In this special book club episode, I’m joined by Kamye Hugley and Laura Goldstone, two incredible members of our L&D Collective book club, to reflect on Talk to the Elephant by Julie Dirksen. We dive into key takeaways from the book, share how we’ve applied its insights to our work, and discuss what we learned from our fireside chat with Julie herself.
We also talk about:
✅ The role of emotional intelligence in learning design
✅ How to balance the "elephant" (emotional brain) and the "rider" (logical brain) in behavior change
✅ Why change is a process, not an event—and what that means for L&D
✅ The power of book clubs and community learning
✅ Real-world examples of applying Talk to the Elephant principles in corporate and nonprofit settings
Since recording this episode, we’ve kicked off our Q1 2025 book club read: Design to Engage by Beth Cougler Blom! It’s not too late to join—our next fireside chat is on March 11, and in April, Beth will be joining us for a special session. Come be part of the discussion!
📌 Join the L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
🔗 Kamye Hugley – LinkedIn
🔗 Laura Goldstone – LinkedIn | YourStoryHaven.com
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Thanks for tuning in—and we’ll talk soon!
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to the Book Club and Participants
06:04 Diverse Backgrounds and Perspectives
08:23 Emotional Intelligence in Learning and Development
12:46 Understanding Change as a Process
16:01 Value and Perception in Learning
20:01 Collaboration and Community in Professional Development
24:35 The Importance of Community in Professional Development
26:02 Embracing Vulnerability and Learning Together
28:07 Applying Insights from Julie Dirksen
28:36 Facilitating Change in Corporate Environments
35:46 Honoring Experience and Feedback in Learning
39:50 Creating a Feedback Loop for Continuous Improvement
