The Mindtools L&D Podcast

Everyone loves workplace learning. It means two days away from the office with the potential for a decent lunch! But it shouldn't actually involve 'learning', should it? In this week's episode of The GoodPractice Podcast, Nick Shackleton-Jones from PA Consulting joins Ross G and Owen to ask if we need to reposition workplace learning so that it can truly make a difference in our colleagues' lives....

Managers in many organisations are increasingly encouraged to adopt a 'coaching' approach to team development. But what does this mean? Can you 'be a coach' after just a two-day workshop? And how do you navigate the power dynamic that exists between manager and team member? On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, coach Jo Wainwright joins Ross G, James and Gemma to share her experiences. If you'd lik...

Everyone and their uncle is a learner, but does this mean that everyone knows about learning? Our guest this week, Mirjam Neelen, thinks not. This week, she joins Ross G and Owen to talk about the evidence base that we should all be referring to when designing experiences. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter @RossGarnerGP , @OwenFerguson and @MirjamN . To f...

After nearly 20 years of implementing learning technologies, we've successfully found more and more elaborate ways to dump content that no one needs. Is there a better way? On this week's podcast, Fosway's David Perring joins Ross G and Owen to explore their research into how organisations are using digital technologies. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter...

Learning styles, right-brain vs. left-brain, brain training — for those working in learning and development, cognitive psychology can seem like a minefield.  On this week's episode of the GoodPractice podcast, Ross D and James are joined by Dr Rebecca Gordon to find out what L&D professionals really need to know about cognitive psychology. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can...

If you work in Learning and Development for a large organisation, there's a good chance that at some point you've spent years putting a programme together, only to find that by the time it launches the original stakeholders have left.  On this week's podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Steph Clarke to ask if this approach is overcomplicating learning - or oversimplifying it. If you'd like to sh...

For over a decade, SCORM has been the industry standard for e-learning, helping learning and development professionals track the completion of courses and recording assessment scores. But now there's a new standard in town: xAPI, offering far larger data sets and the ability to connect multiple platforms. On this week's podcast, Ben Betts from HT2 Labs and Andrew Downes from Watershed join Ross G...

Curation tools allow organisations to deliver high-quality, relevant content to learners. But is this how they're actually being used?  This week on the podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Jam Pan's David Wood to drain the content swamp. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the podcast, you can find us on Twitter  @ross__dickie ,  @owenferguson  and @jampanlearn. To find out more about GoodP...

For two years we've been chatting work, performance and learning in the cramped confines of our office - but no longer. For our 100th episode, Ross G, Owen and James sloped off to the Raeburn Hotel in Edinburgh to reflect on favourite episodes, greatest guests and, of course, what we learned this week  And, as it's our anniversary, we filmed that discussion for a one-off special: Podcasters in Pub...

Have you ever completed a project, only to find that someone else had already done it? Have you ever spent hours trying to learn something new, only to find that the person across the hall could have explained it in two minutes?  On this week's show, Ross D and James are joined by author Jane Bozarth to discuss social learning and the challenges of managing knowledge in organisations. If you'd lik...

This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by Hello2morrow's Chloe Walton to ask how far we can generalise 'millennials'. We explore just some of the benefits to be found when organisations encourage conversations across generations, and ask what those of us in L&D, HR and OD do to facilitate these conversations. To share your thoughts on the podcast, you can find us on Twit...

In this episode, Ross D and Owen are joined by Craig Taylor of HT2 Labs to discuss the success of his YouTube channel, 'The Bushcraft Padawan'.  How effective is YouTube at delivering 'learning' content? What does it take to build an audience? What even is bushcraft anyway? All these questions and more are tackled on this week's show.   To share your thoughts on the podcast, you can find us on Twi...

Blockchain is an open, distributed ledger, that records transactions in such a way that it is nearly impossible to edit. That might sound technical, but it creates a level of trust that could reconstruct the architecture of the internet and change the nature of banking, government and education. Will this foundational technology have an impact on Learning and Development? In this week's podcast, a...

Smart recommendation systems are commonplace across consumer sites like Amazon, Netflix and Facebook. But how do they compare with recommendations from a trusted human? In this episode of the GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by Filtered's Marc Zao-Sanders to discuss some of the difficulties around machine recommendations and their place in learning. If you want to share your though...

Following last week's live episode, Ross G and Owen revisit some of the topics covered with the help of our friend Anthony Williams. We discuss whether L&D professionals really reflect on their practice, how design decisions can exclude certain groups, and whether L&D has a God complex. If you want to share your thoughts on the show, you can tweet us at  @RossGarnerGP ,  @OwenFerguson and @Bullsbo...

In our second LIVE episode, Ross G and Owen pitched up on the first night of the CIPD Learning and Development Show to ask: What is the state of our profession in 2018? We tackled this question in front of a live audience of L&D professionals, with special guests Andy Lancaster from CIPD; Jo Cook from Training Journal; and Phil Willcox from Emotion at Work. If you want to share your thoughts on th...

For years the Learning Management System (LMS) has been the foundation of corporate learning but, instead of asking one technology to do everything, why don't we pick and choose the best tools for each job? This week on the podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by ASOS' Adam Harwood to ask whether a 'best of breed ecosystem' is a better approach to learning platforms. If you want to share your thoug...

We're all familiar with terms like 'return on investment', but do we really understand what they mean? Or are we the 'nerd in the schoolyard', pretending to know what the cool kids are talking about so they won't steal our lunch money? This week on the podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by guest Ajay Pangarkar to discuss the business impact of L&D. If you want to share your thoughts on the show,...

What lessons can L&D practitioners learn from the world of marketing? What are the specific challenges of marketing in a learning context? This week on the podcast, Ross D and Stef are joined by Yvonne Chen, VP of Marketing at Udemy for Business, to discuss tactics for engaging and inspiring learners. If you want to share your thoughts on the show, you can tweet us at @ross__dickie , @Stefania_Sco...

For nearly two years, we've been discussing work, performance and learning on this podcast. But we've never yet tackled 'learning design'. This week on the GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G and James are joined by ELTjam's Nick Robinson to do just that.   We explore the controversial idea that you can't design 'learning', compare approaches, and ask whether compliance training can be 'delightful'.   If...

Machine learning is something you probably hear a lot about these days. But what is it? And more to the point, what can it do, and what questions should L&D be asking suppliers? GoodPractice Technical Director Jonny Anderson joins Justin and Owen on this week's show to demystify machine learning and talk through its great potential. If you want to share your own thoughts or ask questions about mac...

What is a learning culture? Why should we want one? And most importantly, how do we build one? Michelle Ockers joins Justin and Owen this week to lay out a roadmap for creating a learning culture in any organisation. If you want to share your own thoughts and experiences with learning cultures, you can tweet us at @WriterJustin ,  @owenferguson , and @MichelleOckers . You can also tweet  @GoodPrac...

Learning technologies are a familiar part of modern life. But how effectively are these technologies actually being used to support learning in organisations?  In this week's episode, Ross G and Owen are joined by Donald Taylor to discuss all things learning tech.  If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can tweet us  @RossGarnerGP ,  @OwenFerguson , and @DonaldHTaylor You can also f...

This week's podcast covers the thorny topic of microlearning. We struggle to even define microlearning, so does the term have any real value? Is it 'chunking'? 'Performance support'? Can we agree on a definition that makes it useful? If so, what is it, and how can we help clients understand it? Ross G and Owen thrash out the answers with microlearning aficionado Shannon Tipton. If you'd like to sh...

This week on the GoodPractice Podcast, we're continuing our discussion around 'design thinking' with a focus on complexity. How can we make the complicated simple? Should this always be our objective? And can we prepare people for chaos? Learning design guru Julie Dirksen returns to the podcast to share her experiences with Ross G and Owen. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can...