The Learning & Development Podcast

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. Not everyone has to do a learning apprenticeship. Spend time out in the business building up your understanding of how things actually work. Focus on what the business is trying to achieve so that you can deliver effective training. Follow up on your trainees to ensure that what you offer is delivering results. Digital resources enable you to curate content, constantly update it and deliver training fast. Learn to utilise the data you can extract from the tech systems you use. In many cases, light solutions e.g. a short how-to video is the answer, rather than a full-blown course. BEST MOMENTS 'One of the beauties of learning and development is you can come in from any number of routes.' 'I always start with what´s the why, what are people and the business trying to do? ' 'Keep the end-user, the human, the person at the heart of everything you do. ' 'I see learning and development as part of the overall employee experience. '    VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Anne-Marie Burbidge Bio Anne-Marie is Head of Learning & Development at Utility Warehouse, a UK-based multiservice utility provider, and draws on 15 years experience of running L&D teams. Anne-Marie is keenly interested in Agile principles and understanding how data can help us, using a range of tools and approaches to understand what's really going in order to grow capability and confidence effectively. Lexie Hockaday Bio Lexie is Junior L&D Product Manager at Utility Warehouse and - at the point of recording - is studying on the CIPD Level 5 Qualification in Learning & Development.   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/

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 departments or content is adequate. However, these are merely provisions. A learning culture is the point at where people can access learning at any time with no barriers to entry, and where access is encouraged. Before we develop a learning culture, it's essential to switch the conversation from learning performance and results, and not delaying the progress by thinking we have to change the culture first. No CEO will ever lose sleep over how many people have not completed courses. We need to be using measurements and metrics that business managers understand. BEST MOMENTS 'It is literally the lifeblood of the company' 'That is not a learning culture - that is a provision' 'I believe there is so much more than people completing courses and happy sheets' 'We're seeing much more of a "need to have" than a "nice to have"'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST A multi-award winning Learning leader with experience of heading up international Learning & Talent functions. Having worked across different organisations and sectors, Dr Hannah Gore has in-depth - as well as hands-on - knowledge of what it means to successfully align L&D with business outcomes and select the most appropriate approaches in order to make a demonstrable difference. Now a consultant, lecturer and Board Director at the eLearning Network, Hannah is an influential figure in L&D, helping to promote Learning Cultures as a way of achieving real results. You can follow and connect with Hannah via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahgore/ Twitter: @HRGore Website: https://drhannahgore.com/ 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/

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 developed while furloughed. The shift to remote development has been significant. 85% of workforce learning is now done digitally and virtually. Everyone who pivoted from their original existing L&D strategy and content delivery, to one more focussed upon needs and priorities, created a huge contrast to the way things worked previously – an as-and-when framework. From a professional capability perspective, the shift to digital and virtual has been transformative. BEST MOMENTS 'The overall finding is that 85% shift to virtual’ ‘This has left a huge population who cannot access skills development’ ‘I think our “solutions” are so insubstantial that they require support from elsewhere’ ‘This has allowed them to make the shift they wanted to make’  VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Sukhvinder (Sukh) Pabial is a senior Learning & Organisational Development leader who, as CLO of Challenging Frontiers, actively works to progress the thinking and practice of L&D. Sukh’s interests lie in L&D strategy and consultation, innovation in business, positive psychology and emotional intelligence. Sukh is an occupational psychologist by education, and has extensively studied the fields of positive psychology and emotional intelligence.  Twitter @sukhpabial LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukhvinder-pabial-01113b1b/ How Has COVID Impacted L&D? Research Results: https://challengingfrontiers.com/impact-covid19-ld Website: https://challengingfrontiers.com/ 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/

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 experience. In order to best understand how to create design as a way of thinking, we must conceive of it as an investment in time and understanding. Far too many people jump upon buzzwords in order to make it seem as though they are being proactive. But this is the root cause behind the misconceptions that are keeping L&D in the past BEST MOMENTS 'We should be saying design... as a way of thinking...' 'Design is an approach that people can use to solve big problems' 'Change can't travel throughout our profession because of the mis-branding' 'If we understand the thought behind the problem, we don't need a piece of e-learning'  VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Danny Seals is Director of Design, Experience & Innovation at GP Strategies and the purpose of his work is to create impactful change through using good design. He pulls from various design disciplines and mindsets such as human centred design, design thinking, service design, system thinking and experience design.  You can follow and connect with Danny via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyseals/ With a background in the engineering and aerospace sectors, Tim Brind understands ROI and how to add value; an approach that combines performance consulting with human centred design to ensure the production of innovative, user-centric learning experiences and creative problem solving. You can follow and connect with Tim via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-brind-81707513/ 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/

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. You can't succeed in digital initiatives without a good mindset as it limits your chances. L&D has taken a long time to warm to themes of remote development, but this thawing of attitudes has been greatly sped up by the impact of lockdown. Remote is now seen as the norm, and so L&D has begun to fully embrace the possibilities. We do not necessarily make the most of the connection theme. We tend to think of it as being connected to a system, or connected to an instructor, but while they are important, this is limiting. It is incumbent upon us to measure success not in the number of clicks or downloads of software, but the success and penetration of ideas and learning. BEST MOMENTS 'Part of it's about how you organise. Part of it's about how you take decisions' 'L&D is starting to warm to these themes now' 'It's been a huge area of growth, and I don't think it's going to stop' 'These are themes from my working history that I still think are very valid'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Myles is an experienced consultant, senior manager and general manager of online and digital business in the private and public sector. He has a particular depth of experience in digital transformation, leading the development of digital and online learning and products in the corporate and education worlds with extensive experience of digital learning strategy, managing implementation and digital product strategy and design. You can follow and connect with Myles via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-runham/ Twitter: @MylesRun Blog: https://mylesrunham.com/blog/ 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/

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 content development. They are swift to deploy in service of a defined need. If seeking to deploy podcast content, we should always aim to experiment rather than launch as a new commitment. This can lead to the feeling of wearing a millstone. Podcast listening is up 40% over the last three years. At Podbean alone, over 100,000 podcasts were begun in 2020. There is no gatekeeper for the world of podcasting, allowing for a surfeit of creativity. This also allows listeners to tune in to more specific niches. BEST MOMENTS 'A lot of people found their creative vibe during lockdown' 'See if it gets you the results you seek, and not just some attention' 'More Americans listen to podcasts every week that attend religious services' 'Podcasts really foster independent creation'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Shannon works with podcasters and organisations running internal communications and training podcasts, to support their efforts and address their needs. In addition Shannon run community outreach: interviews, social media, events, collaborations, and sponsorships. She also speaks at podcasting and employee development/training/HR conferences on various aspects of podcasting. You can follow and connect with Shannon via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmartinwrites/ ‘Podcasting for Learning and Development & Internal Communications’ LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13872219/ Podbean Blog: https://blog.podbean.com/  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/

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 are different things. We are creating a flawed system through our own educational institutions. We are taught the basics, but not taught how to apply these lessons. The industrial strategy council has highlighted that five million workers could become acutely underskilled in basic digital skills by 2030. Skills gaps are impacted both positively and negatively by more factors that many realise, including the political landscape and economic requirements of any given territory. Approximately, we spend 44 billion pounds per year on L&D, and yet the returns do not seem to be worth the investment. BEST MOMENTS 'We're not addressing a skills gap - it's just keeping a nice chat going' 'We can't just go out and recruit to make this business successful - we're going to have to grow some' 'As a learning profession we have turned the other way' 'What is the outcome that we deliver, year on year, for that spend?'  VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 Industrial Strategy Council ‘UK Skills Mismatch 2030’ Research Paper - https://industrialstrategycouncil.org/uk-skills-mismatch-2030-research-paper UK’s Digital Skills Gap Poses Risk To Economic Recovery - https://news.microsoft.com/en-gb/2020/11/23/uks-digital-skills-gap-poses-risk-to-economic-recovery-research-reveals/ ABOUT THE GUEST Simon is a modern and experienced Executive-level People Leader who has delivered meaningful commercial Change and Transformation via appropriate Learning, Organisational Development and Talent initiatives. Simon has a varied history and experience of working in different sectors and economic climates. From start-up to large multi-national companies, including NBC Universal, Fujitsu, Sonnedix and NatWest / RBS.  You can follow and connect with Simon via: Twitter: @simon1gibson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongibsonlearning/  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/

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 future. KEY TAKEAWAYS For many, previous lockdowns were seen as something of a holding pattern, a case of keeping heads above water. Now, operations are seeking to grow during lockdown. There is a huge value in bringing people together and holding a conversation around a table in order to share perspectives and experiences. There can never truly be a digital substitute for this. Experimentation and creativity have become the most productive way of re-shaping the work environment. It has made us realise that collaboration is the key to moving forward. The key to keeping our people motivated is to make sure that our values and our purpose are being effectively communicated and embraced. BEST MOMENTS 'People want to feel valued. They want to feel like they're working towards a unified purpose' 'L&D hasn't changed. This has just challenged us to make it even better' 'It all started with recognising that this is unusual, and that no one has all the answers' 'That creation of blended learning is very much what we're pushing for' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUESTS Eva Adam Bio Eva Adam is Learning Design Lead at Philip Morris International providing innovative solutions that help the company to achieve its strategic objectives. Eva leverages digital solutions and Experience Design to achieve real business results and successfully brings employees and stakeholders along with digital transformation. You can follow and connect with Eva via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-adam-25947787/ Alice Collier-Niblett Bio Alice is a thoroughly modern L&D professional with a background of leading with digital solutions and bringing her team and organisation along with her. Previously at ASOS and now with Monzo, Alice is a member of a team that operates in a way that is leading-edge and aspirational for many: Data-driven, performance-focused and agile. You can follow and connect with Alice via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-collier-niblett-849154b8/ Sean Cooper Bio Sean is Learning Demand Design & Delivery Manager at Drax Group, having previously been L&D Manager at Jet2. He is a forward-thinking, outcome-focused L&D leader who uses data, experimentation, Agile principles and digital-first solutions to affect the way the work is done and desired results. In recognition of this, he and his team at Jet2 achieved the Silver Award at the Learning Tech Awards. You can follow and connect with Sean via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-cooper1982/ 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/

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 all of our people recognise the importance and value of developing and growing. By making the learning experience employee-centric, instead of merely convenient and topic-centric, we can all make the difference required to welcome new starters and prepare them for performance. Far too many organisations still deliver "Death By Powerpoint" presentations, but we all know that this does not work effectively any more. Video content is a fantastic way of creating engagement, and far more attractive to people than simple paperwork that is often ignored. BEST MOMENTS 'I'm the A to Z of L&D' 'If we invest in people we can help people grow and have high performing teams' 'To make sure that we provide people with a real value-add experience touches on a human and a digital element' 'It's about not having a finite approach, and looking at an infinite approach' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Ross is Senior Learning & Talent Development Manager at Trainline.com, having previously been Digital Learning Manager at Tesco. He is an advocate of progressive L&D practices that impact individual and organisational performance.  
 In addition, Ross is author of the Steal These Thoughts blog and podcast. 
 You can follow and connect with Ross via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstevensonuk/ Twitter: @_Rsvenson Website: www.stealthesethoughts.com 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/

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 behaviour. The main challenge for democratised learning is how people can find the most relevant content in the moment of need. We recognise things as learning needs based on minimal observation, or even because of our preference, but these things are not real needs. They are assumptions. The principles of marketing can be used to enhance the learning experience. Effective marketing is used to nudge a user along a funnel and towards a proposed end goal. It's the same with learning. BEST MOMENTS 'We put a lot of emphasis on the learning experience. We wanted to be more digital and personalised' 'We have to find ways to promote the right content through digital channels' 'It's so much about education, but it has to start with them' 'We don't have a crystal ball to predict the skills of the future' VALUABLE RESOURC ES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 ABOUT THE GUEST Satoshi is Learning Experience Lead at SwissRe and is passionate about learning and emerging technologies. Especially how technology can help to build the most impactful learning solutions and provide everyone access to knowledge at anytime, from everywhere, in the moment of need. You can follow and connect with Satoshi via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satoshi-probala-7a546097/ 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/