Hillary also explores her approach to influencing senior stakeholders, using evidence over anecdotes and guiding conversations from “what we want” toward “what the business actually needs.” She reflects on planning ahead, balancing competing priorities and building an L&D function that delivers real organisational impact.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Strategic partnerships with leaders, grounded in their metrics and realities, let L&D see 3–5 years ahead and shape the organisation’s future.  

• Great L&D teams are built around people’s strengths, transferable skills, and trust so people can fill new roles as the business needs it. That´s far more productive than periodically re-organising the whole team.

• Relationships are the real infrastructure. They are the most vital element for any organisation or business.

• Curiosity, candour and humour with stakeholders and your own team make the hard conversations possible.  

• Be ready to wait for the right moments to make your points or push for change.

BEST MOMENTS

“Quit calling them learners and students. These are our colleagues, right?” 

“I care a lot about looking around the corner. So, where are we going to be three to five years from now? What is the business going to be experiencing.” 

“Don't wait for the big wow. Acknowledge the things that are happening along the way that are actually helping.”  

“I really stand by HCA mission, which, above all else. We're committed to the care and improvement of human life. There is nothing more mission driven to me than taking care of other people.”

Hillary Miller Bio

Hillary Miller shares how she’s building an L&D function that delivers real organisational impact across hospitals, outpatient services, and physician networks. She unpacks how she uses evidence over anecdotes, guides stakeholders from “what we want” to “what the business actually needs” and drives measurable results at scale.

Hillary also takes us behind the scenes of scaling L&D, transforming team structures, assessing what works and what needs to change, balancing competing priorities and planning strategically to ensure learning initiatives truly move the business forward.

You can follow and connect with Hillary via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillarybmiller/

EPISODE REOURCES

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Michael-Bungay-Stanier/author/B002QK41GQ

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Brian reflects on stepping into WM, the early signals that learning wasn’t supporting the business in the way it needed and the first moves he made to begin changing direction. He discusses building credibility with stakeholders, evolving ways of working within his team and how L&D has shifted from a reactive, request-led function to one that’s having a more meaningful impact on the organisation.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Make their problem your problem. Speak the language of stakeholders, take ownership of their goals and risks, and provide impactful and measurable solutions.

• Target where the business is hurting most, prove revenue and performance impact. Then, expand from there.  

• Play the long game: build trust, feedback loops, and champions. 

• Be ready to wow someone - you need stakeholders who advocate for L&D. 

• Measure time‑to‑proficiency, readiness, and confidence, not just completion of courses or content delivered.  

• Evolve your practice with design thinking, leverage AI, and technology. Put in place solid best practice to scale the impact of L&D without needing a bigger team.

BEST MOMENTS

“Every programme … is evolving and changing as they (the learners) grow into another year.”

“Make their problem your problem.”

“The management of the stakeholders is the most important piece.”

“We either use smart tools to do dumb things, or we use smart tools to do the right things.”

Brian Jarvis Bio

Brian Jarvis is a strategic Learning & Development leader with more than 13 years’ experience leading enterprise-scale initiatives across large, complex organisations. He is currently responsible for Learning and Leadership Development for National Accounts at WM, supporting teams across North America, Canada, and India. In this role, Brian has modernised onboarding and upskilling for customer experience, billing, and sales functions—reducing time to proficiency, improving frontline readiness, and increasing retention while supporting significant business growth and transformation. Previously, he led large-scale learning strategies at CVS Health, Aetna, and United Bank, delivering data-driven, digital-first learning approaches that improved performance, strengthened capability at scale, and delivered measurable commercial impact.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The strongest route to security and impact for L&D is finding real business problems through your network, then designing simple, targeted interventions that change behaviour and performance—whether or not the answer looks like traditional training.

• L&D cannot afford to anchor it’s worth to content production. If it does it risks being commoditised instead of recognised for solving real business problems.

• AI is more powerful than we thought, it is helping to deliver truly personalised training.

• Microlearning may feel like “old news” in some markets, but the survey shows it’s still emerging and powerful elsewhere. A reminder that L&D practices move at very different speeds across the world.

BEST MOMENTS

“The future is going to belong to people who understood early on what worked and what didn't work.”

“The wrong turn is to go towards focusing on content.”

Donald H Taylor Bio

A recognised commentator and thinker in the fields of workplace learning and supporting technologies, Donald is committed to helping develop the learning and development profession.

Donald has chaired the Learning Technologies Conference in London since 2000 and writes and speaks world-wide about Learning and Development (L&D). His annual L&D Global Sentiment Survey, started in 2014, provides a unique perspective on L&D trends from over 100 countries. He chairs the Workforce Development board for VC firm Emerge Education, and invests in, and advises, several EdTech start-ups.

From 2010 to 2021, he chaired the Learning and Performance Institute. He is the author of Learning Technologies in the Workplace, a graduate of Oxford University and in 2016 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University in recognition of his work developing the L&D profession.

You can follow and contact Donald via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldhtaylor/

L&D Global Sentiment Survey 2026: https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/research_base/global-sentiment-survey-2026/

Website: https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Geraldine shares how she built the foundations for transformation - introducing governance, process, and consistency - and shifted the culture from chasing “shiny new things” to making smarter decisions about building, borrowing, buying, or automating learning. She reflects on influencing stakeholders, the power of storytelling in driving change and the personal skills that mattered most throughout the journey.

This conversation is a guide for L&D professionals ready to tackle entrenched challenges, start making change even without formal permission and step confidently into a more strategic, impactful role.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Passion isn’t enough; without structure, governance and the right tools, L&D effort stays local and inefficient.

• Data‑driven storytelling unlocks investment and permission to transform.

• Governance, clear promises to the business, and knowing when to say “no” are central to leading large‑scale change.

• L&D must link learning directly to productivity and business performance to escape being seen as simply a “nice to have.”

BEST MOMENTS

“We weren't doing technology for technology’s sake.”

“If your people aren't growing, then the business is not growing.”

“When you've got a vision to elevate L&D to be business savvy, accountable and impactful, it's not so difficult to bring senior stakeholders on board to help to shape that.”

“For the first time, we had one platform to rule them all.”

Geraldine Murphy Bio

Geraldine Murphy is an experienced Learning & Development leader, most recently Global Learning Experience Manager at HEINEKEN. In this role, she managed a broad global portfolio of learning tools and processes and worked with 85 decentralised learning teams to support the delivery of L&D for more than 90,000 employees worldwide. Alongside this, she served as a Global DEI Ambassador, contributing to the organisation’s diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda.

Geraldine began her career in education following her teacher training in 2009 and has since worked across further and higher education, publishing, and technology. Her work includes leading learning design for HE partnership programmes at a FTSE 100 publisher and consulting with organisations such as HSBC University (Global), FourthRev, Aula, Scribbr, Jisc and the University of Cambridge. She also sits on the advisory boards for SAP SuccessFactors and LinkedIn Learning.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Andy discusses the workplace shifts that inspired his book and reframes traditional career development, showing how L&D leaders can help employees discover and articulate an authentic professional brand that aligns with both personal values and organisational needs. He unpacks the broader lens of career growth beyond upward mobility - covering lateral moves, reputation, visibility, and the power of storytelling - while offering practical advice on networking, self-advocacy and intentional career moves in today’s job market.

This conversation is a guide for L&D professionals looking to equip employees to take ownership of their careers, measure the impact of brand-and-career development initiatives and balance individual growth with organisational retention. 

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Your personal brand is your reputation. In a world of restructures and layoffs, you can’t wait – build visibility, trust, and a clear story of your value now, so decision-makers know exactly why you’re worth keeping or hiring.

• Helping people build their personal brand makes their value visible. When L&D supports employees to show what they’re great at, leaders can spot talent faster, growth feels fairer, and your best people are more likely to see a future and stay.

• If networking and personal branding feel cringey, reframe them as relationship building and sharing your learning. You don’t need to perform - just focus on one genuine conversation at a time.

BEST MOMENTS

“In the past, there's been this stigma about spending time on LinkedIn or other platforms, about creating a brand for yourself outside of work, and I've seen a big shift in that.”

“I've seen people go and build great relationships and get jobs from being able to tell their story.”

Andy Storch Bio

Andy Storch is an author, consultant, coach, and speaker focused on helping professionals take ownership of their careers and lives. He is the author of Own Your Career, Own Your Life, a practical guide for people who want to stop drifting and take intentional control of their future.

Andy is the host of multiple podcasts, including The Talent Development Hot Seat, Own Your Career and My NFT Journey, and is the co-founder and host of the Talent Development Think Tank Conference and Community, as well as the Talent Development Virtual Summit. His work includes consulting and teaching strategy, leadership, sales, finance, and innovation for organisations such as Salesforce, Oracle, Google, Toyota, State Farm, Red Bull, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, HP, Sony, Cisco and Tiffany & Co. He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and a BS from the University of Florida.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/

https://andystorch.com/

Own Your Brand, Own Your Career Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Own-Your-Brand-Career-Accelerates/dp/1736020986

ABOUT THE HOST

David James has been a People Development professional for 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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT

https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

Together, they explore why the L&D profession must shift from delivering learning to driving business value and how leaders at every stage of their career can navigate this change. Drawing on 20+ years of benchmark data and hundreds of practitioner interviews, Laura and Michelle share their TRY and be BOLD frameworks, the navigation metaphor that underpins their book and practical insights for applying principles rather than clinging to rigid models.

This conversation is a call to action for L&D professionals who want to stop getting stuck in old job descriptions, start tuning into business priorities, and step into their true potential as navigators of change.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• High‑impact L&D leaders act as wayfinders: they co‑create a clear picture of business value with stakeholders, then continuously read signals from the organisation and course‑correct, rather than follow a fixed plan or model.

• Instead of chasing the next model or tool, effective L&D is grounded in learning science, fuelled by curiosity and opening up more impactful options than “just another course.”

• What really differentiates impactful L&D leaders are their thinking habits: being business‑first, open‑minded, leading and learning, and deliberate – a practical inner compass for bolder, better decisions.

BEST MOMENTS

“The horizon is getting closer to us. The amount of time between a shift and us needing to have people ready for that shift is so tight now that our traditional approaches cannot respond quickly enough.”

“The (traditional) models, can restrict us …. (and) can actually crush people´s ambition.”

“You are a learning change maker.”

Laura Overton Bio

Laura Overton is an award-winning learning analyst, author, and international speaker with over 30 years of experience in the learning industry. Best known as the founder of Towards Maturity, Laura led 15 years of research exploring how learning innovation drives business value, working with thousands of L&D leaders worldwide. Today, Laura continues to champion evidence-based practice, helping learning professionals move beyond models and frameworks to embrace principles that unlock real business impact.

Michelle Ockers Bio

Michelle Ockers is a respected workplace learning strategist, speaker, and podcaster. With a background that spans the Royal Australian Air Force, corporate leadership roles and global consulting, Michelle has a reputation for helping organisations modernise learning and build business-ready capabilities. Michelle is the host of the Learning Uncut podcast, where she shares real-world stories of L&D in action. Her work brings together evidence, practice, and community to support learning leaders in navigating complexity with confidence.

LINKS

The L&D Leader Book: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/the-l-d-leader-9781398620278

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleockers/

https://learninguncut.global/

https://learninguncut.global/podcast/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraoverton/

https://learningchangemakers.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

CONTACT METHOD 

•  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

The panel examines what L&D teams are getting right, where major opportunities are being missed and the challenges slowing progress, from security and capability constraints to mindset and organisational conservatism. They also look ahead to how AI could reshape the way L&D operates and how the function is perceived across the business.

A clear, grounded and insight-rich conversation for L&D professionals wanting to understand where AI can drive genuine value.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

AI frees up time and has the capabilities to enable L&D to move beyond courses into solving business problems and improving performance and capability. Real-world examples are shared.

AI strategy can’t sit with L&D alone; a multidisciplinary, business-driven group must shape it.

To stay relevant, L&D needs commercial acumen and tech curiosity, alongside human strengths like storytelling, influence, and relationship‑building.

BEST MOMENTS

“Too many are just bolting AI onto an existing model, rather than stepping back and saying, does that model still serve us today? ”

“We know that content does not equal skills.”

“What we really need to do is to target effectiveness. We need to solve the problem.”

Egle Vinauskaite

Egle Vinauskaite is a learning, behaviour, and technology specialist who works with global enterprises and emerging edtech innovators. With a background across AI, XR, mobile learning, and digital platforms, she brings a sharp perspective on how technology is reshaping organisational learning and the future of work. As both advisor and researcher, she helps L&D teams integrate AI into their operations and equip workforces with the skills needed for effective adoption.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinauskaite

http://nodes.works

The Race for Impact report: https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/research_base/focus04-race-for-impact

Ross Stevenson

Ross is a leading voice in the global L&D community, known for his practical, no-nonsense approach to modern learning. Through his writing, speaking and community platform Steal These Thoughts, he explores how organisations can better align learning with performance, develop essential skills, and embrace new technologies - including AI. Ross brings a strategic yet pragmatic perspective on how L&D teams can evolve and remain relevant in an age of rapid technological change.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstevensonuk

www.stealthesethoughts.com

Peter Manniche Riber

Peter is an experienced L&D leader who until recently served as Head of New Tech, Digital Learning Solutions at Novo Nordisk, transforming HR and learning for a global workforce of 70,000+. Passionate about using technology to simplify and enhance learning, he experiments with generative AI, machine learning, adaptive platforms, and data-driven methods to deliver timely, effective solutions. With a strong foundation in team leadership and human-centric design, Peter helps organisations solve business challenges through technology while driving meaningful collaboration and measurable impact.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermannicheriber

RESOURCES

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

HOST CONTACT

https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Packed with bold predictions and practical advice from three of the field’s most influential voices, this live episode captures the energy of where L&D is heading next.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

L&D must evolve its methodologies from delivering “learning” to enabling performance—shifting focus from courses and content to real‑time support, experimentation, and impact on workflow and business performance.

Chase fewer “shiny penny” technologies and treat AI as a useful tool only when it’s anchored in real workflow performance.

L&D’s own risk aversion is now one of the biggest barriers to shifting from training to true performance.

BEST MOMENTS

“Only around 25% of L&D teams are involved in their company's skill strategy. I think that speaks to we're not relied upon.”

“Branding and wording matters, when we try to explain what we do and get the buy in for what we do.”

“There is a really important role for L&D at coordinating this and working on behalf of the organisation to future proof, it for skills tomorrow.”

Elliott Masie

Elliott Masie is an internationally recognised futurist, analyst, and learning advocate whose work has shaped the profession for more than four decades. Founder of The MASIE Center, he has been at the forefront of innovations from CBTs and LMSs to MOOCs, VR, and now AI. He also created the long-running Learning conference series, bringing leaders together to explore how workplace learning must evolve. With his trademark mix of curiosity, candour, and foresight, Elliott challenges L&D professionals to question assumptions and embrace the future with confidence.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliottmasie/

https://masie.com/

Bob Mosher

Bob Mosher is a pioneering voice in workplace learning, best known for championing performance-first approaches that put support in the flow of work at the centre of L&D. With decades of experience advising global organisations, he has helped leaders move beyond traditional training to solutions that deliver measurable impact where and when employees need it most. As Chief Learning Evangelist at APPLY Synergies, Bob continues to shape how organisations think about workflow learning, change management, and scalable performance support, earning a reputation as one of the most trusted figures in modern L&D.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmosher/

https://applysynergies.com/

Jennifer Florido

Jennifer Florido is Group Head of Talent & Growth at Telia Company, leading strategy to develop, engage and enable talent across one of the Nordics’ largest telecommunications providers. With experience in leadership development, organisational growth and workforce transformation, she brings a practical, business-focused view of how L&D can drive measurable impact. Jennifer is passionate about creating environments where employees can thrive, adapt and grow, aligning learning with both performance and culture.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferflorido/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, David James is joined by Bob Mosher - Chief Learning Evangelist at APPLY Synergies and one of the world’s foremost advocates for workflow learning. Together, they explore why L&D’s obsession with “shiny pennies” and new delivery modes risks missing the real opportunity AI presents: to transform how people perform on the job, not just how they learn.

Bob shares why the long-standing cycle of “stakeholders ask for training, L&D delivers it” is more dangerous than ever, what it really means to become a performance architect, and how workflow learning lays the foundation for L&D to stay indispensable in an AI-powered world.

If you’re serious about shifting your team’s focus from learning outputs to business outcomes - and using AI to elevate performance where it matters most - this episode is essential listening.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• If L&D keeps focusing on creating training faster rather than addressing performance, they will be left out of the conversation.

• Embracing technology is essential. But don´t simply do what you are doing now, only faster.  Demonstrate to your organisation that these tools enable you to go beyond training and enhance performance.

• Courage and leadership are required to break old habits and proactively guide organizations through disruptive change, even when it's uncomfortable. Bob shares how to have those conversations.

BEST MOMENTS

“We have to move beyond this training, learning deliverable mindset, to performance and productivity.”

“Don´t confuse busy with relevance.. .that´s the danger of perceiving our value by the ask, or how many people are at the door.”

“We have to be able to be seen as that learning professional, that performance professional and not the L&D department that we all know.”

“I´ve been at this, 43 years. I've never seen anything as disruptive as this.”

Bob Mosher BioBob Mosher is Chief Learning Evangelist at APPLY Synergies and a pioneering voice in workplace learning with over 30 years of experience helping organisations drive measurable performance. A co-creator of the Five Moments of Need® framework, Bob has spent decades challenging traditional training models and championing workflow learning - an approach that supports employees at the point of need, not just in the classroom.

Before founding APPLY Synergies, Bob served as Global Chief Learning Strategist for Microsoft, where he helped redefine how the company enabled performance at scale. Today, he works with global organisations to implement learning strategies that close the gap between learning and doing.

Renowned for his candor, practicality, and unwavering focus on business results, Bob continues to shape the conversation about what truly effective learning looks like in the AI era.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmosher/https://applysynergies.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

https://360learning.com/blog

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Together, they unpack the macro forces reshaping work, the difference between skills-based and role-based approaches, and the most compelling business cases driving adoption. Craig shares where organisations should start, the role (and pitfalls) of technology, and how governance and measurement come into play when scaling globally.

He also offers practical advice for leaders feeling overwhelmed by the scale of transformation, with clear steps to move from ideas to action. If you’re curious about how skills can unlock new ways to manage, develop, and empower talent, this episode is essential listening.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• It is now possible to manage and develop skills at a truly granular level, enabling real-time, targeted learning pathways tailored to each employee or business need instead of just for broad roles.

• An integrated ecosystem of HR technology - including talent marketplaces, skills intelligence tools, and performance and learning management systems - enables true skills-based talent management. You can match the right person to the right project or task, instantly and precisely.

• To have real impact, organizations must ground skills initiatives in urgent business objectives.

BEST MOMENTS

“This is a technology driven HR transformation, essentially …. we have access to a new level of skills data that we actually can manage.”

“It shifts talent from being a headcount management exercise to a capability management exercise, a giant step closer to business alignment.”

“No matter what anybody tells you, there is no one system that does it all.”

Craig Friedman

Craig Friedman has 30 years of experience as a human capital and talent advisor, executive, and entrepreneur. He specializes in skills-based talent strategies, learning operating models, change management, and performance consulting. A Senior Talent Strategist at St. Charles Consulting Group, Craig partners with CHROs and CLOs to align global talent strategies, supporting Fortune 500 companies and four of the five largest professional services firms.  

He spent 15 years at Deloitte, leading talent development for the U.S. Tax practice and earning several national and international learning awards. Craig also co-led Deloitte’s clinician change adoption practice and helped establish corporate universities for regional health systems. 

Craig’s background includes launching two eLearning start-ups and earning two U.S. patents for innovations in online education. He holds an M.A. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University and dual undergraduate degrees from Tufts University in Human Factors Engineering and English.  Craig is the author of the new book Enterprise Skills Unlocked: A Blueprint for Building a Skills-Based Organization. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-w-friedman-8950841

Book: https://stccg.com/enterprise-skills-unlocked-2/

cfriedman@stccg.com

https://stccg.com/

HOST RESOURCES

• https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

•  https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• L&D Master Class: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, David James is joined by Candice Mitchell - consultant, founder of the Talent Development Academy, and researcher into L&D’s future skills - to explore the next chapter for L&D. Together, they unpack the critical capabilities every practitioner needs now: from business acumen and consulting skills to the human strengths that AI can’t replicate.

Candice also shares her Impact Toolkit and five-spoke model for reframing the role of L&D, plus practical advice for professionals who feel stuck as reactive order-takers. If you want to move beyond legacy expectations and position yourself as a true business partner, this is the episode you can’t afford to miss.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Businesses have to let go of the training course “comfort blanket”. Now, we need strategic skills development.

Teams that do not change will be replaced by AI.

AI skills will soon be standard. The human capabilities you bring beyond technology will set you apart.

Candice’s Impact Toolkit equips you to transition from order taker to strategic partner.

BEST MOMENTS

“Smart businesspeople just won’t let go of the comfort blanket.”

“We are good at delivering courses, at training people… but now we need to do the hard things so that we can stay relevant.”

Candice Mitchell 

With nearly 20 years in the field, Candice has worked both as a corporate L&D leader and as a consultant to global organisations, designing capability strategies that go far beyond “training delivery.”

Candice is a consultant, educator, and founder of the Talent Development Academy, where she helps mid-to-senior L&D professionals develop the skills needed to drive real business impact. Her Master’s research explored the skills L&D professionals must build to stay relevant in an AI-integrated workplace - concluding that while AI literacy is table stakes, it’s human and strategic capabilities that will define the future of the profession. Known for her optimism, candour, and practical frameworks, Candice is passionate about helping L&D break free from legacy expectations and step confidently into a more impactful role.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

ABOUT THE HOST

David James 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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT

•  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

•  https://360learning.com/blog

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

They explore the shift from AI experimentation to implementation, the barriers holding teams back, and the new models of impact outlined in her “Transformation Triangle.” With case studies from Leyton and TTEC, Egle shows how L&D can move beyond content creation to workforce enablement and lasting business value.

If you want to understand how L&D can harness AI, adapt with confidence, and stay relevant in a fast-changing landscape, this episode is essential listening.

Get Ready For What Comes Next

L&D isn't ready for what's next, but you will be - the L&D Performance Academy is a free 9 course certification that gives you the playbook to stay essential in the age of AI agents and rising expectations.

Learn how to align learning with business goals, measure real impact and lead with confidence alongside a global community of L&D pros.

Don't just ask for a seat at the table, show up with the agenda – enrol here - https://bit.ly/488gT5w

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Standing still in today’s landscape is risky, L&D needs to go beyond producing content and become an indispensable partner in workforce performance.

Egel shares and explains the 3 future models L&D can use to evolve and become invaluable within their business - Skills Authority, Enablement Partner, and Adaptation Engine.

Not adopting AI is becoming a career-limiting risk for L&D professionals. Your performance is likely to be defined by whether and how you work with AI.

BEST MOMENTS

“L&D can move beyond content creation, embrace new models of impact and position itself as an indispensable partner in the workforce.”

"L&D can't stay a content producer or it will disappear"

"First understand your starting point, what does the business come to you for? What is your value add? "

Egle Vinauskaite Bio

Egle Vinauskaite brings extensive expertise in learning, behaviour, and technology, working with both global enterprises and emerging edtech innovators. Her background spans AI, XR, mobile learning, digital platforms, and blended learning design, giving her a unique perspective on how technology is reshaping organisational learning and the future of work. As both an advisor and researcher, she helps L&D teams integrate AI into their operations and prepare workforces with the skills needed for effective adoption. Blending rigorous research with hands-on application, Egle has a sharp view of how AI is redefining the role of L&D and creating new possibilities for learning in the workplace.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinauskaite

http://nodes.works

The Race for Impact report: https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/research_base/focus04-race-for-impact

VALUABLE RESOURCES

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

https://360learning.com/blog

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Drawing from her 20+ years of experience and the insights in her new book, Jess unpacks why L&D gets stuck, how legacy thinking from stakeholders holds us back, and what it takes to shift from service provider to business partner. She introduces tools like the "Order Taker Assessment," the power of building a vision, and the role of strategic playbooks in aligning stakeholders across the business.

Jess also explores the reality of organisational politics, the importance of truly understanding your business, and the small, intentional steps that help L&D earn trust and influence over time.

For anyone who’s tired of being reactive and wants to build a more impactful L&D function—this episode offers both validation and a clear path forward.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Moving from being order takers to true business partners means saying no to low-impact requests and focusing on work that drives organisational goals.

L&D needs to get off of the content creation hamster wheel.

Navigating organizational politics, the “unwritten rules” of how work gets done, is essential, not optional.

Operate with integrity and savvy, not naivety or ego.

BEST MOMENTS

“If you stand in one place on the beach and apply gentle pressure with your foot and slowly massage the sand, eventually you create a deep indent.”

"We need to operate as if we are a part of the business, not as separate.”

“This is a mindset and cultural shift for the entire organisation about how to work with L&D.”

Jess Almlie Bio

Jess Almlie is a seasoned Learning and Development leader, consultant, speaker, and author of L&D Order Taker No More. With over two decades of experience across sectors including healthcare, education, and financial services, Jess has led enterprise learning strategies that focus on business alignment, stakeholder engagement, and measurable impact. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Learning Experience at WEX.

Drawing on her own journey from instructional designer to senior L&D executive, Jess helps practitioners diagnose the factors keeping them stuck and take deliberate steps toward becoming strategic business partners. Her work blends deep organisational insight with practical tools - like assessments, playbooks, and stakeholder mapping - to help L&D teams earn influence and deliver real value.

Jess is helping to reshape what it means to be effective in L&D today - moving beyond reactivity to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie

L&D Must Change Podcast: https://www.jessalmlie.com/podcast

Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Order-Taker-No-More-Strategic-ebook/dp/B0F83XBBCV

VALUABLE RESOURCES

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

ABOUT 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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

https://360learning.com/blog

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Together, they unpack why reporting on learning activity isn’t enough, what it really means to uncover evidence of performance impact, and how L&D must evolve to contribute meaningfully within the wider performance ecosystem. Kevin outlines the flaws in traditional training needs analysis, introduces his Workplace Performance Investigation Framework, and explains how business metrics—not LMS data—must become the cornerstone of meaningful measurement.

Kevin also shares how L&D teams can use tools like the Performance Impact Blueprint and Instructional Design for Performance to plan for outcomes from the outset, and why embracing the identity of ‘impact investigators’ is critical for L&D’s future. If you’re serious about proving learning’s contribution to business performance, this episode is unmissable.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The "village" approach is central to performance. L&D should measure collective, not isolated, impact.

LMS data is easy to get, but it does not truly measure the impact on business performance.

The 6 questions for business performance and 6 for human performance, in the framework, uncover the true needs behind a training request.

Because improving performance involves many teams, a project management approach helps organize everyone’s roles, tasks, and contributions toward a shared business goal.

BEST MOMENTS

“It takes a village to impact workplace performance."

“We must define impact. Before we can investigate it.”

"Designing for performance is very different than designing for training."

Kevin M. Yates Bio

Kevin M. Yates is globally recognised as the L&D Detective®, known for investigating the impact of training and learning on workplace performance. With over 25 years of experience across major brands like McDonald’s, Meta, and Grant Thornton, Kevin brings a practical, data-driven approach to measuring learning’s contribution to business results. His work empowers L&D teams to go beyond activity metrics and uncover real evidence of performance impact. Kevin is also the founder of Meals in the Meantime, a nonprofit tackling food insecurity with the same focus on measurable outcomes.

You can follow and connect with Kevin via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates/

Book: https://kevinmyates.com/detective-kit

Website: https://kevinmyates.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Drawing on his experience transitioning from less regulated sectors into one where compliance is non-negotiable, Nick explores how to balance regulatory demands with business needs and employee experience. He explains how his team integrates compliance into role-based learning, navigates multiple stakeholder voices, and uses collaborative learning principles to target risk in the flow of work.

Nick also shares how his team has tackled the operational pain points of compliance - through automation, shared accountability, and a clear mindset shift that has transformed how the L&D function works.

For L&D professionals tired of compliance being a drag on time, creativity, and credibility, this episode offers a smarter, more human approach to getting it right.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Get compliance, processes, systems, and learning foundations right before tackling advanced initiatives. 

• Clearly define compliance courses, their validity, who needs them and when in their work journey.

• Effective compliance training requires balancing the needs of legal, compliance, line managers, and end users.

• Scenario-based compliance training with actors and short, relevant talks are effective. Engage emotions.

• Automate and train your L&D team in basic data analysis.

BEST MOMENTS

“The consequences of us not doing this right ... could be as severe as somebody losing their life.”   

“Training really is only such a small percentage of the impact of behaviour.”   

“Good data in, good data out - is the powerhouse.” 

Nick Taylor Bio

Nick Taylor is an experienced Learning and Development leader with a strong track record of building high-impact L&D functions across diverse industries. He is currently Head of Learning at Ishida Europe, a global manufacturer operating in a tightly regulated environment, where he leads efforts to integrate compliance and capability development into day-to-day performance.

Before joining Ishida, Nick held senior L&D roles at organisations including Howsy, Wagamama and Pizza Hut. This broad sector experience - from hospitality to manufacturing - has shaped his pragmatic, people-first approach to learning, where business relevance and learner experience go hand in hand.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

•  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

• https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

• https://360learning.com/blog

• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

Drawing on his experience and research, Guus explores why traditional L&D structures fall short, how organisational context shapes what “good” looks like, and why it’s time for L&D to get closer to the business. He introduces key tools like the L&D Quick Scan and the five L&D ‘chessboards’ that help leaders navigate complexity, make conscious trade-offs, and align their teams for real impact.

Guus unpacks the value of structured experimentation, the trade-offs of reporting lines, and how L&D can move from a reactive service to a proactive, credible partner in driving performance.

For L&D professionals looking to bring clarity, structure, and business relevance to their function, this episode is a timely and actionable guide.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

·  Don´t let day to day tasks stop you from spending time ensuring your L&D department is working optimally.

·  Stop serving the person who shouts loudest.

·  Automate your admin and processes, if you don´t the business will replace you.

·  Truly immerse yourself in the business.

·  L&D Quick Scan is effective and free to download.

BEST MOMENTS

“Making sure an L&D department is set up for success is very fundamental to everything you want to do .”

“An L&D department is never done; it's more about keeping things moving and constantly improving.”

“It's not about talking with a manager. It's about going out there, listen, smell, feel. What´s the root cause?”

Guus van DeelenGuus van Deelen is a seasoned L&D leader, consultant, speaker, and author of Organising L&D for Results (original Dutch: Leren organiseren). He began his career leading L&D teams at major multinational organisations such as FrieslandCampina, ProRail and SHV, gaining deep insights into the complexities and “messiness” of internal L&D operations.

For the past six years, Guus has been operating as an independent consultant, working with over 100 L&D departments across sectors including government, retail, industry, and financial services. He guides organisations through the (re)positioning of their L&D functions—helping teams define governance, structure, and strategy to drive measurable business impact.

His first book offers a robust model and actionable methods, including the L&D Quick Scan and the five strategic “chessboards”, that L&D leaders can use to build teams that are credible, aligned, and structured for scale .

https://www.linkedin.com/in/guusvandeelen/details/experience

Organising L&D for Results book: https://www.amazon.com/Organizing-results-Managing-Learning-Maximum/dp/9462724407

L&D QuickScan and more: https://guusvandeelen.nl/en/downloads

RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media https://disruptivemedia.co.uk

Becky also shares her insights on building tech ecosystems that support collaborative learning, the realistic role of AI in platforms, and what impact should really look like. If you’re rethinking your learning tech stack for 2025—or wondering how to finally make yours work—this episode is essential listening.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Choose learning technologies that deliver real impact, not just content

Outdated LMS seriously hinders growth.

Invest in modern digital learning platforms that offer a mix of capabilities, with a focus on skills, social networking, groups, chat bots and AI-powered personalization.

You to be able to easily access and analyse your data, including how people are using the platform.

Get the buy-in of stakeholders.

You need a clear organizational strategy to guide your purchasing decision.

The tech has to be user-friendly.

Focus on organisational outcomes rather than platform features.

BEST MOMENTS

"Do you want a dinosaur to run your system on? Or a race car?"

“It's not about course management, it's about strategy. It's about achieving your goals, it´s about business impact."

"It has AI at its core; it's not AI that's been bolted on."

"We have to come up with better answers and have a better conversation than we're having."

Becky Willis

Becky Willis is a founder and chief learning officer at Tractus Learning. She helps guide Tractus customers to implement successful digital learning. She is also the founder of WillLearn Consulting, where she helps companies plan, design, and develop high-performance digital learning ecosystems. Previously, she was the vice president of engagement at EdCast and led learning innovation at Hewlett Packard.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckywillis/

Website: https://tractuslearning.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

Blog: https://360learning.com/blog

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode, Martha shares how her team aligned with strategic priorities, built trusted stakeholder relationships, and embedded governance to keep L&D at the heart of business conversations. She also explains how data, storytelling, and a focus on succession planning helped elevate the function’s credibility across the organisation.

Packed with hard-won insights from leading L&D in one of the world’s largest companies, this episode is essential listening for L&D leaders ready to lead with influence and impact.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Build strategic alignment through an executive learning council.

Design learning solutions with clear business metric analysis incorporated.

For impact, use data in your storytelling.

Once you get senior executives on side they will stand up for you when you are not at the table.

At all levels, people should mentor others and develop talent.

BEST MOMENTS

"You can never over communicate to those senior executives."

“By having that data and telling the story of the way things were being done, I got a lot of buy in."

"Care about your people and the people around you, get the job done and do it right, and always act with integrity."

Martha Soehren Bio

Martha Soehren is the former Chief Talent Development Officer and SVP at Comcast Cable, where she led enterprise-wide learning and talent initiatives for nearly 15 years. With a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and a background that spans 25 years in the U.S. Army, Martha brings deep expertise in instructional design, workforce planning, and organisational effectiveness to her corporate roles.

She has served on numerous boards, including ATD, the Wharton/UPenn Doctorate of Learning Advisory Board, and SCTE, and is a recognized industry leader—named one of CableFax’s Most Powerful Women in Cable and a recipient of the WICT Liberty Award. Martha continues to contribute to the field through thought leadership, mentoring, and active participation in the Elliott Masie Learning Consortium.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-soehren-phd-a012074/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

https://360learning.com/blog

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Together, they explore:

Whether "Learning & Development" is the wrong name for the profession.

The growing shift from learning-centric to performance-focused strategies—and why this remains a point of contention.

How AI is transforming productivity and reshaping L&D approaches.

Real-life examples of how leading organizations are navigating this evolution.

This episode pulls no punches as it challenges long-held assumptions in L&D and sparks essential questions about the direction of the profession. Tune in for sharp insights, bold ideas, and practical takeaways from some of the most influential voices in the field.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Focus on intentional impact rather than just delivering courses

Ask stakeholders “what are you trying to change?”

Seek out the ultra-keen or those who are desperate for change.

Stop worrying about the ethics of using AI, it´s an effective productivity tool, so use it.

L&D needs to have the tough conversations.

BEST MOMENTS

“The word learning has turned into a noun rather than a process.”

“Intentional impact is the thing that really drives me.”

"That AI on the sly thing, it´s not enough.”

"If you still call yourself L&D in 5 years ... you're defining yourself as sort of milky weak."

GUESTS

Laura Overton

Laura is an award-winning L&D analyst and co-author of Evidence-Informed Learning Design. As the founder of Towards Maturity and a champion of research-led practice, Laura has spent her career helping organizations unlock the potential of workplace learning through data, insight, and innovation.

Donald Clark

Donald is a learning technology entrepreneur, author, and advocate for the use of AI in education. With decades of experience in digital learning, he is the CEO of Wildfire Learning and a former CEO and founder of Epic Group. He is known for his bold perspectives on the future of learning, captured in his books like Artificial Intelligence for Learning and his influential blog.

Gemma Paterson

Gemma is Head of Culture Innovation at Lloyds Banking Group, where she leads work that reimagines how culture, learning, and innovation intersect in large organizations. With a background in digital learning and organizational development, Gemma is passionate about creating environments that foster curiosity, collaboration, and meaningful change at scale.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of 1000s of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

CONTACT METHOD

 https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

How do you continuously reinvent L&D while working with the same stakeholders and navigating constant change? In this episode, Avinash Chadarana, Global Learning & Development Director at MCI Group, shares the realities of leading L&D over the long haul—building from scratch, overcoming challenges like budget cuts and COVID, and evolving with a geographically dispersed remote team.

We dive into the biggest shifts in L&D over the past few decades, the ongoing challenge of moving stakeholders beyond just training requests, and how AI is shaping the future of workforce development. Avinash also shares his principles for staying relevant and ensuring his team does the same.

Take your L&D to the next level

Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Develop an intrapreneurial culture to encourage employees to generate innovative ideas.
• Ask what we are here to achieve, not what we are here to deliver.
• Make sure everyone knows what success looks like.
• Empower performance.
• Leverage localised generative AI.
• Align learning and development initiatives directly with business outcomes.
• Join the dots for stakeholders so they truly understand what L&D can do for them.

BEST MOMENTS

“Lead by outcomes, not by hours logged.”

“See what's coming up and stop being in reactive mode.”

“With AI we have gone past that point of fetishization or it being novel. We're hearing actual success stories.”

GUEST BIO

Avinash Chandarana is a visionary global L&D leader with over 25 years of experience shaping workplace learning. As Global Learning & Development Director at MCI Group - a leading global engagement and marketing agency - he founded the MCI Institute in 2008, transforming employee development for 2,500 staff across 60 offices in 31 countries.

A recognised Fellow of the Learning & Performance Institute (LPI), Avinash combines human-centred design with cutting-edge technology, including AI, to optimise learning experiences and drive business impact. A true global nomad, his career spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with successful projects in 33+ countries. Beyond leading L&D, he is a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and moderator, holding credentials from MIT Sloan and INSEAD in neuroscience, leadership, and management.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avinashc

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD

 https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

https://360learning.com/blog

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  There are about 5 million podcasts out there. 
•  Over 460 million people regularly listen to one.
• Studies show that people absorb what they hear through audio.
• There is enormous potential for L&D teams to use podcasts in-house to help people learn from others and understand the diverse opportunities on offer in their organisation.
• Mapping out episodes in advance helps to keep things flowing in the right direction. Record at least 6 before you launch.
• The technical side of recording podcasts is not complicated, and it is not expensive.
• Sharing more about what is going on behind important decisions via internal podcasts improves transparency.
• Podcasts are evergreen but can also be recorded and sent out within an hour to address urgent issues.
• You need to know your audience and promote your podcast.

BEST MOMENTS
'Podcasts have the unique ability to allow the listener to multitask. '
'At its very essence, it is learning from colleagues.'
'Understand your internal audience. '

Shannon Martin Bio
Shannon is a podcast and communications specialist working with podcasters and organisations to share their message and make the best possible impact. Shannon has worked with creators of all types and sizes in creating and growing their podcasts. This experience has led to helping companies/brands develop the best possible podcasts for their goals, both for external and internal audiences. Having worked on the platform side at Podbean Shannon is now in production, strategy, and growth with Lower Street.
You can follow and connect with Shannon via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmartinwrites/

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

CONTACT METHOD 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  All 22,000 colleagues at Aviva have access to learning, so they can perform at their best and develop their careers.
• Take a collaborative approach, consult the experts in your business and understand what your learners want to achieve.
• Start small to learn what works for your organisation. Initially, focus on a few roles.
• Take a multi-prong approach, provide the learning in a range of formats. Once you have identified what works best you can potentially dispense with some programmes.
• Some people are resistant to being educated about digital tools. One-hour immersion sessions are a good way to ignite interest and overcome this reticence.
• Make sure that those who engage in the learning process can actually progress in their careers.

BEST MOMENTS
'Learning for the future is where we're really focused right now. '
'Our digital boot camps are split into two different sectors – software engineering and product.'
'Start with a handful of roles, '

ABOUT THE GUEST
Sarah Allen Bio
Sarah is Head of Learning at Aviva and previously Head of Learning, Talent & Leadership for AXA UK, having risen through the ranks of the L&D team at AXA Investment Managers.
You can follow and connect with Sarah via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahnelsonallen/

Molly Howes Bio
Molly is Foundry Project Lead at Aviva having joined the company in 2015 and transitioned into roles including Team Leader and Digital Product Owner. The Aviva Foundry is a learning community, developing the knowledge and skills Aviva needs to succeed in an increasingly digitised world.
You can follow and connect with Molly via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-howes-3a76a71b2/details/experience/

EPISODE RESOURCES
UK Skill Gap Report - https://industrialstrategycouncil.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Rising%20to%20the%20UK%27s%20skills%20challenges.pdf
https://decoded.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Learning must be aligned with business goals.
• Effectively measuring learning effectiveness based on business impact drives change and increases profitability.
• Without measurement you cannot improve the learning.
• 100% attendance means nothing when it comes to achieving business goals.
• Ask the client what a good result would look like for them, then work with them to come up with the measurement. This conversation will also highlight what must be included in the training.
• To measure, use the cause precedes the effect model.
• You will always have some people that have been trained and some that have not, so you compare their performances
• Start by addressing the critical failures of the organisation or company.

BEST MOMENTS
' Measurement drives alignment. '
'What gets measured, gets done.'
'You don´t need a statistician to get started. '

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

Bonnie Beresford Bio
Bonnie is a human capital strategist and performance consultant, researching, designing, analysing and evaluating human performance improvement initiatives that are aligned with real business needs that are focused on improving measurable business outcomes. Bonnie is also the creator of the Measurement Map(R) to illustrate the causal chain of evidence between human capital interventions and measurable business outcomes.

You can follow and connect with Bonnie via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bberesfordphd/
Website: https://www.gpstrategies.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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/
L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  Start with the end in mind. Intentionally align to the performance requirements that help organisations achieve goals,
• Don´t measure too many things.
• One person in the team needs to be assigned to focus on measuring impact.
• Measuring impact means measuring performance, how effectively people are working, and how that affects business outcomes. Several examples are shared during the episode.
• There will be times when you cannot measure the impact.
• Go in with a performance mindset, not just an L&D one.
• Be realistic about what can be achieved and measured.

BEST MOMENTS
'If your first discussion with business partners and stakeholders is about training, it's more than likely that you are headed in the wrong direction for alignment. '
'In essence, you're then seeing yourself as a performance consultant first, and an l&d practitioner second,'
'When I talk about performance, I'm talking about skills, capability, talent, behaviour, and actions. '
'Training and learning will not do it alone. '

Kevin M.Yates Bio
Kevin is the Learning & Development detective, solving the mystery: “What is the impact of learning?” He does this by investigating how learning activates performance and business goals. He is also author of the eBook, 𝘓&𝘋 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, in which he shares the secrets to his success. for investigating and measuring impact.
You can follow and connect with Kevin via:
Twitter: @KevinMYates
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevmyates/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevmyates/
Website: https://kevinmyates.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  Cultural intelligence has become increasingly important for L&D.
• Blended learning provided with context is greatly improving effectiveness.
• Identifying the goal and how it will be measured is important, but the measurement needs to be simple.
• L&D needs to be an integral part of the team.
• Simulations are proven to be effective in teaching complex skills.
• AI could be used to generate different scenarios, for people to respond to and test their skills so they can gain confidence.
• Proving tech before it is rolled out is essential.

BEST MOMENTS
'We tend to be an industry that moves pretty fast, sometimes too fast. '
'Drill down and say what are the real skills and behaviours that are the difference between normal performance and really high performance.'
'We've seen a huge opportunity with chat GPT now and generative AI in order to plug some of the gaps.'

ABOUT THE GUEST
John Tomlinson Bio
John is Head of Learning & Development at the UK Foreign Office as well as the host of the Trainer Tools podcast, a writer, and a conference speaker. John is also a qualified coach and has extensive experience in leadership development, change management, and partnering with senior leaders to develop and deliver L&D strategies.

GUEST RESOURCES
You can follow John via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntomlinson/
Twitter: @JohnRTomlinson
Podcast: https://trainertools.podbean.com

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• L&D can´t be all fun and games. It also needs a challenge.
• Changing someone's performance is not always about learning, other resources need to be used too.
• Providing effective guidance means you do not need such a highly skilled workforce.
• People need context, show them how to apply what they learn to their job.

BEST MOMENTS
'Effortable learning is critical.'
'Your analysis has to look at the entire context. '
'We've got to start whitewashing the problem. '

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

ABOUT THE GUESTS
Gabrielle Bayme Bio
Gabrielle is Chief Learning Officer at the New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget and a forward-thinking Learning and Development leader with 20+ years of experience of designing, facilitating, and managing learning programs throughout the entire learning lifecycle and building innovative learning solutions from the ground up. A lifelong learner and promoter of emerging best practices, cutting-edge tools and techniques, and performance consulting approaches. Gabrielle is passionate about helping organisations and other talent development professionals make the shift from "training" to "performance" believing that learning solutions should focus on practice over content and should have a measurable impact on the work itself.
You can follow Gabrielle via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-bayme/

Nick Shackleton-Jones Bio
Nick is a genuine thought leader in Learning & Development, responsible for coining the ‘courses to resources’ shift and the effective context model of learning.
He began his professional life as a psychology lecturer and went on to lead learning functions at Siemens, BBC & BP. He’s now a consultant and author of ‘How People Learn’ (Kogan Page, May 2019) as well as winning several awards for people development strategy, innovation, and learning content, including the Learning & Performance Institute’s Award for Services to the Learning Industry, 2017.
You can follow and contact Nick via:
Twitter: @shackletonjones
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shackletonjones/
How People Learn: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-People-Learn-Designing-Performance/dp/0749484705

Guy Wallace Bio
Guy is a Performance Analyst and Instructional Architect and has been designing and developing Instruction/ Training/ Learning and Performance Support content for Enterprise Learning and business-critical target audiences since 1979. In 2010 he was the recipient of ISPI’s Highest Award, approved by two successive Boards of Directors, Honorary Life Member, for his contributions to the technology of Performance Improvement, and his contributions to the Society.
You can follow and connect with Guy via:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/guywwallace
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guywwallace/
Website: https://eppic.biz/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  L&D should be seen as the experts, somewhere people automatically turn to solve problems.
• Be relentless about understanding the problem you are solving.
• If people have not actually used what you taught them 9 months before they have probably forgotten it.
• Learning needs to be delivered at the point of need. Often, on the job itself.
• Identify who is going to support the learner when they are doing their job, they will be the ones who can see if the training works. 
• L&D needs to step into the world of those they are seeking to influence rather than expecting people to step into the world of learning.
• Training does not have to be a course; it could be a list of resources or a simple memo or short video to remind people of how to deal with an issue or do something. 
• There is a lot more to development than learning. To solve the problem, you need to collaborate with other departments.

BEST MOMENTS
'The point of need is extremely important.'
'The intervention on the reinforcement of learning isn't necessarily with the training department. '
'It's you going forward and say, I've noticed that we have a problem with that. And I think we can help.'
'The trick is to be completely consistent with your approach.'

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

ABOUT THE GUEST
Lila Warren Bio
Lila is Global Head of Retail Academy at Pret a Manger, a counsellor, and psychotherapist and makes it her goal to create and embed solutions that drive employee engagement and performance.
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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Work out in advance how you are going to measure the outcomes.
• Get down to the brass tacks of what each department and person should be doing.
• Seek clarification, and ask what does that look like?  Often, it will take time to get proper answers.
• Communicate your success using stakeholder metrics and language.
• Use success case interviews and qualitative data.

BEST MOMENTS
'What we're striving to do then is show that our training or learning interventions can impact on some business metric. '
'Make impact a forethought rather than an afterthought.'

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

Bonnie Beresford Bio
Bonnie is a human capital strategist and performance consultant, researching, designing, analysing, and evaluating human performance improvement initiatives that are aligned with real business needs that are focused on improving measurable business outcomes. Bonnie is also the creator of the Measurement Map(R) to illustrate the causal chain of evidence between human capital interventions and measurable business outcomes.
You can follow and connect with Bonnie via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bberesfordphd/
Website: https://www.gpstrategies.com

Laura Paramoure Bio
Laura Paramoure, EdD, has 25 years of experience in performance improvement, training design, and evaluation.  She is the author of ROI by Design™ (2014) and a featured speaker on the topic of return on investment for training organizations. Her private sector experience includes Director of Training and Development with Parata systems where she was responsible for the establishment and deployment of both domestic and international training.  She is currently the CEO of eParamus, a company which helps organizations of all types and sizes optimize and verify the impact of their training programs.
You can follow and connect with Laura via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-paramoure/
Website: https://www.eparamus.com

Kevin M.Yates Bio
Kevin is the Learning & Development detective, solving the mystery: “What is the impact of learning?” He does this by investigating how learning activates performance and business goals. He is also author of the eBook, 𝘓&𝘋 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, in which he shares the secrets to his success. for investigating and measuring impact.
You can follow and connect with Kevin via:
Twitter: @KevinMYates
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevmyates/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevmyates/
Website: https://kevinmyates.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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The handbook provides a framework for L&D professionals to dip in and out of.
• Live online learning is a great example of how L&D can become more dynamic and quickly transfer knowledge.
• Whatever format you use, it must always address and solve a real issue.
• Play into the language and culture that the business uses.
• There is huge value in using old-school text and checklists for certain tasks.
• In the right situation, physically doing something in VR is incredibly powerful.
• Be creative in your thinking to get more out of the learning experience without spending more.

BEST MOMENTS
'It's a handbook. It's a dip-in-and-out type of thing…. I certainly don't expect anyone to start at the beginning and finish at the end,'
"We get lost in chasing engagement when really, we should be just chasing doing stuff that works. '
'It's all about having these better conversations, isn't it? It's all about having a better set of questions to ask. '

Michelle Parry-Slater Bio
As well as the author of The Learning and Development Handbook, Michelle works with corporate, public, and third-sector organisations to improve their people development offer. In 2017, Michelle headed up the Volunteer Learning & Development team in Girlguiding UK, supporting the digital learning transformation which is taking place for Girlguiding’s 80,000+ adult volunteers.
You can follow and connect with Michelle via:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiPS1608
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleparryslater/
Book: https://thelndhandbook.com

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  The ripple effect means that every executive transition failure costs about 10 to 30 times their salary.
• Most executives get no extra support or training when they transition.
• The failure rate between internal and external hires is not that different.
• Navigating politics (organizational diplomacy) is a challenge. Providing an honest roadmap helps.
• Someone needs to sit down with the executive and map out the stakeholders in detail.
• Hiring a transition coach is a worthwhile investment.
• Ask each executive what areas they need the most help with.

BEST MOMENTS
'Soft skills are only soft when they are out of context. '
'The theory behind what an executive does is as different as it could possibly be to the actual experience.'
'Less than 10% is spent on making that same hire successful. '

Navid Nazemian Bio
When it comes to executive transitions, award-winning author Navid Nazemian speaks with an authority that is grounded in research and complemented by authentically demonstrated experience. His ICF-accredited coach education took him on a three-year journey across three continents in Europe, Africa, and America. 
Working with over 100 C-level coaching clients worldwide, Navid distils key insights, guidance, and coaching for maximizing leadership impact in Mastering Executive Transitions: The Definitive Guide. Using strategies designed to avoid and overcome obstacles quickly, Nazemian has helped numerous coaching clients to successfully eliminate unproductive actions and solve their toughest, most complex transition challenges.
In 2022, Navid was awarded the global winner of Coach of the Year by CEO Today and HR Most Influential Practitioner by HR Magazine.
You can follow and connect with Navid via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navidnazemian/
Mastering Executive Transitions: The Definitive Guide: https://www.masteringexecutivetransitions.com

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Companies and individuals see developing the right skills as a way to give themselves a competitive edge.
• Providing people with the chance to learn and enjoy career mobility improves retention.
• Maintaining up-to-date, high-quality skills data is essential. How that can be done is discussed in-depth during the episode.
• Demonstrating that the skill has been learned to a point where it can be practically applied is important. Simulations are one way to do this.
• Making it easy for people to learn, motivates them to learn even more.

BEST MOMENTS

'Skills' is the first top-down initiative that individuals have latched onto. '

'The vast majority of people in the workforce can expect to reskill during the next 8 to 10 years,'

'Create more of that daily learning. '

'Start with solving problems. '

Peter Sheppard Bio

Peter is the Global Head of L&D Ecosystems at Ericsson. He has a broad HR background in L&D, talent management, employee relations, and general HR. Working with all aspects of several businesses including sales, manufacturing, research, and development, Peter has built up great experience in "blue chip" tech companies: IBM, Philips Electronics, and now Ericsson.

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Being agile means we have to provide personal/career development and performance improvement. The two are closely connected, doing well in your job leads to career development.
• The opportunity for people to learn is all around them, we need to tap into the fact their peers and supervisors have a lot of knowledge to impart and provide content that helps them to learn on the job.
• The list of skills people need includes things like capabilities, talent, and mindset.
• Identify the experiences people need to be exposed to so that they can develop the right skills. Then make sure they get to do that type of work.
• There is still a tendency for stakeholders to expect L&D to do what they are told. To get results, this has to change. The panel discusses ways to drive that change.
• We all need to look at performance as the output and make that our starting point.
• Identifying critical business issues and addressing them is essential.

BEST MOMENTS

'The issue is really about; I call it bench strength; how agile we are. '

'We need to address skills in context'

'When we offer suites of generic content, we leave people hanging. They can master that content, but they may not know how to apply it in their jobs

'Talk to the people who will talk to you. Start there.'

GUEST RESOURCES

HR Goes Agile – Harvard Business Review article - https://hbr.org/2018/03/hr-goes-agile

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Building a strong relationship with stakeholders is essential. How to do that is covered in-depth during the episode.
• Why work to solve a symptom when you can solve the underlying problem?
• Your analysis needs to start at the first point of contact, not once the contract is signed. They don’t self-censure as much at that stage.
• Help your clients to improve the physical environment in which people are working e.g. improve ventilation or stop subtle bullying behaviour.
• People are terrible writers, but great editors. Giving them something to work with in writing is a fast way to get things started.
• Don´t be afraid to ask tough questions.
• The phrase “Oh by the way other companies have found that XYZ helps with …”, is a great way to plant seeds.
• Sometimes the only way to influence an intransient executive is through their peers.

BEST MOMENTS

'I pay a lot of attention to the physical environment. '

'Play the long game, work on the relationship and incrementally build currency with your stakeholders. '

'We think that people have the information that they need, but they don´t. '

'When your client gets what they need, rather than what they asked for, then we're all better and richer all around for it. '

GUEST RESOURCES

You can follow and connect with Judith via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-hale-halecenter/

Website: https://tifpiedu.org

The Performance Consultant´s Fieldbook by Judith Hale - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Performance-Consultants-Fieldbook-Techniques-Organizations-ebook/dp/B008O5JZPY/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

Theirs is an inspiring story that started by listening to podcast conversations just like this...

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You have to measure the impact training is having on the company to demonstrate that it has positive business outcomes. If it is not producing that, there is little point in doing it. Taking this approach also secures the future of your department.
• Steer things in the right direction from the first planning conversation you have. Using The Programme Performance Path from Brinkerhoff is a good way to ensure you do this. In the episode, Teemu explains how he does this.
• When designing training it is essential that you use the people who actually do the job to show and explain the workflows to you. As well as share what they need to get from the training. Tap into their expertise to tweak things, but don´t forget to speak to low performers too so you can include what not to do in your training.
• Create a user story and make sure everyone can respond appropriately regardless of what the customer does. In the episode, Teemu shares, in detail, how they did this to double the sales of their streaming services. An example anyone, regardless of industry, can use to create laser-focused and effective training.

BEST MOMENTS

'I was oriented to performance from day one. '

'Evaluate the outputs you produce, the business outcomes.'

'By involving people in our analysis, we create ambassadors and champions for further initiatives. '

'Knowing your competitors is a big success factor. '

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

A widely published author, keynote speaker, and consultant, Carl began as a Ph.D. student with B.F. Skinner at Harvard, and has spent over 40 years bringing behaviour science into practical, down-to-earth application.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You can deliver fantastic training, but if the business does not make changes to provide the right conditions to enable people to apply what they have learned, better results will not be generated.
• What you want is ongoing accomplishment-based talent development. 
• Using plain English is essential for making your training accessible to all and getting stakeholder buy-in.
• Design is all about the stuff that supports behaviour. In particular, the conditions people work in.
• To get engagement, you need to evangelise about the process and benefits. Without it, people will not understand and will not buy in.
• You need to give people the time and space to become fluent in using tools.
• Delivering training at the right pace and in bursts that prevent fatigue is essential.

BEST MOMENTS

'You need to define performance first. '

'An accomplishment has to be an accountable thing.'

'Generic training, and development, I think is just enormously wasteful.. '

'People who are just going to do the same old thing, the same way they always do as a checkbox, probably are not going to be my clients.. '

GUEST RESOURCES

You can follow and contact Carl via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarlbinder/

Website: https://www.performancethinking.com

ABOUT THE GUEST

Carl Binder Carl is the CEO of The Performance Thinking Network. He was one of the last graduate students of BF Skinner at Harvard University. 

He has published dozens of articles, chapters, and books and presented dozens and dozens of times, and workshops and presentations at conferences. Carl is the recipient of two of ISPs highest awards, the Thomas F Gilbert Award, and the honorary life member award. He's also received the Fred s Keller Award from the American Psychological Association for his work in education. And he's received a lifetime achievement award from the organisational behaviour management network, a sub-discipline of ABA, the Association of Behaviour Analysts.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

As with series 1, Guy Wallace and David James are speaking with esteemed guests about their own pivot from ‘Learning-focused’ practice towards a ‘performance orientation’ that more predictably and reliably, let alone efficiently and successfully, achieves demonstrable results for both employees and organisations.

In this episode, Mirjam Neelen talks about her pivot to performance, her approach to analysis, design, and stakeholder management. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Get stakeholders involved from day 1.
• Asking gently probing questions is a diplomatic way to get stakeholders to properly identify the business problem and sign off on training that works instead of simply ticking a box.
• Periodically ask – “what´s the deliverable?” as a way of ensuring that the focus remains in the right place i.e., solving the problem. It is easy to get side-tracked.
• Asking questions that prompt the stakeholders to think more deeply about the work and how it is carried out helps them to realise what is needed.
• It can be difficult to get objective data from stakeholders, but you must persist in asking for it.
• Using task analysis reminds or informs the stakeholder about how the work gets done so they can 100% understand what type of training is needed.
• Asking stakeholders to create examples for the training really focuses them on what needs to be taught and how.

BEST MOMENTS

'I pick with my team, one or two projects each quarter so that we're actually solving real business problems. Then, from that, we extract things like case studies, but also frameworks, models, and more. '

'You have, which I don't think could be understated, diplomacy.'

' I really try to focus on what they are trying to always achieve and keep that front and centre. '

'In the end, it just really helped to move from what I call a training focus to a capability building focus. '

ABOUT MIRJAM NEELAN

Mirjam Neelen is the Head of Global Learning Design and Learning Sciences in Novartis. She is part of a team that redefines how Novartis Associates build competence. With 15 years of industry experience, she has worked in a wide variety of learning design roles in organisations such as Accenture, Google, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Whenever there is a recession, it is normally the L&D and marketing departments that are cut.
• Becoming more visible is an important part of ensuring the organisation appreciates the value of L&D.
• The fact that employment rates in the UK are high means that developing people is going to be important for businesses. L&D is not a perk, it is essential.
• L&D must stop leaning on generic online content that is not effective. If they don´t they will fail, and the department will be slimmed down.
• Focus on addressing issues that impact the organisation’s profitability and solve real problems.
• Technology is expensive, it must be a solution that is designed to solve the actual business problems your organisation has.

BEST MOMENTS

'My stock internally rose because I grasped the nettle, and I knew what needed to be done.'

' Help stakeholders to address critical points of failure in their operation, what's not working, what's costing them opportunity? what's costing them good people?'

'Any good digital product needs to work with a notepad and a pen first, if you can't make it work with a notepad and a pen, it's not gonna work with a website. '

'If you're laser-focused on solving real problems, then your solutions are smaller, thinner, lighter, and more agile,

ABOUT ADAM HARWOOD

Adam Harwood Bio

Adam is Associate Director of Talent & Culture at Genomics having previously led L&D at luxury hospitality brand D&D and challenger bank Revolut. Adam has also worked in the L&D departments at ASOS and Ted Baker.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The purpose of L&D has to be to make it easier for people to do their jobs. Anything that does not contribute to this is usually just a tick-box exercise.
• What is provided needs to create meaningful behaviour change. In most cases, a standardised training course doesn’t do that.
• If people are sent on mind-numbing courses, they tend to assume it is all going to be rubbish and just switch off to all of it.
• The examples used must be relevant to what each department does. A one size fits all approach does not work.
• Only 29% of people think that the online learning they have completed has been effective.
• Off-the-shelf training can be useful, but only in limited circumstances, Stewart provides some examples in the podcast.
• Asking people what is stopping them from doing their job is an effective way to identify training needs.

BEST MOMENTS

'Until we understand the reason for poor performance, you can't really move the needle on it. '

' I do think there is a reluctance to dig deep, we kind of fear what we might find sometimes, I think all organisations are guilty of that.'

'Unless there's a way to relate the material to someone's world, there's always going to be a mess, '

'There is such an over-reliance on solutions that don't understand the problem. '

ABOUT STEWART EVERSON

Stewart Everson Bio

As manager of the National Bank Independent Network learning team, Stewart is responsible for driving the digital adoption of the company’s technology and ensuring employees have access to skills training and development opportunities, to grow their careers.

EPISODE RESOURCES

Nigel Paine’s work and resources - https://www.nigelpaine.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Experts tend to forget the gaps they had in their knowledge when they knew less, so tend to skip over things. It’s a form of educated incapacity.
• A surprising amount of learning is unlearning some of the things that are almost instinctive to us.
• Learning and development professionals don't know or aren't aware of as much of learning theory and science as perhaps you'd expect.
• Our job as learning professionals, as special as any field, is to disentangle what is valuable about the new and not be scared of innovations.
• There is a tendency for the industry to repackage old approaches. That is only OK if it has been updated and tweaked to work in a modern setting.

BEST MOMENTS
' The expert has difficulty unpacking. So, my job is to help Donald unpack. '
'How do you know that it works, and if you don't know that it works, does it work, and then do less of the stuff that you don't know works,'
' There's a whole lot of counterintuitive stuff involved in learning, which is sort of something we talk about in the learning theory, that has to be to get around to make learning work. '
'You should be ambitious for your profession. '

ABOUT JOHN HELMER
John Helmer is a writer, editor, and communications strategy expert specialising in the fields of learning, training, education, and publishing, with a particular focus on digital technology innovation. He has led many programmes bringing together thought leaders and practitioners for knowledge sharing and debate, and writes for and edits numerous blogs, as well as producing many white papers and research reports (including articles for peer-reviewed journals).

GUEST RESOURCES
You can follow and connect with John via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/
Great Minds On Learning: https://greatmindsonlearning.libsyn.com
The Learning Hack: https://learninghack.libsyn.com

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• An instructional designer is somebody who can analyse a performance gap in any organisation and select a solution that solves it,
• Instructional design is definitely not all about E-learning. It is just one tool. One which is not right for all situations.
• Instructional designers who have a full understanding of what L&D does will always produce better results.
• Real-world examples and demonstrations make an enormous difference to how effective the learning is.
• The best learning materials show you how to do things rather than attempt to tell you how to do them.
• The future of learning is hybrid.

BEST MOMENTS
'I think it's a better mix, probably now, I think more people have had to climb a bigger wall to get into our industry than it used to be. '
'It needs to be problem centred. People need to work in real-world contexts.'
'First step, build the final demonstration, the final whole problem, of what it is that you want your learners to be able to do. '
'Structure a course, to give people the opportunity to practise, apply, and integrate into their real-world based on the actual context of what they're learning, '

Robin Sargent Ph.D. Bio
After stints as a training director for a billion-dollar company and an assistant dean of students for a large university, Dr. Robin Sargent opened IDOL courses to be the leading trade school teaching instructional design and online learning to people of all backgrounds.

GUEST RESOURCES
You can follow and contact Robin via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinsargent/
Website: https://www.idolcourses.com
Academy: https://www.idolcourses.com/academy
Book: https://www.idolcourses.com/book
Short Sims - https://www.shortsims.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

• Good instructors and L&D professionals can identify the gaps and know how to fill them.
• If someone feels they are underpaid or not given the right tools to do the job L&D is not going to help.
• People learn to change the way they act by laying down new pathways in their brains.
• Changing and practising one aspect of behaviour is a highly effective way to move the ball forward.
• Use E-learning as a preparation for the next stage e.g., for on-the-job training. It is not the end game.
• If you use simulators build experiences that create an emotional reaction. How is explained in the episode?
• The more streamlined your learning is the better. Strip out anything that is not essential for that person´s job.
• Our brains are designed to learn things in context, so all learning needs to be contextual. Learning in the flow of work is an effective way to do that.

BEST MOMENTS
'It all comes down to behaviour… always ask what the behaviour is you are trying to change'
'You have to stack learning methods to really get the outcome. '
'The best document is no document… only create something when it must be created. Even then, always be trying to get rid of it. '
ABOUT THE GUEST
Matthew Gjertsen Bio
Matthew began his unique L&D career as a T-1 Instructor Pilot in the US Air Force and went on to become Training & Development Manager at SpaceX, where he was responsible for programs across the entire facility. Matthew is now owner of Better Every Day Studios and advisor to hearme.app.
GUEST RESOURCES
You can follow and contact Matthew via:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/
Website: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523
L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.
CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

In this episode, David, and Nigel Paine, who has 25 years of L&D experience and teaches on a doctoral programme at an Ivy League University, discuss this.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Hybrid learning is a bit of a cliché, which is great for marketing, but is not for customers.
• We need to ask if remote/hybrid learning is the optimum solution for all hybrid workers, rather than assume that is the case.
• The L&D industry is prone to following fads and to re-badging old products.
• Doing fieldwork is essential if you want to understand what will work and avoid being tempted to follow a fad that does not do the job.
• When gathering data, ask lots of why questions to gain a deeper understanding of the issues.
• Don't be afraid to discuss things that don't necessarily fall under the learning remit as a way of improving your understanding.
• Few of the influential L&D software vendors have worked in the industry, so their tools and services often miss the mark. 
• See yourself as a practitioner, bring your experience to bear and act together with your stakeholders to solve their problems.

BEST MOMENTS

'I see so many terms that just come and go …. and hybrid learning is one of those'

'The last thing I would ever do to anyone in an organisation is to tell them what they need. I would help them to work that out for themselves.'

'Go in there with a partnership approach and ask the right questions. 

'I would like to see more L&D people who are in control of their practice…not just working out what software to use. '

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

ABOUT THE GUEST

With over 25 years of experience in corporate learning, Nigel is a regular speaker, writer, and broadcaster on the topics of development, technology, and leadership. Between 2002 and 2006 he headed up the BBC’s Learning and Development operation. Following this, he started his own company nigelpaine.com Ltd that is focused on building great workplaces. He teaches on a doctoral programme at an Ivy League University, he has written three recent books, presents a monthly TV programme (Learning Now TV), and shares a weekly podcast (with Martin Couzins) called From Scratch. 

You can follow and contact Nigel via:

Twitter: @ebase

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelpaine/

Website: https://www.nigelpaine.com/

Hybrid Learning Article: https://www-trainingzone-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.trainingzone.co.uk/lead/strategy/hybrid-learning-is-just-learning-dont-fall-for-the-fad?amp

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Adult learning theory focuses on the fact that adults learn very differently from children.
• Improving information retention and ensuring new skills are appropriately and accurately applied cement that learning.
• Learning can thrive in informal settings.
• Design the learning experience so that it places the environment where they will use those skills.
• Make things real for people by comparing what they are doing now with what they will do when using the new skills or information.
• Incorporate opportunities for problem-solving.
• Understand what motivates your learners, Carrie shares a couple of examples to help you with this.

BEST MOMENTS

'My work focuses on improving the engagement of the adult learner. Supporting their information retention.'

'Understand who they are as a learner.'

'If you’re thinking long-term, using a quantitative assessment of learning is absolutely mandatory. '

'As you are building your content, make references back to who they are as a learner.'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning and Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

EPISODE RESOURCES

You can follow and contact Carrie via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarriegraham/ 

Website: https://www.drcarriegraham.com

ABOUT THE GUEST

Carrie O. Graham Bio

Owner of Carrie O. Graham Learning & Solutions, Dr. Graham helps subject matter experts improve learning outcomes by strategically integrating adult learning best practices. A published author, researcher, and conference presenter with 25+ years’ experience in learning, instructional design, and leadership development across industries.

Dr. Graham has a reputation of understanding problems that are stated and revealing what is not stated, then asking critical questions to help people uncover clear and insightful solutions. Not believing in the “one-size-fits-all” approach she customises solutions to support unique individual and organisational needs. 

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Virtual reality is a highly effective tool. Lloyd explains how using it at a nuclear power station generated an ROI of £200,000.
• Curiosity is a key pillar of learning.
• Chatting with people from all areas of the business, including casual chats, is a fantastic way to better understand each area of the business.
• Improving your data analysis is a fast way to become more effective.
• Apply established approaches that are working elsewhere to your L&D.
• Agile is becoming increasingly popular. Why is it discussed in the podcast?
• Gauging the readiness to change makes it easier to adopt a bespoke strategy that will make it easier to overcome resistance.
• You must believe in the projects you are leading.
• Be genuinely open-minded when it comes to interpreting the data and holding a mirror up to the business.

BEST MOMENTS

'You have to be curious and not too far away from what's going on with the business.'

'Ask what´s the golden thread of what we do for you.'

'Reflecting on your why in L&D is important.'

'Where it goes well, senior stakeholders really articulate the vision and the why.'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

EPISODE RESOURCES

You can follow and contact Lloyd via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyddeanuk/

ABOUT THE GUEST

Lloyd Dean Bio

Lloyd is Principal Consultant at PA Consulting and former Head of Digital and Innovative Learning at EDF Energy. With more than a decade in the L&D profession, Lloyd’s focus is on the future of work and helping to modernise L&D functions.

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Learning workflow is not the same as learning in the flow or blended learning.
• Learning workflow is a sequence of orchestrated activities that are designed to achieve a behavioral change.
• Behavioral Needs Analysis (BNA) and measurable results are essential components of the learning workflow.
• Starting with an LMA OR TMA will send you down the wrong path, Paul explains why.
• Working out how to reduce the friction that is stopping change is also part of the process.
• The learning workflow approach can be very effective for people who are taking on new roles internally and for onboarding.
• A multi-rater tool used alongside measuring key KPIs is the most effective way to assess progress.

BEST MOMENTS

'Usually, it takes, time, effort, and energy over a period of time for change to embed and become habitual.'

'If you don’t have a set of outputs defined in behavioral terms you actually don´t know where you are going.'

'Learning workflow is particularly good where behavior change is required, rather than when you only want people to memorize stuff.  '

'Wherever you have the need for people to do a sequence of actions over time…you can use learning workflow. '

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

EPISODE RESOURCES

You can follow and contact Paul via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmatthews100/

Website: https://paul-matthews.com/

Website: https://peoplealchemy.com/

ABOUT THE GUEST

Paul Matthews Bio

Paul Matthews is a leading Learning & Development professional with a series of best-selling books to his name. An accomplished keynote speaker, he speaks around the world on a diverse range of topics. He brings learning and performance to life with stories that both fascinate and inspire. He also prides himself on reducing complex theory down to simple ideas and sharing them in a way that everyone can understand, and more importantly, use to get better results. As well as being a sought-after speaker, Paul provides consultancy services, training workshops, and webinars for blue-chip clients in the UK and beyond.

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

Anne-Marie Burbidge has been applying the principles of PM to her L&D and as a successful Head of L&D has recruited for Product Managers. So what is it? How is it different? And is it better than traditional approaches at reaching desired outcomes? Find out in this episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The training or resource you provide is your product.
• Taking a product approach to L&D, changes your mindset.
• The product management approach to L&D mirrors the way businesses work when serving external customers.
• Speak to your customers, and understand what their pain points are.
• Often, the questions people have that need answering first are incredibly basic e.g. how do I sign-on.
• Start fresh with each problem. Don´t rule any solution in or out.
• Recognise that transitions and change generate new questions and needs.
• If you have a backlog, tackle the issues that solve a problem for as many people as possible.
• Being through with your research and measuring the impact will slow you down initially. But over the long term, it will actually speed things up.
• Make sure that the resource is available at the point of need and can be used to easily find the answer to very specific questions.
• It’sts not about the input, it is about the output.

BEST MOMENTS

'The product way of working is a mindset around how you do what you do.'

'A lot of the challenges occur at transition points…starting a new role, changes to the business.'

'Demonstrate to the business that you understand the problem. '

'Once you know what the problem is, you can be laser-focused on solving that.'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

EPISODE RESOURCES

You can connect with Anne-Marie via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-marieburbidge/

ABOUT THE GUEST

Anne-Marie is a Head of Learning & Development drawing 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.

Anne-Marie is a Head of Learning & Development drawing 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

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

In this episode, Nick shares his Learning Maturity model and we discuss what this means practically for L&D, organisations and each stakeholder within it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Learning Maturity is Person-Centred Design.
• Audience interest is critical. You need to address the things they care about in ways that transform.
• Emotion plays a vital role in learning.
• People prefer face-to-face to e-learning.
• Being better and faster at their job is the No. 1 thing people want.
• Training should help people to develop not just perform better. People stay if they feel valued and included.
• L&D needs to facilitate and increase the availability of learning experiences that are already being used within an organisation.
• Hybrid learning is different from blended learning. How is explained in the podcast.
• Often managers are there for the rain dance and they don´t care if it rains.

BEST MOMENTS

'L&D is still largely set in an education mindset.'

'Understand what matters to your audience. That´s going to determine what they remember, It´s your key lever.'

'When the word learning is included in the communication, people are around 25% less likely to engage with it.'

'They were there for the rain dance, and they didn´t really care if it rains or not.'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Nick Shackleton-Jones Bio

Nick is a genuine thought-leader in Learning & Development, responsible for initiating the shift from ‘courses to resources’ and for the affective context model of learning.

He began his professional life as a psychology lecturer and went on to lead learning functions at Siemens, BBC & BP. He’s now a consultant and author of ‘How People Learn’ (Kogan Page, May 2019) as well as being the winner of several awards for people development strategy, innovation, and learning content, including the Learning & Performance Institute’s Award for Services to the Learning Industry, 2017.

You can follow and contact Nick via:

Twitter: @shackletonjones

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shackletonjones/

Shackleton Consulting: https://shackleton-consulting.com/

CONTACT METHOD FOR DAVID JAMES

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/
• L&D Masterclass Series: https://360learning.com/blog/

The criticality of the focus on preparation and performance led Alexis to up skilling from within by seeking an efficient way of leveraging internal expertise for the benefit of all. This is explored in conversation alongside how a product management approach helps to achieve desired outcomes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Understanding why you are teaching something is essential. 
• There is no point in teaching people something if you then set them up for failure by not equipping them to perform.
• Sprint planning principles ensure that people use what they learn before moving on to the next round of training.
• Use product management principles to create far more effective training. How, is explained in the podcast.
• Building personas focuses you on what each type of employee needs.
• Collaborative learning is highly effective.
• Replicating how people ingest information in their everyday life works e.g. breaking information into smaller chunks.
• The more people you engage with, the stronger your understanding of the business and what is needed becomes.

BEST MOMENTS

'Enablement at Flexport is a combination of training, change management, and scalable communications.'

'I am a huge advocate for product management in L&D. '

'Our onboarding program is, in part, on-demand and automated for anybody in the company to use.'

'You have to understand what's in it for them. You have to understand what they are focused on. '

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/

EPISODE RESOURCES

Atomic Habits Book: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-James-Clear-audiobook/dp/B07RFSSYBH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21VO449B979Z4&keywords=atomic+habits&qid=1649694292&s=books&sprefix=atomic+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1

ABOUT THE GUEST

Alexis Burbul

Alexis is Senior Manager of Customer Enablement at Flexport, a company that coordinates the complexity required to move freight across a diverse network of logistics, improving the user experience for brands moving freight. Prior to her role in Customer Enablement, Alexis managed Sales Enablement at Flexport. Alexis is also experienced in Product Management, experience which she brought into her roles in enablement.

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 Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/
• Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/

KEY TAKEAWAYS