Episode description

Andy Lancaster is Head Of Learning at CIPD and author of the book ‘Driving Performance Through Learning’, in which he charts a course for L&D that challenges traditional expectations and shows the way towards the future. 

In this episode, we explore the drivers of this change and how L&D can - and should - adapt to meet the needs of the modern workforce.

Please note, as a special offer to listeners, the link below to purchase Andy's book will give you 15% off the cover price.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What can we practically do to support the transformation of organisational learning; to really support performance improvement? - this was the question that spurred Andy to write his book.

• Learning and development in any organisation, private or public, should always be driving that company’s performance and purpose.

• Performance itself is a contentious, and indeed sometimes controversial word or concept. Many believe that performance is open to interpretation, and therefore a difficult metric to measure.

• When preparing to write the book, there were several key themes that emerged for Andy surrounding the emerging organisational landscapes (we need to understand how organisations are changing), and foundational principles (transformational approaches to development). These manifested in three themes:
  • Work - operational models are being disrupted everywhere. The way we approach development has to change.
  • Workforce - There are a greater range of ages in the workforce than ever before. There is less hierarchy.
  • Workplace - Single locations are becoming rarer these days. 

• In Andy’s experience, he has found that change is generally embraced when it comes to development, but there will always be an element that resists due to the transition to the new way of working, and the ever-evolving working environments.

• We need to ask what foundations look like. We need to ask what learning approaches look like. We need to think about these questions in a new way, and use technology to aid in answering.

• Around 50% of all Learning & Development professionals are extremely concerned with the state of their own development. 

• Smart devices are changing the way we live. They guide us throughout our day and act as personal assistants in every way possible. We need to better understand a way in which these highly personal devices can drive our own learning and development in a revolutionary way.
• We need people to have more self-direction in the workplace, with a greater sense of autonomy (essential), and learning needs to be interrelated with others in that space

BEST MOMENTS

• ‘You have to have a very compelling reason to write a book’
• ’Performance is not a contentious word’
• ‘Unless you paint a compelling vision, change is a very difficult concept to go with’
• ‘We’ve got to think about a bigger vision’
• ‘People want to change. We have to be modern learners ourselves’
• ‘It’s now about creating not fixed dishes, but buffet menus’
• ’Self direction is what really motivates us’
• ‘I dream of painting and then I paint my dream’
• ’The best way to predict the future is to create it'

ABOUT THE GUEST

Andy Lancaster has more than 25 years’ experience in learning and organisational development in commercial, technological and not-for-profit organisations and has also worked as a consultant. 

As Head of Learning at CIPD, Andy is responsible for professional development and learning products, content and qualifications for L&D, coaching and mentoring and management and leadership.

You can follow and connect with Andy via:

Twitter: @AndyLancasterUK

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-lancaster-ab995418/

Link To Book With 15% Discount Off Cover Price when you enter the promotion code AHRDL15 at the checkout: www.koganpage.com/DPTL

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/
• Website: https://www.looop.co/