The Learning & Development Podcast

So here we are again, like so many countries around the world, in Lockdown. But as we’ve learned over the past year, this does not mean that business completely stops and many are finding innovative ways to continue operating and certainly preparing for the next phase: Post-vaccination. In this episode, we get to hear from three successful and innovative L&D leaders about what’s happening in their teams, how they’re preparing for what comes next and their hopes for the future. KEY TAKEAWAYS For many, previous lockdowns were seen as something of a holding pattern, a case of keeping heads above water. Now, operations are seeking to grow during lockdown. There is a huge value in bringing people together and holding a conversation around a table in order to share perspectives and experiences. There can never truly be a digital substitute for this. Experimentation and creativity have become the most productive way of re-shaping the work environment. It has made us realise that collaboration is the key to moving forward. The key to keeping our people motivated is to make sure that our values and our purpose are being effectively communicated and embraced. BEST MOMENTS 'People want to feel valued. They want to feel like they're working towards a unified purpose' 'L&D hasn't changed. This has just challenged us to make it even better' 'It all started with recognising that this is unusual, and that no one has all the answers' 'That creation of blended learning is very much what we're pushing for' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Eva Adam Bio Eva Adam is Learning Design Lead at Philip Morris International providing innovative solutions that help the company to achieve its strategic objectives. Eva leverages digital solutions and Experience Design to achieve real business results and successfully brings employees and stakeholders along with digital transformation. You can follow and connect with Eva via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-adam-25947787/ Alice Collier-Niblett Bio Alice is a thoroughly modern L&D professional with a background of leading with digital solutions and bringing her team and organisation along with her. Previously at ASOS and now with Monzo, Alice is a member of a team that operates in a way that is leading-edge and aspirational for many: Data-driven, performance-focused and agile. You can follow and connect with Alice via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-collier-niblett-849154b8/ Sean Cooper Bio Sean is Learning Demand Design & Delivery Manager at Drax Group, having previously been L&D Manager at Jet2. He is a forward-thinking, outcome-focused L&D leader who uses data, experimentation, Agile principles and digital-first solutions to affect the way the work is done and desired results. In recognition of this, he and his team at Jet2 achieved the Silver Award at the Learning Tech Awards. You can follow and connect with Sean via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-cooper1982/ 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/

Induction is common to all most all organisations. What’s also common is getting it wrong. Hours spent delivering slide after slide after slide with no intention of preparing attendees with the information and know-how that will impact their working. This was the case for Ross Stevenson at Trainline.com and this was the reason he decided to do something different - and do something that works. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D must be seen as absolutely integral to any organisation, so that all of our people recognise the importance and value of developing and growing. By making the learning experience employee-centric, instead of merely convenient and topic-centric, we can all make the difference required to welcome new starters and prepare them for performance. Far too many organisations still deliver "Death By Powerpoint" presentations, but we all know that this does not work effectively any more. Video content is a fantastic way of creating engagement, and far more attractive to people than simple paperwork that is often ignored. BEST MOMENTS 'I'm the A to Z of L&D' 'If we invest in people we can help people grow and have high performing teams' 'To make sure that we provide people with a real value-add experience touches on a human and a digital element' 'It's about not having a finite approach, and looking at an infinite approach' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Ross is Senior Learning & Talent Development Manager at Trainline.com, having previously been Digital Learning Manager at Tesco. He is an advocate of progressive L&D practices that impact individual and organisational performance.  
 In addition, Ross is author of the Steal These Thoughts blog and podcast. 
 You can follow and connect with Ross via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstevensonuk/ Twitter: @_Rsvenson Website: www.stealthesethoughts.com 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/

We’ve discussed the principles of Digital Marketing and its application to L&D in previous podcasts but this one is slightly different. Satoshi and the team at SwissRe have up-skilled themselves and experimented with both the approaches and tools of Digital Marketing to get closer to employees and create a compelling Digital Learning offering. KEY TAKEAWAYS Too few L&D professionals see the overlap between L&D and digital marketing when it comes to efficiently influencing behaviour. The main challenge for democratised learning is how people can find the most relevant content in the moment of need. We recognise things as learning needs based on minimal observation, or even because of our preference, but these things are not real needs. They are assumptions. The principles of marketing can be used to enhance the learning experience. Effective marketing is used to nudge a user along a funnel and towards a proposed end goal. It's the same with learning. BEST MOMENTS 'We put a lot of emphasis on the learning experience. We wanted to be more digital and personalised' 'We have to find ways to promote the right content through digital channels' 'It's so much about education, but it has to start with them' 'We don't have a crystal ball to predict the skills of the future' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Satoshi is Learning Experience Lead at SwissRe and is passionate about learning and emerging technologies. Especially how technology can help to build the most impactful learning solutions and provide everyone access to knowledge at anytime, from everywhere, in the moment of need. You can follow and connect with Satoshi via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satoshi-probala-7a546097/ 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/

As the last episode of 2020, we pause for reflection, summarise some of the learning from 26 episodes so far and look forward to next year. The first episode of 2021 will be released on 5th January. KEY TAKEAWAYS Many priorities from the world of 2019 were put aside in the wake of the COVID pandemic. It has forced us to re-evaluate what's important, and how we work in the world of today. Emerging trends have had a chance to shine in the new working landscape, including agile, experimentation and digital resources. Things have accelerated almost ten years in the space of a mere few months. Expectations of L&D have allowed us to modernise solutions at a never before seen pace. BEST MOMENTS 'We talked through the opportunities for L&D as organisations needed to adapt - and fast' 'We're moving fast to address the emerging needs of employees' 'L&D should become more proficient in its use of data' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 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/

It’s a comparison that provokes strong reactions from L&D professionals who see mostly distinctions between Digital Marketing and Workplace Learning. But both seek to be where people are looking for answers to their questions in order to influence their behaviour, via education and prompts. Not only does L&D have more in common with Digital Marketing than we’d like to admit but Marketers have also been on a journey we’d be wise to follow. We explore all of this and more in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS We are competing for the attention of our people. There is a significant amount of noise in the world right now. The key is to prove the value of learning experiences, and start to build trust in order to win that attention back. There is a huge transformation occurring that has meant a powerful learning for marketing forces, who are able to use this to adapt and evolve as impacts are required to be proven. Far too often, we zero in on the sinister, and some would say intrusive side of digital marketing, instead of looking at the grand opportunity to provide the help that people so clearly crave. Data must never be treated as absolute, but as a tool to help us hypothesise. Data does not mean everything. It merely helps us to gather an informed perspective on proposed outcomes. BEST MOMENTS 'We are in an attention economy' 'It is at that point of need that we have the biggest opportunity to influence' 'The biggest thing is understanding your audience' 'The best decisions I make are based on data' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Ashley has extensive experience of building Marketing functions and is an expert in Marketing automation, search engine optimisation (SEO) and content marketing. Ashley is a Marketing Consultant delivering Marketing skills and solutions for L&D and learning technologies. Branding. Strategy. Original, lead-generating campaigns. Copywriter and storyteller. HubSpot expert; enablement coach. You can follow and connect with Ashley via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashsinclair/ Website: https://www.maas-marketing.co.uk/ 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/

DESCRIPTION L&D is as renowned for not knowing the impact that interventions have as the training that's delivered. For some stakeholders and organisations it’s enough to know that training took place but that’s becoming less and less the case. In this episode, Kevin brings his experience of investigating learning impact via his latest ebook: The L&D Detective Kit For Solving Impact Mysteries. KEY TAKEAWAYS Impact is the extent to which training and learning is activating performance and business goals. The aim of the book is help L&D teams to help measure how training and learning are activating behaviour and performance. Before trying to solve a problem or measure the impact, we must use the impact standards in order to ascertain whether or not it was designed for impact at all. There are six questions designed to define this. We must seek to challenge the ingrained L&D approach, by where a set schedule for training is established, but also the expectations of stakeholders, who see development in a more analogue way, by returning to the question of “What is the business goal?” We must build training and learning solutions with intention, with purpose and specificity, for activating performance in business goals. It is not enough to simply reserve training time and assume that it is enough. We are better to narrowly focus on communication skills that the business has identified as critical. BEST MOMENTS ’This is my way of giving back to the L&D community’ ‘You don't want to put too much work into something and then find that it wasn’t designed for impact’ ‘If all we’re talking about is providing more water-cooler moments, then we’re diminishing our value’ ’The greater opportunity is when we are investing in employees in a way that helps them achieve business goals' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Kevin is the Learning & Development detective, solving the mystery: “What is the impact of learning?” He does this by investigating how learning activates performance and business goals. He is also author of the eBook, 𝘓&𝘋 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, in which he shares the secrets to his success. for investigating and measuring impact.  You can follow and connect with Kevin via: Your free copy of The L&D Detective Kit For Solving Impact Mysteries:  https://kevinmyates.com/l%26d-detective-kit Twitter: @KevinMYates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevmyates/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevmyates/ Website: https://kevinmyates.com/ 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/

As organisations adapt to the challenges of COVID and Lockdown, L&D has adopted the essence of Agile by responding quickly to emerging needs, working closely with those expected to perform differently and being accountable for enabling performance and results.  This has been necessary to play our part but there’s more we can do to develop ourselves and extend our value further. In this episode, Natal breaks it down for us to experiment further with Agile. KEY TAKEAWAYS HR have found themselves on the front line of leading business response to the pandemic. They are not only shaping the future of care for our workforce, but also leading the charge in terms of development and how this is implemented and deployed. The syntax of agile can overwhelm, and in some cases cause us to refute altogether, as the learning curve can sound too steep. If we simply return to the core elements and mindset, it is far easier to implement and understand. Agile is a way of working that has already proven successful in transforming not just functions, but entire organisations. It is far more than a buzzword, and far more effective than micro-learning. Agile is intimately linked with digitalisation. It comes from software development and accelerating so many of the digital products we have in our lives. We cannot separate agile and digital. BEST MOMENTS ‘All eyes on HR!’ ‘What do people need to solve, what are the problems they face, and how do we help them get better?’ ‘It’s the end of the operating model as we know it, and I think that’s a great thing!’ ’The opportunities of what we can now do with connected learning in a digital space is so amazing' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Following over a decade working in senior HR, Talent and Organisational Development roles, Natal Dank is now a leading figure in Agile HR and People Experience. Natal heads up learning, coaching, and community at PXO Culture and is seen as a pioneer in the Agile HR movement. In 2016 Natal hosted the first Agile HR Meetup in London with the aim of building a community of like-minded disrupters, which has since grown into a regular event held across the world from Sydney to Paris and online. A year later she co-founded the Agile HR Community and has recently published the book, Agile HR. Now, through PXO Culture, Natal is focused on defining modern HR for the 21st Century.   You can follow and connect with Natal via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataldank/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NatalDank Website: https://www.pxoculture.com/ 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/

Transitioning to a senior leadership position can be hugely challenging as experienced managers enter unchartered terrain. Without understanding quite what to expect, professionals are thrust into the most challenging of circumstances and many of them will fail.  In this episode, insight is shed onto this transition, with stories, tips and advice from one of the world’s most renowned CLO’s. KEY TAKEAWAYS We must recognise that the building blocks of any successful learning begins with being great business colleagues and partners. A more product-centric approach weakens the strategy. Delivering learning well is of primary focus. We must also consider the potential impact of this learning, and then tell this story in way that demonstrates value. We must consider capability building so that we can source initiatives, externally or internally, in order to meet the needs of the business. Saying yes to any request has almost been seen as validation by learning professionals. But we should never be afraid to say no. We must make each decision meaningfully, and for the good of the business. If we recognise that it is not, we must not compromise. BEST MOMENTS ’The focus starts always with the business’ ‘Don’t be afraid to say no’ ‘First and foremost we must always be aligned to the business’ ‘Being agile is at the core of our being able to grow our business for the future' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Kimo Kippen is a thought leader, speaker and advocate for life-long learning and talent development. A native of Hawaii, Kimo was Chief Learning Officer at Hilton, recognised by CLO Magazine as Chief Learning Officer of the year - 2015, and former VP of HR at Marriott International. 
 You can follow and connect with Kimo via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimokippen/ Website: https://www.alohalearningadvisors.com/ Email: aloha@pobox.com 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/

Learning Games have been popular in L&D for a number of years but whilst the number of games designed and launched for organisational use has been significant, whether they’ve achieved what they’re designed for is another matter. So what does it take to design Learning Games that affect performance and results - and when is it most appropriate? We explore these questions and much more in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Learning games are still very basic, not user-centric, and not even considered to be game-centric. People seem to expect that the addition of leaderboards or the like are enough to create a lasting, impactful experience. Games must be designed around business objectives. We must clearly and initially identify the problem we need to solve before thinking about how to use games to get there. We must design for success. Why are we looking at learning, and what can we do to design true innovation into the learning experience we hope to offer? Games help with specific needs, and aid in a targeted way. For maximum effectiveness, they must be deployed en masse, and if no other type of learning will suit the audience and need. While many L&D budgets are low, it is simply not good enough to produce something lacking in quality and effectiveness. It must meet expectations.  BEST MOMENTS ‘In learning game terms, we’re still in the Pong era’ ‘It’s really hard to build a game that gets any kind of traction’ ‘What does success look like? What is it that you want your learners to do differently?' ‘Games are not a silver bullet’ ‘Game learning is incredibly effective if done well' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Deborah Baird is Learning Design Lead at Philip Morris International as well as a Game Learning Producer and Lecturer. A self-confessed game fanatic, Deborah combines her passion for Learning and Gaming to produce solutions that solve real business problems. 
 You can follow and connect with Deborah via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamelearndebs/ 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/

So many people talk about where L&D is going but who’s actually doing it? Brian Murphy is.  In this episode (recorded prior to lockdown), Brian explains his approach to L&D, how it focuses on - and seeks to address - performance, his "from courses to campaigns" approach and the journey he’s taken with his teams and organisations. KEY TAKEAWAYS Thinking about the profession through a business lens, and being more marketing oriented, has allowed us to see the elements of L&D that require adjustment and upgrading. We cannot hope to implement the same strategic development across a business that stretches across many divisions. The culture of certain departments will be drastically different, and therefore require a unique approach. Informal learning is a huge part of how we learn and develop. We assimilate information far more effectively through exposure to others, and through experiences. We must seek to learn and understand the language of the people that we are trying to support, and what they are trying to do. Beginning from a place of data helps us to realise the critical points of failure. BEST MOMENTS ’There’s never been a better time to be in L&D’ ‘We want people to actually be ready, and what is it that you can do to help us?’ ’Sometimes we mythologise our own abilities and products’ ’The right answer is the right answer' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Brian is an experienced and award-winning L&D leader with a reputation for innovation and achieving results. As Head of Learning & Leadership at Citi, Brian achieved the Gold Award for Innovation In Learning from the LPI (2017) and the same standard for Best Use of Social & Collaborative Learning Technologies from Learning Technologies (2016). Now at AstraZeneca, Brian is Head of Learning Transformation.   You can follow and connect with Brian via: Twitter: @bnmurphy14 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murphybrian1 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/