Shows
The Mindtools L&D PodcastChristmas Special: Die Hard on an LMSYippee-ki-yay, Christmas Turkeys! In our final episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast for 2025, the gang are climbing to the top of Nakatomi Plaza: foiling a criminal plot and solving L&D challenges as we go. We answer: What rule exists at work that, if broken, would have the biggest impact on performance? (Tony) What should L&D pros be stealing to maximise their impact this Christmas? (Heinrich) What advice would you give an L&D professional as they plan for 2026? (Marco) What do we need to let go of in L&D? (Hans Gruber) ...
2025-12-2332 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastIs self-directed learning a myth?The promise of self-directed learning is that employees will take charge of their own development, if we only create the environment for them to do so. But does this actually happen? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Mindtools Kineo Head of Product Daniel Potter joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss self-directed learning, with a focus on: what self-directed learning journeys look like how motivation is different for mandatory vs self-directed learning how our approach to learning design needs to align with learner motivation. During the discussion, Gemma referenced self-determination theory.
2025-12-1632 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastSo long 2025, what's hot for 2026?What a year it was! In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, HowNow's Nelson Sivalingam joins Ross G and Ross D to reflect on 2025 and look to emerging trends in 2026. We discuss: AI (obviously) and how it's evolving the rise of instructor-led training how market consolidation is changing the choice of suppliers for L&D leaders. During the discussion, Ross G referenced a number of new stories: Only 22% of organizations have a visible AI strategy Three in five workers say they use unapproved AI tools at work 95% of organizations see no measurable return...
2025-12-1041 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastLearning at LV=How do you run an organization-wide learning function with just two people? At LV=, that's the main focus for Talent, Learning and Development Partner Rob Foster. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Rob joins Claire and Ross G to discuss: how building relationships throughout the organization helps support induction, mentoring and reverse mentoring programs how internal champions expand the impact of digital resources (like Mindtools!) advice for teams working on a similarly small scale. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed the structure of Taylor Swift's 'The Fate of Ophelia'. ...
2025-12-0230 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast472 — Delivering business valueThe L&D industry has always talked about 'business value' as an elusive concept. Now, a new book from Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers, The L&D Leader: Principles and Practice for Delivering Business Value, articulates what that looks like in practice. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, they join Ross D and Dr Anna to discuss: how L&D teams can transition through different stages of maturity the role of data in shaping business value the role of community and where to find it in the post-Twitter world. The book, The L...
2025-11-2541 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast471 — A long-term view on learningIn many organizations, not least within L&D, urgent and important short-term challenges often crowd out the bigger picture. So, how do we step back and take the long view? In this week's episode, Ross D and Claire are joined by Nina Bressler, founder of Reimagined Value, to discuss: Nina's background and what she means by the term 'societal learning' How to work with business stakeholders to help them decide what to focus on How to measure the impact of long-term initiatives. To find out more about Nina's work, check out Reimagined Value. ...
2025-11-1838 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast470 — AI in L&D: The Race for ImpactSince the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Donald Taylor and Eglė Vinauskaitė have released four reports exploring L&D's use of AI. In this week's episode, Don joins Ross D to discuss the latest report — AI in L&D: The Race for Impact. We cover: What's changed over the last three years, and why we're at an inflection point How L&D's use of AI has slowly matured over time, evolving into more sophisticated use cases A vision for the future of L&D, beyond content-creation. You can download a copy of the full report here...
2025-11-1134 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast469 — How businesses can hold on to their best peopleIn his book Targeting Turnover, Dick Finnegan argues that, as the global population ages and more people enter retirement, it is imperative for organizations to retain the talent they already have. In this week's episode, Dick joins Claire and Cammy to discuss: Why turnover is a problem for businesses The strategies organizations can deploy to reduce turnover The impact this might have on the L&D industry. You can pick up a copy of Targeting Turnover here. For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also find details of our new...
2025-11-0427 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast468 — What can L&D learn from product management? (Rebroadcast)Hello listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to take the opportunity to revisit our 2021 'documentary special' on product management. It took a lot more work than our usual roundtable format, but we think it paid off. ;) To make this episode, we spoke to Myles Runham, Sukh Pabial, Danny Seals, and Gemma Paterson, discussing: what product management is what L&D can learn from product management what 'the product' is in L&D - is it L&D itself? For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit mindtools.com. There, you'll also fin...
2025-10-2835 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast467 — Decisions, decisions, decisions... by AI?When Dr Anna Barnett, Ross Garner and Ross Dickie discussed the role of empathy in decision-making in Episode 463, they started to ponder the role that AI plays in our decisions. In this week's episode, Ross Garner, Anna and Gemma return to the topic of smart decisions to continue that conversation. We discuss: The impact AI is having on our decisions and decision-making processes The pros and cons of using AI to help us make decisions How we might use AI to make more effective decisions. In 'What I Learned This Week', Anna recommended using the...
2025-10-2140 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast466 — What L&D should (and shouldn't) be doing with AIAccording to Donald Taylor and Egle Vinauskaitė's recent AI in L&D: The Race for Impact report, 'creating learning content' and 'learning design tasks' remain the primary use cases for AI in learning and development. But should they be? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, L&D consultant Heidi Kirby joins Ross D and Claire to discuss: the obvious appeal of using AI to scale learning content; why Heidi believes outsourcing development to AI is a mistake; what L&D could or should be using AI for, if not content generation.
2025-10-1430 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe business impact of play at workAll children play but, over time, that instinct goes away. We don't lose it, we don't forget. Instead, we get taught to stop. For author and toy designer Cas Holman, that's a problem. With a very real impact on business performance. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Cas joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss: how traditional workplaces surpress play the business benefits of play at work how to encourage play when your organization won't tolerate it. You can find out more about Cas and her book Playfulness at...
2025-10-0741 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastOrder taker to strategic business partnerWhy does L&D so often feel like the drive-thru window of requests—'one leadership program, hold the ROI please'? As L&D professionals, it's not who we understand ourselves to be. So how can we flip the script so that we're seen and treated as strategic business partners? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we're joined by Jess Almlie, author of "Order taker no more!" We discuss: What keeps us stuck in an order taker role? What are the foundations of great strategic business partnering? What might a move in...
2025-09-3040 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe empathy problem: Balancing emotion in decision-makingDecision-making is a key aspect of being a manager, and a complex mix of skills, experiences, judgments and instincts. So how do you help your managers make smarter decisions at work? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, our own Dr Anna Barnett reveals insights from our new report 'The empathy problem: Balancing emotion in decision-making', part of our Building Better Managers series. We discuss: Whether managers are more inclined to delegate difficult tasks than those they think will be achieved Why too much empathy is a problem in decision-making How...
2025-09-2340 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastUmbrage over troubled water: Disputing last week's episodeLast week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, L&D Detective Kevin M Yates joined Ross D and Dr Anna to talk about isolating the impact of training at work. When listening back, Ross G took umbrage at some of the claims made by his Mindtools colleagues and so, this week, we re-litigate! We discuss: Are control groups really worth it? How else can you measure impact? Why Dr Anna thinks learning NEVER leads (directly) to business impact To find out how Mindtools can help you measure the business impact of your learning, despite what...
2025-09-1538 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastIt takes a village: Isolating training's impactIs it up to the humble L&D pro to change people's behavior at work? Or is it up to everyone? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, return guest Kevin M. Yates (aka The L&D Detective) speaks to Anna and Ross D about: How to isolate the impact of training at work What other factors influence performance How L&D pros can demonstrate the value of their roles. You can find out more about Kevin's work at kevinmyates.com For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit mindtools.com. Th...
2025-09-0936 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe irony of L&D: When do we develop ourselves?As learning and development professionals, we spend most of our days thinking about how we help others build their skills. But how many of us neglect our own development while doing so? It's what L&D advisor, writer and speaker David Kelly calls 'The Irony of L&D', and in this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, David joins Ross G and Claire to discuss: how to make time for personal development how to build this habit among your team the extent to which AI makes personal development existential for L&D professionals. ...
2025-09-0235 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastOHLs over OKRs: A new approach to goal-settingObjectives and Key Results have long been a staple of the working world. You set a stretch objective, define the results that will tell you if the objective has been met, and scaffold throughout the organization. Then what? Often, nothing happens. The OKRs were too vague. In extreme cases, the worst happens: people bend the rules to hit aggressive targets. For author Radhika Dutt, there is another way: Objectives, Hypotheses, and Learnings (OHLs). In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Radhika joins Gemma and Ross Garner to discuss:
2025-08-2548 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast458 — What do you bench(mark)?Here at Mindtools Towers, we're no strangers to benchmarking in L&D. We've regularly mentioned our Learning Performance Benchmark over the years, and we dedicated an entire episode to 'The value of benchmarking' back in 2021. So, naturally, we were intrigued when David James released the 'L&D Maturity Model', and wanted to invite him onto the show to discuss it. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, David joins us to explore: Why David developed his maturity model, and what makes it different The limitations of self-assessment-based models What practitioners can expect to get out of...
2025-08-1936 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast457 — Evaluation or justification?Now for something completely different! A couple of weeks ago, Carl Akintola wrote a provocative guest post for The L&D Dispatch, challenging L&D practitioners to interogate their motives for measuring learning impact. Are they in it purely for the sake of evaluation and continuous improvement? Or are they merely trying to justify their own existence? This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Carl takes over hosting duties, and runs Ross G and Ross D through the scenario he outlined in the newsletter. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D m...
2025-08-1239 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast456 — Building tolerance in the workplace We know that surrounding ourselves with diverse people at work brings variety in expertise, opinions and ways of working, which can boost creativity and productivity. Sometimes those differences however, can be challenging. How can we make the most of difference? This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Liggy Webb, author of Tolerance: How to respect and accept differences joins Ross G and Gemma to examine the skill of tolerance. We discuss: What tolerance means The benefits of being tolerant How to be tolerant, particularly towards differences in behaviour or opinions that we find tricky. To fin...
2025-08-0533 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast455 — The case (for some people) to go back to the officeIn their new book, In Praise of the Office, Wharton professor Peter Cappelli and workplace strategist Ranya Nehmeh argue that 'the case for in-office work has never been stronger'. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Peter and Ranya join Ross D and Claire to explain why they believe this to be true. We discuss: The benefits and downsides to in-office work, both from an employer and employee perspective The challenges of returning to office post-pandemic, and why mandates alone often don't work The role of managers in implementing remote, hybrid or in-office models The imp...
2025-07-2933 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast454 — Designing learning experiences that feel authenticIf we want to motivate learners to engage with an experience, it stands to reason that we need to present that experience in a way feels authentic and relatable to them. But what are the limits to authenticity in the workplace? And are some of the conventions of learning design at odds with authentic communication? This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Kineo's Matt Mella joins Ross D and Claire to discuss: What 'authenticity' looks like in the context of learning design Why it's important, and how to design with authenticity in mind How Mindtools a...
2025-07-2233 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastWhat's your e-learning P(doom)?If you spend any time scrolling LinkedIn, attending L&D conferences, or listening to industry podcasts, it might seem like AI is about to usher in the end of e-learning as we know it. But is e-learning really dying, or is it just evolving? This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Kineo's Cammy Bean joins Ross D and Ross G to discuss: The probability that AI will bring about the e-learning-pocalypse How the work of learning designers might change over the coming years The risks L&D needs to consider as they incoporate AI tools i...
2025-07-1535 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastPity the frontline managerFrontline managers have to support decisions they didn't make, translate organizational goals into actions, identify meaningful opportunities for people to develop, remember to acknowledge successes, regulate their emotions, and resolve team conflicts. And they're usually 19-years-old. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, one of our favourite guests - JD Dillon - returns to the show to share insights from his upcoming book on the role of frontline managers. We discuss: The pressures faced by frontline managers How to help these managers feel confident in their roles How AI chat bots and digital communities can...
2025-07-0849 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast451 — Upskilling your managers on AI toolsExciting news at Mindtools Towers this week, as we launch our first 'Expert Skill Bite' course with Dr Markus Bernhardt, available now to all Mindtools Content Hub users! To share more about what the course covers, and how it builds capability over time, Markus joined Ross G and Claire to discuss: Why a 'big top-down AI strategy' is never coming How to help managers build AI skills What to do if your organization bans AI tools. Log in to Mindtools.com now to subscribe to the Skill Bite and try it for yourself! I...
2025-07-0142 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastAI and the Future of Content (Assemble You crossover episode)This week, we're handing the reigns of The Mindtools L&D Podcast over to our friends at Assemble You. Including the show notes! In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Ross Garner and Paul Buller of Mindtools to explore one of the most pressing topics in L&D today: the role of AI in content creation and the future of learning. Ross is Chief Learning Officer at Mindtools and a former Learning Designer of the Year. He's also a long-time podcast host and co-author of the L&D Dispatch newsletter. Paul is Head of C...
2025-06-2436 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastPerformance support is back, baby! (Assemble You crossover episode)Remember 'performance support'? Amid all the talk of AI, adaptive learning, and skills, it's kind of been forgotten. But not by us! Or by respondents to Don Taylor's Global Sentiment Survey, who ranked it 11th hottest trend this year (up two from last year). In the first of a two-part series of crossover episodes with our partner Assemble You, Ross G and Paul are joined by Adam Lacey to discuss: What makes great performance support? What conditions make performance support effective? What role does AI play in all this? To find out more...
2025-06-1740 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast448 — Encouraging teams to adopt AI Should we be adopting AI more into our day to day lives? How can L&D professionals move beyond reactive training on specific tools to cultivate a continuous learning mindset in team members? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Gemma and Dr Anna are joined by to Head of L&D at Newsquest Media Group, Mel Cooley to explore L&D's relationship with AI. We discuss: how L&D is thinking and talking about AI; what L&D can do to support AI integration; how to measure the impact
2025-06-1035 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast447 — Hard science, soft skills: L&D in the space sector Armed with a STEM qualification or two, you might think technical brilliance is all one needs to succeed in the space sector. Is this the case though? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Anna are joined by Victoria Craig to discuss: the importance of 'soft' skills in a 'hard' science environment; sector-specific skills gaps; how L&D can bridge these gaps. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross reminisced about playing a Sega game called Mickey Mania. Take a look at the game's Wikipedia page. For mo...
2025-06-0343 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast446 — Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D ProEffective marketers have an uncanny way of knowing what we want and convincing us to click 'Like', add to Checkout and in under 20 seconds, buy their thing. Clever. Meanwhile, over in L&D, we find it more difficult to motivate someone to take action or change their behaviour. So, what does marketing do that we don't? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G is joined by Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor, authors of Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro: Strategies to Ignite Learning. They discuss: ...
2025-05-2735 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThis game will make you a better collaboratorCollaboration is a vital skill across many fields and disciplines. But effective collaboration is about much more than just working together. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Paula are joined by Fraser Mcdonald, Head of Collaboration at Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) and Deputy Director of the Data for Children Collaborative, to discuss: why collaboration is important when it comes to solving 'wicked problems'; how Mindtools worked with the EFI to develop a game that's designed to build collaboration skills; why a game was the right solution to this problem, a...
2025-05-1336 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastSo, you've decided to be creative...Whether it comes to facilitating workshops, designing learning experiences, or developing campaign assets, L&D practitioners are increasingly expected to bring creativity to their roles. But how do you do this if you don't have a creative background, or if you don't think of yourself as a 'creative person'? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Gemma are joined by Kenny Temowo, Senior Director of Talent Acceleration at SharkNinja and host of the Inside the Art of Making podcast, to discuss: Kenny's career journey through the creative industries, into workplace le...
2025-05-0634 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastIs AI making us dumber?Often on this podcast we've spoken about how AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are enhancing our capabilities. But do they also come at a cost? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross Stevenson from Steal These Thoughts joins Ross G and Dr Gent to discuss: the relationship between tasks and skills; whether we are over-relying on AI; the long-term impact of AI use on critical thinking. During the discussion, Ross S discussed the recent robot race in Beijing and the concept of vibe coding, via Lovable. He also mentioned Ap...
2025-04-2940 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastPodcasts for learning and the end of emailWhat are the benefits of podcasts for learning? How does L&D respond to people leaving the profession? Should we get rid of email? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G is joined by Anna and Ross D to answer your questions! During the discussion, Ross D referenced our post 'If your podcast isn't available on mobile, does it make a sound?', and Cal Newport's Deep Work. Ross G referenced the AI 2027 forecast. He also discussed (and wrote about) Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke's recent edict on the...
2025-04-2142 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastTerrible task? Just delegate it!What drives your delegation decisions? Is it what's best for the business? Is it what's best for your team member? Is it what's best for you? In this week's edition of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G, Ross D and Dr Anna discuss: Why managers sometimes delegate tasks that they know are too difficult How the organization's culture shapes those decisions How to help managers delegate better. The paper we discussed throughout this podcast was: Maas, V. S., & Shi, B. (2023). The effects of target difficulty and relative ability on managers' delegation decisions. Ma...
2025-04-1537 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastLeveraging data for inclusion and wellbeingMany organizations treat 'inclusion' and 'wellbeing' as separate issues, but Dr Serena Huang - author of The Inclusion Equation - argues that the two are intrinsically linked. And, that data is how you can make better decisions about how to make a positive impact on both. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Serena joins Ross G and Dr Anna to discuss: Why these two areas are inseparable Why data in this space isn't as 'unmeasurable' as it seems Two approaches to data gathering that you can start using today. During the dis...
2025-04-0844 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast438 — Where culture and learning collideWe might think that what makes our team culture great (or awful) is different from what supports our learning and development. Are they so different, though? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Gemma are joined by L&D professional turned Culture Manager, Lois Ratcliffe to discuss: what 'culture' is and how it gets measured; what it takes to have a good feedback culture; the features of a learning culture. Lois refers to the three layers of organisational culture proposed by Shein. To...
2025-04-0140 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast437 — How to build engagement with your content libraries (Rebroadcast)Digital learning content offers a scalable, always-on option to help your people build their skills and overcome workplace challenges. But often these libraries get dusty, bogged down by out-of-date content with little relevance, or hidden away in a dark corner of the intranet where no one can find them. So in this episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Virgin Money's Martin Ritchie, Digital Learning Manager, joins Ross Garner and Lara to share: How Virgin Money raise awareness of their Mind Tools content library; Techniques for promoting a proactive learning mindset; ...
2025-03-2540 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastContent libraries: Less is moreMost organizations offer some kind of content library to help their people develop. But how much content is too much? How do you give your people choice, without overloading them? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Ross D are joined by Rosemary Hoskins (formerly of AstraZeneca), to discuss: Why are extensive content libraries a problem (as well as a solution) for organizations? What mechanisms help people find the right content, at the right time? Does it matter if people like the content we provide? The article Rosemary wrote w...
2025-03-1838 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast435 — What will be hot in workplace L&D in 2025?Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence once again topped the results of Donald Taylor's Global Sentiment Survey. Almost every other option on the survey lost vote-share this year, with the exception of the 'value trio'. So, what do these findings tell us about the state of L&D, and how the profession is evolving? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Don joined Ross D and Ross G for our annual breakdown of the survey's results. We discuss: what the Global Sentiment Survey is (and what it isn't); AI's unprecedented dominance of the...
2025-03-1141 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast434 — Cyborgs, centaurs and the role of choice infrastructureIt's 'Bring Your Paper to Work' day at Mindtools Towers, as Ross G, Ross D and Dr Anna each take turns to share an academic study that they think has key insights for L&D professionals. We discuss: The impact of AI on critical thinking, as investigated in: Lee, H. P. H., Sarkar, A., Tankelevitch, L., Drosos, I., Rintel, S., Banks, R., & Wilson, N. (2025). The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers. How consultants who use AI act either as 'cyborgs' or...
2025-03-0443 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast433 — What does 'AI literacy' look like in organizations?The World Economic Forum's recent 'Future of Jobs' report positioned 'AI and big data' and 'technological literacy' as skills that will become increasingly important over the next five years. But what do these skills look like in practice? What do we mean when we talk about 'AI literacy'? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Anna are joined by Erica Werneman Root, legal consultant and co-founder of Knowledge Bridge, to discuss: what 'AI literacy' means in different contexts; the compliance implications of building AI literacy in organizations;
2025-02-2539 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast432 — Sales enablement for product teamsIn last week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we explored sales enablement from the perspective of sales and marketing teams. But where do product teams fit in? Beyond building products, what role do these teams play in generating revenue? For the second instalment in our two-part series on sales enablement, Ross D and Lara are once again joined by Darren Bezani, Chief Salecologist at Salecology, to discuss: why it's important to involve product teams in sales enablement; the behaviors we want product teams to demonstrate; how L&D can...
2025-02-1831 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastSales enablement for sales and marketing teamsAll sales training is sales enablement, but not all sales enablement is sales training. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross Dickie and Lara are joined by Darren Bezani, Chief Salecologist at Salecology, to discuss: what 'sales enablement' means, and why it's intentionally broader in scope than sales training; what sales enablement is designed to achieve, beyond increased sales; the role of managers in sales enablement. To learn more about Darren's work, head to salecology.com. In 'What I Learned This Week', Lara...
2025-02-1131 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastDigital learning for behavior changeThose of who work in learning and development like to think we're in the business of behavior change. But we often don't have an in-depth understanding of what current behaviors are, or how to change them. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross Garner is joined by Ross Dickie and Dr Anna Barnett to discuss: methods for understanding behavior; digital learning methods for changing behavior; methods for measuring change. During the discussion, Ross Garner described the Dunning-Kruger effect. Ross Dickie mentioned libertarian paternalism...
2025-02-0441 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastDeveloping leaders at the National TrustThe National Trust is Europe's largest conservation charity, established 130 years ago to look after the UK's nature, beauty and history. Its leaders have diverse areas of focus, from protecting woodland to managing properties – and even running a gold mine! In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Ross D find out just how the Trust develops these leaders, with Development Specialist Carole Thelwall-Jones. We discuss: how a leader needs to think 'to be' lists, rather than 'to do' lists; how leadership development is structured at the Na...
2025-01-2836 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe art and science of better questionsAuthor, podcaster and award-winning filmmaker Topaz Adizes specializes in creating deeper human connections. So, in this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, he joins Ross Garner and Owen for an in-depth chat about: how to formulate questions to build understanding; how better conversations help us partner with our clients and stakeholders; the benefits of online and in-person conversations. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed the growing capabilities of 'Large Behavior Models', via The Economist. For more from Topaz, visit topazadizes.com For more...
2025-01-2148 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastDesigning an award-winning blended learning programmeAt last year's Learning Technologies Awards, Mindtools and South Western Railway won Gold in the 'Best use of blended learning – commercial sector' category. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast for 2025, Ross D and Claire are joined by Becky Eason, Leadership Delivery Manager at South Western Railway, to discuss: The context in which the program was developed, and the problems it was designed to solve; How we used focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and a valid and reliable behavioral survey to test assumptions and prove impact; The results of th...
2025-01-1433 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastMaking hybrid work… work!Do remote and hybrid managers need different skills to those who work in-person? If so, what are those skills and how do we develop them? In this first episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast for 2025, Ross Dickie and Ross Garner are joined by return guest Gary Cookson, author of Making Hybrid Working Work. We discuss: The 'sensory loss' that takes place when managers move to a hybrid environment The digital signals that help managers understand their teams Strategies for building hybrid management capability. Gary's book, Making...
2025-01-0740 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastChristmas Special: L&D ActuallyAnother year, another Christmas Special! We've scraped the barrel of festive ideas and selected Love Actually, the "greatest Christmas movie of all time", as the unfortunate premise of this year's audio horrorshow. In this edition, Ross G will be asking questions that are very loosely based on the Richard Curtis classic, with answers from Ross D, Anna and Owen. Including: In Love Actually, grumpy husband Alan Rickman gets into trouble when he buys a necklace for a woman who isn't his wife. If you were to buy a gold necklace for another profession, other...
2024-12-1739 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastGood managers balance care with resultsHow can we help managers demonstrate care for their teams, while maintaining high standards of accountability and performance? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Dr Anna Barnett are joined by Joris Merks-Benjaminsen, Managing Without Power, to discuss: why nice managers can still provide mediocre management how managers can balance care for their teams with high levels of performance and how to build better managers. For more from Joris, visit managingwithoutpower.com The paper Anna discussed, on 'nondecision-making', was: Bachrach, P., & Baratz, M. S. (1963). Decisions and no...
2024-11-1939 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast420 — Toxic productivity: Time to say 'no!'Are you an over-committing over-achiever? In Toxic Productivity, author Israa Nasir argues that you can only maintain that approach to productivity for so long. Eventually you'll burn out, exhausted by all those 'time management hacks' that organizations (like Mind Tools!) keep suggesting. So this week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Israa joins Ross Dickie and Ross Garner to offer an alternative approach. We discuss: how toxic productivity manifests in our lives how getting rewarded for our productivity tricks us into trying to achieve more how the signals...
2024-11-1234 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastMeasurement on a shoestringLearning measurement is difficult, complex, and expensive. Or is it? In Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring, Dr Alaina Szlachta applies a Build-Borrow-Buy approach to learning measurement, and joins The Mind Tools L&D Podcast this week to share her insights with Ross Dickie and Owen. We discuss: the importance of asking the right questions how to bake measurement into your programs what 'Build', 'Borrow' and 'Buy' look like in practice. Find out more about Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring. You can also sign...
2024-11-0539 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow do we measure management capability?Measuring management capability is intrinsically complex. Unlike sales training, where you have sales, or customer-service training, where you have CSAT scores, management doesn't have a built-in metric we can use to quantify learning impact. So, what's the solution? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Dickie is joined by Owen and Anna to discuss our new 'Manager Skills Assessment' — a scientific diagnostic that managers and their organizations can use to evaluate their capability. We discuss: what the Manager Skills Assessment (MSA) is, and how it works; how we designed the MS...
2024-10-2933 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastWho is responsible for learning at work? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Garner and Ross Dickie are joined by Kathryn Hume, strategic workforce planning and L&D consultant, and author of the book Learn, Solve, Thrive. In the book, Kath argues that learners have a responsibility for managing their own learning and outlines strategies that anyone can adopt to make that process easier. We discuss: · why we can't 'wait around for someone to teach us' · some of the difficulties we experience when we try to learn · the relationship between workforce planning and training.
2024-10-0839 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe Learning and Development Handbook Returns: Part 2 - RequiemIt's been three years since the first edition of The Learning and Development Handbook by Michelle Parry-Slater was published. In that time, a global pandemic, rise of AI, and shift to remote working, have transformed how we work. This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Michelle returns to the show to discuss the second edition of her book with Ross G. We discuss: what has changed (and what hasn't) since the first edition was published the evolving role of the modern learning professional whether it's still possible to keep up with the...
2024-10-0136 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastYour questions answered (Part 2)This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Garner and Ross Dickie are re-visiting their L&D mailbag to answer your questions. We discuss: What is L&D actually doing well with Large Language Models? (via Gill Chester) What's the top 3 least likely L&D jobs to be replaced by AI? (via Alan Hiddleston) How can learning teams partner better with the rest of the org? (via Sarah Danzl) What has been the most popular content on MindTools this year, and why...? (via Adam Lacey) ...
2024-09-2437 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastCommunication skills for geeksTechnical professionals have a high level of expertise, but translating that expertise for non-technical colleagues isn't always straightforward. Whether you're an engineer, a researcher, or even an L&D professional, how can you communicate in a way that resonates with your audience? This week on the Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Neil Thompson, founder of Teach The Geek, to discuss: why good communication skills are important for technical professionals; the specific challenges associated with technical communication; how L&D can support technical professionals to...
2024-08-2734 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastEarly careers: What if we teach them and they leave? This week we're revisiting an old adage: The employer who says, 'What if we train our people and they leave?' And the trainer who says, 'What if we don't and they stay?' As Talent Development Manager for Kew Green Hotels, Clare Sheppard knows all about this. She's responsible for helping those who want to stay progress in their careers, while giving those who leave a great experience that they can carry with them into their next role. We discuss: · the types of colleague who fall into the 'Early Careers' bucket (it's broader...
2024-08-2035 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastRevisiting 70:20:10: From learning to performance Last week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Owen explored how the 70:20:10 model is being applied by three L&D Practitioners: Ceri Sharples, Cath Addis, and Carl Akintola-Davis. Today, we wanted to follow up on some of the challenges posed during that discussion with The 70:20:10 Institute's Charles Jennings. What does it really mean to 'integrate learning into the workflow', and how does 70:20:10 move us towards a performance focus? We discuss: · Where the numbers '70', '20' and '10' come from · How a focus on 'learning' te...
2024-08-1352 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastWe're all too busy for your L&DAccording to a recent study from Ipsos, and commissioned by Amazon, 86% of respondents said that career development is essential, very or fairly important to them. But, in our experience, it tends to become a lot less important when the day-to-day demands of work crop up. So, in this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, return guest Neil John Cunningham from Align Learn Do joins Ross G to ask why this is, and what to do about it. We discuss: How to build the credibility of your L&D function
2024-07-2332 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow do we support more experienced managers?In part three of our #BuildingBetterManagers series, Ross Garner and Nahdia Khan are joined for one last time by Dr Anna Barnett from the Mind Tools Insights team. If you've been listening along recently, we've already covered the capabilities that make a 'good' manager, and how we can develop them. In this week's episode, we're looking at how we support more experienced managers. We discuss: The long-term impact of early management training Differences (and similarities) between new and experienced managers How we can provide constant ongoing support to more experienced managers.
2024-07-1644 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow do we build better managers?Last week, we kicked off our three-part #BuildingBetterManagers series with an overview of the 12 capabilities that we know make a difference to performance. Now we're asking: How do we help managers build those capabilities? To answer this question, Ross G and Ross D are joined once again by Dr Anna Barnett, from the Mind Tools Insights team, to discuss her recommendations from our latest report: 'Building Better Managers'. We discuss: Evidence-based approaches to improving manager capability How Mind Tools factored this evidence into our product design An example of a custom management programme that...
2024-07-0939 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastWhat makes a great manager What does good management look like? What skills and capabilities does a manager need? Are you a good manager? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Garner and Owen Ferguson are joined by Dr Anna Barnett, from our own in-house Insights team, to discuss the findings of our latest report: 'Building Better Managers'. In the first of three episodes exploring how we can improve management capability for our people and organizations, we discuss: · How we define a 'good' manager · The capabilities all managers need to perform, no...
2024-07-0245 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast400th Episode Special!For eight years, the team here on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast (formerly The GoodPractice Podcast) have been chatting work, performance and learning with some of the brightest minds in learning and development. This week, to celebrate the release of our 400th episode, our friends Phil Willcox from Emotion at Work and Ady Howes from Digital Skills People have pulled together a tribute episode for us. We discuss: · the Mind Tools team's favourite episodes · what we learned from 400 episodes of podcasting · what others think of the podcast. ...
2024-06-2540 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow to build engagement with your content librariesDigital learning content offers a scalable, always-on option to help your people build their skills and overcome workplace challenges. But often these libraries get dusty, bogged down by out-of-date content with little relevance, or hidden away in a dark corner of the intranet where no one can find them. So in this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Virgin Money's Martin Ritchie, Digital Learning Manager, joins Ross Garner and Lara to share: How Virgin Money raise awareness of their Mind Tools content library Techniques for promoting a proactive learning mindset
2024-06-1839 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastDo organizational learning communities ever work?We humans are social creatures. We form organic communities wherever we go, based on shared interests, passions and needs. But when we try to impose top-down learning communities on an employee population, things get more difficult. Is it possible for L&D to create a flourishing community? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Garner and Nahdia Khan are joined by Andy Lancaster, author of Organizational Learning Communities, who offers a framework that can help. We discuss: · Types of workplace learning community · The key ch...
2024-06-0441 min
The Mindtools L&D Podcast396 — Applying the COM-B model for behavior changeIn learning and development, we typically want people to do something that they are currently not doing, or to stop doing something that they shouldn't be. One obvious approach is training, but there are in fact a broad spectrum of interventions that we can deploy. In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross and Owen are joined by Wil Procter, Strategy and Innovation Director at Nazaré, and by Jessica Holt, Senior Behavioural Science Consultant at Inizio Engage XD. We explore: · What behavioral science is, · What interventions can hel...
2024-05-2841 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastOnce upon a time: Data-based storytelling in L&DAs professionals, we want to know if our work has had the impact we originally intended and to tell others about it. This means getting comfortable with data and crafting compelling data stories. On this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G is joined by Neil Cunningham, founder of Align | Learn | Do and author of Narratives and Numbers, to discuss practical and mindset shifts L&D can take. We explore: why people think it's too difficult to measure the ROI of learning how to get stakeholder buy-in to measuring and evaluating l...
2024-05-2135 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastIs positive psychology practical?If you're thinking, isn't positive psychology a bit 'woo woo', and a bit like forcing yourself to take a sunny outlook, then this episode is for you. As an approach to a happier, more balanced inner and outer life, positive psychology is not woo – it has a solid scientific foundation with practical methodologies. Gemma, Ross Garner and their guest, Leadership coach Sandra Berko, discuss these very points this week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast. We explore: · what positive psychology is and isn't · what the science suggests we do to find balance...
2024-05-0739 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastAdaptive vs linear courses: Which performs better?Adaptive courses come in many forms, but generally respond to the learner's existing knowledge and skills: thereby optimizing the time to completion. But do they improve learning outcomes? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by Roy de Vries, Learning Innovator at aNewSpring, to explore the results of an experiment they ran to compare adaptive vs linear courses. We discuss: Forms of adaptive learning content; The potential advantages of adaptive learning; The results of an experiment carried out by...
2024-04-3042 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastCoaching for allAs a conversation approach and development tool, coaching is a highly effective option for everyone – not just the executive suite. Professional coaches are expensive, so how can large organisations give all of their employees the chance to be coached and for coaching conversations to be the norm? In this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma and Claire are joined by Mina Papakonstantinou, Manager in the Leadership development team at Deloitte, to discuss upskilling internal coaches at scale. We discussed: the benefits of creating a coaching culture designing and facilitating a coaching sk...
2024-04-0926 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastBringing spaced practice into workplace learning One-off learning interventions are frequently the 'go to' solution for workplace learning teams, but we know that spaced repetition and retrieval practice are more effective. How do we get past organizational constraints that make this difficult? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Tony Manwani from People Unboxed joins Ross Dickie and Ross Garner to discuss: · The problems with one-off interventions · Science-backed principles to make an impact · How Tony's 'BentoBot' tool puts those principles into practice. For a recent replication of Ebbinghaus' 'forgetting curve' experiment, see...
2024-03-2632 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow do we leverage AI for education? Throughout the first few months of this year, we've been exploring artificial intelligence for L&D. In episode 377, Donald Taylor gave us the context on the extent to which L&D pros are using AI In episode 379, Ross Steven offered advice for getting started. This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross and Owen were joined by Kacper Lodzikowski, Vice President of AI Capabilities at Pearson, to discuss the opportunities that AI presents for education. We discuss: · Why AI presents such a challenge for educators · Balancing those challenges with op...
2024-03-1939 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastBuilding a modern learning ecosystemToday's workplace is one where change is the norm. Learning is critical in this environment, but supporting learning isn't just about creating content. In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, JD Dillon joins Ross Dickie and Ross Garner to discuss his book, The Modern Learning Ecosystem. We cover: Why JD's book includes 'learning' in its title, even though it's not really about learning; The role of influence, and what L&D can do to earn it; The six key tasks of L&D, and how to build...
2024-03-1243 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastWhat will be hot in workplace L&D in 2024? Donald Taylor describes this year's Global Sentiment Survey as the 'unsurprising survey'. Predictably, artificial intelligence topped the table by some margin. But the results of this year's survey still tell us a lot about how L&D perceives itself and the challenges we face as a profession. In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Donald joins Ross and Owen to parse the results of the Global Sentiment Survey 2024. We discuss: · How L&D views the benefits and challenges associated with AI · The non-AI topics which gained popularity this year...
2024-03-0540 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastDesigning learning for the charity sectorWhile there are often constraints in charity's learning budgets, it's actually this limitation that can point the way to more efficient and effective learning design and development. There's much that the corporate learning world can learn from this. In this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma is joined by Gill Chester, Director of Little Man Project and Ross Dickie to discuss creating learning for organisations on a mission to change the world for the better. We talked about: Resourcefulness and creativity throughout the design process The importance of developing relationships with s...
2024-02-2742 min
Comfy ChairsWe’re talking about change.A conversation about adaptability, Part 2Content warning: Please be aware that this episode contains conversation about the loss of a loved one due to cancer.Following her death, Melissa’s family established a scholarship to honor her passion for education. The Melissa Ortiz-Bebbington Memorial Scholarship is awarded to Wright State Latino Students who are involved in giving back to the Latino community and/or work with the disabled population.Learn more about Wright State’s Latino Center: https://www.wright.edu/inclusive-excellence/culture-and-identity-centers/latino-center/scholarshipsDonate to the scholarship fund: Fund ID...
2024-01-3044 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow many Rosses does it take to adopt AI?Artificial Intelligence (AI) generally and Large Language Models (LLMs) specifically have been all the rage over the past 12 months. Should you care? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Rosses Garner and Dickie are joined by learning strategist Ross Stevenson to discuss: The current state of AI The extent to which L&D pros should pay attention to ongoing developments Tips for making the most of AI tools, especially ChatGPT. During the discussion, Stevenson referenced 'custom instructions' for ChatGPT. These help tailor ChatGPT's responses to...
2024-01-3041 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastAI in L&D: The State of Play Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, AI has seldom been out of the news. Such is the pace of change, it can feel difficult to keep up. But how is L&D actually using this technology? What do learning professionals perceive as the benefits of AI, and what are the barriers to implementation? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Dickie and Owen Ferguson are joined by Donald Taylor to discuss a report he co-authored with Egle Vinauskaite, which seeks to answer some of these questions. We discuss:
2024-01-1633 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastEnhancing the employee experience How much thought does your organization give to the Employee Experience? And what tools can you use to enhance it? In this year's first episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Garner and Owen Ferguson are joined by Danny Seals to discuss his new book The Insightful Innovator: How to level up your Employee Experience. We discuss: · The advantages of strengthening the Employee Experience · How 'designing a relationship' can set your projects up for success · Tools and techniques to enhance the Employee Experience. Dur...
2024-01-0944 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastRockin' Around The ChatGPT It's a wrap! In what is traditionally our 'least listened to' and 'most unhinged' episode of the year, we're celebrating the festive season with some reflections on the biggest talking point in L&D: the emergence of generative AI. And we're joined by special guests, ChatGPT (our first AI guest!) and Bedford Falls' own George Bailey (making his annual appearance). Ross Garner is joined by Owen Ferguson and Ross Dick to discuss: · How have tools like ChatGPT and Bard evolved over the year? · How are we using them? · What's com...
2023-12-1929 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastWhat if L&D had a marketing strategy? Ever launch a workshop that no one attended or an e-learning module that nobody accessed? It's surprisingly common: and one reason is that we're not always great at marketing our L&D initiatives. In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Dick and Owen Ferguson seek to reverse this outcome with the help of Ashley Sinclair from MAAS Marketing – the world's only (we think) marketing agency focusing specifically on L&D. We discuss: · Why L&D teams need a marketing strategy · What an effective marketing strategy looks like...
2023-12-0540 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThriving during the menopauseThe menopause, a natural transition that women experience, is finally becoming an open discussion topic in more communities. Does this mean that women have the understanding and support they need to thrive during this time of their lives? In this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma is joined by coach Jayne Saul-Paterson, and Nahdia Khan to discuss women's experiences and how they can be improved. We talked about: · The workplace difficulties experienced by some women during their menopause transition · How women can seek help during this time
2023-11-1437 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastMastering multicultural facilitationIn our globalised world, we work and learn with people from diverse cultures. How can we facilitate multicultural training, for instance, so that the sessions are not only inclusive, but get the best from everyone. This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma is joined by Gaëlle Watson, director of SyncSkills and our very own Nahdia Khan. We explored: The benefits and challenges of multicultural representation in facilitated sessions How to best adapt your design and delivery approaches as a facilitator How to avoid pitfalls such as stereotyping. Gaëlle refers to a...
2023-10-2435 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastL&D lessons from customer education The Mind Tools L&D Podcast usually focuses on how L&D can help colleagues develop in their careers – but we're not the only industry with an interest in education. Some of the world's most exciting tech companies, including Google, Meta and Amazon, use education as a tool to help their customers develop new skills and encourage longer term adoption. In this week's show, Ross G and Nahdia speak to Intellum's Lizzi Shaw and Gusto's Jaclyn Anku to discover: why marketing teams invest in customer education how they define the business outcomes they want to achieve ho...
2023-10-1041 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastUsing creativity in L&D Coaching usually takes a standard format: a series of conversations in which the coachee considers their goals, reflect on how they think and behave, and sets down their intentions. What if the coachee didn't just talk, but instead used a variety of other medium to express and develop themselves? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma explores this concept with experienced coaches Andréa Watts from UnglueYou and Marie Loney from Glow Consultancy. We discuss: · what "creativity" is · how we (and our brains) benefit from being cre...
2023-09-1940 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow do we measure productivity?Productivity is traditionally calculated with a simple division: total output / total input. Great for measuring widget production, not so much for gauging how productive a knowledge worker has been. So how do we measure productivity when there isn't a widget in sight? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Gemma and Ross Garner are joined by Chelsea Pyrzenski, Global Chief People Officer at WalkMe, to discuss: What we mean by productivity How we measure productivity in different contexts The challenges in convincing others to measure...
2023-09-1227 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHot take: Most employees aren't actually that interested in L&DEarlier this year, the Mind Tools and Emotion at Work teams ran a fringe event at the CIPD Festival of Work. At the event, we asked participants for their 'Hot Takes': something that's a little bit provocative - but might actually be true. This week, in a special crossover episode, The Mind Tools L&D Podcast team are joined by Phil and Lizzi from Emotion at Work to reveal the winner: Most employees aren't actually that interested in L&D. We discuss: the extent to which we think this 'Hot Take' is true the...
2023-08-2235 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastL&D governance (the ultimate juggling act)How do L&D leaders decide where to spend their time? Who gets access to their budget? How do we deal with those colleagues where we have to say: 'No, that's not a priority'. In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G is chatting L&D governance with a panel of L&D pros: From Phoenix Group, Carl Akintola-Davies; from Mitie, Dolly Ogundimu and Marc Harvey; and, from Merlin Entertainments, James Clemence. We discuss: How to prioritize inbound requests and seek out opportunities How to work with business stakeholders...
2023-08-1552 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastIntroducing 'Skill Bites', a nudge-based approach to course designIt's very strange. For years, we've been told that people want 'resources, not courses'. But, when you ask them, it's longer-term skill development that they're interested in. This week, Mind Tools are launching the most dramatic new content type in our library in years, Skill Bites: a nudge-based approach to course design that leverages spaced repetition, retrieval practice and learner motivation to trigger a measurable change in behaviour. So, to dig into how it works, our learning experience guru Gemma is joined by product pro Owen, righteous researcher Gent and cool copy guy Keith to...
2023-06-2035 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastEver wanted to write a book?Does everyone have a book in them? How hard it is to take an idea to publication? In this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, authors Andy Lancaster, Nelson Sivalingam, Michelle Parry-Slater and Gary Cookson join Ross G to share their experiences. We discuss: · why they wanted to write a book in the first place · how to get started · advice for overcoming the stress of a deadline. Andy's book is Driving Performance Through Learning. Nelson's is Learning at Speed. Michelle's is The Learning and...
2023-04-0445 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastNo budget? No problem!With inflation high, and high profile redundancies hitting the headlines, L&D is once again under pressure to demonstrate the value it offers and to have an impact in our organisations. So what can you do if your budget is slashed? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, David James shares his experiences of managing the L&D team at The Walt Disney Company during the 2008 financial crisis. David is the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and host of The Learning & Development Podcast, and joins Ross G and Owen to discuss: the impact that r...
2023-01-3137 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastHow to win an industry awardIndustry awards offer a chance to reflect on your work, raise your profile and win some prestige, but they also take a lot of work. So if you're going to enter, you want to maximise the chances of winning. In this episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, former co-host James McLuckie of MAPAL joins Ross G and Ross D to share his insights and entrant and judge. We discuss: how the process works advice for structuring your submission how to deliver a persuasive presentation. If you're interested in entering an award, check out...
2023-01-1738 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastReject the gloom: L&D is getting betterIn January, many of us like to take stock, reflect on the last twelve months, and make plans for the year ahead. In this spirit, we're kicking off 2023 with a few early insights from our Learning Performance Benchmark. On the podcast this week, Ross D is joined by Gent Ahmetaj and Anna Barnett from our Insights team to discuss the state of the profession, and what this means for L&D practitioners. We cover: what the Learning Performance Benchmark is, and the value benchmarking offers organizations early insights from this year's Benchmark report, with a focus...
2023-01-1042 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastBook Club: The Expectation EffectOur brain is a 'prediction machine' that responds to and interprets reality based on what we expect. This is the claim of science writer David Robson and, this week on The Mind Tools Podcast, Ross G, Owen and Nahdia plan to exceed your expectations by discussing it in our book club. We discuss: examples of the 'expectation effect' in action the strengths and weaknesses of Robson's argument how we can experiment, personally, with managing our expectations. During the discussion, Ross referenced the Freakonomics episode 'I Don't Know What You've Done With My Husband But He's...
2022-09-2037 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe MindTools Book Club: MoneyballPublished in 2003, Michael Lewis' Moneyball charts efforts by the Oakland Athletics baseball team to use analytics and statistical methods to assemble a competitive team on a comparatively small budget. This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G, Owen, Ross D and Nahdia share their thoughts on the book and it's relevance to L&D and HR professionals. We discuss: how General Manager Billy Beane transformed his team's approach to scouting talent the impact of statistics and subjective judgement on decision making the challenges inherent with implementing a statistical approach to L&D. S...
2021-09-2139 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe MindTools Book Club: NoiseWe tend to assume that, faced with the same problem on separate occasions, professionals will typically arrive at the same judgements — doctors will make the same diagnoses, mortgage lenders will set the same rates, judges will hand down the same sentences. But is professional judgement really as reliable as we think it is? This week on the The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, the team discuss Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement, the new book from Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass R. Sunstein. We cover: what 'noise' is in the context of judgement the distinction be...
2021-07-2736 min
The Mindtools L&D PodcastThe menopause at workThe menopause might seem like a strange topic for a show about work, performance and learning - but half of the world's population will experience the menopause, and it does not take place around working hours. So, this week, Ross G is joined by Emerald Work's Katie Danes and Jamie Thomas, as well as Emerald Publishing's Erika Valenti, to share their experiences. We discuss: what the menopause is the impact on the workplace what organisations can do to support women. Show notes Katie wrote about her experiences at: mindtools.com/blog...
2021-05-1443 min