L&D Must Change

Change isn’t an event, it’s the air we breathe. In this episode, Jess talks with Holly Burkett about reframing change management as energy management, tackling stacked changes that drain capacity, and recognizing burnout as a workplace issue and not a personal failing. They explore how L&D can read the room on organizational readiness, coach managers to have safe workload conversations, and push for small pilots over all-or-nothing launches. L&D pros have the potential to be powerful change agents.  Jess and Holly Discuss Why change/disruption is the context for learning and performance Stacked changes,” fatigue, and how burnout shows up at work Capacity vs. capability: measuring energy to absorb new demands Reframing resistance as a signal of limited capacity Practical levers for L&D: business cadence, pilots, after-action reviews Equipping managers for safe, honest workload conversations Framing tradeoffs in business terms: “Are we willing to risk it?” Self-care, recovery rituals, and modeling boundaries for teams   About Holly Burkett Holly Burkett is an accomplished talent builder, change leader, evaluator, and workplace learning professional with over 20 years experience as a trusted consultant and business advisor. She is passionate about helping leaders and teams build change-ready learning and performance capabilities that foster high engagement, employee wellbeing, and operational excellence. As a Prosci® certified change practitioner, a Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach®, Associate of The ROI Institute, and select member of The Conference Board, she is a sought-after speaker, coach, and facilitator who is invited to speak regularly at international conferences held by ATD, ACMP, ISPI, and the OD Network. Holly is a frequent contributor to many industry resources including ATDs “Handbook for Measuring and Evaluating Training” (2025), ATDs “Organizational Development Handbook “(2023) – where she wrote the Change Management chapter -- and ATDs Handbook of Training and Talent Development (3rd ed, 2022). An enthusiastic life-long learner, foodie, and travel junkie, she also wrote the award-winning book “Learning for the Long Run”. She earned a doctorate in Human Capital Development and a Masters in Human Resources and Organization Development.   Find and Connect with Holly Burkett LinkedIn Website: www.hollyburkett.com Article: Become a Change Agent (TD, August 2025) Article: Combatting Change Fatigue (TD, Jan 2024) Article: 5 Essentials for Better Change Management (ATD Blog, April 2024) Article: Building Change Management from the Ground Up (Chief Talent Officer) Book: Learning for the Long Run   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: www.jessalmlie.com Book: Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner Subscribe to Jess's Weekly Newsletter: L&D Must Change   Additional Links from this Episode L&D Must Change Episode 35: Conducting Tiny Experiments in L&D with Anne-Laure LeCnuff

What if the real power of L&D isn’t in the content we deliver, but in teaching people how to direct their own growth? In this episode, Jess is joined by Irma Horvath who leads learning at Kahoot! They explore how shifting from “training delivery” to “learning ownership” creates lasting impact. You’ll hear how to spark curiosity, set goals that guide attention, and make reflection the secret sauce of retention. From small experiments to culture-wide shifts, discover how to help people learn how to learn and why that’s more valuable than any course catalog. Jess and Irma Discuss Why “learning how to learn” beats endless training The secret sauce: goals + reflection A simple “test–teach–test” formula that works How to make learning feel safe (and stick) Small experiments that spark big culture change Finding champions to spread new ways of learning Turning boring compliance into curiosity-driven growth About Irma Horvath Irma Horvath is a teacher by heart, a coach by craft, and an L&D leader by choice. She began her career as a teacher and teacher trainer, a path that took her across the world from Spain and the UK to Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Dubai, and Denmark. Along the way, she founded Morea Training, helping organizations design meaningful learning experiences, and later joined the leadership team at Drops, where she helped pioneer ways to make a fully remote team high-performing. Today, Irma leads Learning & Development at Kahoot!, driving global capability-building initiatives with a strong focus on making learning relevant, applicable, and part of everyday work. She’s a PCC-certified solution-focused brief coach and a passionate advocate for empowering people to take ownership of their development. Her mission is simple: create learning that sticks, drives change, and builds cultures where growth is part of how people work - not a box to tick. Find and Connect with Irma Horvath LinkedIn Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Newsletter: L&D Must Change Website: jessalmlie.com Book:  L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner Additional Links as Mentioned in This Episode Article featuring Irma: Don't Just Upskill Your Employees, Create Lifelong Learners, Strategic CHRO360 David A. Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle The Learning Space by Dr. Becky Zone of Proximal Development Get your copy of Jess's new book now! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner is now available wherever books are sold. It's your handbook for creating the change needed to work more strategically and intentionally, in lockstep with the business. Order your copy today! 

The tables have turned! In this episode, Jess Almlie steps into the guest chair as Sarah Cannistra interviews her about her brand-new book, L&D Order Taker No More. Together, they explore why the learning and development profession must shift from being transactional “order takers” to strategic business partners, and how small, intentional steps can create massive impact. Sarah and Jess discuss Why L&D must urgently move from transactional order-taking to strategic partnership, especially in the age of AI The critical mindset shift from “helper” to “partner” and how it changes every conversation Barriers that keep L&D stuck in order-taking mode, and how we unintentionally reinforce them Practical strategies for transformation, including internal and external playbooks The art of the strategic “yes” and “no” to stay focused on high-impact work How reflective questioning can shift stakeholder expectations and outcomes The continuum between order taker and business partner, and why progress comes in increments, not overnight leaps Insights from Jess’s research with dozens of L&D leaders across the field   About Jess Almlie Not only is she the host of the L&D Must Change Podcast and author of the book, L&D Order Taker No More!, but Jess Almlie is also a former Vice President of Learning and a dynamic leader in the learning and development field. She is passionate about empowering L&D professionals to increase our impact by evolving from order takers to strategic business partners. With three decades of experience and a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives, Jess helps organizations solve talent challenges and improve performance through consulting, coaching, and workshops.   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Newsletter: L&D Must Change Website: jessalmlie.com Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner   About Sarah Cannistra Sarah Cannistra is a passionate Learning and Development (L&D) leader and career coach dedicated to helping others grow. She also leads Learning and Development at Rippling. In addition, Sarah is the host of The L&D Career Club Podcast, a top 200 career podcast dedicated to helping professionals break into and thrive in the L&D field.   Find and Connect with Sarah Cannistra LinkedIn Website: https://www.theovernighttrainer.com/ Book: Land Your Next L&D Role: Creating a Career that Works for You Podcast: The L&D Career Club   Special Book Offer from Jess As mentioned in the show, if you read Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! as a group, Jess will come to a one hour virtual Q&A so your group can dive deeper together. All you need to do is reach out to Jess when you're ready. Get your copy of L&D Order Taker No More! today!

How do you measure what you can’t easily see? For L&D and talent development pros, measuring improvement in skills like leadership, collaboration, and communication is a constant challenge. It isn't as easy as measuring technical outputs like sales numbers, quality scores, or production time. We often find ourselves wondering where to begin and how to proceed. In this episode, Jess and Colin J. Hahn explore why this problem keeps resurfacing followed by three highly practical ways to measure these intangibles. From operational definitions to breaking big questions into estimable parts and observing corresponding behavior, they share tools and stories to help you bring the unseen into focus, creating the clarity needed to show business impact.   Jess and Colin Discuss Why measuring intangibles is a constant challenge for L&D/TD Using operational definitions to give context and clarity Breaking intangible skills into estimable parts Applying order-of-magnitude thinking to speed decision-making Watching for outcomes that signal intangible strengths A manufacturing case linking leader behavior to retention and productivity A simple first step to tackle your next measurement challenge   About Colin J. Hahn  Colin J. Hahn, Ph.D., CPTD is an experienced Organizational Development leader who specializes in improving performance through data-driven talent development. In his 15 years of talent development experience, he has led programs that have generated more than $2M in annual impact and improved performance in over 95% of participants. At FranklinCovey, he coaches global clients to align learning strategies to business goals and use data to show the operational impact of their work.   Find and Connect with Colin J. Hahn LinkedIn   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com Subscribe: L&D Must Change Newsletter Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner   Don't miss out on any tips or tricks for improving our profession! Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter for a weekly email including an article, information on the latest podcast, upcoming webinars or conferences where you can find Jess, and more. 

What if the best way to change and develop isn’t with big plans, but "tiny experiments"? Neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff joins Jess to explore how small, low-risk actions can unlock powerful learning, creativity, and change. Whether you’re an L&D leader navigating uncertainty or designing experiences for others, Anne-Laure offers a fresh, science-backed mindset shift. You’ll walk away with new tools to beat perfectionism, escape outdated scripts, and turn curiosity into real progress, one tiny experiment at a time.   Jess and Anne-Laure Discuss Why tiny experiments beat big goals in uncertain environments How to redesign your L&D workflow and projects using curiosity, not willpower A simple tiny experiment formula: “I will [action] for [duration]” How L&D pros can test new ideas without full-scale rollouts Helping learners build agency through their own tiny experiments The surprising downsides of goals and default cognitive scripts Tools for reflecting on progress, including the “Plus, Minus, Next” method The mindset shift from “success vs. failure” to “learning vs. learning more”   About Anne-Laure Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an award-winning neuroscientist and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Ness Labs, where her weekly newsletter is read by more than 100,000 curious minds. Her research at King’s College London focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of lifelong learning, curiosity, and adaptability. Her book, Tiny Experiments, is a transformative guide for living a more experimental life, turning uncertainty into curiosity, and carving a path of self-discovery. Previously, she worked at Google as an executive on digital health projects. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Financial Times, WIRED, and more.    Find and Connect with Anne-Laure Website (Newsletter and more): Ness Labs Book: Tiny Experiments Instagram   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Newsletter: L&D Must Change Website: jessalmlie.com Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner   Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press on September 2, 2025. Order your copy now and be sure to sign up for the L&D Must Change newsletter for weekly articles and book updates. 

What can you do when an employee insists on a promotion, but you don't have one to give? Jess and Al Dea dive into one of the most pressing challenges in today’s workplace: how to keep top talent engaged and growing when promotions are scarce, or not the answer at all. They explore the psychology behind promotion expectations, the systemic gaps in career development, and how L&D teams and managers can lead a smarter, more human-centered approach to growth. You’ll leave with actionable ideas, real-world examples, and a new way to think about employee development.   Jess and Al Discuss Why promotion obsession is a symptom, not the root cause How managers can use curiosity to uncover what employees actually want and/or need Why transparency, honesty, and small actions matter more than grand gestures The hidden influence of educational systems on career expectations Systemic steps L&D can take to redefine development company-wide The power of “going first” with your own team as a testing ground Real-life examples from companies using language and culture to shift the narrative Practical ways to start redefining growth without needing a promotion   About Al Dea Al Dea is a talent and leadership development consultant, facilitator, and speaker. He is the Founder of The Edge of Work, a talent and leadership development firm that helps organizations develop leaders to improve engagement and performance. Al works at the intersection of the future of work, talent, and leadership development. His insights have been published in outlets such as Forbes, Fast Company, and Business Insider. He is also the host of The Edge of Work podcast, which explores the future of work, talent and leadership, and a LinkedIn Top Voice in the Future of Work and Leadership. Previously, Al worked at organizations such as Deloitte Consulting LLP and Salesforce. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business from Boston College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.   Find and Connect with Al Dea LinkedIn Website: www.al-dea.com Podcast: The Edge of Work   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Blog: L&D Must Change Subscribe to Jess's Email List (Weekly Emails) Website: jessalmlie.com Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner   Now Available! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner, published by ATD Press, is now available for pre-order wherever books are sold (official release date is September 2, 2025). To learn more and be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

What if learning didn’t need to be controlled to be powerful? In this episode, Jess sits down with Anamaria Dorgo, a learning and community consultant and founder of L&D Shakers, to explore what happens when we let learning unfold organically. From redefining the role of L&D to creating emotionally rich, immersive learning experiences, Anamaria challenges traditional models and invites us to embrace “scandalous learning” and the power of community. Tune in to discover how to decentralize learning, build learning ecosystems, and design experiences that leave a lasting impact.   Jess and Anamaria Discuss What it means to “let learning roam free” Why communities of practice are so powerful How L&D can shift from being content controllers to learning enablers Best practices for launching an internal community Creative approaches to measuring community impact The concept of “scandalous learning” Why every L&D leader needs a “scandalous learning playground”   About Anamaria Dorgo Anamaria is a Learning and Community Consultant, Learning Experience Designer and Facilitator. She's bringing over 10+ years of experience in HR and L&D, and combines it with 6+ years of building collective learning spaces, in the form of communities of practice. She co-hosts the Mapping Ties podcast, where internal community builders share their work, and writes the IRrEGULAR LEtTER: a newsletter about community + experience design + learning, with a dash of experimental vibes.   Find and Connect with Anamaria Dorgo LinkedIn Newsletter: IRrEGULAR LEtTER Podcast: Mapping Ties   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Blog: L&D Must Change Subscribe to Jess's Email List (Weekly Emails) Website: jessalmlie.com Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner   Additional Links from the Show L&D Shakers Community Newsletter: The Learning Brief Follow L&D Shakers on LinkedIn   Now Available! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner, published by ATD Press, is now available for pre-order wherever books are sold (official release date is September 2, 2025). To learn more and be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

L&D and customer education are similar, but not the same. There is a lot L&D can learn from this parallel profession. In this episode, Debbie Smith joins Jess Almlie to reveal the secrets of successful customer education that L&D should adopt as their own. They discuss why learners should feel empowered, not controlled whether or not those learners are external customers. As well as how L&D can adopt the data-driven, outcome-focused mindset that customer education requires.    Jess and Debbie discuss The top priorities of customer education vs. L&D. The differences in designing for voluntary vs. captive audiences.  Applying Mayer's 12 principles of multimedia design combined with cognitive load theory. Using adoption paired with company drivers and goals as measures for success. Tracking patterns of behavior change long term.  Focusing on long-term business impact.    About Debbie Smith Debbie is the Senior Director of Visier University and president of CEDMA (Customer Education Management Association). She is a Customer Education (CE) leader with extensive experience in CE strategy, certification, instructional design, eLearning design and development, customer experience, and project management. As a member of the CE community, she is a sought-after mentor and thought leader in the growth and evolution of the industry. She has led large and small teams at various SaaS companies and serves on a number of customer advisory boards. She has contributed to two books, multiple podcasts, and webinars. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences.   Find and connect with Debbie Smith LinkedIn Website: Visier University Website: CEDMA DevLearn Conference 2025   Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner Additional Links from the Show Article: Mayer's 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning Article: Cognitive Load Theory and Instructional Design   Now Available! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner, published by ATD Press, is now available for pre-order wherever books are sold! To learn more and be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

Too often, training misses the mark because it skips the most important step. In this episode of L&D Must Change, Candice Mitchell joins Jess Almlie to unpack why context should always come before content in L&D. Candice shares practical strategies for uncovering business needs, building credibility, and shifting away from the traditional order-taker mindset. From gathering macro trends to asking the right stakeholder questions, she illustrates how deeper context leads to faster and more relevant learning solutions. Tune in for a lively, honest conversation full of actionable insights and a few nerdy laughs along the way.    Jess and Candice discuss Flipping our ratio of context to content creation by spending more time understanding business context than creating the content.  A diversified process to gather context in any organization. Overcoming time constraints with the stakeholder who doesn't want to allow for time to gather context. Reframing requests in business terms vs. L&D terms. How to demonstrate value through small wins and consistent communication. Avoiding common pitfalls when responding to training requests.      About Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is the founder of Talent Development Nerds and the creator of the Talent Development Academy® which is a strategic learning program that helps L&D professionals become indispensable partners to the business. She’s a fractional Chief Learning Officer and trusted advisor to companies building capability from the ground up. Candice is known for cutting through the noise with practical, business-first advice and a healthy dose of tough love. Her work spans strategy, change, performance, and culture, and she’s on a mission to make L&D more impactful, more respected, and more energizing, for everyone involved.    Find and connect with Candice Mitchell Website: www.talentdevelopmentnerds.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/ Instagram (so much fun!): https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ Podcast: Development Nerds – available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube link: https://open.spotify.com/show/56cZnQtmXloGpGcDt2McoP?si=d961aac2fadd412f YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd Candice's Impact Toolkit: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/impact   Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner   Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

Join learning consultant Mike Taylor, known for his expertise in instructional design, and L&D strategist Bianca Baumann, who has over 15 years of experience, as they explore the transformative power of a marketing mindset in learning. They discuss creating learner personas, emotional storytelling, and the impactful SURE framework. Discover how subtle shifts can lead to enhanced engagement and effective content design, and learn practical strategies for leveraging marketing tools to inspire learners and drive outcomes.