The Mindtools L&D Podcast

In learning and development, we're often tasked with solving problems. But how do we know that the client or stakeholder defining the problem is telling the truth? Are they trying to deceive, or are they deceiving themselves? What questions can we ask that could help us find out? This week on the GoodPractice Podcast, Phil Willcox from the Emotion at Work podcast returns to the show to share his e...

In learning and development we often accept an organisation's design without criticism. But, if we're in the business of improving performance, don't we have a responsibility to challenge that design if we think it will help? This week on the GoodPractice Podcast, Mark Britz from the eLearning Guild joins Ross G and Owen to discuss how far we should push against organisational structures and proce...

'Inspiration' is a word that means something different to different people, but at GoodPractice we feel that we're constantly looking to inspire and be inspired. So this week on the GoodPractice Podcast, we've invited Sean Brown from Virgin Money to share his thoughts on inspiration. We discuss approaches you can take to inspire your learners, and look outside our profession for sources of inspira...

Here at GoodPractice, we often speak about learning tech as if everybody is already using it. This week, we want to take a step back for a discussion on getting started. So, today, international speaker and trendcatcher Ger Driesen of aNewSpring joins Ross and Stef to share his advice for anyone looking to launch their first online solution. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you ca...

Asking good questions, listening carefully, checking facts: all skills associated with journalists. But these are the exact same skills that can help us improve as learning and development (L&D) professionals. On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, L&D's editor-in-chief Martin Couzins joins Ross and Owen to share his insight into the crossover between those two professions, and the lessons you can l...

We recently spoke about the importance of user experience design, but how does this differ in a learning context? On this week's GoodPractice Podcast: Julie Dirksen, author of 'Design for How People Learn', joins Ross and James to explore the importance of 'desirable difficulty'. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find Julie on Twitter @UsableLearning , Ross @RossGarnerGP an...

Mobile technology and the growing popularity of freelancing have helped fuel a boom in co-working. But what does this mean for L&D? This week, Ross Dickie is joined by podcast-regular James McLuckie, along with first-time guests Fiona McBride and Michelle Parry-Slater, to discuss the implications of co-working for L&D. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find Fiona on Twitter...

At GoodPractice, we're big fans of research-based decision-making. So today on the show, we're speaking to Laura Overton from Towards Maturity. Towards Maturity's annual benchmark gives you an opportunity to reflect on your department's achievements, then compares your performance with every other participating organisation. By doing so, you can come up with a plan for where to go next and learn w...

Over the past year or so, the GoodPractice team have produced 50 podcast episodes. To celebrate this milestone, we've asked three of our favourite L&D podcasters to join us in a panel discussion on: podcasting for learning. From 'Emotion at Work', we have Phil Willcox. From 'From Scratch', we have Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine. And from the GoodPractice team we have Ross Garner and Owen Ferguson....

We all make decisions based on evidence, whether hard data or personal experience. But are we really interpreting that evidence correctly, or are we basing decisions on hunch and opinion? In HR and L&D, proponents of evidence-based practice (EBP) encourage us to gather the best available evidence from multiple sources and to weight it appropriately. On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, EBP-enthusi...

At work, a great learning experience doesn't start when they access a course or resource: it starts when they make a decision to become better at their job. On this week's episode of the GoodPractice Podcast, Gemma Critchley from Aviva joins Ross and Owen to discuss UX design for L&D. What is UX design? How far does it's remit extend and how can you start applying UX principles to your learning so...

The internet has changed a great deal in the past 10 years, but has e-learning design kept pace with the consumer market? This week on the GoodPractice Podcast, Wes Atkinson from Appitierre speaks to Ross and James from the GoodPractice team about the importance of responsive design and the future of the e-learning industry. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twit...

This week on the GoodPractice Podcast: building an online learning community can be difficult. How do you encourage people to sign up? And how do you make them stay? Ross and Owen speak to Mike Collins and Ady Howes from DPG to learn about their experience with the DPG Community. Then, in part two, we take a look at Facebook's moderation guidelines to ask if there's anything to be learned for onli...

New tech, new approaches, new fads: Our industry is awash with exciting developments, but do we approach them with the curiosity of a magpie or the curiosity of a scientist? On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G is joined by Owen and Giorgio to look at curiosity in Learning & Development. We discuss the importance of questions, the love of learning and the fun of failing (quickly!). If you h...

Technology advances at an exponential rate – so how on Earth do you keep up with it? What tech could you be using that you don't know about? What should you be thinking about using next year, or in five years? What do you need to think about addressing right now? Technical Director Jonny Anderson and Early Adopter Owen Ferguson join Justin Anderson this week to discuss the dizzying world of new te...

The Learning and Development profession is awash with rich terminology, much of it vague and overlapping. But is the language we use a useful shorthand, an opportunity for priming or an unnecessary distraction?   Then, we'll be previewing next week's CIPD L&D show.  If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find Owen on Twitter  @owenferguson , Louise  @LCampbellGP  and Ross @RossG...

You'll always find a good flaming argument on Twitter, but can it actually be used in a way that's beneficial for work? Marketing and networking are probably obvious options, but are there better ways to make use of this massive communications medium? This week, Justin, James and Paul discuss how best to get started with Twitter, and how to personalise it so it works just for you. If you'd like to...

Is it important for Learning and Development departments to market themselves internally, or should they operate as wizards behind the curtain of learning? This week on the GoodPractice Podcast: Owen, Andrew and Ross G discuss internal marketing for L&D. What can we do to encourage adoption of our interventions? And how do we raise the profile of L&D with senior stakeholders? If you'd like to shar...

Learning and development leaders want to improve performance, while providers are willing to take their cash. So why isn't everybody happy? On this week's GoodPractice Podcast: Owen, Gemma and Ross D discuss the latest research from Towards Maturity, showing that only 60% of L&D leaders believe that they have a grasp on the critical questions they need to ask providers. What are the knowledge gaps...

As technology continues to provide us with more and more ways to stay connected, the boundaries between the office and the home are becoming increasingly blurred. Where once 'work' and 'life' were regarded as competing forces that had to be held in delicate balance, the focus has now shifted towards finding ways of blending the two. This week on the podcast, Ross Dickie is joined by Owen Ferguson...

Nowadays, self-service is the norm when it comes to shopping for groceries, renting a movie, or even opening a new bank account. The likes of Amazon and Netflix have led us to expect that products and services should be available whenever and wherever we want. But is this trend reflected in learning and development? On this week's episode, Ross Dickie is joined by Owen Ferguson and podcast-newcome...

As automation takes over many of our routine tasks, how should HR and L&D professionals respond? Do they have the skills to focus on improving 'organisational effectiveness' or will they be left behind as business leaders increasingly seek answers elsewhere? If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter @RossGarnerGP, @petercasebow, @GoodPractice or @GoodpracticeAus....

Most of us working in L&D will have come across pop psychology in one form or another, but what are the actual psychological insights that can guide our practice? On this week's episode of the GoodPractice Podcast, Sukh Pabial joins Owen and Ross to share his thoughts on psychology and behavioural economics. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter  @RossGarnerG...

In the social media age, has print journalism had its day? And is it possible to host a good webinar? On this week's episode of the GoodPractice podcast, Training Journal Deputy Editor Jo Cook joins Ross and James to discuss the ways that learning and development professionals share ideas.   If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter  @RossGarnerGP ,  @jamesmcluck...

What does a facilitator actually do? Who needs one? And what on Earth is an unconference? In this week's GoodPractice podcast, Justin Anderson and Owen Ferguson are joined by 'Delightful Goddess' ™ Julie Drybrough, director of Fuchsia Blue, founder of the Facilitator Shindig and unconference organiser, to answer these questions and more. If you have any thoughts on the show, you can tweet us @Writ...