The Mindtools L&D Podcast

Should we be adopting AI more into our day to day lives? How can L&D professionals move beyond reactive training on specific tools to cultivate a continuous learning mindset in team members?  In this week’s episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Gemma and Dr Anna are joined by to Head of L&D at Newsquest Media Group, Mel Cooley to explore L&D’s relationship with AI.  We discuss:  how L&D is thinking and talking about AI; what L&D can do to support AI integration; how to measure the impact of AI.  In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Dr Anna told us about the extraordinary relationship between wasps and figs. Listen to the Short Stuff: Figs @& Wasps podcast to find out more.  Gemma spoke about journalling and the work of Nichole Sachs. More on this on her JournalSpeak: BreakAwake website.   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:  Gemma Towersey Dr Anna Barnett  Mel Cooley 

Victoria Craig, Global Head of People Development at Spire, discusses the critical intersection of hard science and soft skills in the space sector. She explores the importance of leadership and communication skills, highlighting how they bridge existing workforce gaps. Victoria emphasizes the need for diverse talent and how emotional intelligence enhances collaboration. She also offers insights into supporting mental health in the workplace and shares personal stories about the transitions into management and nostalgic video game experiences.

In this engaging discussion, Mike Taylor and Bianca Baumann, co-authors with a flair for merging marketing and learning, delve into how L&D can borrow from marketing techniques. They explore the creation of learner personas to tailor training and emphasize understanding employee needs. The duo also shares insights on leveraging data for training enhancement and evolving perceptions of learning within organizations. Excitingly, they touch on integrating AI in L&D, showcasing its potential to transform approaches to leadership training.

Danielle Ware, Head of People Development at Busy Bees Nursery, shares her insights on establishing a Learning and Development (L&D) team from the ground up. She discusses the key triggers for creating an L&D department and emphasizes the importance of quick wins. Danielle dives into how data can inform decisions and adapt training initiatives to align with business goals. Additionally, she highlights the balance between compliance training and engaging learning experiences, touching upon the challenges and triumphs faced during this transformative journey.

Collaboration is a vital skill across many fields and disciplines. But effective collaboration is about much more than just working together. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Paula are joined by Fraser Mcdonald, Head of Collaboration at Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) and Deputy Director of the Data for Children Collaborative, to discuss: why collaboration is important when it comes to solving 'wicked problems'; how Mindtools worked with the EFI to develop a game that's designed to build collaboration skills; why a game was the right solution to this problem, and how it's being deployed within the EFI. To find out more about the work Fraser does, check out the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Data for Children Collaborative's websites. In 'What I Learned This Week', Paula mentioned that she'd been digging into the surprisingly wild history of papal conclaves. Fraser recommended the website ToS;DR, which provides an eye-opening breakdown of what we're agreeing to when we use different websites and platforms. And Ross D talked about a recent episode of the 99% Invisible podcast, focusing on the relationship between architecture and tax codes. For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning Content Hub, our Manager Skills Assessment, our Manager Skill Builder and our custom work.  You can also subscribe to our newsletter. Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: Ross Dickie Paula Hughes Fraser Mcdonald

Kenny Temowo, Senior Director of Talent Acceleration at SharkNinja and host of the Inside the Art of Making podcast, shares his fascinating journey from the music industry to workplace learning. He discusses how to unlock creativity in L&D roles, arguing that everyone can tap into their creative potential. Kenny also explores balancing artistic expression with professional expectations, strategies for engaging content creation, and the importance of fostering a supportive creative culture at work. His insights inspire a fresh perspective on learning and development.

Often on this podcast we've spoken about how AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are enhancing our capabilities. But do they also come at a cost? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross Stevenson from Steal These Thoughts joins Ross G and Dr Gent to discuss: the relationship between tasks and skills; whether we are over-relying on AI; the long-term impact of AI use on critical thinking. During the discussion, Ross S discussed the recent robot race in Beijing and the concept of vibe coding, via Lovable. He also mentioned Apple's sometimes-hilarious AI summaries. Gent discussed cognitive offloading. The paper Gent discussed was: Gerlich, M. (2025). AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking. Societies, 15(1), 6. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross G shared how you can use a sausage to interact with your smartphone screen. For more from Ross S, visit Steal These Thoughts. For more from us, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning Content Hub, our Manager Skills Assessment, our Manager Skill Builder and our custom work.  You can also subscribe to our newsletter. Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: Ross Garner Dr Gent Ahmetaj Ross Stevenson

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