L&D Must Change

L&D and change management may be different professions, but they are deeply interconnected. In today's episode, Jody Lumsden shares how the intersection of these two approaches benefits everyone involved.  This episode covers: How L&D practitioners add value to change management initiatives. Key change management models that can enhance L&D effectiveness.  The importance of zooming out to see the bigger picture of the change beyond training requests. Aligning the timing of learning/training interventions with the change curve. L&D as an advocate for the "people side" of change, complementing technical focuses. Tailoring the messages and messengers based on the stage of change.  How L&D can equip managers to have meaningful conversations during change.  ...And more!   About Jody Lumsden: Jody Lumsden is a consultant, speaker, facilitator and author of Needs Assessment on a Shoestring. She has expertise developing and implementing strategy and data-driven performance metrics in the areas of adult and workplace learning, curriculum planning, change management, and leadership coaching. Check out Jody's LinkedIn profile to personally connect to her. You'll also find a link to buy her book, recordings of presentations, podcast episodes, and published articles.   Find and connect with Jess Almlie here: LinkedIn Website: Almlie Consulting Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter   Additional links from this episode: Understanding the Kubler-Ross Change Curve in the Workplace Kotter's 8-Step Change Model Prosci Change Management ATD Change Management Certificate Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP)  

Hiring and developing the best L&D team isn't easy. Determining needed roles, writing a clear JD, selecting the appropriate amount of prior expertise needed, and working with recruiters (who may or may not "get" what L&D does) all add to the complexity. Then, there's the issue of developing the teams we have - ensuring team members continue advancing their L&D skills and expertise. We need to keep pushing team members (and ourselves) outside of our comfort zones to make a bigger impact!  Join Jess Almlie and guest Laurel Schulert as they discuss these challenges and more related to hiring and developing an L&D team.  You'll hear:  What to prioritize when hiring for L&D roles How to leverage different hiring sources Tips for writing JDs, screening candidates, and working with recruiters Ideas for team member development, no matter the size of your budget About Laurel Schulert: Before moving to the corporate tech world, Laurel previously taught secondary English and was an adjunct professor of English as a Foreign Language. She holds a M.S. Ed. in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University, and a B.A. in Education from Eastern Michigan University. Laurel wrote the June 2023 TD at Work guide, “A-List L&D Team, Assemble,” earned the Master Performance Consultant certificate through ATD, and presented at the ATD International Conference & EXPO from 2022-2024 and the 2021 DevLearn conference. Find and connect with Laurel Schulert here:  LinkedIn TD at Work Article: A-List L&D Team, Assemble! Article: Best Practices for L&D Job Descriptions Article: L&D Skills for 2024 and Beyond Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn Website: Almlie Consulting Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter  

Most L&D pros operate and design from a particular bias based on our primary behavioral (biological/neurological) drivers - the drive to learn and the drive to bond. Spoiler alert, not everyone is driven by these. If we design, promote, and deliver our learning solutions with our drivers leading the way, we become less effective for certain groups. Join Jess Almlie and guest Jay Johnson to talk about how L&D can combat "trainer bias."  In this episode you'll hear:  Definitions for the four biological and neurological drivers dictating how our brain makes choices on what we do every day.  The primary drivers for L&D (drive to learn and drive to bond) vs. those for other professions and roles.  How focusing only on our own primary drivers makes us less effective in L&D. Why it's important to balance all four drivers in our work.  How L&D needs to think and approach our work differently according to all four drivers.  About Jay Johnson:  Jay Johnson works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and elevate leadership. He is a Co-Founder of Behavioral Elements®, a two-time TEDx speaker, and a designated Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. With a focus on behavioral intelligence, Jay supports trainers and coaches in designing, developing, and implementing programs that drive behavioral change. Find and connect with Jay Johnson here:  LinkedIn Website: https://www.behavioralelements.com Email: jay@behavioralelements.com Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn Website: https://www.jessalmlie.com Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter Additional resources mentioned in this podcast:  Book: Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices by Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria Podcast: The Talent Forge: Elevating L&D: From Fast Food to VP with Jess Almlie (Jay's interview with Jess!)  

Sometimes, in L&D, we get buried in our thinking about fantastic, carefully designed, detailed programs. So much that we can miss the simple, inexpensive, powerful solutions that are right under our noses. In today's episode, Jeannine Lanoux discusses the simple power of book discussions in the workplace, including the results of her research on their effectiveness.  You'll hear:  The power of book discussions as a simple, inexpensive, quick learning intervention with lasting results. The benefits of book discussions for leadership development, culture change, alignment, relationship building, and more.  How book discussions strengthen teams. The most important elements to facilitating a good book discussion.  How a book discussion can neutralize potentially emotionally charged topics. About Jeannine Lanoux:  Jeannine Lanoux is CEO and founder of Lanoux Learning, a firm committed to transforming people and organizations to achieve their next best level. She is an executive coach, who is also experienced at rolling out large-scale culture change initiatives, directing leadership development programs for everyone from frontline managers to executive leaders, and guiding talent management practices tied to business strategy. She is adept at sculpting enterprise-wide learning to enhance both knowledge retention and transfer. Find and connect with Jeannine here:  LinkedIn Website: lanouxlearning.com Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter Website: Almlie Consulting Recommended books:  Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman Reality Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace, & Turn Excuses into Results by Cy Wakeman Human First, Leader Second: How Self-Compassion Outperforms Self-Criticism by Massimo Backus Measurement Demystified: Creating Your L&D Measurement, Analytics, and Reporting Strategy by David Vance and Peggy Parskey The Modern Learning Ecosystem: A New L&D Mindset for an Ever-Changing Workplace by JD Dillon Coming in 2025: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner by Jess Almlie

Dr. Alaina Szlachta, founder of By Design Development Solutions and an expert in data enablement, dives into the importance of data literacy and business acumen for L&D professionals. She illustrates how emotional insights can enhance data-driven decisions, particularly in onboarding. Dr. Szlachta emphasizes continuous measurement over retrospective evaluations and introduces her upcoming book, which aims to simplify measurement strategies. Listeners gain practical tips and questions to better align L&D efforts with business goals.

What if there were tools available to everyone in our organizations that would answer our questions and guide us through complicated tasks exactly at our moment of need? What if we, as L&D pros, could intentionally design such tools to provide informal learning in the flow of work? We can! It's called a "digital coach" and it just might be a game changer. Join me and today's guest, Chris King, to talk about this concept, when it's best to use it, and how fancy (or not) it needs to be.    You'll hear: The most important purpose of L&D = enabling and changing behavior in the workplace L&D's capability for formal and informal learning A clear definition of the "digital coach"  The five moments of learning need What to do in classroom training vs. informal approaches The importance of methodology before technology Starting to incorporate a digital coach into your work Chris King is in his third decade in L&D, creating learning that actually improves performance and changes workplace behaviors. Recently, as the Executive Director of the 5 Moments of Need® Academy, he was responsible for spreading the word about digital coaches, workflow learning, and optimizing how organizations learn and perform. He is a project manager, a culture transformation architect, and an innovation catalyst for inspired learning solutions. His passion is optimizing how organizations learn and perform. He leverages his credentials as a 5 Moments of Need® Designer, Project Management Professional, Certified ScrumMaster, and a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® certified facilitator to modernize learning and get [stuff] done.   Find and connect with Chris King here: LinkedIn Five Moments of Need   Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter Website    Additional Links from the Show:  Book: Electronic Performance Support Systems by Gloria Gery

In the last year, Abigail Wheeler Charlu (Abby) interviewed 50 L&D professionals in a variety of roles to learn more about the L&D landscape. She was curious about what people do in this profession, the breadth and depth of different roles, the skills and knowledge in each. In this episode, she shares her key takeaways and insights as well as a bit about her subsequent thoughts on how L&D needs to change as a result.  Tune in to hear Abby and Jess discuss the results of Abby's informal research study including: Why study all these L&D roles?  The breadth of the L&D profession The many opportunities for specialization within L&D The wide variance of L&D titles  The critical need to clearly tie L&D to business objectives The emergence of internal talent marketplaces Common knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for success in L&D Advice for those looking to transition in L&D roles Abigail Wheeler Charlu (Abby) is a program manager, learning strategist, and performance consultant with over 9 years of leading end-to-end learning and leadership development programs. She leverages strong skills in research methods, relationship building, project management, marketing, facilitation, and analytics to enable skills development, drive change, and uplevel performance.   Abby holds a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology and has deep experience supporting global teams. She is driven by curiosity, collaboration, and impact and is on a mission to equip individuals, teams, and organizations with the skills they need to thrive in this human era of work. Currently, Abby is a Program Manager and Lead Learning Experience Designer at AROSE Group, a boutique leadership and organizational development consulting company where she designs and delivers custom leadership development programs and supports the creation and execution of thought leadership and industry knowledge.  Find and connect with Abby here:  LinkedIn Listen to the 50 Interviews: Surveying the L&D Landscape (podcast) Website: AROSE Group Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter Website: Learning Business Advisor Consulting

Why do we try to navigate complex, ever-changing careers relying on only ourselves or a manager? Why do we tend to think that career development needs to be a program or process? According to Julie Winkle Giulioni, career development champion, thought leader, and guru, we are making it too complicated. We need to simplify career development down to quality conversations. Conversations that we have together with our peers, our managers, and more. Career development should be a team sport.  Tune into this episode and hear Julie and I discuss:  Making career development a team sport How career development is different in our current day and age The beauty of hindsight, foresight, and insight Immobilizing myths that hold managers and L&D back from effective career development The power of asking great questions as a simple career development tool Key elements within Julie's new book, Help them Grow or Watch them Go with co-author Beverly Kaye Julie Winkle Giulioni is a champion for workplace growth and development and helps executives and leaders optimize talent and potential within their organizations. One of Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 speakers, she’s the author of Promotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive and the co-author of the international bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Organizations Need and Employees Still Want, translated into seven languages. Julie is a regular columnist for Training Industry Magazine and SmartBrief and contributes articles on leadership, career development, and workplace trends to numerous publications including Fast Company and The Economist. You can keep up with Julie through her blog and LinkedIn. Find out more and connect with Julie Winkle Giulioni here:  LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Book: Promotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive New Book! Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Organizations Need and Employees Still Want Website:  https://www.help-them-grow.com Find out more and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter Website: www.lbacllc.com One note on pre-orders for Julie's new book!  Pre-order Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go and you will gain access to a specially curated library of microlearning videos from Julie Winkle Giulioni and Bev Kaye on a range of important topics that will enhance your leadership and help you get the most from the book – all provided by AthenaOnline. Just place your pre-order with your favorite bookseller, share your information here (https://www.help-them-grow.com/athena-online/), and jumpstart your career development efforts immediately. (Note: This offer will expire on September 24.)

Is a lack of strategic thinking holding us back? Today's guest, Mary Rapaport, believes that when we channel a more strategic mindset, the business culture thrives, teams become more creative, and employees lean in and engage more. The challenge is that we are up against a work culture that rewards execution over thinking, reflection, and strategy. Let's change that!  In this episode you'll hear: Upping the impact of L&D by thinking of ourselves as businesspeople first and L&D functional experts second.  Strategic thinking as a mindset and a skillset.  Turning data into insights.  Maturing the L&D function to be more strategic. The importance of understanding your company's growth strategy. Understanding what executives really care about.  Integrating strategic thinking into our day, instead of checking it off our list. The challenge of operating in a culture that rewards us for getting stuff done instead of thinking and reflection.  One thing L&D can do today to start working more strategically. Mary Rapaport is on a mission to democratize strategic thinking. She believes it's not just for the elite few, but for everyone in an organization. When everyone channels a strategic mindset, the business culture thrives, teams become more creative, and employees lean in and engage more. Cultivating this mindset helps leaders create a better (and more fun) place to work, fostering a stronger culture of creativity and innovation. As a strategic thinking architect, Mary empowers leaders and teams across all functions and levels to think, act, and lead more strategically. As the founder of Xcelerate, she builds learning strategies, designing and delivering immersive learning experiences that ignite "aha moments" and drive tangible business results. Mary also champions inclusive growth through the Minority Business Growth Alliance, a non-profit providing invaluable coaching and support to BIPOC entrepreneurs. She holds an MBA, a BA in International Business and French, and is a certified leadership and sales trainer. Mary has extensive experience in marketing, transformation, and strategic initiatives. She also serves as the current president of the Twin Cities chapter of the Association of Talent Development. Find and connect with Mary Rapaport here:  LinkedIn Website: Xcelerate Learning Experience: The Strategic Playground Strategic Thinking Resources  Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn L&D Must Change Newsletter Website: Learning Business Advisor Consulting  

Robyn A. Defelice, a learning intrapreneur and seasoned L&D expert, dives into how learning and development can become key business partners instead of just service providers. She advocates for a mindset shift, encouraging L&D professionals to collaborate more strategically and embrace systems thinking. Robyn emphasizes the importance of storytelling and understanding stakeholder perspectives, even drawing on Captain Kirk's leadership style as a model. The conversation challenges norms and inspires L&D teams to take control of their impact on organizational success.