Shows
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 25: Badges and Credentials - A new currency for the digital world?Do you know your way around badges and credentials? Or, are you like most people and struggle with the terminology and what achievements they actually recognize? Listen to this episode for an entertaining deep dive into the topic of badges and, as Donald Taylor sits down with Dr. Doug Belshaw to discuss the importance, various fields of application, and actual value of badges and credentials. Some highlights include Dr. Belshaw addressing the question of credibility and verification of credentials, the difference between bases and credentials, and the motivation and value of a badge. How will hierarchy be influenced by badges...2021-11-1230 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 26: Making a case for a real L&D departmentLearn from two highly successful experts why a real Learning and Development department is the best choice for a business.Malene Engelbrecht Schau, Head of Wind University at Siemens Gamesa, and Lisbeth Andersen, Global Head of Learning Operation at Siemens Gamesa sit down with Donald Taylor to talk about the importance of Learning and Development in general, why L&D should not be outsourced and what other businesses can learn from their experience in an environment where security is a particularly important factor for the team. Starting from inside the Sales team Malene Engelbrecht Schau and Lisbeth Andersen have created...2021-11-1131 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 24: Accessibility – more than an add-on, a benefit for everyoneHow important is accessibility to you and to your company? Probably not too much. But that is about to change. Michael Osborne, a user-experience-driven developer with a focus on accessibility who recently took on his new role at Upskill Digital as a Learning Experience Designer, sits down with Donald Taylor, the host of the Speexx Exchange podcast, to discuss the importance of accessibility in L&D. Statistics say that approximately 1 billion people have some kind of disability, which means 1 in seven people is somehow affected and thus it is most probable that among your customers or students are far more...2021-08-0923 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 23: Efficiency vs. Effectiveness: Learning generosity in the L&D professionAre you focused on efficiency, or are you focused on effectiveness? Founder of the Global Curiosity Institute (and former CLO for Cognizant) Stefaan van Hooydonk, a well-known educator, strategist, innovator and consultant, sits down with Donald Taylor to discuss this, and other pertinent inquiries, for the Speexx Exchange podcast. As someone who oversaw the learning over 300,000 people at Cognizant, Stefaan shares his thoughts on learning generosity, and insights on how to best magnify the voices of every single person within an organization. Indeed, like us at Speexx, Stefaan believes so much knowledge is – as we say – “already in the room” (to be fo...2021-05-0328 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 22: Hybrid Teams: The Future is Part Human, Part MachineWe’re in “the age of the centaur,” where the best teams (like the mythological centaur – half man, half horse) are made up of two parts: Part human, part machine. Data consultant and former Channel 4 Chief Data Scientist Greg Detre speaks with Donald about the interchange between people and machines, starting with the identification and recognition of skills. From there, they discuss how to trim these insights down to a manageable set of resources (akin to data visualization) and make teams more efficient and effective in the workplace. Links and resources Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregdetre/ Blog: https://blog.gregdetre.co.uk...2021-04-1428 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 21: Digital Transformation for the Frontline Workforce“A really well thought-out and implemented technology solution,” is what Donald Taylor calls Mitja Kulcar’s (MOL Group’s Frontline Training & Development Lead) digital transformation and learning efforts for frontline employees. It’s hard enough to train people in an office; how do you do it with frontline staff? Believe it or not, digital learning transformation can prove successful and effective for frontline workers – in this case, using microlearning (people needed to dedicate only three to five minutes per day, maximum!) – and in this episode, Mitja Kulcar explains how he and his team pulled this off. Give it a listen to hear tips o...2021-03-0230 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 20: Stakeholder Engagement in Digital Transformation, and Merging HR and ITSpeexx and Donald Taylor are fortunate to get a deep dive on stakeholder engagement from Banco Santander’s Elisabetta Galli, and why proper stakeholder mapping is crucial when it comes to talent management and digital transformation. Elisabetta is Group Executive Vice President and Global Head of Knowledge, Development and Talent Management at Banco Santander, where she is responsible for knowledge development and talent management across the group. She and Don discuss how to best approach change management plans and communication plans; how to set yourself up for success when it comes to digital transformation; and how HR and IT can be...2021-02-0834 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 19: Transform Learning by Making New Best Friends: Strategic Partnerships for L&DDonald has the fortune of speaking with Chief Learning Officer of the Year 2020, Air New Zealand’s CLO Dr. Sydney Savion. With more than 20 years of experience in learning, culture and workforce capability development, Dr. Savion offers suggestions on how to improve learning cultures. She provides input on how L&D managers can create more strategic relationships within their organizations (“find 10 new best friends”) so that L&D is able to bring the right decision-makers along on the transformation journey. Dr. Savion and Donald discuss how so often it’s not actually the board making decisions, but rather certain executives in vario...2021-01-2127 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 18: Adding Analytics & Insights to Training for Better-Performing BusinessWhat can the L&D industry learn from the railway industry? Quite a lot, apparently! In this episode of the Speexx Exchange podcast, Donald Taylor talks to Guy Wilmshurst-Smith, Head of Professional Development and Training at Network Rail. With years of valuable experience coaching leadership, educational and professional development, Guy explores how an organization can use analytics to produce provable links between training and performance. Links and resources LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-wilmshurst-smith-50350728/2021-01-1332 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 17: Brain-friendly learning & reducing cognitive loadIn this fascinating and cerebral Speexx Exchange podcast, Donald explores the world of cognitive neuroscience with Dr. Itiel Dror, a Senior Researcher at University College London. In his daily work, and for this podcast episode, Dr. Dror shares insights on the human brain and cognitive system and shows HR and L&D managers how to apply this knowledge to enhance learning, decision-making and human performance. The pair share best practices for L&D managers on how to reduce a learner’s cognitive load; creating actually “brain-friendly” learning experiences; why we should be wary of any learning marketed as “brain-friendly”; and what we ca...2020-11-181h 04The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 16: Curiosity in the Digital Age and the New NormalSpeexx Exchange Podcast Episode 16: Curiosity in the Digital Age and the New Normal On this special episode of the Speexx Exchange podcast, Donald interviews not one but three people – co-authors of the book “The Curious Advantage” (Simon Brown, Garrett Jones and Paul Ashcroft). The four of them discuss curiosity in relationship to learning; how people can be “better” at being curious; and the seven C’s of curiosity model – a useful tool for anyone wanting to lead a curious organization, or who wants to challenge him- or herself to be actively curious. The Curious Advantage can be purchased on Amazon: https://www.am...2020-11-1232 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 15: Learning about learning in this new normalIn this most recent episode of the Speexx Exchange podcast, host Donald Taylor has a conversation with Helen Smyth, Group Digital Learning and Design Manager at a leading UK retailer. She shares what she learned about learning during the COVID lockdown period. Donald is nothing short of impressed when Helen details how her organization was able to onboard 25,000 people – online! – during this time. They also trade thoughts on how the pandemic has actually instilled some good learning behavior in all of us. Finally, Helen offers some of her thoughts on what’s to come next in this “new normal” – for instance, th...2020-10-2729 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorSpeexx Exchange Podcast Episode 14In this episode, host Donald Taylor interviews analytics consultant Derek Mitchell, who has a serious passion for measuring the impact of training and development activity. They talk about learning data and analytics from the past few months, with work forces adapting to a global pandemic, and also make projections about the skills needed in a post-COVID future. Derek explains why people in the field of L&D and training are historically wary of data and demonstrates the benefits of “experimenting” with data in the field of L&D (providing his own professional experiences as examples). He and Donald urge training mana...2020-09-2800 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 14: Experimenting with Data in L&D; Behavioral Data in Training FunctionsIn this episode, host Donald Taylor interviews analytics consultant Derek Mitchell, who has a serious passion for measuring the impact of training and development activity. They talk about learning data and analytics from the past few months, with work forces adapting to a global pandemic, and also make projections about the skills needed in a post-COVID future. Derek explains why people in the field of L&D and training are historically wary of data and demonstrates the benefits of “experimenting” with data in the field of L&D (providing his own professional experiences as examples). He and Donald urge training mana...2020-09-2833 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 13: Adapting Learning and Training – Both During, and Post-COVIDDr. Hannah Gore, Learning Experience Director at The Canonbury Consultancy Group, is an award-winning learning expert who challenges and evolves organizations’ approach to L&D and people development. This includes taking elements of traditional techniques (coaching, classroom training, instructional design), then blending them with modern approaches like digital content, virtual classroom, gamifications and more to create learning experiences that work. She and Don discuss developing online content in this “new normal” and Hannah addresses what people are doing wrong when it comes to putting content online during these work from home, learn from home times: specifically – people putting PowerPoints onto SharePoi...2020-08-2431 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 12: L&D’s Response to a Crisis & the Future of Learning Post-PandemicIn this special episode, Donald and Sarah Sullivan, Speexx’ Head of Digital Content & Communications, reflect on the current state of learning, and how it’s changed - and will continue to evolve - since the emergence of COVID-19. They discuss the results from Speexx and Donald Taylor’s joint survey, which asked the following question of HR and L&D managers worldwide: What will be the three biggest challenges for corporate L&D in the new age of learning from home? Donald and Sarah explore the ways in which L&D priorities have shifted since the pandemic’s arrival, and discuss...2020-06-1044 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 11: The Promise & Pitfalls of Learning TechnologiesKinga Petrovai is an educational specialist working at the intersection of research and practice. She and Don talk through practical, useful and researched-based information on how people learn, and the role of learning technologies in various strategies. Kinga points out precisely where the adoption of technology very often stumbles and warns that a lack of technical understanding, coupled with overenthusiasm, can hinder learning, as this might stall an instructor or coach’s adoption of said technology. They also discuss what “learning science” really is, and how people often mistake a platform (like TV or radio) versus actual content as that which...2020-05-2634 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 10: Workflow Learning Solutions & Five Moments of Learning NeedAt the helm of Apply Synergies, CEO and Chief Learning Evangelist Bob Mosher has a wealth of experience helping learning organizations design, develop and measure effective learning and performance strategies to meet the “five moments of learning need.” Donald has Bob walk through these moments, which are: Apply, change, solve, and finally, learn new things, then learn even more new things. The pair share transformational learning best practices and suggestions on how to begin putting learning in an organization’s workflow. Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmosh Apply Synergies: https://www.applysynergies.com Website: https://www.5momentsofneed.com/ 5 Moments Video: https...2020-04-3025 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 9: Storytelling, social leadership, change and learningWriter, researcher and founder of Sea Salt Learning’s Julian Stodd talks to Don about social leadership, social learning and the importance of storytelling. Julian describes older, more outdated models of learning and contrasts them with the newer concept of “social learning” – when regular people, each with their own understandings of the world, make sense of things together. After all, learning is ultimately part of – or a response to – storytelling! The pair also discuss how senior managers, in particular, need not focus so much on storytelling, but instead, zero in on story listening skills; this allows management to better enable employees to...2020-04-2233 minThe Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 8: AI, Chatbots, Conversation & ConvergenceFounder of Owl’s Ledge Trish Uhl chats with Donald about how to apply AI, data science and advanced analytics to organizational learning to achieve significant impact and business results. She tells the story about the Mars bar “hunger algorithm,” detailing how the chocolate company used smart conversational analysis to understand human behavior, and shows how this can be replicated in the field of L&D. Trish explores “engineering” learning systems, how to connect training environments to operational environments, and demonstrates how her team is doing this through the use of chatbots. Listen in to get a sense of how chatbots p...2020-02-2433 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 7: Meaningful Learning Experiences & Why xAPI Will Replace SCORMTorranceLearning CEO Megan Torrance explains how she helps create custom online, live and blended learning solutions to quickly and cost-effectively meet needs. She shares her expertise on xAPI, a data specification for how we talk about learning and performance experiences, and describes how it does much more than SCORM. Listen in to get up to speed on xAPI to better track the learning that happens outside of your company’s e-learning and learning management systems – quickly, before xAPI replaces SCORM! Megan can be found via: Twitter https://twitter.com/MMTorrance LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/megantorrance/ Website https://www.torr...2020-01-2430 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 6: Designing the Learning Experience & Defining “Complex Skills”Mirjam Neelen, Learning Experience Design Lead at Accenture, talks with Donald Taylor about what it really means to “design” learning, as well as how she defines the “learning experience.” Mirjam also explores what she calls “complex skills,” and how to design learning experiences specifically for these types of skills – which, according to Mirjam, consist of many elements that interact with one another. Throughout her career, she’s used scientific research to make informed decisions in everything she does – including designing learning at Accenture. She and Donald also discuss how learning experience designers, like cooks, need a “kit” which consist of three things: Tools, t...2019-12-1729 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 5: Learning Technologies, Engaging Employees and Prototyping ProgramsBartlomiej Polakowski, CEE Learning Technologies Leader at PwC, talks to Don about the most cutting-edge technologies in the learning and development industry – including VR, 360 video and haptics. They also discuss the differences between an LMS and LXP, how to ensure employee buy-in and why learning innovations are so trendy in Poland right now. Bartlomiej also shares advice on how to experiment and prototype new things you’re implementing in your organization.2019-11-1838 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 4: Digital Transformation’s Pitfalls and PivotsUpskilling comes with a lot of pressure; there’s ample stress surrounding the quest to remain relevant, or risk being rendered redundant. Lori Niles Hoffman, Digital Learning and Transformation Strategist at NilesNolan.com, sits down with Donald to discuss upskilling and reskilling, and points out one-third of skills will not be viable in three to five years. The two also unpack what digital transformation really is – how digital and technology can enhance what you’re trying to achieve, and how to achieve those outcomes on a faster basis. She proclaims that “IT is the best friend that L&D could ever hav...2019-11-1843 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 3: Digital Learning While Heeding Human Cravings for Social Contact; Steve Wheeler's InsightsIn this podcast, Donald chats with Steve Wheeler, learning innovations consultant and former associate professor of learning technologies at Plymouth University. The pair discuss the concept of “connected pedagogy” – how both technology allows us to learn on-the-go, at their own pace, while satisfying our human cravings for social contact – as well as crowd-sourced learning and “digital tribes” (an anthropological explanation about how we group together, in the digital world). Steve argues that being connected is less about the wisdom of the crowd but rather the ability to rapidly share high-quality information. Twitter https://twitter.com/timbuckteeth LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve...2019-09-2033 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 2: Meet Your Learning Goals With 20 Questions From IKEA's Jeff KortenboschHow can you go from feeling like your L&D program is a tedious “course factory” to effectively meeting your organization’s learning objectives? Donald Taylor speaks with IKEA’s Learning Designer at Inter IKEA Systems, Jeff Kortenbosch, who walks us through 20 questions to ask yourself before determining learning objectives. Jeff’s questions help us to focus on the areas within our organizations where we’ll have impact and prevent us from producing content or programs that don’t effectively help meet business goals. To learn more about Jeff’s 20 Questions to ask before talking learning objectives, go to: http://www.seriouslearn...2019-09-1931 min
The Speexx Exchange Podcast with Donald TaylorEp. 1: Make AI Work for Your Organization & What's Next for Laura OvertonWelcome to the Speexx Exchange podcast! Your host, Donald Taylor, Chairman of the Learning and Performance Institute – and renowned L&D expert – interviews learning technologies specialist Laura Overton (also former CEO and founder of Towards Maturity). In this inaugural episode, the two discuss evidence-based learning, the dangers of “analysis paralysis,” AI’s role in the learning industry and the upcoming Speexx Exchange conference in Berlin on November 27. We also get a peek at what’s next for Laura now that she’s left Towards Maturity.2019-09-1829 min