The Modern L&D Leader’s Skill Set With Adam Harwood

In the last 12 months, Adam has gone from Digital Learning Partner at ASOS, to L&D Manager for Revolut and, finally, Head of L&D at D&D London. And not because he’s flighty but because his skills are in high demand. In the episode, Adam talks about his rapid rise in L&D and what others can take from his focus and development. 

  

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

Resources before courses 

• The sweet spot is where we can help people to get stuff done by creating things that speak to their challenges and questions. 
• It all comes down to asking the questions. 
• A business starts and ends with the people. 
• It's working with and for the client in an agile sense focusing on the outcomes rather than the product. 
• It’s all about taking them on a journey building resources that can actually help. 

• Performance support is at the core of resources. Asking questions and unpacking the answers ensures you can really help and drive effective change across an organisation. 
• If you want to be the change that you see and create the job you want then you need to understand the background and mandate of the organisation. 

Finding the right people 

• You have to work hard to find people who are truly forward-thinking, reframing what you are looking for to attract the disrupters who will drive change. 
• Its someone who is willing to find out what the real challenges are, and seek the real answers. 

• It's having an appreciation that digital is woven into our lives at all points of time 
• For any young aspiring learning and development person, there are great opportunities 
• It's about being in real life and wanting to make a difference 

Understanding  what is holding L&D back from having a greater impact 

• Organisations have an expectation of what an L&D department is for within the company. 

• We are stuck in the prison of what we have always been doing when there are real problems and challenges that need to be supported. 
• When learning and development reappraises and understands that it can have a more important role then it will be able to focus on creating that role within a company. 
• It's about what the problems really are and understanding how you can support individuals in solving them. 

  

BEST MOMENTS 

‘Wanting to affect what is important to the business and increase the expectations of what the L&D function can do, it's bold and it's brave’ 

It's easy to run a schedule of programs because it's easy to measure 

 ‘I looked at what they are trying to achieve as a company and how L&D could remove the friction’  

 

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

The Learning & Development Podcast 

  

ABOUT THE GUEST 

ADAM HARWOOD 

  

Adam Harwood is Head of L&D with D&D London, having recently been both L&D Manager at Revolut and Digital Learning Partner at ASOS.  

Adam is renowned for his views on digital and its potential to transform L&D and truly affect employee performance in service of organisational results.  

In addition, Adam is active in the L&D community. 

 

GUEST CONTACT METHOD 

You can follow and connect with Adam via: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamharwood26 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamharwood1984/ 

Article Adam mentioned in the chat: https://peopleatwork.cipd.co.uk/2018/12/21/were-the-ones-who-bring-people-together/

  

ABOUT THE HOST 

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

  

CONTACT METHOD 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 

Website: https://www.looop.co/