The Learning & Development Podcast

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 me...

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...

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. Behaviora...

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?...

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 t...

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 fr...

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 busine...

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 Org...

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,...

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 a...

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 pr...

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 S...

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 conseq...

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 meas...

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 b...

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 Cu...

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 the...

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 differen...

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 epi...

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 chal...

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...

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...

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...

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 project...

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 t...