What ideas are L&D most excited about in 2021? And what impact has Covid-19 had on perceptions within our industry? This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Donald Taylor to dig through the results of this year's Global Sentiment Survey. We discuss: the emergence of reskilling/upskilling as a priority for L&D the extent to which Covid-19 has amplified or disrupted trends from the past few years predictions for the year ahead Show notes If you'd like to contin...
Feb 16, 2021•38 min•Ep. 232
Does your HR team add value to your organisation? Has HR spend spiralled out of control? Does HR's willingness to become the mouthpiece of bad news let leaders off the hook? In this week's episode of The Good Practice Podcast, Laurie Ruettimann - host of the Punk Rock HR podcast - joins Ross G and Owen to discuss. Show notes We're trying something new! Join us on Clubhouse this Thursday, February 11, at 3pm, if you want to share your thoughts on this topic: joinclubhouse.com/event/P96q3g2e For m...
Feb 09, 2021•37 min•Ep. 231
What L&D trends, tropes and clichés would you put into Room 101? Back in 2019, we cast the misappropriation of 'agile', learning styles, and cheesy stock imagery into oblivion. Nearly two years on, we've decided it's high time for another clear-out! This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross D is joined by Owen, Gemma and Ross G to make the case that existential crises, gratuitous fun and retrofitted 'evidence' all belong in Room 101. Show notes For more from us, including access to our ba...
Feb 02, 2021•40 min•Ep. 230
If you're looking to change up your approach to learning and development, or just seeking quick tips to focus on performance, this week's episode of The Good Practice Podcast is for you. Author Michelle Parry-Slater joins Ross G and Owen to share insights from The Learning and Development Handbook , her new book out this February. We discuss: problems with treating face-to-face training as the 'default' advice for being a 'critical friend' to your organisation string theory (as a metaphor for co...
Jan 26, 2021•38 min•Ep. 229
Are you an L&D specialist running a small business? Or are you thinking of becoming one? On this week's episode of The Good Practice Podcast, Lightbulb Moment's Jo Cook and Syncskills' Gaëlle Delmas-Watson join Ross G to share their experiences and advice. We discuss: the advantages and disadvantages of running a small business the importance of values tips and advice for people who are thinking of setting up their own L&D business. Show notes For more from us, including access to our ba...
Jan 19, 2021•35 min•Ep. 228
We're back! In this first podcast of 2021, Ross G and Owen speak to digital learning consultant Myles Runham. We discuss: the success most organisations experienced when moving rapidly to distributed working in 2020 the much needed shift from synchronous to asynchronous working and learning the role of learning and development in 2021. Show notes For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit emeraldworks.com . There, you'll also find details of our award winning per...
Jan 12, 2021•35 min•Ep. 227
It's customary at this festive time of year for well-meaning podcasts hosts to call upon their friends to participate in the annual Good Practice Podcast! And this year, we're playing 'Blankety Blank'! Phil Willcox sits in as host, with contestants Jo Cook and Julie Drybourgh in competition for the prize. And our panel are: Ross G, Owen, Sukh Pabial and Jo Wainwright. Listen now for fun and frolics - and perhaps a surprise visit from George Bailey! Show notes For more from us, including access t...
Dec 21, 2020•23 min•Ep. 226
Data and analytics have long been hot topics in L&D, frequently finding themselves the subjects of conference keynotes, fierce Twitter debates and enlightening podcasts... So why aren't we implementing them more successfully? This week on the show, Looop's David James and Mike Collins join Ross D to discuss their whitepaper, 'Achieving More with Data & Analytics in L&D'. We cover: the lessons L&D can learn from the world of marketing the challenges associated with data and analyt...
Dec 15, 2020•31 min•Ep. 225
When it comes to gender parity, we've made progress but have some way to go. Our guests on today's show believe it's not just up to women to make it happen: men need to get involved. This week on the show, authors of Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace, Brad W. Johnson and David Smith, join Gemma and Ross G to talk about practical ways men can hurry along gender equality by becoming allies for women. We discuss: what it means to be a male ally challenges in being a...
Dec 07, 2020•42 min•Ep. 224
Author, speaker and presenter Kevin M. Yates last joined The Good Practice Podcast back in episode 117 to share his insights into whether we can measure the impact of training. This week, he's back with a new e-book to help you do just that. This week on the show, Kevin joins Ross G and Owen to unpack his L&D Detective Kit for Solving Impact Mysteries . We discuss: the secrets behind why impact often isn't measured how impact measurement starts with planning upfront the basics of good survey...
Dec 01, 2020•37 min•Ep. 223
Covid-19 has profoundly altered our lives. Some changes have given us the space and time to build more positive habits; others have been purely restrictive. Our Head of Research has been monitoring the effect of Covid on learning and L&OD teams across the globe. In this podcast, Gent joins Gemma and Owen to discuss his findings - the good and the somewhat troublesome. Show notes For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit emeraldworks.com . There, you'll also ...
Nov 24, 2020•36 min•Ep. 222
Sorry everyone, there's no podcast today! Instead, Ross G is here with a brief reminder to complete your Learning Health Check. Show notes For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit emeraldworks.com . There, you'll also find details of our award winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work. You can find a link to the Emerald Works Learning Health Check by following this link: How does your L&D strategy compare with yo...
Nov 17, 2020•2 min•Ep. 221
Do you find learning science dry, academic and inaccessible? Then fear not: Learning Science Weekly is an email newsletter that provides short and practical advice... every seven days. This week on The Good Practice Podcast, Learning Science Weekly author Dr. Julia Huprich (Vice President of Learning Science at Intellum) joins Gemma and Owen to share her insights into the role of science in learning. We discuss: the importance of research in learning design common approaches to learning design t...
Nov 10, 2020•36 min•Ep. 220
Back in 2013, Basecamp's Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson published Remote (Office Not Required) , a beautifully concise insight into how remote working had shaped their business. Seven years and one global pandemic later, remote working has become a lot more common. But are we making the most of the opportunities that remote working presents? In this edition of The GP Book Club, Ross G is joined by Gemma and Owen to share their thoughts. We discuss: a brief overview of the book's main p...
Nov 03, 2020•31 min•Ep. 219
Where do learners and managers experience 'pain points' at work, and how can organisations take steps to remove these? This week on The Good Practice Podcast, Emerald Works Senior Research Analyst Gent Ahmetaj joins Ross D and Owen to share practical insights from our 2020 Learner Insights research. We discuss: what managers can do to address pain points what organisations can do to address pain points the characteristics of 'inspiring' learning content. Show notes For more from us, including ac...
Oct 27, 2020•36 min•Ep. 218
Being able to empathise helps us to better connect, communicate and respond to each other. It's a skill that can be developed through practice. This week on The Good Practice Podcast, Gemma and Ross G speak to Mark Davies from See Learning about using video to build empathy. We discuss: the benefits of building empathy at work why video is an effective tool for building empathy how to encourage people to share their stories on video filming on a smartphone. Show notes For more from us, including...
Oct 20, 2020•33 min•Ep. 217
Love your Mac? Find your vacuum cleaner cumbersome? Despair at the booking system of your local leisure center? User experience design (or lack of) plays a significant part in whether you love or loathe the products and services you interact with. This week on the Good Practice podcast, Gemma and Ross D talk to Rhys Pendred, Emerald Work's Lead UX designer. We focussed on the what, why and how of user experience, discussing: What UX is UX fundamental principles How we might think about and impro...
Oct 13, 2020•35 min•Ep. 216
Earlier in the year, a report by academics at Cardiff and Southampton Universities found that a majority of people would like to continue working from home in some capacity, even after social distancing is no longer a requirement. But what would a permanent shift to distributed work look like? And what would it mean for organisational performance? This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Dr Kerstin Sailer, Reader in Social and Spatial Networks at University College L...
Oct 06, 2020•48 min•Ep. 215
A lot of ink has been spilt over the issue of workplace learning: what it is, when and why it happens, and the impact it has on organizations. But what does it mean to learners themselves? This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross D is joined by Owen and Emerald Works CEO John Yates to discuss our forthcoming 'Learner Intelligence Report'. We cover: what/who motivates learners to seek out development opportunities the role L&D can play in facilitating self-directed learning how Covid-19 h...
Sep 29, 2020•41 min•Ep. 214
As the saying goes, "a problem shared is a problem halved". To create a safe space for L&D professionals to talk about their challenges and find solutions, Emerald Works runs a regular Learning Innovation Group (LIG). This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Gemma asks LIG curator and facilitator, Nahdia Khan and LIG participant, Victoria Winter, Learning Strategist from Cerner, about the value of the LIG. We discussed: What the LIG involves The value of a community of practice The profession...
Sep 22, 2020•36 min•Ep. 213
Giving learners access to training does not guarantee any behavioural change whatsoever. Even the most engaging piece of learning doesn't necessarily shift one's thoughts or actions. So how can we plan, create and support training in a way that learning is transferred? This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Gemma and Owen are joined by Dr Ina Weinbauer-Heidel, founder and chief executive officer of the Institute of Transfer Effectiveness. We discuss: the challenge of learning transfer how Dr In...
Sep 15, 2020•45 min•Ep. 212
Before a job candidate ever submits an application or attends an interview, they will likely have several interactions with their prospective employer that shape how they feel about the organisation. Together, these touchpoints make up the 'candidate experience'. This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by their Emerald Works colleague Esh Jugal, along with guest Matt Alder, host of the Recruiting Future podcast. We discuss: what we mean when we talk about 'candidate ex...
Sep 08, 2020•42 min•Ep. 211
We're five months on from the start of the UK Government's 2020 furlough scheme, so this week on The Good Practice Podcast we're discussing what it's been like for those who have experienced it. Knowledge Pool's Scott Fellows joins Gemma and Ross G to share his story, while David Hayden from the CIPD shares more general insights into how people have experienced the scheme. We discuss: how organizations have supported employees who are furloughed what we've learned about how people adapt to drama...
Sep 01, 2020•35 min•Ep. 210
The Black Lives Matter movement has helped bring some of the issues surrounding diversity and inclusion to the fore, sparking conversations in and outside of the workplace. This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Ricky Benjamin from TSB to discuss: TSB's approach to diversity and inclusion the organisation's response to the killing of George Floyd and the BLM movement the impact of recent events on TSB's broader D&I agenda the benefits and challenges associated ...
Aug 25, 2020•36 min•Ep. 209
As it's become increasingly apparent that we'll be living with coronavirus for some time, organisations have started to think about what that means for workplace culture. Is it possible to hold on to what came before, or do we need to think differently about 'how we do things around here'? To answer these questions, Ross G and Owen are joined by Bruce Daisley, former Twitter VP, author of 'The Joy of Work', host of the 'Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat' podcast and workplace culture enthusiast. We discu...
Aug 18, 2020•38 min•Ep. 208
Here at Emerald Works, we recently spent some time setting objectives for the remainder of the year. One of the areas Ross D wanted to work on was his productivity, so he turned to his colleagues on the Custom Learning team for advice. This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross G, Tracey and Gemma share some of the techniques they use to keep on top of projects and 'get things done'. We discuss: The hallmarks of a good to-do list The benefits of chunking tasks down, Italian style Useful online...
Aug 11, 2020•34 min•Ep. 207
Working within a global L&D network has both opportunities and challenges. But how do they differ within the social sector? How do global organizations deliver learning in rural areas with poor internet connections? And what impact has COVID-19 had on their approach? This week on The Good Practice Podcast, Nicola Boyle and Ross Garner are joined by Claire Wilson, Head of Global Learning Lab at the Social Enterprise Academy. She shares her experiences of working in global L&D in the socia...
Aug 04, 2020•40 min•Ep. 206
This week on The Good Practice Podcast we're joined by instructional designer Cara North, who shares her experiences of working in both corporate and Higher Education environments. What are the similarities? What are the differences? And what can these two domains learn from each other? We discuss: the impact of working with subject matter experts who are educators designing for students vs designing for colleagues the learner as consumer. Show notes You can find out more about Cara at: caranort...
Jul 28, 2020•40 min•Ep. 204
Coaching has historically only been available to senior leaders, but new digital platforms are creating opportunities to provide access for everyone. This week on The Good Practice Podcast, CoachHub's Svenja Haus joins Ross D and Owen to share her experiences. We discuss: how coaching can be delivered at scale the role of the manager when coaching is 'outsourced' the opportunities and drawbacks of 'digital' coaching. Show notes You can find out more about CoachHub at coachhub.io Tim Harford's ne...
Jul 21, 2020•34 min
Consulting duo Albina Shashyna and Chris Watt use the story of Alice in Wonderland to create disruptive learning experiences that break from the norm. But like many practitioners, they had to quickly pivot to online when lockdown was introduced in March 2020. This week on The Good Practice Podcast, Albina and Chris join Ross D and Owen to share their experiences. We discuss: How the story of Alice can be used to frame development conversations The challenges presented by the move online How cons...
Jul 14, 2020•43 min•Ep. 203
