Episode description

Do you train like an improvisational jazz musician or more like the first chair violinist of a symphony orchestra following the music as written?

There is no right or wrong answer to that question but the analogy does reflect what experienced trainers in the classroom understand that many instructional designers do not.  When designing and planning instruction there is a spectrum of flexibility given by designers to those delivering the instruction. 

As our guest Jonathan Halls has told me, it's an old conversation but one worth having again. Jonathan is the author of Confessions of Corporate Trainer and joining us for this topic and others that he highlights in his book.

Jonathan Halls is the guy with an accent who can’t stop asking questions about talent development. You’ll hear him talking about talent professionals as organizational superheroes, although he secretly worries that we’re not doing all we can to truly help people transform organizations.  You’ll also hear him predicting tomorrow’s trainers will be as much media producers as a classroom facilitators.

The former BBC learning executive and author of 5 books runs workshops, speaks at conferences, and helps organizations in the areas of evidence-informed learning facilitation, digital learning content, and talent development strategy. Having worked in 25 countries, his first 20 years’ experience were focused on media training and digital transformation in TV and newspapers. His last decade broadened into all sectors including retail, finance, manufacturing, government and non-profit.

Jonathan has worked as a trainer, training manager and head of a multimillion dollar training operation.  This vantage point has him as excited about the future of talent development as he is cynical.  He is author of 

Confessions of a Corporate Trainer  (2019), Rapid Video Development for Trainers  (2012), Rapid Media Development for Trainers  (2016), Video Script Writing  (2014), and Memory & Cognition in Learning  (2014).  He has both a masters and bachelors in adult learning.  Before working full-time in talent development, he earned his bread and butter as a journalist, corporate communications manager, and talk show host, but not in that order.