The Mindtools L&D Podcast

Explore the transformative power of podcasts as effective learning tools, especially for millennials. Dive into the evolving role of L&D professionals in today's workplace and the call to improve communication practices, particularly around email. Discover the importance of psychological safety and the balance of emotions at work, from frustration to humor. Plus, hear personal anecdotes about enhancing presentation skills and engaging with listeners through shared experiences.

Dive into the intriguing world of delegation in management! Discover why some managers hand off tasks that are too challenging and how organizational culture influences these decisions. The hosts unpack the psychological hurdles managers face when delegating and discuss techniques for clearer communication. Learn about innovative training methods like serious games to enhance delegation skills. Plus, enjoy a light-hearted look at the decline of moving trends and the delightful science of double yolkers!

Many organizations treat 'inclusion' and 'wellbeing' as separate issues, but Dr Serena Huang - author of The Inclusion Equation - argues that the two are intrinsically linked. And, that data is how you can make better decisions about how to make a positive impact on both. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Serena joins Ross G and Dr Anna to discuss: Why these two areas are inseparable Why data in this space isn't as 'unmeasurable' as it seems Two approaches to data gathering that you can start using today. During the discussion, Dr Anna referenced ProPublica's reporting on the bias they discovered in software used to predict future criminals. Ross referenced the work Mindtools did with Burberry, around 'allyship'. In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Ross discussed the origin of the term 'Bluetooth', which he learned from The Rest is History podcast. Dr Serena's book, The Inclusion Equation, is available now. For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.  And to speak to our Insights team (including Dr Anna) about your learning measurement needs, just send her a note on LinkedIn or email custom@mindtools.com Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: Ross Garner Dr Anna Barnett Dr Serena Huang

We might think that what makes our team culture great (or awful) is different from what supports our learning and development. Are they so different, though?  In this week’s episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Gemma are joined by L&D professional turned Culture Manager, Lois Ratcliffe to discuss:  what ‘culture’ is and how it gets measured;  what it takes to have a good feedback culture;  the features of a learning culture.  Lois refers to the three layers of organisational culture proposed by Shein. To find out more about Shein, here’s one of our articles on Achieving Culture Change.   In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Lois recommended The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells for a thought-provoking read with an AI theme.   If you’re feeling time-poor, Gemma recommended the book 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman.  For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.    Connect with our speakers     If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:  Ross Dickie  Lois Ratcliffe  Gemma Towersey 

Martin Ritchie, the Digital Learning Manager at Virgin Money, dives into the world of digital learning content libraries. He discusses innovative strategies for boosting engagement and awareness of these vital resources. Key topics include promoting proactive learning mindsets, enhancing user access through simplified systems, and the significance of storytelling in learning experiences. Ritchie emphasizes the transition from traditional to informal and collaborative learning methods, highlighting the role of digital platforms in fostering a vibrant learning culture.

Most organizations offer some kind of content library to help their people develop. But how much content is too much? How do you give your people choice, without overloading them? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Ross D are joined by Rosemary Hoskins (formerly of AstraZeneca), to discuss: Why are extensive content libraries a problem (as well as a solution) for organizations? What mechanisms help people find the right content, at the right time? Does it matter if people like the content we provide? The article Rosemary wrote with Marc Zao-Sanders was 'A framework for discoverability'. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D recommended the Supercommunicators podcast, from Slate. G discussed the rise of 'zero-click search'. For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our Manager Skill Builder, and our custom work.  Connect with our speakers  If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: Ross Garner Ross Dickie Rosemary Hoskins

Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence once again topped the results of Donald Taylor’s Global Sentiment Survey. Almost every other option on the survey lost vote-share this year, with the exception of the ‘value trio’. So, what do these findings tell us about the state of L&D, and how the profession is evolving?  In this week’s episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Don joined Ross D and Ross G for our annual breakdown of the survey’s results. We discuss:  what the Global Sentiment Survey is (and what it isn’t);  AI's unprecedented dominance of the survey, and the conclusions we can draw from this;  the return of the ‘value trio’;  the extent to which L&D’s perceived challenges align with perceived ‘hot’ topics.  To read the full Global Sentiment Survey 2025 report, head to Don’s website.  In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Ross G recommended the 'Tab limit’ extension for Google Chrome.  Ross D referenced Jared Cooney Horvath’s video ‘CheatGPT | A textbook case of bad research’.  And Don mentioned the paper ‘A systematic literature review of artificial intelligence (AI) in coaching: insights for future research and product development’, from The Journal of Work-Applied Management.  For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.    Connect with our speakers     If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:  Ross Dickie  Ross Garner  Donald Taylor 

It’s ‘Bring Your Paper to Work’ day at Mindtools Towers, as Ross G, Ross D and Dr Anna each take turns to share an academic study that they think has key insights for L&D professionals. We discuss: The impact of AI on critical thinking, as investigated in: Lee, H. P. H., Sarkar, A., Tankelevitch, L., Drosos, I., Rintel, S., Banks, R., & Wilson, N. (2025). The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers. How consultants who use AI act either as ‘cyborgs’ or ‘centaurs’ in: Dell'Acqua, F., McFowland III, E., Mollick, E. R., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., Kellogg, K., Rajendran, S., ... & Lakhani, K. R. (2023). Navigating the jagged technological frontier: Field experimental evidence of the effects of AI on knowledge worker productivity and quality. Harvard Business School Technology & Operations Mgt. Unit Working Paper, (24-013). Why we should go beyond 'choice architecture' to look at 'choice infrastructure' in: Schmidt, R. (2024). A model for choice infrastructure: Looking beyond choice architecture in Behavioral Public Policy. Behavioural Public Policy, 8(3), 415-440. During the discussion, Anna referenced our previous podcast with Erica Werneman Root, What does ‘AI literacy’ look like in organizations? She also mentioned a blog from Ralph Losey on centaurs and cyborgs. And we discussed Ross G's newsletter on augmentation vs upskilling. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D discussed Chesteron's fence. Anna discussed whether women can run faster than men over ultralong distances, via More or Less. As a brief aside, apologies for the slightly worse audio on Ross G's track this episode. After 430+ episodes, he's still making mistakes. For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.   Or email custom@mindtools.com. Connect with our speakers     If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:  Ross Dickie  Anna Barnett  Ross Garner

In this engaging discussion, Erica Werneman Root, a legal consultant and co-founder of Knowledge Bridge, delves into the critical concept of AI literacy in organizations. She highlights the compliance implications of AI as technologies evolve, emphasizing the urgent need for employee upskilling. The conversation also explores the intriguing balance between AI and human skills, addressing risks associated with 'shadow AI.' Root shares insights on how L&D can effectively integrate AI literacy into training, ensuring a compliant and innovative workplace.

In last week’s episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we explored sales enablement from the perspective of sales and marketing teams. But where do product teams fit in? Beyond building products, what role do these teams play in generating revenue?  For the second instalment in our two-part series on sales enablement, Ross D and Lara are once again joined by Darren Bezani, Chief Salecologist at Salecology, to discuss:  why it’s important to involve product teams in sales enablement;  the behaviors we want product teams to demonstrate;  how L&D can support this, beyond simply providing training.  To learn more about Darren’s work, head to salecology.com.  In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Lara mentioned A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass.  Ross D recommended Warren Zanes’ book Deliver Me from Nowhere, exploring the making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.  For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.    Connect with our speakers     If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:  Ross Dickie  Lara Kidd  Darren Bezani