The BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) Podcast is a useful learning and development podcast where Dr Heidi Kirby talks to professionals in the field who are passionate about finding creative, innovative ways to bring learning front and center at their organizations and beyond.
In this episode, Matt Smith is back to ask me YOUR questions from LinkedIn. We cover things like L&D leadership, imposter syndrome, AI, and more! Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great resources: Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our global Useful L&D Community Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff...
In this episode, Sam Kain of Purple Reset and I talk all about how handwriting helps with retention and how L&D professionals might benefit from incorporate writing into their work and into their own practice as a tool. Sam Kain has been a project manager for 8 long years now, and she will tell you, it's been quite the ride. But despite her professional background, she's always been a creative at heart. Sam firmly believes that creativity is the key to success, both in and out of t...
In this episode, I chat with my friend Nicole Papaioannou Lugara about working with others (clients, SMEs, teammates, and stakeholders) and about learning with others through social learning. Nicole Papaioannou Lugara, PhD, is the founder of Your Instructional Designer, a learning and people development agency committed to accelerating startups through enhanced operational efficiency and collaboration via our social learning solutions. An entrepreneur at heart, she is also co-founder of the eLea...
On this Q&A episode of the BLOC, I answer (from my experience and opinion) the following questions: How do I know what to put in my instructional design portfolio? How do I deal with a toxic boss who keeps giving me more and more work, doesn't understand how long ID takes, and who keeps expecting me to take orders without any pushback? How do I get my team to work more quickly and efficiently through the ID process? Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great reso...
In this episode, Tom and I didn't have a plan... so we ended up talking about how nothing is really original in L&D and how the past can teach us lessons to take into the future. Tom McDowall has been making workplace learning work for people and businesses for the last decade. From sales and customer services to utilities, IT and some stuff that’s still secret, he’s stepped across industries with a single focus, helping organizations deliver by building performant workforces. Tom now r...
Whether you're looking for a new career in L&D, a promotion, a new organization, or just looking to stay right where you are but grow and learn more, this episode is a quick chat about how to set professional development goals for 2023. I believe in having two kinds of goals: one that enhances your career and one that enhances your soul/heart. Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great resources: Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our global Useful L&D Communit...
In this episode, I chat with my L&D BFF and the other half of Useful Stuff, Matt Smith, about the trends we saw in L&D in 2022, why L&D should be more boring and useful, and future predictions for 2023. Matt Smith has been in L&D for 14 years working as an internal L&D professional, trainer, consultant, freelancer and ran a learning agency in Australia. He's also the co-founder of Useful Stuff ( https://www.getusefulstuff.com/ ). Matt's suggestion for L&D pros a...
In this episode, I chat with Zahra Davidson of Huddlecraft about peer-to-peer learning and how we can learn better together. Zahra is Chief Exec of Huddlecraft. a Community Interest Company who help people and organizations wield the ‘power of peer groups’. Over the next decade, people face the steepest collective learning curve in history. Huddlecraft exists to spark a surge of peer-to-peer learning that can help us climb this curve. There are lots of ways to get involved with Huddlecraft. Join...
In this episode, I take the time to share a couple of TRUE horror stories (with names and details omitted) from L&D horrors I've experienced in my time working in the field -- as well as the lessons I've learned from each. I talk about compliance training, meeting learner needs, projects that go off the rails, working well with others, and more! Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great resources: Connect with me on LinkedIn Join our global Useful L&D C...
In this episode, I talk to my new pal, Josh Cardoz, about how L&D is viewed in the business and what we can do to become better cross-functional partners with those in the business. Josh Cardoz is an independent Digital Learning Strategist - with over a decade’s experience helping organizations go digital the right way, fine-tune their strategy and create amazing things together. He was previously Head of Digital Learning Experience at a large professional services firm, and prior to that, P...
In this episode, I chat a bit about what I think is an unnecessary separation of theory and practice in L&D, including how that separation has impacted me as a PhD student in instructional design and technology and also as an instructional design and L&D leader in the field. I also suggest following or consuming content by some amazing folks who are constantly encouraging evidence-informed, research-informed, and data-driven practice: Data-Driven Learning Resources from Lori Niles-Hofman...
In this episode, I chat with my friend McKenzie Day about her journey from instructional designer to senior instructional designer and how she upskilled and leveraged her network to find a new role and a promotion! McKenzie Day is a Senior Technical Instructional Designer who creates digital learning experiences with purpose. With a background in education, McKenzie started off as an ID in the financial services sector before making the move to tech and joining a software company. Her career has...
On this Q&A episode of the BLOC, I answer (from my experience and opinion) the following questions: How do we get people to use all these new courses we've given them? What is the difference between L&D and instructional design? How do I know which people to follow on LinkedIn - which people are quality and who is just trying to sell something? And how do I network with those people? I know it's not okay to lie about previous titles on my resume, but what do I do about my Linke...
In this episode, I chat with my teammate at Pantheon, Bela Gaytan, about accessibility - not only how to create more accessible experiences for our learners but also some common misconceptions about accessibility - such as what is a disability? And can we make something 100% accessible? Known for her authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability, Bela Gaytan (she/her) unapologetically disrupts spaces to create change. She leverages her lived experiences and intersectional identities as a neurodi...
In this episode, I share four ways for L&D to get a seat at the table: Stop complaining that we don't have a seat at the table. Work on discovering the problem, not immediately sharing a solution. Broaden the metrics we use to define success. Work with, not against, the other areas of business. Don't forget to sign up for the Useful Stuff newsletter ( usefulstuff.email ). Issue #2 is going to be all about how to determine what people need and how to determine business goals. Connec...
On this episode, I chat with co-founder of Offbeat, Lavinia Mehedintu, about creating a podcast, starting a business, and curating content. Lavinia Mehedintu has been designing learning experiences and career development programs for the past 9 years both in the corporate world and in higher education. As a Co-Founder and Learning Architect @Offbeat she’s applying adult learning principles so that learning & people professionals can connect, collaborate, and grow. She’s passionate about soci...
In this episode, Dr. Kuva Jacobs and I break down 4 major learning myths: the learning pyramid, the Forgetting Curve, learning styles, and microlearning as the answer to the world's problems. If you've encountered any of these on social media lately, you should tune in! Kuva's passion for learning design seeded from a PhD in mathematics when she created visual, interactive, flash based modules that brought complex mathematical equations - like sorting algorithms and spring oscilla...
In this episode, I chat with the brilliant Lata Hamilton about change management and how it's related to the field of L&D. We talk about the differences and similarities between L&D and change management as well as why change managers like to work with folks in L&D. Lata is a pocket rocket burst of energy with a big heart... and big hair! She is the Founder & CEO of Passion Pioneers and the creator of the “Leading Successful Change” program. Lata has worked with some of Aust...
In this quick solo episode, I reflect back on two years' worth of BLOC podcast episodes, talk about how I think new instructional designers (and even some of the most seasoned L&D professionals) should think about learning. I also share that Laura Hoyer and I are back and ready to run our ID Coaching Cohort this fall! Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website: www.heidikirby.com Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more ...
In this episode, I answer some of the interview questions from my ATD blog article, "10 Questions to Ask When Interviewing Instructional Designers." Here's a link to the blog article: https://www.td.org/atd-blog/10-questions-to-ask-when-interviewing-instructional-designers Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website: www.heidikirby.com Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great resources: Connect with me on Link...
In this episode, I chat with Bhakti Karkare, founder of Third Loop Learning about what facilitation can teach leaders. We talk about how leadership has changed since the pandemic and Bhakti gives tips on how to be an inclusive leader. Bhakti Karkare is the founder of Third Loop Learning . She is a Facilitation Evangelist, who takes simple, easy to use facilitation skills and shows you how to use them to become the leader you know you can be - one that inspires loyalty, creativity, and dedicated ...
In this episode, I chat with the founder of Playful Perspectives, Sarah Filman about how she helps develop teams and leaders through improv and play. Sarah Filman (she/her) is a certified leadership coach, playful facilitator, and improv comedian based in Seattle, Washington. She founded Playful Perspectives to support mission-driven individuals, leaders, and teams to grow, connect, and create to transform themselves and the world. Grounded in leadership and people management experience in both ...
In this episode, I look back at some of my favorite BLOC podcast moments, messages, and guests to celebrate the release of the 50th episode. In celebration of the 50th Episode, I've created a document with all of the resources recommended by my guests over the last 50 episodes. You can find it here . (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rCrOvsFGlwUaLRmn9l9r8KWqYa62GQk8ig7shFcLZgA/edit?usp=sharing) Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website:...
In this episode, I chat with my dear friend, William Cronje, about the cohort-based learning experiences, social learning, and William's career journey that led him to leading a cohort of 800 instructional designers from all over the world! As an instructional designer and program manager at Eduflow Academy, William Cronje is the co-creator of the popular "Instructional Design Principles for Course Creation" cohort-based course. With over five years of experience creating online a...
In this episode, I talk about learning culture - a term with a really broad definition that comes down to a human being learning. If we think about what it takes for human beings to learn, we can leverage those conditions to create a positive learning culture. I also announce my new side hustle: learning culture and strategy consulting. Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website: www.heidikirby.com Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and...
In this episode, I define psychological safety and explain why it's important in the workplace and what individuals in L&D can do to promote psychological safety in their organizations. I also talk about the traits of toxic work environments, how L&D can help make a difference, and advice for if and when you find yourself in a toxic work environment. As someone who successfully got out of a toxic work environment, this topic is close to my heart. I'm so proud to work for a plac...
In this episode, I celebrate International Women's History Month with Alexandra Smith, CPTM. We chat about what it's like being a woman leader in L&D and what you can do to learn and grow as a leader! Alexandra Smith, CPTM, is a leading learner who leads leaders! She brings to her team her empathetic leadership approach. They get high-level projects across the finish line. Alexandra is a highly skilled, creative and experienced learning leader with a strong background in communicat...
In this episode, I'm bringing my friend, Dr. Dawn DiPeri back to chat about her new book, Graphic Design for Course Creators! Her book is CC-BY, which means you can print, copy, paste, and re-use the content however you like as long as you give her credit. This also means that the web version is FREE!! You can find it here: https://graphicdesignforcoursecreators.pressbooks.com/front-matter/dedication/ Dr. Dawn DiPeri is a learning designer and graphic designer with over 15 years of experien...
In this episode, I give you 3 easy tips that you can start incorporating today to ensure that your learning and development department can be more scalable and can contribute the most resources and the most value to your organization. I mention a few L&D communities in this episode: Tim Slade's eLearning Designer's Community: https://community.elearningacademy.io/home GLDC (Global Learning and Development Community): https://mygldc.com/ TLDC (The Training, Learning, and Development...
In this episode, I talk to Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios about his recent hiring process to hire a new part-time instructional designer for his team! Matt's journey into learning started as an Air Force Instructor Pilot where he also spent time teaching people to compete in half marathons and triathlons. After 9 years in the Air Force, Matt took his experience with him to SpaceX where he worked for 4 years as the manager of the Training and Development team. Matt left SpaceX in ...
