What’s it like to lead L&D at one of the world’s most renowned and successful companies? Netflix has grown into an international powerhouse of home entertainment and is almost as famous for its people practices as its product. In this episode we lift the lid on L&D at Netflix and explore what development looks like at this aspirational and ambitious brand. KEY TAKEAWAYS The culture informs everything Netflix does. Netflix takes a different approach to performance management. At Netflix t...
Nov 14, 2023•49 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Skills-based approaches to organisations, the workforce and development are gaining in prominence. This is hardly a surprise when one of the biggest problems across entire industries and economies is the growing skills gap. So a skills-based approach is aimed at meeting these problems head-on. In this episode, we explore what this all means for L&D and our stakeholders and how we get involved. KEY TAKEAWAYS A skills-based organization organises a lot of their work and talent structures aroun...
Oct 31, 2023•45 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Without doubt, 2023 has been dominated by AI. Whether it’s through fear, anxiety, excitement or over-exposure, generative AI - and most prominently ChatGPT - has been at the forefront of thinking, development and investment as the world rushes to catch up with this emergent technology. But what could it mean for L&D? According to Ross Stevenson, quite a lot. Listen as Ross shares his exhaustive exploration of this technology and tells us how we can be benefitting today. KEY TAKEAWAYS ChatGPT...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast The latest CIPD report on the Learning & Development profession is both revealing and inspiring. L&D practitioners and leaders have had a huge amount to deal with, in recent years, with many using circumstances to make radical changes. For others, not so much. So, what does this all mean and what do we need to do about it? In this conversation, we unpack the report and highlight some key findings - as well as provide commentary and insight ourselves. KEY TAKEAWAYS The CIPD report seeks t...
Oct 02, 2023•49 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Since Shannon first appeared on the podcast in 2021, podcasting has grown exponentially into a mainstream channel for organisations and individuals. However, despite this growth, it is still a marginal tool in corporate learning and not fully embraced for its potential to make culture accessible and make exclusive conversations open for employees to hear. In this episode we address some of the challenges organisations face - and overcome - to make podcasting work for them. KEY TAKEAWAYS There ar...
Sep 18, 2023•38 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast As organisations face disruption from digital advancements, a parallel skills shortage is being experienced in the labour market. In the face of these two challenges, Learning & Development teams are seeking ways to make a predictable and reliable impact on developing their people. In this episode, we explore what Aviva is doing to upskill and re-skill in digital skills to ensure the company thrives in the future. KEY TAKEAWAYS All 22,000 colleagues at Aviva have access to learning, so they ...
Sep 04, 2023•36 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Business impact is an elusive goal for Learning & Development, but it needn’t be. In this episode, as part of a series on achieving measurable impact, Bonnie Beresford unpacks what we should mean by business impact and how we make it attainable as well as planned and measurable. KEY TAKEAWAYS Learning must be aligned with business goals. Effectively measuring learning effectiveness based on business impact drives change and increases profitability. Without measurement you cannot improve the ...
Aug 21, 2023•42 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast If L&D can’t influence or change behaviour, then we need to ask ourselves “What are we for?” Similarly, if we can’t measure whether behaviour change has occurred then our position should be precarious. In this episode, Laura Paramoure tackles this topic head-on to make it measuring behaviour change accessible and attainable. KEY TAKEAWAYS Giving knowledge to an employee doesn't make any difference unless they apply it in their job. Learning courses are instruments for change. The established...
Aug 07, 2023•46 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast We kick off our mini-series on Measuring Impact with Kevin answering questions about how we plan to make a measurable difference rather than leaving it to chance or trying to retrospectively seek value once we’ve delivered an agreed - if not largely hopeful - solution. KEY TAKEAWAYS Start with the end in mind. Intentionally align to the performance requirements that help organisations achieve goals, Don´t measure too many things. One person in the team needs to be assigned to focus on measuring ...
Jul 24, 2023•53 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast We’ve both been in Learning & Development (or Training, as it was known) since the 1990s. It seems that so much has changed and yet so much remains the same. I.e., Classroom training was the primary means of development, tech was emerging but seen as supplementary (and perhaps inferior), and we struggled to demonstrate our value beyond attendance and satisfaction. And yet the nature of work has evolved, technology has advanced enormously, employee expectations have shifted, and work patterns...
Jul 10, 2023•51 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever wanted to hear learning experts with different views explore ways in which they disagree? Respectfully, of course. Well, this is our opportunity to listen in on a couple of L&D titans as they debate. Enjoy Guy Wallace and Nick Shackleton-Jones as they discuss and debate the differences in their opinions and approaches in response to questions posed by Gabrielle Bayme and moderated by David James. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D can´t be all fun and games. It also needs a challenge. Chang...
Jun 26, 2023•59 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast What does a pivot to performance-oriented L&D look like in a fast-paced high street environment? In this episode, Lila Warren, Global Head of Retail Academy at Pret a Manger, shares her motivations and approaches to affecting performance with learning solutions designed to make a meaningful impact. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D should be seen as the experts, somewhere people automatically turn to solve problems. Be relentless about understanding the problem you are solving. If people have not actual...
Jun 12, 2023•39 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Measuring impact is notoriously difficult but without it, our profession cannot progress, and we won’t fulfil our potential. There is a huge role for Learning & Development in the upskilling and reskilling efforts required to plug the skills gap, but we won’t do that without holding ourselves accountable for actual impact. In this episode - and first in a mini-series on L&D impact - our panel explores what this means and the practical steps it will take us to make a planned and meaningfu...
May 29, 2023•54 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast In 2021, Michelle published her book, The L&D Handbook, aimed at providing practical steps and tools for L&D professionals wanting to move away from traditional classroom teaching but not sure where to start. Since then, the need for this pivot has only increased. In this episode, we explore what L&D can do to make a greater impact in what is likely to be a tough time for all. KEY TAKEAWAYS The handbook provides a framework for L&D professionals to dip in and out of. Live online ...
May 15, 2023•35 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Would it surprise you to learn that 40% of executive transitions fail during the first 18 months? These can work out to be expensive failures. So, what can L&D do to ensure a more successful transition? In this episode, Navid Nazemian, author of Masting Executive Transitions shares insights and practical steps that organisations can take. KEY TAKEAWAYS The ripple effect means that every executive transition failure costs about 10 to 30 times their salary. Most executives get no extra support...
May 01, 2023•47 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast So far, it seems 2023 has been the year of Chat GPT but what does it mean for L&D? Should you be using it now? Should your learning tech provider be incorporating it into their platform? Does this mean that the robots are coming for our jobs? This episode offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of corporate learning and the transformative potential of generative AI. KEY TAKEAWAYS Generative AI is here to stay. Seek out those who are using it and learn from them. Play with ChatGPT, take ...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Organisations are facing a skills crisis, and some are more aware than others. But these organisations will find themselves let down by their L&D departments if the market-driven myths around skills development are believed. As Peter Sheppard and David James discuss in this episode, skills can only be developed if they are understood in the context in which they are to be employed. There are no silver-bullet solutions that enable companies to avoid this. KEY TAKEAWAYS Companies and individua...
Apr 03, 2023•43 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast In the final episode of this series, we welcome back Mirjam Neelen, Carl Binder, Teemu Lilja, Fredrik Peterson Herfindal, and Judith Hale to answer your questions. KEY TAKEAWAYS Being agile means we have to provide personal/career development and performance improvement. The two are closely connected, doing well in your job leads to career development. The opportunity for people to learn is all around them, we need to tap into the fact their peers and supervisors have a lot of knowledge to impar...
Mar 21, 2023•55 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Judith Hale, Performance Improvement expert, and thought leader will be sharing her experience and approach to working with stakeholders and clients to make a real impact on performance and results. KEY TAKEAWAYS Building a strong relationship with stakeholders is essential. How to do that is covered in-depth during the episode. Why work to solve a symptom when you can solve the underlying problem? Your analysis needs to start at the first point of contact, not once the contract...
Mar 07, 2023•53 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Teemu Lilja and Fredrik Peterson Herfindal speak about their pivot to a performance-oriented approach at their organisation, the Swedish company Telia, and how this has led to both incredible business impact and recognition by their colleagues and the industry. Theirs is an inspiring story that started by listening to podcast conversations just like this... KEY TAKEAWAYS You have to measure the impact training is having on the company to demonstrate that it has positive business...
Feb 21, 2023•58 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Carl Binder talks about Pivot to Performance, and his methodology, and brings this to life with real-life examples. Carl is CEO of The Performance Thinking Network, helping organisations accelerate results through the performance of their people. A widely published author, keynote speaker, and consultant, Carl began as a Ph.D. student with B.F. Skinner at Harvard, and has spent over 40 years bringing behaviour science into practical, down-to-earth application. KEY TAKEAWAYS You ...
Feb 07, 2023•52 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to series 2 of L&D’s Pivot to Performance and the first of 5 conversations. As with series 1, Guy Wallace and David James are speaking with esteemed guests about their own pivot from ‘Learning-focused’ practice towards a ‘performance orientation’ that more predictably and reliably, let alone efficiently and successfully, achieves demonstrable results for both employees and organisations. In this episode, Mirjam Neelen talks about her pivot to performance, her approach to analysis, de...
Jan 24, 2023•50 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast With global economic uncertainty and hardship, organisations are likely to be making tough decisions in 2023, and if Learning & Development departments are going to survive and succeed, they are likely to be challenged to achieve more with fewer resources. In this episode, David explores his experience of leading L&D at Disney during the post-2008 banking crisis and shares lessons on how he rose to the challenge of achieving more with less. KEY TAKEAWAYS Whenever there is a recession, it...
Jan 10, 2023•39 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast The market for off-the-shelf content and programmes for the L&D profession is huge. This is despite it equating to next to no demonstrable return on investment. It’s seductive to think we can plug in a ready-made ‘solution’ but what does it really solve? And is our dependency on it going to be our downfall? KEY TAKEAWAYS The purpose of L&D has to be to make it easier for people to do their jobs. Anything that does not contribute to this is usually just a tick-box exercise. What is provid...
Dec 13, 2022•35 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast John Helmer is the host of two outstanding Learning & Development podcasts: The Learning Hack and Great Minds On Learning. In this episode, John condenses his insights and learning from the conversations he’s led with Donald Clark about the people and approaches that have informed so much of the L&D profession. KEY TAKEAWAYS Experts tend to forget the gaps they had in their knowledge when they knew less, so tend to skip over things. It’s a form of educated incapacity. A surprising amount...
Nov 29, 2022•43 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast Has the role and remit of Instructional Designers changed in the era of Google and YouTube? What needs to happen to counter the vast suite of bad ‘click next’ e-learning? Dr Robin Sargent explores the approaches and skills required for the Instructional Design profession to evolve and meet the demands of the modern hybrid workforce. KEY TAKEAWAYS An instructional designer is somebody who can analyse a performance gap in any organisation and select a solution that solves it, Instructional design ...
Nov 15, 2022•34 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast By pivoting their approach from a learning orientation to a performance orientation, Fredrik and Teemu have built a reputation for achieving real results. This has led to them being recognised within their organisation, including them being asked to take over the entire Learning & Development function at Telia and Teemu being awarded Telia Reinventor of the Year. As well as this, they were awarded Learning Team of the Year. In this episode, we explore their pivot and the impact this has had....
Nov 01, 2022•54 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Learning & Development roles can vary greatly depending on the individual’s specialism, ambition, and the opportunities within any given team. But the opportunity to run an L&D department solo is a unique experience and one that brings as much freedom and excitement as it does challenge and resourcefulness. In this episode, Aimee compares and contrasts her experience in L&D teams and her solo role now and provides insights into how to make this successful and a career move of choice....
Oct 17, 2022•39 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast We learn how to do Learning & Development in the organisations and sectors we work in but what is the experience like in the US Air Force and Elon Musk’s SpaceX? In this episode, I speak with Matthew Gjertsen, who has done both and learned some important lessons about what really works. KEY TAKEAWAYS Good instructors and L&D professionals can identify the gaps and know how to fill them. If someone feels they are underpaid or not given the right tools to do the job L&D is not going to...
Oct 03, 2022•35 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Learning In The Flow of Work - or Workflow Learning - has been a hot topic in Learning & Development in recent years but how does this approach match up with employees’ expectations and what they believe to be effective to meet their development goals? In this special episode, David and Bob Mosher explore the findings of a recent survey conducted to explore the expectations of learners and perceptions of L&D to see where we are right now and what we need to do to meet learners where they...
Sep 19, 2022•59 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast 
