The Learning & Development Podcast

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 te...

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 o...

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...

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 listener...

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 n...

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...

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 aver...

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...

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 s...

“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...

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...

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 lan...

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...

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...

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 o...

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...

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 m...

'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...

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?...

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 an...

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...

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...

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 tal...

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 Disn...

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 tren...