L&D Revolution With Mike Bedford

In an article of the same name, Mike Bedford commentated on a revolution that he’s seeing - and experiencing - in the Learning & Development profession, and encourages us all to get involved. 

In this episode, we discuss the revolution, which is a backlash against ineffective practice and maintaining the status quo.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Revolution is about change. In terms of an L&D revolution we need to change, but we also need to unite behind a common purpose. At present the L&D industry feels too fragmented, but needs to come together or risk becoming obsolete.
• Employees often misperceive L&D as the training itself, rather than the functional improvement that results in effective targeting of training needs.
• Disruption in the sector means breaking the cycle of Order - Content - Delivery. The disruption needs to come from us instead of elsewhere.
• Telling an evidence-based story, and using effective evaluation is far more valuable to L&D and to their respective parent companies, than any kind of stat sheets or numbers.
• Mike has adopted a blended approach towards L&D for his organisation. Because many of the workforce are scattered, he rules nothing out. Some development is done remotely or through e-learning, while some is done in-house. They are currently looking at the first six months of 2020 for potential direction.
• Sometimes, when the training requested by the workforce does not seem a fit, it is Mike’s job to look at the deeper reasons that have led them to ask. The questions asked and the solutions are becoming more bespoke.
• We need to stop being so entrenched in our preferred methods of delivering our craft. We need to be more fluid and embrace the entire profession.
• Ask ourselves how equipped we are to hold the right conversations and develop the solutions that will move the needle.

BEST MOMENTS

• ‘It feels to me like revolution is in the air’
• ‘We’re in the business of improving performance outcomes’
• ‘Disruption needs to come from us’
• ‘LinkedIn knows more about you than your HR department does’
• ‘People think I’m anti-training, but I’m not’
• ‘We’re changing the world one conversation at a time’
• ‘We have more things in common than we do differences'

 

ABOUT THE GUEST

At the time of recording, Mike was Head of Learning & Development and Wellbeing at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. He is a self-proclaimed L&D modernist and blogger.

 

You can follow and connect with Mike via:

Twitter: @BeddyMike

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

Read ‘The L&D Revolution’: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ld-revolution-mike-bedford

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/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/
• Website: https://www.looop.co/