The Mindtools L&D Podcast is a must-listen for anyone involved in Learning and Development or Human Resources. The weekly show features regular appearances from the Mind Tools team plus special guests to get right to the heart of issues affecting the L&D and HR communities. From learning needs analysis and evidence-based practice through to the impact of technology on work and hot topics at industry conferences, you'll get critical insights into the world of work, performance and learning.
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This week, we're revisting one of our favorite episodes from last year, focusing on the role of play at work. All children play but, over time, that instinct goes away. We don't lose it, we don't forget. Instead, we get taught to stop. For author and toy designer Cas Holman, that's a problem. With a very real impact on business performance. In this episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Cas joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss: how traditional workplaces surpress play the business benefits of p...
You know those people who seem to command a room with a certain gravitas? How are they doing it? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Gemma is joined by Frankie Kemp and Ross D to explore: what presence is the difference between presence and presentation techniques to use to develop your presence. During the discussion, Frankie referenced: ' Why You Need Charisma ' (via Harvard Business Review) ' Can Charisma Be Taught? Tests of Two Interventions ' (via Academy of Management...
If AI is so transformative, how come it's so hard to adopt? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross G is joined by Mindtools Kineo AI Strategy Director Rodrigo Bolaños to explore: the hype surrounding AI's potential the reality experienced by many organizations how to drive AI adoption at scale. During the discussion, Ross G referenced: ' The state of AI in 2025 ' (via McKinsey) ' The AI Adoption Reality Check ' (via Thomson Reuters) ' Many workers are using unapproved AI ...
Last week, the Mindtools Kineo gang attended the Learning Technologies exhibition and conference, Europe's largest L&D event. And so, this week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D, Ross G, Gemma and Matt are regrouping to discuss: our personal highlights from Learning Tech what the conference tells us about the shape of the industry the key themes that emerged over the course of the two days who and what industry conferences are for in 2026. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross G mentio...
Throughout human history, technology has disrupted the way we communicate with one another. But according to Andrea Pacini, the fundamental principles behind effective communication haven't changed, and are as relevant today as they were in the past. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Andrea joins Ross D and Anna to discuss his forthcoming book, Timeless Presenter . We cover: what the book is about, and how it differs from Andrea's previous book, Confident Presenter why th...
80% of the world's workforce are deskless, but L&D teams spend most of their time worrying about the 20%. Speaker, advisor and author JD Dillon is on a mission to change that with The Frontline Enablement Playbook . In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , JD joins Ross G and Ross D to discuss: why the 80% get neglected why frontline managers are the most important people in the business strategies for supporting deskless workers. To find out more about JD, visit jddillon.co...
It's once again 'Bring Your Paper to Work' day here at Mindtools Kineo, as Ross G, Dr Anna and Ross D each take turns to share an academic study that they think has key insights for L&D professionals. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , we discuss the following papers: Rogelberg, S. G., Kreamer, L. M., & Gray, J. (2026). 'Thirty years of meeting science: Lessons learned and the road ahead.' Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 13 ,...
Last year, we recorded an episode on whether "self-directed learning" is a myth. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , we ask how we can create an environment where this behavior thrives. Ross G and Cammy are joined by Stella Collins to discuss: What needs to be in place for self-directed learning to flourish? How can L&D pros create this ecosystem? What are the biggest barriers to self-directed learning? During the discussion, we mentioned action learning sets . We also ...
Managers are inundated with potential development areas, from technical skills to complex behaviors. But are you focusing on the right ones? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , our in-house Insights experts Dr. Anna Barnett and Dr. Nina Harrison speak to Claire about: how recent research reveals some unexpected co-benefits to managerial skill building how these insights can help us to look at organisational problem areas differently. You can download the infographic at mind...
Completion stats are a vanity metric. Happy sheets are pointless. Revenue impact will get you a seat at the table. We've all heard these statements from conference stages. Some of us, your hosts included, might even have said them. But in this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , we wanted to dig a little deeper. We invited Evolve L&D's Tom McDowall to join Ross G and Claire, to discuss: why the context behind completion metrics is crucial to understanding them how to design eff...
Hello listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to take the opportunity to dig into the vault and revisit an old favorite from 2024 with Ben Betts. At the time we recorded this one, Ben had receently published a blog post, in which he wrote that 'the LMS is the first point of entry to learning; the front-of-house of our industry.' While that front-of-house may look a little different now than it did twenty years ago, and despite the oft-repeated claim that the LMS is dying, it remains t...
Often, leaders are promoted into their roles because of their ability to solve problems. But that strength can become a weakness when it leads to dependency, creating an environment where the leader is always swooping in to save the day. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D and Cammy are joined by Bill Flynn, CEO of Catalyst Growth Advisors and author of The Hero Trap , to discuss: what the 'hero trap' is and why leaders fall into it; why the behaviors that bring earl...
In the introduction to the latest Global Sentiment Survey report, Donald Taylor describes this year's results as 'the most significant' in the survey's history. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Don joins Ross D and Ross G to discuss: whether interest in AI has peaked; why Don believes the results reflect a breaking of old norms; the steady climb of 'showing value' and the relative decline of 'learning analytics'; the key challenges L&D professionals are facing; the t...
Cafes, restaurants and car washes all use points and rewards to drive behaviors. Can we do the same with our Learning Management Systems? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Incentli's Jeff Campbell speaks to Ross G and Ross D about: how digital currencies give LMS administrators levers they can pull to drive behavior the role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on learning the impact of branded swag on learner advocacy In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D discussed GitH...
If you're going in for surgery, make sure to get scheduled first thing. When you buy new clothes, wash them before you wear them. Never use a ceramic cup in a coffee shop. These are the kind of insider secrets that get shared on Reddit, and we thought it would be fun to ask the L&D community on LinkedIn to share a few of their own. And boy, did they have secrets to share! In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross G and Cammy review the top responses, including: we can't ...
To help organizations reap the benefits of AI while meeting regulatory requirements, many L&D teams are rolling out AI skills programs. But how do we design these programs in a way that shapes consistent, compliant behaviors, while helping colleagues develop the judgment they need to navigate messy, real-world situations? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D and Cammy are joined by Alyn Kinney, Senior Learning and Development Manager at T-Mobile, to discuss: how o...
Pressure from above, pressure from below; little appreciation from either. That's the experience of work for many middle managers! This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast , author Gary Cookson joins Ross G and Dr Anna to discuss his new book, The Squeezed Middle , with a focus on: why managers are so misunderstood and undervalued the skills middle managers require to succeed how we can all help build middle managers. During the discussion, Ross G referenced the World Economic Forum's ' Future...
For most of us, compliance training is a regular feature of our working lives. Instead of inducing a mexican wave of eye-rolls, what can we do to design compliance training that has impact? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Gemma, Cammy and Layla discuss: Creating compliance-based learning experiences that change mindsets and behaviors; Meeting the needs of time-poor learners; How to measure the impact of compliance training. As mentioned, we do have plenty more thoughts o...
Induction programmes play a crucial role in shaping the way a new starter thinks and feels about an organization. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Ross D, Cammy and Claire discuss: what makes induction programmes different from other L&D initiatives; how an 'accomplishment framework' can help new starters (and learning designers!) break induction down into manageable chunks; how to measure the impact of induction programmes. Click here to download a free accomplishme...
Learning design work is often accompanied by various forms of uncertainty — ambiguous performance needs, vaguely defined scope, shifting stakeholder expectations... In his book The Instructional Designer's Guide to Project Management , Dr Guieswende Rouamba describes this condition as 'the fog of instructional design'. And he believes project management is the key to navigating it. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Dr Rouamba joins Ross D and Adria Maston, Head of PMO at ...
Since its first release in 1978, A Manager's Guide to Self-Development has been one of the go-to texts for new and aspiring managers. Now in its seventh edition, authors Mike Pedler and Joan Keevil join Gemma and Ross G to discuss: why self-development is so key to a manager's capabilities what has changed since the first edition of the book as published (hat tip to Michelle Ockers for this question) some of our favorite exercises from the book, to help us develop as managers. A Manager's Guide ...
Yippee-ki-yay, Christmas Turkeys! In our final episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast for 2025, the gang are climbing to the top of Nakatomi Plaza: foiling a criminal plot and solving L&D challenges as we go. We answer: What rule exists at work that, if broken, would have the biggest impact on performance? (Tony) What should L&D pros be stealing to maximise their impact this Christmas? (Heinrich) What advice would you give an L&D professional as they plan for 2026? (Marco) What do ...
The promise of self-directed learning is that employees will take charge of their own development, if we only create the environment for them to do so. But does this actually happen? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Mindtools Kineo Head of Product Daniel Potter joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss self-directed learning, with a focus on: what self-directed learning journeys look like how motivation is different for mandatory vs self-directed learning how our approach to lea...
Nelson Sivalingam joins the hosts to dissect 2025's L&D landscape, examining the widespread anxiety and practical applications of AI, from skills mapping to AI agents. They also explore the surprising comeback of face-to-face training and the implications of market consolidation. Looking to 2026, the discussion shifts to AI's potential for deeply integrated, personalized learning-as-work experiences and the ongoing importance of human expertise.
How do you run an organization-wide learning function with just two people? At LV=, that's the main focus for Talent, Learning and Development Partner Rob Foster. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast , Rob joins Claire and Ross G to discuss: how building relationships throughout the organization helps support induction, mentoring and reverse mentoring programs how internal champions expand the impact of digital resources (like Mindtools!) advice for teams working on a similarly small scale...
The L&D industry has always talked about 'business value' as an elusive concept. Now, a new book from Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers, The L&D Leader: Principles and Practice for Delivering Business Value, articulates what that looks like in practice. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast , they join Ross D and Dr Anna to discuss: how L&D teams can transition through different stages of maturity the role of data in shaping business value the role of community and where to find...
In many organizations, not least within L&D, urgent and important short-term challenges often crowd out the bigger picture. So, how do we step back and take the long view? In this week's episode, Ross D and Claire are joined by Nina Bressler, founder of Reimagined Value, to discuss: Nina's background and what she means by the term 'societal learning' How to work with business stakeholders to help them decide what to focus on How to measure the impact of long-term initiatives. To find out mor...
Don Taylor discusses the latest report, "AI in L&D: The Race for Impact," revealing how L&D has passed an inflection point in AI adoption, using it for more sophisticated tasks like data analysis. The conversation highlights the urgent need for L&D to move beyond content creation, which AI commoditizes, and instead focus on proving tangible business impact. Taylor also outlines a "Transformation Triangle" of future L&D models—Skills Authority, Enablement Partner, and Adaptation Engine—and offers practical advice on initiating this strategic evolution.
In his book Targeting Turnover , Dick Finnegan argues that, as the global population ages and more people enter retirement, it is imperative for organizations to retain the talent they already have. In this week's episode, Dick joins Claire and Cammy to discuss: Why turnover is a problem for businesses The strategies organizations can deploy to reduce turnover The impact this might have on the L&D industry. You can pick up a copy of Targeting Turnover here . For more from Mindtools and Kineo...
Hello listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to take the opportunity to revisit our 2021 'documentary special' on product management. It took a lot more work than our usual roundtable format, but we think it paid off. ;) To make this episode, we spoke to Myles Runham, Sukh Pabial, Danny Seals, and Gemma Paterson, discussing: what product management is what L&D can learn from product management what 'the product' is in L&D - is it L&D itself? For more from Mindtools and Ki...
