The Mindtools L&D Podcast

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

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