The Mindtools L&D Podcast

In the final part of our 500th anniversary 'Eras Tour' retrospective, we conclude by saying farewell to our human co-workers and embracing the technology that will ultimately destroy us all: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Ross G and Dr Anna B are joined by our most frequent guest of all time, Donald H Taylor, to discuss: how AI took over Don's annual 'Global Sentiment Survey' the mindset shift that...

If the pandemic years saw the office become a 'blank space', the hybrid era gradually witnessed that space fill up again through return-to-office mandates. In this week's episode of  The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Rob Baker joins us to continue our 'Eras Tour'. We discuss: how the pandemic created an opportunity for 'job crafting', and what's changed since we've come out of lockdown whether job craft...

Ross G stays out too late. Got nothing in his brain. At least, that's what people say. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , we're joined by Heeral Gudka and Andy Lancaster to continue our 'Eras Tour', with a look back at the pandemic years. We discuss: the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on L&D, and how much of the 'new normal' we've held on to what connectedness and belonging loo...

Ten years, 500 shows, countless guests. To celebrate our anniversary, we're releasing a special four-part series looking back at the evolution of L&D. In part one, Ross G and Ross D are joined by friend-of-the-show Julie Dirksen to revisit our early years. We discuss: whether L&D has yet become 'evidence-based' dumb ideas we fall for, get over, and fall for again evidence-based orthodoxies which w...

According to Dr Tessa Forshaw, Faculty Director of the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Workforce Learning and Innovation Initiative, workplace learning has never been more important. It's also never been at greater risk. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Tessa joins Ross D and Matt to discuss: the role of L&D at a time when the World Economic Forum has estimated that 59%...

Our Building Better Managers research identified that employees care about having an empathetic manager, but only half reported having a manager who was fair and empathetic.  All is not lost. Empathy is a skill, and like any other skill, it can be developed. So what might that process involve? In this episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Loren Sanders joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss: the diffe...

This week, we're revisting one of our favorite episodes from last year, focusing on the role of play at work. All children play but, over time, that instinct goes away. We don't lose it, we don't forget. Instead, we get taught to stop. For author and toy designer Cas Holman, that's a problem. With a very real impact on business performance. In this episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Cas joins...

You know those people who seem to command a room with a certain gravitas? How are they doing it? In this week's episode of  The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Gemma is joined by Frankie Kemp and Ross D to explore: what presence is the difference between presence and presentation techniques to use to develop your presence. During the discussion, Frankie referenced: ' Why You Need Charisma ' (via Harvard B...

If AI is so transformative, how come it's so hard to adopt? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross G is joined by Mindtools Kineo AI Strategy Director Rodrigo Bolaños to explore: the hype surrounding AI's potential the reality experienced by many organizations how to drive AI adoption at scale. During the discussion, Ross G referenced: ' The state of AI in 2025 ' (via McKinsey)...

Last week, the Mindtools Kineo gang attended the Learning Technologies exhibition and conference, Europe's largest L&D event. And so, this week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D, Ross G, Gemma and Matt are regrouping to discuss: our personal highlights from Learning Tech what the conference tells us about the shape of the industry the key themes that emerged over the course of the two days who...

Throughout human history, technology has disrupted the way we communicate with one another. But according to Andrea Pacini, the fundamental principles behind effective communication haven't changed, and are as relevant today as they were in the past. In this week's episode of  The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Andrea joins Ross D and Anna to discuss his forthcoming book, Timeless Presenter . We cover: w...

80% of the world's workforce are deskless, but L&D teams spend most of their time worrying about the 20%. Speaker, advisor and author JD Dillon is on a mission to change that with The Frontline Enablement Playbook . In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , JD joins Ross G and Ross D to discuss: why the 80% get neglected why frontline managers are the most important people in the busin...

It's once again 'Bring Your Paper to Work' day here at Mindtools Kineo, as Ross G, Dr Anna and Ross D each take turns to share an academic study that they think has key insights for L&D professionals. In this week's episode of  The Mindtools L&D Podcast , we discuss the following papers: Rogelberg, S. G., Kreamer, L. M., & Gray, J. (2026). 'Thirty years of meeting science: Lessons learned and the...

Last year, we recorded an episode on whether "self-directed learning" is a myth. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , we ask how we can create an environment where this behavior thrives. Ross G and Cammy are joined by Stella Collins to discuss: What needs to be in place for self-directed learning to flourish? How can L&D pros create this ecosystem? What are the biggest barriers to...

Manager s are inundated with  potential  development areas , from technical skills to complex behaviors . But a re you focusing on the right  ones ?    In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast ,  our   in-house Insights experts Dr. Anna Barnett  and  Dr. Nina Harrison   speak to Claire  about:     how recent research reveals some unexpected co-benefits to managerial skill building   how...

Completion stats are a vanity metric. Happy sheets are pointless. Revenue impact will get you a seat at the table. We've all heard these statements from conference stages. Some of us, your hosts included, might even have said them. But in this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , we wanted to dig a little deeper.  We invited Evolve L&D's Tom McDowall to join Ross G and Claire, to discuss:...

Hello listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to take the opportunity to dig into the vault and revisit an old favorite from 2024 with Ben Betts. At the time we recorded this one, Ben had receently published a blog post, in which he wrote that 'the LMS is the first point of entry to learning; the front-of-house of our industry.' While that front-of-house may look a little different now...

Often, leaders are promoted into their roles because of their ability to solve problems. But that strength can become a weakness when it leads to dependency, creating an environment where the leader is always swooping in to save the day. In t his   week's episode of   The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D and Cammy are joined by Bill Flynn, CEO of Catalyst Growth Advisors and author of The Hero Trap...

In the introduction to the latest Global Sentiment Survey report, Donald Taylor describes this year's results as 'the most significant' in the survey's history. In t his   week's episode of   The Mindtools L&D Podcast ,   Don joins   Ross D and   Ross G to discuss: whether interest in AI has peaked; why Don believes the results reflect a breaking of old norms; the steady climb of 'showing value' a...

Cafes, restaurants and car washes all use points and rewards to drive behaviors. Can we do the same with our Learning Management Systems? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Incentli's Jeff Campbell speaks to Ross G and Ross D about: how digital currencies give LMS administrators levers they can pull to drive behavior the role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on learning the...

If you're going in for surgery, make sure to get scheduled first thing. When you buy new clothes, wash them before you wear them. Never use a ceramic cup in a coffee shop. These are the kind of insider secrets that get shared on Reddit, and we thought it would be fun to ask the L&D community on LinkedIn to share a few of their own. And boy, did they have secrets to share! In this week's episode of...

To help organizations reap the benefits of AI while meeting regulatory requirements, many L&D teams are rolling out AI skills programs. But how do we design these programs in a way that shapes consistent, compliant behaviors, while helping colleagues develop the judgment they need to navigate messy, real-world situations? In this week's episode of  The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D and Cammy are...

Pressure from above, pressure from below; little appreciation from either. That's the experience of work for many middle managers!  This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast , author Gary Cookson joins Ross G and Dr Anna to discuss his new book, The Squeezed Middle , with a focus on: why managers are so misunderstood and undervalued the skills middle managers require to succeed how we can all help bu...

For most of us, compliance training is a regular feature of our working lives. Instead of inducing a mexican wave of eye-rolls, what can we do to design compliance training that has impact? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Gemma, Cammy and Layla discuss: Creating compliance-based learning experiences that change mindsets and behaviors; Meeting the needs of time-poor learners; H...

Induction programmes play a crucial role in shaping the way a new starter thinks and feels about an organization. In this week's episode of  The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D, Cammy and Claire discuss: what makes induction programmes different from other L&D initiatives; how an 'accomplishment framework' can help new starters (and learning designers!) break induction down into manageable chunks;...