50. Design Learning Beyond Courses with Mark Britz

Mar 18, 2026

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What if your real job in L&D isn't to build better courses, but to design better conditions for learning? In this episode, Mark Britz challenges us to step outside the L&D box and examine the larger ecosystem shaping performance every day. Through powerful stories and practical examples, Jess and Mark explore how control, efficiency, and legacy systems can unintentionally block learning. Instead of asking "What training should I create?" you'll be invited to ask, "What environment am I designing?" This conversation will stretch how you see your role and the impact you can truly have.

Jess and Mark Discuss

The shift from controlling learning through courses to influencing learning through environment design.
Why creating content can subtly reinforce control instead of capability.
The power of organizational design in shaping behavior.
How efficiency-driven systems can unintentionally create disconnection and limit learning.
The case study that proves most performance problems are not training problems.
How social tools like Slack and Teams can act as an MRI for your culture, revealing trust, power, and communication patterns.
What learning in the flow of work really means.
The learning that emerges when people are trusted to solve problems.
Auditing your own L&D processes to identify where you may be reinforcing control.

About Mark Britz

Mark is the Director of Event Programming & Content at The Learning Guild and author of Social By Design: How to create and scale a collaborative company. Across roles in education, corporate, and start-up settings—as a teacher, instructional designer, social strategist, and performance consultant - his focus has been consistent: reshape systems to reduce friction, foster connection, and support learning through work, not around it.

Find and Connect with Mark Britz

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie