At face value, FC Barcelona look like any other top-tier football club. They've got an army of devoted fans, deep pockets and a roster of world-class players. So what sets them apart from the competition? According to Damian Hughes, the answer is culture. This week on the podcast, Damian joins Ross D, Owen and Stewart to discuss his latest book, The Barcelona Way. They cover: how FC Barcelona created a culture of high performance how these lessons can be applied in different contexts the role L&...
Nov 19, 2019•38 min•Ep. 172
How do we achieve work-life balance? Is there even such a thing? And should we treat 'work' and 'life' as two separate entities or are they more integrated than we would like to believe? This week return guest Stephanie Hubka, world traveller and managing partner at Protos Learning, joins Nicola Boyle and James McLuckie to discuss. We talk about: How taking time off can improve our performance at work How we can integrate 'work' and 'life' effectively How organisations can foster a work-life bal...
Nov 12, 2019•43 min•Ep. 171
Back in Episode 150, the CIPD's Andy Lancaster told us he was writing a book. Now that he's written that book, Driving Performance Through Learning , we thought we'd invite him back to chat about it. This week on the podcast, Andy joins Ross D and Owen to discuss everything you always wanted to know about learning* (*but were afraid to ask). We cover: the changing role of L&D professionals the impact of technology as an approach to supporting workplace performance the factors required to sup...
Nov 05, 2019•43 min•Ep. 170
How do you challenge your colleagues and clients to think deeply about the problems they bring to you, and how can you gain the credibility to help solve those problems? This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by author and performance consultant Nigel Harrison to find out. We discuss: what performance consulting is how it differs from traditional approaches to HR and L&D how to act as a performance consultant without being confrontational. If you'd like to get in t...
Oct 29, 2019•32 min•Ep. 169
How effective are we at separating the 'messenger' from the 'message'? Do we truly listen to what people have to say, or are we overly focused on how they say it and who they are? These are the questions up for discussion on this week's GoodPractice Podcast, as Nicola, Ross G and Cat are joined by Joseph Marks, co-author of Messengers . In this episode, we discuss: the difference between 'hard' and 'soft' messengers who we trust and why we trust them how gender affects how messages are received ...
Oct 22, 2019•39 min•Ep. 168
The humble course was once the go-to solution for learning and development teams across the world, but in recent years it has suffered from a damaged reputation. This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, we discuss whether traditional formal learning has a role in the modern workplace. And, if so, when? To dig into this topic, Ross G and James are joined by author and learning designer Patti Shank. In this episode we discuss: why courses are so unpopular when a course is a good solution the charact...
Oct 15, 2019•35 min•Ep. 167
For many of us, working life is based around five days of energy depletion, followed by two days of recharging. But does it have to be this way? This week on the podcast, Ross D, Nicola and Peter are joined by guest Perry Timms to discuss: what the title 'Chief Energy Officer' means how to manage our own energy levels how we can design more energy-giving jobs If you'd like to get in touch with us about any of the things we've said on this show, you can tweet @ross__dickie , @NicolaBoyle_GP , @pe...
Oct 08, 2019•36 min•Ep. 166
Not quite L&D, not quite HR, OD sits somewhere in between (or perhaps above?) the two. But what does 'organisation development' actually mean, and what skills do you need to do the job effectively? This week on the podcast, Ross D and Ross G are joined by return guests Julie Drybrough and David D'Souza to discuss: how OD differs from L&D and HR the skills of a successful OD practitioner the extent to which the name 'organisation development' is about internal branding If you'd like to ge...
Oct 01, 2019•37 min•Ep. 165
We know that in a lot of organisations, learning and development still means training, and training still means classroom. How do we overcome resistance to the alternatives? Should we overcome that resistance? On this week's episode of The GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by Camden Council's Tom Spencer and Sarah Sedley. We discuss: the challenges of delivering learning for a diverse audience historic approaches to learning new opportunities created by technology and a changing m...
Sep 24, 2019•39 min•Ep. 164
We all like to think our decisions are based on a methodical appraisal of the available evidence. But how do we know what 'good evidence' looks like in the context of L&D? This week on the podcast, Ross D, Nicola and Owen are joined by Rob Briner, Professor of Organizational Psychology at Queen Mary University of London, to discuss evidence-based practice. In this episode, we cover: the meaning of 'evidence-based practice' how 'EBP' can be applied to learning and development how to identify ...
Sep 17, 2019•44 min•Ep. 163
We've often talked on this show about how few people actively seek out a career in learning and development. So, how exactly did we end up here? This week on the podcast, Ross D, Ross G and James are joined by Richard Dawson of Virgin Trains and Jilly Julian of Horwich Farrelly to share their origin stories. We discuss: our professional backgrounds the challenges of getting started in L&D the qualities that make someone suited to a role in L&D If you'd like to get in touch with us about ...
Sep 10, 2019•39 min•Ep. 162
This week the GoodPractice team visited Turing Fest 2019, one of Europe's top tech conferences, to learn about product development, leadership, marketing - and skateboards. Ross G, Ross D and Owen are joined by podcast newcomers Jade Stewart and Tracey McDonald to share their reflections. We discuss: how marketing techniques can optimise your L&D output the importance of seeking user feedback the tech sector's approach to diversity and inclusion If you'd like to get in touch with us about an...
Sep 03, 2019•35 min•Ep. 161
This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, it's the return of our L&D book bag. Nicola Boyle and Ross G are joined by Owen and James to share insights from the books that we think are a must-read for L&D professionals. We discuss: Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure by Tim Harford An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield The Accidental Instructional Designer by Cammy Bean How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life b...
Aug 27, 2019•41 min•Ep. 160
The modern office, based largely on a 'factory' model, is constantly being re-organised in a bid to optimise output. But how far have cubicles, hot desks and pods been effective? What principles should guide these design choices? On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G, Ross D and Owen are joined by author and workplace designer Neil Usher. We discuss: factors to consider when designing an effective office space the relationship between spaces and the meanings we attach to them the pros and ...
Aug 20, 2019•40 min•Ep. 159
You may have seen headlines claiming that the average human attention span has dropped below that of a goldfish. But what does the evidence actually tell us, and how should we apply it to learning design? This week on the podcast, Ross D is joined by Owen and Jonathan Marshall, Head of Learning at the UK's Diplomatic Academy, to discuss: what we mean when we talk about 'average attention spans' how environment affects our ability to focus how L&D can win (or at least not lose) the battle for...
Aug 13, 2019•34 min•Ep. 158
Many learning interventions start out from the position that people would perform much better in their roles if they just did what we told them. But what if this approach is misguided? What if the mistakes that people make aren't due to a lack of awareness, but because of a host of environmental factors that incentive the wrong behaviour? On this week's episode of The GoodPractice Podcast, instructional designer and author Julie Dirksen joins Ross G and Owen to ask why behaviour change matters -...
Aug 06, 2019•39 min
The range of emotions we are allowed to show in the workplace is fairly limited. We can be happy, we can be passionate, we can be enthusiastic. But anything beyond that is often seen as unprofessional or inappropriate. Is it time we rethink the role of emotion at work? This week on the podcast, Ross D and Ross G are joined by Emotion at Work's Phil Willcox to discuss: how emotion manifests itself in the workplace the range of emotions that are acceptable at work the role HR/L&D can play in c...
Jul 30, 2019•39 min•Ep. 156
As a function, HR has a role to play in developing talent and protecting employees. But it's also responsible for disciplining and dismissing staff, as well as implementing and enforcing top-down policies. Does this put it in an ethically precarious position? This week on the podcast, Ross D is joined by James and guest Gary Cookson of EPIC HR to discuss: what 'ethics' mean in the workplace the role of HR as the moral heart of organisations the ability of HR to foster ethical behaviour If you'd ...
Jul 23, 2019•34 min•Ep. 155
Learning interventions are typically evaluated based on metrics like attendance and completion. But how much does this actually tell you? How do you know if your interventions are effective? This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, Dr Will Thalheimer joins Ross G and Owen to discuss: what 'evaluation' means why it matters common evaluation mistakes alternatives to 'happy sheets' If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter @RossGarnerGP , @OwenFerguson and @WillWork...
Jul 16, 2019•39 min•Ep. 154
When we talk about diversity and inclusion, we often frame it in terms of gender, ethnicity, age or social class. But what about diverse ways of thinking? Where does neurodiversity fit into the equation? This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G is joined by Mike Shaw from Emerald Publishing and Jill Miller from the CIPD to discuss: what 'neurodiversity' and 'neurodivergent' mean the benefits of neurodiversity for organisations practical steps leaders can take to promote neurodiversity in th...
Jul 09, 2019•37 min•Ep. 153
Technology is making it easier and easier for people to work remotely. But what challenges does that pose for learning and development? This week on the podcast, Ross D is joined by Owen and Chris Coladonato from Farmer's Insurance to discuss: how remote workers access development opportunities the gap between the in-office and remote-worker experience whether remote workers need to take more responsibility for their development than office-based colleagues If you'd like to share your thoughts o...
Jul 02, 2019•32 min•Ep. 152
For decades, 'lifelong learning' has been the clarion call of governments, employers and higher education institutions - but what has that achieved? And is it in tension with the push for greater performance at work? This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, Activate Learning's Helen Blunden joins Ross G and Owen to discuss: what 'lifelong learning' means how different organisations respond to the new for new skills how far individuals need to take ownership of their own learning. If you'd like to ...
Jun 25, 2019•41 min•Ep. 151
For three years, we've had the ridiculous privilege of producing The GoodPractice Podcast. It's given us the opportunity to speak to some of the biggest names in Learning & Development, it's challenged our thinking, and - we hope - contributed in some small way to the conversations that are shaping our industry. In this, our 150th episode, we asked some of our favourite guests to join Ross G and Owen for our 3rd birthday party at The Hand & Flower pub in London. We were joined by Michell...
Jun 18, 2019•53 min•Ep. 150
What can L&D professionals learn from the likes of Mary Poppins, Jaws and Inception? This week on the podcast, Ross D is taking Owen, Ross G, Gemma and Stewart on a trip to the movies. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter @ross__dickie , @OwenFerguson , @RossGarnerGP , @gemmatowersey and @shardie15 . To find out more about GoodPractice, visit goodpractice.com or tweet us @GoodPractice or @GoodPracticeAus . The 'Superchickens' TED Talk that Ross referen...
Jun 11, 2019•44 min•Ep. 149
In Learning & Development, we love shiny objects: VR, AR, microlearning - surely one of these tools will turn out to be the key to unlocking higher performance? In this episode of The GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by Axonify's JD Dillon to discuss. We explore the attraction of the 'silver bullet', the conditions that have created this mindset, and vendors' responsibility to have more nuanced conversations with prospective clients. If you'd like to share your thoughts on th...
Jun 04, 2019•43 min•Ep. 148
Lean methodology has been widely applied in manufacturing, business and software development. But what role can it play in L&D? This week on the podcast, Ross D and Ross G are joined by return guest Ajay Pangarkar to discuss his work on 'Lean Learning', and what L&D can do to deliver business impact. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter @ross__dickie , @RossGarnerGP and @bizlearningdude . To find out more about GoodPractice, visit goodpractice.com ...
May 28, 2019•43 min•Ep. 147
This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, we're talking fundamentals: how do people learn? Nick Shackleton-Jones joins Ross G and Owen to discuss his new book, How People Learn , in which he argues that people don't learn anything if they don't care. Or, to put it in Nick's term, if they don't have an 'affective response'. What does this mean and how should Nick's insights change our approach to designing courses, resources and experiences? Also: we argue about e-learning for ten minutes. If you'd ...
May 20, 2019•48 min•Ep. 146
According to research published this year, women fill 2/3s of all roles in learning and development - but only 1/3 of senior positions. Why is this? And what can we do to encourage and promote women in learning? This week, Ross G and podcast regular Gemma Towersey are joined by Sharon Claffey Kaliouby, Barbara Thompson and Kate Graham to discuss. If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, you can find us on Twitter @RossGarnerGP , @GemmaTowersey , @Sharon_Kaliouby , @CaribThompson and...
May 13, 2019•41 min
There's a lot of buzz around technologies like AI, bots, virtual reality and voice recognition. But which of these has the most potential for learning and development? This week on the podcast, Ross D and Peter are joined by writer and consultant John Helmer to discuss everything from chatbots to the 'digital sensorium'. If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, you can find us on Twitter @ross__dickie , @petercasebow and @johnhelmer . To find out more about GoodPractice, visit goodp...
May 07, 2019•41 min
When we talk about uncertainty in the workplace, we often frame it in terms of the associated risks and threats. But are we looking at it the wrong way? This week on the podcast, Ross D and James are joined by artist and consultant Doug Shaw to discuss the role uncertainty can play in learning and development. If you'd like to share your thoughts on the show, you can find us on Twitter @ross__dickie , @JamesMcLuckie and @dougshaw1 . To find out more about GoodPractice, visit goodpractice.com or ...
Apr 30, 2019•36 min
