Back in episode 279 of this podcast (February 1, 2022: ‘Why work is the ideal place to talk about race’), we spoke with authors Margaret Greenberg and Gina Greenlee about their book The Business of Race. But while we talked extensively about personal experiences and inner work, we didn’t have a chance to dig into what L&D can do to promote an anti-racist workplace. So this week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Margaret and Gina are back with Ross G and Nahdia to discuss: The pre-work required for...
Jun 14, 2022•43 min•Ep. 298
Gamification promises fun activities, increased user engagement and – ultimately – better workplace learning. But do points and badges really make a difference? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross G, Sean, Tracey and podcasting n00b Sam Brown tackle this issue. We discuss: The difference between ‘gamification’ and ‘game-based learning’ Good and bad examples of gamification Common gamification mistakes. Find out more about Twitter Data Dash at: https://twitterdatadash.com/...
Jun 07, 2022•39 min•Ep. 297
There are more and more people working in a hybrid way. What does this mean for how we meet, develop relationships and support learning? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Gemma T and Owen explore these questions with HR for Hybrid Working author and Director of Epic HR, Gary Cookson. We discuss: What makes for an effective hybrid meeting Experiences that tend to be better 100% remote / 100% in-person The skills we might need to develop as HR and L&D professionals. You can fi...
May 31, 2022•39 min•Ep. 296
Why is chronic stress, or burnout, on the rise? Who suffers the most? Is it an individual or an organisational problem? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , author Jennifer Moss speaks to Gemma and Ross about the problem of burnout. What burnout is What causes such chronic stress What does and doesn't help ease the problem? You can find out more about Jennifer's work, and her book The Burnout Epidemic, at jennifer-moss.com In ‘What I Learnt This Week’, Ross told us about Shakes...
May 24, 2022•43 min•Ep. 295
What is a digital mindset? Why is it important? And can non-technical people really contribute in digital roles? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross D and Ross G explore these questions with researcher, consultant and author of Digital Mindset , Dr Paul Leonardi. We discuss: How anyone can adopt a digital mindset The importance of collaboration, computation and change How much you need to know to ‘sniff test’ statistical claims. The Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes t...
May 17, 2022•43 min•Ep. 294
Why is it so difficult to start something new and stick with it? How do we gain and maintain momentum? And why do we tire of what we're doing? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross D and Ross G explore these questions with Smart Growth author and disruption theorist Whitney Johnson. We discuss: what we mean by 'smart growth' the 'S Curve of Learning' model what L&D teams can do to create an ecosystem where smart growth is possible. Find out more about Whitney at: whitneyjoh...
May 10, 2022•37 min•Ep. 293
Interactive checklists, immersive VR games, bitesized elearning and so many possibilities in between. Learning designers are spoilt for choice when it comes to interventions. How to choose the "right" one? Gemma, along with Tracey, Sean and David from the Mind Tools Custom team discuss: what we mean by interventions who and what to take into account when making a decision examples of interventions and the decisions that led to them. In 'What I Learned This Week', Sean referenced the tinniest mam...
May 03, 2022•36 min•Ep. 292
What are your organisation's values? How were they shaped? And what impact do they have on your future? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross G and Ross D discuss these issues with speaker, consultant and author Nathalie Nahai. We discuss: the importance of values for retaining talent and attracting customers how an organisation's values are shaped whether 'values training' has any benefits. For tickets to our live show in London, on the evening of May 4, see: eventbrite.co...
Apr 26, 2022•40 min•Ep. 291
How and where have people been working over the past 12 months? What barriers to learning have they faced? And how have perceptions of workplace learning shifted? These are the kind of questions we're exploring on this weeks episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , as we dig into this year's 'Learner Intelligence' report. Ross G, Owen and our own Dr Anna Barnett discuss: how work across industries has changed since the start of the pandemic how learner challenges vary from in-person to remote pos...
Apr 19, 2022•42 min•Ep. 290
In a first for The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , we are coming to you this week LIVE FROM THE METAVERSE. Gemma, Mike, Jonathan and Claire met in Horizon Workrooms to discuss: what it feels like to meet in VR applications of VR that go beyond health and safety training which VR experiences are meaningful, and which are still 'fluff'. The VR experiences discussed were: Richie's Plank ( oculus.com/experiences/quest/1642239225880682/ ) Bodyswaps ( bodyswaps.co ) Training for nuclear plant employees ( ans...
Apr 12, 2022•39 min•Ep. 289
In this podcast, you'll learn: what learning outcomes are how to write learning outcomes and why presenting outcomes as a bulleted list is boring at best, and ineffective at worst. But seriously, this week join Ross D, Ross G, Tracey and Sean as they explore the characteristics of good learning outcomes and their connection to business objectives. For more on this topic, see Dr Will Thalheimer's blog 'Rethinking Instructional Objectives': worklearning.com/2013/05/13/rethinking-instructional-obje...
Apr 05, 2022•34 min•Ep. 288
What are L&D practitioners excited about in 2022? Will we be drawn to bright, shiny objects like skills-based talent management? Or will we continue to focus on the lasting impact of Covid-19? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross D and Owen are joined by Donald Taylor to discuss the results of this year's Global Sentiment Survey. We cover: the headline takeaways from the report regional differences in the data the long shadow of the pandemic predictions for the future To find out more ...
Mar 29, 2022•35 min•Ep. 287
Is curiosity a trait that we have, or a muscle we can build? To find out, Owen and Ross G are joined this week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast by Stefaan van Hooydonk of the Global Curiosity Institute. We discuss: What curiosity is What stops us being curious at work How we can develop our curiosity. For more from Stefaan, including access to his free diagnostic, visit: globalcuriosityinstitute.com In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross shared fun Mad Hatter facts from the 'Killer Fashion' episode of...
Mar 22, 2022•35 min•Ep. 286
Why do learning professionals tell stories? How do we tell them to greatest effect? And where can we find them? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross G and Ross D find answers to these questions with the help of instructional designer, learning strategist and author Hadiya Nurridin. We discuss: Where stories are more effective than 'telling it straight' How to identify the stories that you can share How to help others find and craft their stories. For more from Hadiya, visit: duetslearn...
Mar 15, 2022•44 min•Ep. 285
Today is International Women's Day and we're celebrating it in partnership with Working Chance, a UK-based charity set up to help women with criminal convictions to find jobs. Today on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma and Nahdia talk to Helen Sweet, Head of Employability at Working Chance. We discuss: Employability barriers facing women with convictions What the Employability Programme comprises How you can support Working Chance To go directly to Working Chance's BIG GIVE campaign for Internat...
Mar 08, 2022•31 min•Ep. 284
In 2008, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein published Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness . Since then, nudges have been applied to public policy, healthcare, business and tech. Today on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Gemma, Ross G, Ross D and Sean look at how nudge theory can be applied to workplace learning. We discuss: What nudge theory is How understanding learner context helps us identify nudges Criticisms of nudge theory. The book we based most of this discussion on h...
Mar 01, 2022•39 min•Ep. 283
Is 'education' a liberating force that prepares children for a rapidly changing world? Or a system of control that kills their enthusiasm for learning. On this week's Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross G and Ross D are joined by Patrick Cootes, Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Mindstone, to debate. We discuss: Traditional perspectives on education The purpose of education How systems reinforce one another. During the discussion, Ross D mentioned a podcast segment about students who wondered w...
Feb 22, 2022•43 min•Ep. 282
What is a 'brand'? Why is it important? And how can your team 'build their brand'? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ross G and Nahdia are joined by branding expert Professor Doctor Jonathan Wilson to explore these questions. We discuss: personal branding the benefits of building a brand the effort required to connect with your audience. For more from Jonathan, see: drjonwilson.com Jonathan offers a course on personal branding at: futurelearn.com/experttracks/developing-your-personal-bra...
Feb 15, 2022•40 min•Ep. 281
Emerging tech will shape the future of how we work. It's just a question of when! This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , Ger Driesen joins Ross G and Owen to explore what's possible. We discuss: what the metaverse(s) is(are) how blockchain and NFTs can shape the metaverse economy whether your digital avatar needs to look like your physical body. See Facebook's announcement about their rebrand as 'Meta' at: about.fb.com/news/2021/10/facebook-company-is-now-meta/ Owen referenced Moxie Marlinspi...
Feb 08, 2022•40 min•Ep. 280
In The Business of Race , authors Gina Greenlee and Margaret Greenberg argue that the workplace is the ideal place to talk about race, racism, and anti-racism. This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , they join Ross G and Nahdia to explain why. We discuss: opportunities for teachable moments the moral case vs business case for racial equity the reasons to separate conversations about racial diversity from other diversity initiatives. Show notes Find out more about The Business of Race , includi...
Feb 01, 2022•41 min•Ep. 279
What is it about writing that fires up our souls? And, for those who hate it, is there any hope? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G, Ross D and Gemma are joined by friend-of-the-show Julie Drybrough to answer these questions. We discuss: writing for work, fun and reflection techniques to spark creativity how writing in groups can give you more freedom. Show notes Details of Julie's 'Write Nights' series can be found on her blog at: fuchsiablueblog.wordpress.com/write-nights-at-fuchs...
Jan 25, 2022•37 min•Ep. 278
By some measures, the last two years have seen a surge in demand for consumer learning platforms like Masterclass, CreativeLive and Skillshare. Often, these platforms position themselves as an alternative to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Is this part of a broader trend towards learning as entertainment? If so, what does that mean for learning in the workplace? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross D, Owen, Nahdia and Ross G discuss: whether there truly is...
Jan 18, 2022•37 min•Ep. 277
Owen was miserable, to begin with. There is no doubt about that. Oh! But he was a long-suffering, data driven, learning-style hating, old L&D practitioner. Five years of this podcast, listening to his co-hosts ramble enthusiastically about the same tired old topics, had left him jaded and disillusioned with the industry he once loved. And so I say again, that Owen was miserable to begin with. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate... S...
Dec 21, 2021•30 min•Ep. 276
Recent announcements from Facebook and Microsoft have brought the 'metaverse' into the mainstream. But what actually is the metaverse, and what are its implications for the way we live, work, and learn? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross D, Owen and Ross G discuss: what 'metaverse' means, and how it's different from VR or AR how it might change the world of work, both positively and negatively how it might be applied to digital learning Show notes The song Ross D mentione...
Dec 14, 2021•35 min•Ep. 275
To solve a complex problem, should we ask a single genius or tap into our networks? It's a question that's answered by Matthew Syed in his book Rebel Ideas: The power of diverse thinking. In this episode, Nahdia, Owen, Ross G and Gemma gather to contemplate the book. We discuss: what rebel ideas are diversity and its benefits (and what we lose when we don't have it) practical ways to harness collective intelligence. Show notes In WILTW, Owen shared his finding of an animated introduction to mach...
Dec 07, 2021•39 min•Ep. 274
What are the challenges of managing a team who are sometimes present and sometimes not? How do we make sure hybrid working is inclusive? Is a hybrid meeting - that's effective for everyone - actually possible? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , speaker and writer Gary Cookson joins Ross G and Owen to share insights from his research. We discuss: what hybrid working is the hybrid working challenges faced by employees, managers and organisations strategies for developing networ...
Nov 30, 2021•40 min•Ep. 273
We're used to dilemmas: Do I take path A or path B? But in this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast , we rally against binary thinking with the 'tetralemma'. This 3,000-year-old model for decision making has real-world applications today, and author, coach and TEDx speaker Lior Locher joins us to explain why. Lior, Ross G and Owen discuss: the difference between binary and non-binary thinking examples of non-binary thinking in practice applications of the tetralemma at work. Show notes For mor...
Nov 23, 2021•38 min•Ep. 272
How can we make our jobs 1% - or even 2% - better? According to Rob Baker, the answer is 'job crafting'. Stemming from his work in positive psychology, Rob suggests individuals and teams improve their working lives by taking ownership of their roles and making small changes that have an impact. He joins Ross G and Owen to discuss: the emerging field of positive psychology what job crafting looks like in practice how L&D and HR teams can promote job crafting. Show notes Rob talked about job craft...
Nov 16, 2021•44 min•Ep. 271
In this episode, we're delving into research focused on emotional wellbeing at work. Conducted by the Emotion at Work team, we discuss the findings and what they mean for how we can support and boost our mental health. Gemma T and Nahdia are joined by Phil Wilcox of Emotion at Work to discuss: the research aims and methodology the results and insights what we can do to support our own and others' wellbeing Show notes The research report is due to be published at the end of November. It'll be ava...
Nov 08, 2021•44 min•Ep. 270
Back in Episode 244, Ross G, Owen, Carrie and Gent discussed the value of benchmarking, as we prepared to launch the Learning Performance Benchmark. A few months on, we thought it would be worth hearing what benchmarking looks like in practice. In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Gent are joined by James Hampton from Seasalt Cornwall to discuss: the insights Seasalt Cornwall have unlocked through the benchmarking process the action they have taken in response to thos...
Nov 02, 2021•32 min•Ep. 269
