   BEST MOMENTS  “if you don’t want to use it, then how do you expect users to use it?”   “I value conversations that are grounded in the practical realities of organisational life much more than I like isolated learning solutions.”  “We should be focusing on the goal rather than the means.”  “We don’t produce learning; the learning part is an internal process.”  “There is need for REAL Learning & Development as far as I’m concerned. It needs a vision—a vision that’s better than now.”  ABOUT THE GUEST  Adam Harwood is Head of L&D with D&D London, having recently been both L&D Manager at Revolut and Digital Learning Partner at ASOS.   Adam is renowned for his views on digital and its potential to transform L&D and truly affect employee performance in service of organisational results.   In addition, Adam is active in the L&D community.  You can follow and connect with Adam via:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamharwood26  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamharwood1984/  ABOUT THE HOST  David James   David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.   As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD   Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/   Website: https://www.looop.co/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'L&D Transformation' is a term that preoccupies L&D Leaders as much as it baffles us. So what does it mean? What does it really look like? And just as importantly, what is it not?  Barbara Thompson has held titles in L&D Transformation and Innovation since 2007 and talks about why this is still an important topic today - and what we should all be doing about it. KEY TAKEAWAYS Transformation in L&D should mean examining the construct of the team, the operating model, governance, and looking at how technology can support all that you are doing. When you invest in technologies before you determine your direction, then you can find yourself looking for problems to solve with this technology, rather than solve the real problems. Transformation L&D means rethinking everything, from understanding what we should be working on, our use of data, the engagement with those we wish to influence, the types of solutions we employ, our whole perception of digital, and how we demonstrate our value.  Successful companies, such as Amazon, Monzo and Spotify, have taken a radically new viewpoint on the customer experience. Amazon matches your 'wants' to the things it can offer. Spotify asks the question “Do you want to buy music, or do you just want to listen to it?” The shining examples of businesses doing it in the correct way are laser-focussed on solving problems, using data to ensure that there is first a problem to solve, followed by working with and for the client, putting the solution in the hands of the people who need it, making sure that the solution works before scaling it. Some of the pitfalls in transforming L&D can include, surprisingly, letting people know that you are transforming as it sets an expectations that is hard to attain. Also not working in a agile way and failure to focus on the user experience. One of the key enablers for transformation and innovation is the leadership team. What do they think about learning? What would they like from learning? What are the disruptive forces? By subscribing to the notion that agility is key in transformation, we should also accept the fact that some things might work, and some things might not. Pivoting and using agility to correct these paths and try something else is completely fine. One of the most important steps in transformation is to understand the way that education is perceived within the organisation, because this understanding will allow you to understand how better to pivot and add value. BEST MOMENTS ‘We look for innovative solutions instead of stuff that works sometimes’ ‘You change the name of what you’re doing, but you don’t change the practice’ ‘What worked yesterday is not going to work today’ ‘It’s relentless but successful’ ‘We need to test it and iterate’ ABOUT THE GUEST Barbara is an experienced Learning & Development practitioner who is renowned for her progressive views on the profession. Having worked for 9 years at BP, Barbara built her skills and reputation on developing forward-thinking, results-driven L&D solutions that were way ahead of where the profession was and, perhaps, where it largely still is today. Her roles at PA Consulting and GP Strategies see her applying her know-how in many more organisations who are looking to modernise and transform. You can follow and connect with Barbara via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaribThompson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarathompson1/ Blog: https://medium.com/@ba_thompson   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As L&D Manager for CastUK, Eva doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk of modern, progressive L&D, focusing on business performance outcomes and creating learning experiences that combine digital and face-to-face. Hear Eva’s stories about her progress and her principles of Learning & Development in practice.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Did you have an idea of how you wanted your L & D function to run? I wanted to move away from classroom-based training and to establish what great looked like for the company.  We explored what sort of skills we needed and what were the skills people already had. Every skill needs to be tackled differently and when you are addressing reality you are able to achieve real results. People are afraid of experimenting and trying something new because at some point failure is guaranteed but what you do with the lesson learned is what makes the difference. I was open to challenge and they were prepared to challenge, this combined has enabled us to change. What have you done to broaden and challenge the expectations of what L & D looks like? I wanted to initially to understand what the challenges were across the business for differing individuals. Learning has to be hard fun; people should be doing something different to what they do in the workplace Using role-play in the training room enables individuals to learn from their mistakes in a safe environment. We underestimate people’s need for autonomy, to be able to go through things at their own pace and develop true understanding. Can you explain how you have saved time in induction with digital solutions? The induction is not shorter, but the approach is different. Anything that is knowledge or content-based people access themselves digitally at their own pace. The digital solution is curated content- some of which is created internally capturing the knowledge within the company, it’s the ‘how to’ The face to face sessions are opportunities to summarise and check the understanding. You are have been exploring automation with digital resources, how is that developing? It is useful to be able to target various groups with different content and send it out when it is needed. The Looop solution allows me to be more timely, proactive and efficient with my time. If we don’t understand what people are trying to do when they are facing critical points of failure, unfamiliar situations or challenges then we can’t support them. Go out and do it, give it a try and see how it works for you, get into that experimenting mindset It’s about solving the real problems out there, being curious and using technology as your tool.   BEST MOMENTS ‘The biggest challenge in L & D is capturing what works’ ‘The want and will to constantly review their own performance and understand it’ ‘You are making an assessment based on readiness through observation’ ‘If you are results-driven you are not precious about content, you view it as a tool to achieve the results’   ABOUT THE GUEST Eva Adam Eva Adam is L&D Manager at CastUK, a recruitment consultancy specialising in sourcing executive and management level roles.   Whilst Eva is relatively new to L&D, having spent time before in operational and management roles, she is clear about the impact she wishes to make with her practice and leadership and has successfully sold this vision to her stakeholders.    You can connect with Eva via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-adam-25947787/   ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experience Design is a relatively new term in L&D and yet it has very quickly become an aspiration for forward-thinking functions around the world. Danny and David explore what Experience Design is, some great examples and how you can get started with it.  Creating experience and using practical applications rather than shoving theoretical practice is highlighted in this episode of The Learning and Development Podcast. The big gap after the onboarding process of new employees will be filled if we see things differently. Support, knowledge, and training shouldn’t just be given during the first months. We have to learn how to make this a long-term commitment to the people in the company.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  Companies show their utmost support and value to new employees during the onboarding process. There’s 'excitement' and 'enticement'. They give them the full experience as they enter. But the problem is there’s a big gap that’s felt after individuals sign the contract. There’s no continuity of what they have established, which may help improve the individual’s experience and performance inside the company.   Face-to-face interaction does not outright mean experience design. For example, learning inside a classroom won’t assure that you master your leadership skills. You need to actually experience it –learn the ropes and practice it with team exercises.  Immersion is a good way to learn. When you experience it with your senses and feelings, it’s easier to be acquainted and remembered.  Danny’s advice: Put yourself into their experiences so you can shape theirs. Don’t just look at L&D. Look at other industries and get inspiration.  BEST MOMENTS  “I don’t think learning experience is a thing. I think experience is a thing and learning is the byproduct of that experience.”  “We know our memories our crap, but the emotions that we can attach to that are different.”  “When we talk about the impact, we talk about the real reasons we do it. We don’t do it because it’s nice to have. We don’t give people a standardised what they shouldn’t do.”  “Experiences don’t have to be grand.”  “It’s all about leading so someone else follows.”  ABOUT THE GUEST  Danny is an Experience Design Architect and has been a leader in this field, at TalkTalk and GP Strategies amongst others, at the forefront of designing experiences that make a lasting difference.   As well this, Danny is the voice - and brains - behind Mindchimp, a pioneering  Learning & Development podcast series and thriving L&D community.  You can follow and contact Danny via:  Twitter: @TheDannySeals  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyseals/  Website: https://mindchimp.co.uk/  ABOUT THE HOST  David James   David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.   As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD   Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s largely known that generational differences are an important factor for organisations but a different thing to know what we should do to attract, develop and keep younger talent.   In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, David interviews Rowena Bach to discuss on how to handle different generations in the workforce. Learn also about the different challenges that Rowena has seen throughout her career. This conversation explores some of the things L&D teams - and Early Careers specialists - should consider and doing to capitalise on the big opportunities that a good Early Careers strategy can present. They also covered the different trends that companies should watch out for so they can improve their recruitment process and take into mind their senior team members. Discover more about these when you tune in.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  There are two problems that Rowena is trying to solve for organisations:  Macro-level, where your background dictates where you’re going  Organisational, recruitment management  It’s difficult to handle the team especially if it comprises the 5 generations in the workforce. Each lived a different life that has shaped their values and behaviours right now.  Challenges:  Establishing an inflow of talent  Ageing skill of workforce  (Organisational) Receiving up to 35,000 applications for 100 roles  (Organisational) Low budget  Organisational development and learning and development help the newly recruited people adjust in the workplace.  The new generation base their decision-making process on activism, radicalism, and loyalty, while the baby boomers base it on hierarchy, legacy, and commitment.  Key Trends to watch out for in L&D:  Global skills gap  Impacts of technology on workforce  Access to information  Though the interview might be the most vital part of the recruitment process, it does not envelope everything that we need to know from entry-level talent.  BEST MOMENTS  “Why do L&D professionals and HR professionals stay in this industry? It’s because we’re in the space that brings something in the business that they don’t have time for.”  “Every single one of those is potentially a customer.”  “Every new person that you bring will challenge your organisational dynamic.”  “People have specific reasons why they work.”  “It’s almost a fallcy that interviews get you what you need to know about the person.”  “Dealing with equality is not just an ethical imperative; there’s so much evidence about how a balanced workforce fastly improves how successful organisations are.”  ABOUT THE GUEST  Rowena Bach is an Early Careers/Future Talent leader with 15 years’ experience of setting talent strategies (people and digital), consulting and leading change programmes, and teams, to deliver commercial value.   Prior to this, Rowena was Head of Future Talent at BSkyB following her role as Learning & Development Manager for Disney Consumer Products.  Her current role involves Rowena helping clients get to know the evolving Gen Z landscape, understanding and utilising the Apprenticeship Levy, attracting and retaining diverse candidates in the recruitment process, and ensuring that emerging talent pipelines match the needs of your business.  You can follow and contact Rowena via:  Twitter: @Rowena_Bach  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowenabach/   Website: http://insights.tmpw.co.uk/u/102f64x/rowena-bach   Article mentioned in the podcast, ‘The Global Skills Gap in the 21st Century’: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/global-skills-gap-21st-century-rowena-bach/   ABOUT THE HOST  David James   David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.   As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD   Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/   Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Learning & Development Podcast, David talks to Nick Shackleton-Jones, the author of How People Learn and a genuine thought leader on Learning & Development, to talk more about how we can improve our learning and training strategies for our employees. It must be centred on how they could grow and develop themselves so we can expect high performance. Discover in this episode how we can use simulations to determine solutions, the pull and push method, producing content, and many more.  Start changing your perspective on learning for the better when you tune in.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  How can a genuine thought leader be differentiated from a fake one? Genuine thought leaders don’t say what you want to hear; they say what you need to hear. Be ready to what they say even though some truths might be unpleasant.  When producing content for learning, it’s important to know how it can help. Know the main concerns first, so you’ll know what can be the solutions to present. Do an analysis of what worked and what didn’t work for them in the past.  How can Learning & Development align better to the business? “Solve their problems first, not translate them into your solutions.”   Models that exist today only serve those who are at the top, not the people who really need the service. Find out who your audience is.   The effective context model is supposed to underpin all learning phenomena for all in different contexts. The pull and push approach is useful since we only react to things we care.   What to Consider When Redesigning L&D Strategies:  Creating resources  Experience design—responding to challenges and creating challenges  The Learning & Development sector should be ready for disruptions that could boost the strategies and services. For example, technology is becoming more functional for everyone.  BEST MOMENTS  “I’d like to think that people entering the world of learning development believed that it was an antidote to the weirdness and bureaucracy.”  “Our challenges drive our learning.”  “The only way to get them to efficiently to just know it is to find out what they care about today.”  “Let’s not come to people with PowerPoint presentations when we have some time to have valuable time together to talk about what they think, to share experiences, and to learn from each other.”  “We are eliminating learning in the interest of making everything more usable.”  ABOUT THE GUEST  Nick Shackleton-Jones  Nick is a genuine thought-leader in Learning & Development, responsible for coining the ‘courses to resources’ shift and the affective context model of learning.   He began his professional life as a psychology lecturer and went on to lead learning functions at Siemens, BBC & BP. He’s now a consultant and author of ‘How People Learn’ (Kogan Page, May 2019) as well as winning several awards for people development strategy, innovation, and learning content, including the Learning & Performance Institute’s Award for Services to the Learning Industry, 2017.   You can follow and contact Nick via:  Twitter: @shackletonjones  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shackletonjones/  How People Learn: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-People-Learn-Designing-Performance/dp/0749484705  ABOUT THE HOST  David James   David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.   As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.   CONTACT METHOD   Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/   Website: https://www.looop.co/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Work is evolving to meet the needs of globally focused organisations and in response to globally dispersed talent - and remote working has been a key factor in this shift. We know this, this is not news. But how we develop remote workers may be news.  In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, we explore considerations for Learning & Development for supporting remote workers. David talks today to Perry Timms, an author, motivational speaker, a CEO, and a top HR influencer. Discover everything about remote working – its pros and cons, its place in HR management in the past, present, and in the future, and its inclusion in L&D strategies. Both business owners and remote workers can learn from the discussion so start tuning in. KEY TAKEAWAYS We can shape the future greater than we think we can. We can’t just sit and watch things to unfold. If there’s optimism, a drive to change, and willingness to act, we can improve the current state of the workplace. Remote working is not an impossible proposition to incorporate in organisations now because of technology. It has become easier to communicate with people and complete tasks. Changing our mindset and attitude about remote working can actually benefit our organisations. The physical proximity of the workers might be a difficult thing to consider in HR management, but developing remote workers doesn’t need training, you just need to discover what strategy works best for your company. It’s useful for organisations to highlight partnerships in their L&D strategies. Sharing their knowledge and learning journey to each other can actually make it easy to make remote working possible. Managing and overseeing the social platforms where you interact with your remote workers is important. L&D strategies should also empower them and let their voice be heard in coming up with solutions no matter where they are. As much as possible, invite healthy conversations and prevent these platforms from being polluted with bias, forced authority, etc. Efforts on maintaining the dynamics between the organisation and remote workers are more pronounced compared to those who are working onsite. As the leader, it’s your priority to make sure that the remote workers still feel belongingness. BEST MOMENTS “I like to think I’ve got a grounding in the reality of the world but also an incredibly dreamy perspective on how things could be.” “I feel their pain, I celebrate their gain, and I really wanna leave them in the sense that they’re better than they were before they started.” “If there’s one thing that we can start to recommend to remote workers is when you are hitting a wall, that’s the time to stop and think, ‘What can I learn?’” “If people want it passionately enough, they’ll find a way to make it work and shouldn’t find a way to hijack L&D.” ABOUT THE GUEST Perry Timms is listed in HR Magazine’s HR’s Most Influential List for 2017 and described by CIPD CEO Peter Cheese as “The HR Futurist”. Perry is the author of the book ‘HR Transformation’, he’s an international CPD accredited and TEDx speaker on HR, workplace learning, technology and the future of work, a consultant, facilitator and coach. Prior to all of this, Perry was Head of HR for Big Lottery Funding in the UK. You can follow and contact Perry via: Twitter: @PerryTimms LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrytimms/ Website: https://www.pthr.co.uk/ ABOUT THE HOST David James David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. CONTACT METHOD Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘You’re going to know your customers better than any system, Digital value is about human value, it’s about working with people to solve problems’    As a successful leader in Digital (at the BBC and at Ask.com), Myles has observed L&D’s embracing of new technologies but also its failure to transform itself. We discuss what digital transformation really means and what it will take for L&D professionals to make the most of the opportunities that digital now offers.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Digital capability is largely remiss in L&D and is a blocker to positively changing the profession, is this what you see? The preoccupation with technology is a real problem for the industry. For too much of the time for too many people digital means technology implementation One of the most important aspects is the pace at which you have to move and having a clear focus on data and evidence. The digital world has shown the values and benefits of a prototype to demonstrate and gather real data and this is driven at pace You can’t make a transformational change from your current position; you have to have new information and data. The stuff that we use ourselves has completely changed the way we communicate, our entertainment and access to each other. The digital revolution has not been about systems it has been about having new experiences that add value to our lives in different ways The L&D profession is still stuck in the trap of finding new ways to do what its always done rather than finding new things to do.  What is digital transformation for you? The challenge for L&D is that the learning pace is now set outside of the industry and we need to change how we work to meet the rising expectations we all,  as consumers, have. It’s about what we can do with the technologies we can create and how we can apply them We need to constantly be aiming to give the best consumer experience we can. One of the challenges is for the industry to look beyond learning data and be smart about other sources of data, we need to be smart about all of the data landscape to help us understand what the problems are and how we will solve them.  What's your position on digital and face to face? It’s not about one or the other it's about how you use the tools you have available to solve the problems. It can be people coming together, or a phone call, it's about an event that is helpful. The learning classroom is a human event that due to what it is surrounded by has increased in value and importance.     VALUABLE RESOURCES  Myles Runham LinkedIn  Myles Runham website       BEST MOMENTS  ‘The L&D world needs to become much more confident working in these ways’  ‘For people in senior positions, it’s about letting go and trusting in something new’  ‘You need to be where people are and understand why they want to learn in the first place’  ‘There is a recognition now that everything is changing, and it is happening at a pace so beware of certainty’     ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Do stuff that works, affect the business, speak a language the business recognises because you are working on their priorities and show them how your work has made a difference in order to build the credibility to gain more currency to do more of the right stuff’  In this episode, David is in conversation with Simon Gibson. As seasoned L&D leaders, David and Simon discuss what L&D Transformation looks like today and the areas we need to change to achieve it. An insightful and practical conversation grounded in reality, listen in to find out more.    KEY TAKEAWAYS  How would you sum up what’s changing? The outside world is coming into the business environment. If you are in a business environment and learning is a course or a 5-page document then you are disconnected from the way people have instant access to everything outside of work. Expectations from clients are changing and what they need now is changing. I’m passionate about knowing what’s going on and how people are doing it. Organisations have a massive responsibility to support individuals chosen learning journeys.  How has your view of how L&D needs to change been shaped by your senior level and access to your CEO? I’m a curious and inquisitive person who wants to ask challenging questions and I don’t want to pitch that at a level below where I’m going to get the answer. I want to be talking to the forums who understand what the impact will be. Being part of these senior forums provides the opportunity to understand the whole picture. Being presented with those true business challenges in a dynamic environment and understanding them can be key to finding the solutions. Credibility to talk is key in any forum in your organisation. It's about the impact you can have to shape and transform the organisation.  If you are not helping shape and transform, you are only helping it to stand still and you are in danger of becoming obsolete very quickly.  Do L&D get digital transformation? The context is everything in an organisation. Digital transformation is multi-faceted. For L&D one aspect is the disruptive technologies that are affecting businesses today and the other is some of the delivery mechanisms used. Peoples ability to learn and consume is now very free and there is a huge opportunity to look at the real needs within an organisation How do you prepare people to make the next steps? How do you prepare people for transformation? There are similar challenges that exist across every organisation    BEST MOMENTS  ‘What are we looking to change?’  ‘The gritty reality of in-house politics’  ‘There’s a balance between gut feeling and what the data and information is telling you’  ‘It’s smashed into work at such a pace’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  Simon Gibson LinkedIn Simon Gibson Twitter     ABOUT THE HOST David James    David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It appears that women are under-represented at a senior level in L&D. What’s going on to address this and what do we all need to be doing? David and Kate explore these points - and more - within this important conversation.    KEY TAKEAWAYS  How would you describe Fosways role in L&D and your role within the company? We are an independent analyst and our role within the industry is to look at trends and the progression across technology and talent. Our role is to help corporate organisations make better decisions, We also liaise closely with vendors to ensure we have a pragmatic picture. My role involves working across the teams and all content comes through me providing me with an overview of all that is going on.  What is the current conversation around women in learning? The statistics are not great for women progressing into senior management.  I have been involved in the conversation across social media platforms and the engagement was far and above what I was expecting, it has captured people’s imaginations and is continuing to grow as people join the debate. Research based on the worldwide learning and skills group and used job titles as an indicator; in support roles the split was 33% men to 67% women,  in practitioner roles 53% men to  47% women, mid-level 49% men to 51% women, senior roles 69% men to 31% women this makes clear there is a barrier and this is a conversation we need to have. Its opened people’s eyes to an issue that we didn’t know was there previously.  What are you hoping to achieve from this conversation? It’s about changing the statistics, ultimately women should be in those senior roles if they want to be and how as an industry can we support that through mentors etc. Mentoring is a great place to start and we are now looking at the practical steps we can implement to move forward. It isn’t just about women it’s about the steps anyone needs to take to move forward.  How does this conversation relate to the modernisation that is required in L&D? The important thing for this debate is that it doesn’t lose sight of the link to our profession. We are and should be open-minded to the possibilities, we can challenge our own thinking and desire for flexibility and learning. Faced with this challenge, the statistics, and this ongoing conversation about women in learning that we should hold ourselves accountable for our own development in this area and continue the conversation.    BEST MOMENTS  ‘That’s real life and to understand that is empowering; we can share stories about ourselves’  ‘It should be about lifting everyone up L&D is a great industry to be in because it’s such a positive place to be’  ‘There were more people named David on the panel than women’  ‘It’s about how the vision is executed within the company’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  Fosway Group website Kate Graham Twitter #womeninlearning twitter Kate Graham LinkedIn  ABOUT THE HOST  David James    David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  Website: https://www.looop.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a brand new podcast for L&D professionals by L&D professionals. We’ll be discussing and debating the topics and priorities affecting the profession today. This is a brief introduction to the show from the host David James. ABOUT THE HOST David James   David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Our understanding of the human learning process at work has  fundamentally changed’  David is in conversation with Sukh Pabial, a talent development partner at Reed Business Information.  It’s generally accepted that Learning & Development is changing, and that the skill set required is broadening. In this episode, David and Sukh discuss what these broader skills are and how L&D should evolve to adopt these.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  What role do you see yourself as having on social media? I’ve ended up creating a certain type of persona which at times is provocative and challenging, at times a stream of consciousness. I’ve never planned my twitter or blogging in detail and learnt along the way. I use my podcast to focus on positive psychology and emotional intelligence, areas I have a particular interest in.  What’s the idea behind ‘Modern Learning Leader’? The skills required for L&D professionals are becoming more fragmented and are not always comparable or related disciplines. This can result in individuals focusing on deep learning for each particular specialism in a linear way to further their own development and be able to fulfil the role of a modern learning leader. The program provides a springboard for professionals in the acquisition of new knowledge and the development of further skills. It enables L&D professionals to gain an overview and sense of the differing specialisms required for the modern learning leader.  Has the role of L&D changed or are the mechanisms for delivery different? It is both and more. When you start to look at what people do on a day to day basis to further their own learning you realise it is radically different from the learning products we provide. Our understanding of the human learning process at work has also fundamentally changed resulting in mechanisms needing to change.  Providing learning is easier than affecting performance, why rock the boat? We have to start to question what we are doing and how we are impacting? YouTube came along and was the learning platform we never knew we needed. We are putting ourselves at risk of leaders seeing the role as redundant if we do not move forward and change.  Are we reaching a tipping point in L&D? There is a community of voices that help to remind us this is a movement. When you look at conference content it has not changed. It is still looking towards long form programs and there is not anything that is genuinely different. There is a world of knowledge out there and if you know how to access it and you understand how to use it to develop what you know and what you do, it’s a good thing to be a part of.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘It can be challenging to know which stuff out there to pay attention to and which stuff to disregard’  ‘We are getting our hands dirty quicker than we ever did because we can access someone who has already done it’  ‘People understand what you have said because it’s the English language, but they don’t understand what it means for their profession’  ‘We don’t dig deep enough it the questions that make a difference’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  L&D Connect group on Twitter     ABOUT THE GUEST Sukh Pabial    Sukhvinder (Sukh) Pabial, is a learning development and organisational development professional who started his career in this field in 2003. He has worked across a range of sectors and industries. Armed with an education in Occupational Psychology, he develops leading-edge creative and positive solutions and does so ensuring everything he works on is centred with strong academic research and knowledge.   CONTACT METHOD  Twitter @sukhpabialLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukhvinder-pabial-01113b1b/ Podcast: http://threegood.podbean.com/     ABOUT THE HOST  David James    David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/              See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigel Paine is a hard man to pin down to a profile, his  LinkedIn page describes him as Learning Now TV presenter and podcast host but there is lots more,  He teaches on a doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania, works for the University of Chicago as part of their business school at the London campus and writes books about the world as he sees it. In this episode David and Nigel are discussing his latest book, Workplace Learning: How To Build A Culture Of Continuous Employee Development, David and Nigel explore its themes in the context of the real-life challenges faced by L&D professionals today.      KEY TAKEAWAYS  What were you hoping to achieve with this book? I usually write my books in a rage and the rage behind this book was the term’ learning culture’ being bandied about by people who did not know what they were talking about and had no understanding of the history behind the term. I have tracked the journey and looked at what is happening today to help others understand what a learning culture is and provide them with the tools and ideas to build a better learning culture in their own businesses.  Who decides they want to embark on creating a learning culture? The key is not to be able to say that everyone is learning but to be able to say we are making better decisions, move faster, have more ideas and are more innovative, cooperating and working together. The dream is clear but how you get to the dream is not clear that’s where the role of L&D is vital, their ability to frame it and offer solutions is critical to the journey.  Usually, L&D teams don’t have the remit, currency or skills to change the culture, and yet so many say they need to how do we get past this initial hurdle? You got to understand the frustrations and what inhibits people from doing their best. In understanding this you can begin changing the organisational process through people and eventually more of a learning culture emerges. You’ve got to say we will scrap everything and build again based on need. If we know what people really do need help with then we can guide and support them effectively  As a profession are we ready to acknowledge that ‘the course’ is not doing the job we are in organisations to do? It’s a recognition that people learn in different ways and recognising that huge amounts of learning takes place in the workplace. Its moving learning and work closer together, that’s when learning becomes exciting, ingrained and integrated into the business.You’ve got to have a  vision about the organisation you want to build and then work out what will make the biggest difference.  How do we bridge the skills gap in L&D? Sometimes it is important to be able to buy in the specialist skills you require for a specific piece of work or project. Every learning professional should be on their own learning journey to make sure they don’t get left behind by trying new stuff we broaden our horizons. A learning culture is one where people take information from  outside and share it quickly turning it into action.    BEST MOMENTS  ‘If you don’t lose the mentality that everything has to be a course you can't change and move forward’  ‘The vast majority of learning is solved by individuals or teams without any reference to L&D, they just get on and do it’  ‘It’s not about nice learning it's about hard-edged business benefits’  ‘If you haven’t got sharing you haven’t got a learning culture’  ABOUT THE GUEST  Nigel Paine    Nigel is a prominent figure in the global L&D community and has been involved in corporate learning for over twenty years, including time leading the BBC’s Learning and Development operation.   He left the BBC in September 2006 to start his own company that is focused on building great workplaces by promoting creativity, innovation, values based-leadership and learning and the link between them.   He speaks regularly at conferences around the world and teaches on a doctoral programme at the University of Pennsylvania and for Chicago Booth Business School.   In this podcast, Nigel talks about his latest book (Workplace Learning: how to build a culture of continuous employee development) and how it practically applies to organisations.  You can follow Nigel via:  CONTACT METHODTwitter: @ebase LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelpaine/ Website: https://www.nigelpaine.com/ Podcast: http://fromscratchpodcast.com/ Learning Now TV: https://learningnow.tv/    ABOUT THE HOST David James   David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.     CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ Website: https://www.looop.co/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.