Starting your career in L&D can be exciting and daunting. Where do you start? Which skills are important? What pitfalls must you avoid? Especially in these times when the whole profession has shifted and digital approaches are transforming the practice. In this episode, Lexie Hockaday (Junior L&D Product Manager) explores her own journey and development, alongside her line manager, Anne-Marie Burbidge (Head of Learning & Development). KEY TAKEAWAYS There are many ways into L&D. N...
May 24, 2021•55 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast Is a Learning Culture essential if an organisation is to realise the potential of its people or is it, perhaps, a false nirvana? In this episode, it is explored when and how it becomes possible to develop a Learning Culture, we bust some myths around it and seek to empower L&D to begin it’s progression right now rather than wait for the perfect conditions - because those will never arrive. KEY TAKEAWAYS A learning culture has tended to mean that companies believe their learning departm...
May 10, 2021•42 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast Sukh Pabial recently conducted some research to understand the impact of COVID-19 - and subsequent restrictions - on L&D. In this episode, the results of this research are shared and explored in order to help understand where we are now and where we, as a profession, should prepare to go. KEY TAKEAWAYS The furlough scheme saw to it that many jobs were saved, but for those in L&D, if robust remote learning methods were not implemented, then a huge proportion of workforces could not be dev...
Apr 26, 2021•47 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast Design Thinking is an emerging trend in Learning & Development but one that can easily be misunderstood or misappropriated - but it can also be incredibly powerful. In this episode we dive deep into what it is, how it can help L&D and how to use it. KEY TAKEAWAYS Approaching problems from the perspective of the user, and being informed by data, is a way to solve real business problems. Design is not one single thing, but a collection of choices that come together to create a better...
Apr 12, 2021•42 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast The digital skills gap within L&D has been called out as one of only 4 areas that could be critically holding back organisations and unless we recognise this and develop ourselves then we’ll continue to be part of the problem rather than those at the forefront of addressing it. In this episode, we discuss the difference between what L&D perceive to be digital and the opportunity that it actually presents. KEY TAKEAWAYS Having the right mind-set is a prerequisite of success. Y...
Mar 29, 2021•45 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast As podcasting grows, in terms of listeners and the number of podcasts available, the opportunity for internal use in organisations is also growing. This has been an area that many in L&D have been experimenting with as a new channel and another modern way of sharing messages and insights. In this episode we explore examples of what’s working well in some organisations and tips for getting going with podcasting. KEY TAKEAWAYS Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing areas of conte...
Mar 16, 2021•44 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast If addressing Skills Gaps was as easy as plugging in a new platform filled with categorised content then L&D wouldn’t be recognised as part of the Skills Gap problem rather than addressing it. Yes, that’s right, Organisational Learning is deemed under-skilled at addressing ‘broad-based re-skilling efforts’. So how did we get here and how do we sort ourselves out? These questions - and many more are explored in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Training and learning ar...
Mar 02, 2021•41 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Working for so long in operational and senior leadership roles prior to a career in Learning & Development will shape anyone’s view of the value of L&D but also its potential. In this episode, this is discussed with Paul Jocelyn who had a 28 year career at Tesco, the first half in stores management and the second half at Head Office. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes we are so focussed upon the goals in the near future, that we fail to recognise the monumental shifts we are a part of. Those ...
Feb 16, 2021•46 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast So here we are again, like so many countries around the world, in Lockdown. But as we’ve learned over the past year, this does not mean that business completely stops and many are finding innovative ways to continue operating and certainly preparing for the next phase: Post-vaccination. In this episode, we get to hear from three successful and innovative L&D leaders about what’s happening in their teams, how they’re preparing for what comes next and their hopes for the futu...
Feb 02, 2021•54 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast Induction is common to all most all organisations. What’s also common is getting it wrong. Hours spent delivering slide after slide after slide with no intention of preparing attendees with the information and know-how that will impact their working. This was the case for Ross Stevenson at Trainline.com and this was the reason he decided to do something different - and do something that works. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D must be seen as absolutely integral to any organisation, so that ...
Jan 19, 2021•53 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast We’ve discussed the principles of Digital Marketing and its application to L&D in previous podcasts but this one is slightly different. Satoshi and the team at SwissRe have up-skilled themselves and experimented with both the approaches and tools of Digital Marketing to get closer to employees and create a compelling Digital Learning offering. KEY TAKEAWAYS Too few L&D professionals see the overlap between L&D and digital marketing when it comes to efficiently influencing behav...
Jan 05, 2021•42 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast As the last episode of 2020, we pause for reflection, summarise some of the learning from 26 episodes so far and look forward to next year. The first episode of 2021 will be released on 5th January. KEY TAKEAWAYS Many priorities from the world of 2019 were put aside in the wake of the COVID pandemic. It has forced us to re-evaluate what's important, and how we work in the world of today. Emerging trends have had a chance to shine in the new working landscape, including agile, experimentation and...
Dec 22, 2020•7 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a comparison that provokes strong reactions from L&D professionals who see mostly distinctions between Digital Marketing and Workplace Learning. But both seek to be where people are looking for answers to their questions in order to influence their behaviour, via education and prompts. Not only does L&D have more in common with Digital Marketing than we’d like to admit but Marketers have also been on a journey we’d be wise to follow. We explore all of this and more...
Dec 08, 2020•44 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast DESCRIPTION L&D is as renowned for not knowing the impact that interventions have as the training that's delivered. For some stakeholders and organisations it’s enough to know that training took place but that’s becoming less and less the case. In this episode, Kevin brings his experience of investigating learning impact via his latest ebook: The L&D Detective Kit For Solving Impact Mysteries. KEY TAKEAWAYS Impact is the extent to which training and learning is activating per...
Nov 24, 2020•43 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast As organisations adapt to the challenges of COVID and Lockdown, L&D has adopted the essence of Agile by responding quickly to emerging needs, working closely with those expected to perform differently and being accountable for enabling performance and results. This has been necessary to play our part but there’s more we can do to develop ourselves and extend our value further. In this episode, Natal breaks it down for us to experiment further with Agile. KEY TAKEAWAYS HR have fou...
Nov 10, 2020•52 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Transitioning to a senior leadership position can be hugely challenging as experienced managers enter unchartered terrain. Without understanding quite what to expect, professionals are thrust into the most challenging of circumstances and many of them will fail. In this episode, insight is shed onto this transition, with stories, tips and advice from one of the world’s most renowned CLO’s. KEY TAKEAWAYS We must recognise that the building blocks of any successful learning begin...
Oct 27, 2020•45 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast Learning Games have been popular in L&D for a number of years but whilst the number of games designed and launched for organisational use has been significant, whether they’ve achieved what they’re designed for is another matter. So what does it take to design Learning Games that affect performance and results - and when is it most appropriate? We explore these questions and much more in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Learning games are still very basic, not user-centric, and not ev...
Oct 12, 2020•50 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast So many people talk about where L&D is going but who’s actually doing it? Brian Murphy is. In this episode (recorded prior to lockdown), Brian explains his approach to L&D, how it focuses on - and seeks to address - performance, his "from courses to campaigns" approach and the journey he’s taken with his teams and organisations. KEY TAKEAWAYS Thinking about the profession through a business lens, and being more marketing oriented, has allowed us to see the elements of L...
Sep 28, 2020•48 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast Not many in L&D recognise the opportunity to automate L&D administration, compliance and entire digital learning journeys, saving enormous amounts of time as well as guiding employee performance. But what does it take to get to this and how do L&D teams take advantage of this opportunity, especially during these tough times? We explore all this and more in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS The most rewarding and satisfying results come from helping organisations get to a better place...
Sep 14, 2020•51 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast As things have changed in recent months, Learning & Development Leaders have had to adapt too. Whereas before the People Development Strategy could have looked like an incremental build on the existing situation, it now has to speak to equipping people to adapt and perform in extraordinary circumstances. In this episode, Jilly Julian talks about this in the context of Legal Services. Jilly Julian Bio Jilly is Senior L&D Business Partner at Horwich Farrelly, having previously head ...
Aug 31, 2020•40 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast When Sean Cooper took over L&D at Jet2 he was given a blank sheet of paper to redesign it but to achieve real business outcomes. By believing that he could this with digital-first, rather than classroom-first, and by adopting a data-driven and Agile approach, he transformed L&D, achieving more than he thought he could - and was recognised by the industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS The traditional form of eLearning is not engaging. Many are simply clicking through until they reach the end with ...
Aug 17, 2020•46 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast The consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have been dramatic and far-reaching. Many organisations and even industries have faced existential threats. But the situation has also provided L&D with huge opportunities. In this episode Robb Sayers explains how these opportunities have presented themselves to him and how he sees L&D progressing from here. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lockdown has allowed certain activities in development to be brought forward, with the aim o...
Aug 03, 2020•43 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast Too many L&D teams still only expect their digital offering to supplement face-to-face and drive engagement as an end in itself. But that’s no longer enough. The opportunity now is to influence performance and therefore results. Peter Manniche-Riber challenges himself to do this and in this episode he shares the method he uses to have a different type of conversation with stakeholders and build solutions that make the difference. KEY TAKEAWAYS Far too many people are still focused upon...
Jul 20, 2020•51 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast Having introduced Agile into River Island, Nebel is in the process of doing the same at her current organisation, Roche. Not just into the HR team, where she is Director of HR & Communications, but across the entire employee population. Learn from Nebel’s rich experience of succeeding with Agile in HR and L&D - with real examples - and how you can do the same. KEY TAKEAWAYS Working in an agile space is about breaking things down incrementally, delivering at a pace that suits the bu...
Jul 06, 2020•43 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast The consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic have been immediate and far-reaching. L&D teams have had to move quickly to respond to very real, and very urgent needs. But what could this mean for our profession in the mid- to long-term? And to what extent are there opportunities for L&D? KEY TAKEAWAYS COVID’s effects have not just been on a business and economic scale, but also on a personal level. We have had to deal with issues pertaining to business, staff, and ourselves. Th...
Jun 23, 2020•27 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast Serena Gonsalves-Fersch is conducting extensive research, as part of a doctorate, on the future of our profession. In this episode, we explore Serena’s findings so far, how these findings map to Serena’s considerable experience and what the future of Learning & Development could mean for all of us. KEY TAKEAWAYS There are a remarkable number of opinions on what L&D should and could be doing. However, when you’re working in the sector, and beneath the expectations ...
Jun 08, 2020•42 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast Organisations have moved quicker than they could have ever predicted in light of the current crisis, and L&D teams within these organisations have had to do the same. Sarah Allen and her team at AXA UK are an example of how quickly things changed, and how swiftly an L&D team needed to respond in order to meet changing needs. So what did that mean - and what will it mean from here on out? KEY TAKEAWAYS The insurance industry has a responsibility to protect customers during normality...
May 25, 2020•35 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast The current crisis has changed plenty, some will last well beyond lockdown and some will pass. One thing for sure is that organisations will want to make up for missed opportunities, when restrictions are relaxed, and businesses will want to make up for lost revenue. We can anticipate an unforgiving period in the short- to mid-term and L&D will be under greater scrutiny to make a significant contribution. To this end, we can expect a hastening of some emerging trends in L&D, such a...
May 11, 2020•1 hr•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast As the world copes with the Coronavirus pandemic, L&D departments are adapting to lead with digital solutions, to engage a remote workforce and influence their working. In this episode, Alice talks about how she’s been leading with digital solutions, in her current and previous roles, and how she uses data, experimentation and a campaign approach to achieve real results. KEY TAKEAWAYS The new way of remote working is forcing innovation in digital learning through, which is a ...
Apr 27, 2020•46 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a strange and worrying time for us all at the moment and the role of L&D will need to adapt in response. But will it be enough to send people to the online content we had before? Well, if it wasn’t before, how can it be the case now? Many of the changes we were beginning to see in our profession are likely to be required more quickly (data-driven decisions, performance-focused and user-centric digital solutions) as we seek to make a meaningful difference, remotely.&nbs...
Apr 13, 2020•59 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast 
