The Learning & Development Podcast

CLOs today must ask: Is our work building lasting, relevant skills right now? Are we delivering business impact? Is the work building or diminishing L&Ds effectiveness and credibility? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then perhaps it is time for a skills accelerator approach. This is the title of a CLO Lift report and in this episode, we unpack what it means and why it’s critical to us, in L&D, but more importantly to our organisations and employees. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D professionals need to become true business partners instead of just trainers and focus on the development aspect of their role. When you focus on data you are effective, and the rest of the business understands that data. Leverage AI and simulations to deliver fast.  Understand the relevance of each skill. What is it about that skill or new technology that will enable the learner to do their job better? When your business does something new, be a part of the rollout so truly relevant learning is available from the start. BEST MOMENTS “Capability building can't just be through learning programs. It needs to be truly employee-centric.” “If we can spend less time churning content, we'll be able to spend more time developing people.” “The scope of an L&D leader can no longer be just what training program.” Heather Stefanski Heather Stefanski is a Partner and Chief Learning and Development Officer at McKinsey & Company, overseeing Learning & Development for 45,000+ global colleagues and leading the People Data and Analytics Teams.  During 28 years at McKinsey, she has held various roles in talent acquisition, professional development, and learning. She has an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University, and a BS in Engineering and Operations Research from Princeton University. Bjorn Billhardt  Bjorn Billhardt is co-author of The 12-Week MBA and CEO of Abilitie which has trained 100,000 learners in 50 countries, including rising leaders at Fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola and GE. He also co-founded Enspire Learning a custom e-learning development company and was a consultant and corporate trainer for McKinsey & Company. Bjorn holds a BA from the University of Texas and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has served on multiple boards, including The Magellan International School, Spa Partisan, the Advisory Board of the University of Texas at Austin School for Undergraduate Studies and the UT-HDO Program. Report: https://learningforum.substack.com/p/clo-lift-the-skills-accelerator 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

Stepping into a new L&D leadership role is challenging, and establishing both yourself and your team can be even harder. It’s not just about filling gaps—it’s about aligning your vision with the business’s needs and building a strategy that delivers tangible results. In this episode, Sam Allen, Global Head of Learning and Development at Ideagen, shares how he has navigated this journey, from understanding the company’s culture and expectations to creating an L&D strategy that drives real performance. Sam talks about the key steps to establishing yourself in a new L&D role: how to build trust with stakeholders, identify the right learning needs, and bring your team on the journey. If you're a new L&D leader or looking to reposition your team, this episode offers real-world insights into how to take L&D from a function to a business partner. KEY TAKEAWAYS Work really hard to understand where the business you have joined is going. Identify the decision makers and sit down with each one to find out what their priorities are and where they are heading. To do this you need an effective way to take notes and analyse what you learn. Assess how your team currently performs. Make it clear to everyone what your approach to L&D is. Acquire the right tools for your L&D team and for your stakeholders. Set up self-serving learning resources that enable departments to fill skill gaps themselves. Break skills content down to enable truly targeted learning. Establishing yourself is about creating a strategy that truly drives business impact. BEST MOMENTS “How capable are the team members within that organisational structure?” “Build credible relationships with stakeholders.” “Create content where there are gaps.” Sam Allen Bio Sam Allen is the Global Head of Learning and Development at Ideagen, where he leads the company’s L&D strategy to drive performance, capability, and career growth. Before joining Ideagen, Sam was the Interim Head of L&D (Central Functions) at Cazoo, where he established the central L&D function, delivering leadership programs and automating onboarding and compliance. Before that, Sam founded Insightful People, partnering with businesses to deliver strategic L&D projects. He also held senior L&D roles at Whitbread, developing management teams, and at Argos, where he led the L&D strategy for IT, Digital, and Marketing, supporting around 500 colleagues and delivering high-potential and leadership development programs. Throughout his career, Sam has been committed to transforming L&D into a strategic driver of business performance. 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

The Talent Fueled Enterprise seeks to provide insight into key disruptors driving an imperative for talent in organizations. The book also provides a fresh perspective on how leaders should consider navigating the evolving landscape of talent management. It challenges the conventional framework for talent management, urging leaders to reimagine how they perceive, nurture, and leverage the people within their organizations.  In this episode, we unpack what this means for organisations, their Talent teams and the workforce. KEY TAKEAWAYS A talent-fuelled enterprise provides a skills deal that works for employees as well as the organization. Talented employees are no longer willing to only serve the business they want to develop skills that also progress their careers. If you don´t give people the chance to learn they will go elsewhere. A talent-fuelled enterprise values and cultivates the entire organization. Identify what makes performance sustainable, adaptable and scalable. Hire for agility, people who learn and adapt. Ongoing transformation has to be part of a company´s DNA. L&D has to start setting the agenda. Developing the workforce of tomorrow is an essential investment. L&D needs to develop itself to be able to deliver a talent-fuelled workforce. Mike explains how in the episode. BEST MOMENTS “The talent-fuelled enterprise is one that's …. going to cultivate, and it's going to celebrate that wealth of talent, that already exists in the organization .” “Skills are the currency of the organization …  it's also the currency of the people themselves.” “Talent is something that we need to rethink.” “It's really about our ability as professionals to be a good business partner and to be curious and to go and study.” Mike Ohata Bio Mike Ohata is the author of the book The Talent Fuelled Enterprise and has a career-long history of transforming Big Four and Fortune 15 organizations through talent frameworks, comprehensive people development, and workforce solutions.  During his 26-year executive career, Mike strategically navigated Microsoft Corporation and KPMG through disruption and challenges, honoured with the LearningElite Gold Award for pioneering exemplary learning and development strategies at KPMG.  The Talent-Fuelled Enterprise was written for leaders who aspire to build a culture that truly embraces continuous learning and a workplace that is based on trust and collaboration.  You can follow and connect with Mike via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeohata/ The Talent Fuelled Enterprise book (discount code for listeners: DJPODCAST30):   https://a.co/d/c2Ppn3N 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/

Many of us fall into L&D - and some of us make sacrifices in order to do so. At a time when many of us have faced layoffs and unexpected setbacks, we wanted to spotlight career journeys that had tough times and what our guests did to overcome these. In this episode, I’m speaking with Jennifer Sutherland, Global Leader of Culture, Learning & Development at Trustwave, about her incredible career and the lessons we can all learn from her. KEY TAKEAWAYS Very few people follow a linear path into L&D. This is good because they bring varied business skills to the role. If you do not have any training or L&D experience to put on your resume seek it out. Jennifer shares several ways to do that. Be authentic, especially during presentations, and develop your own style. Listen to feedback but recognise who the outliers are and factor that in before deciding whether to pivot. Take your time when switching roles. Lots of L&D professionals inadvertently end up in a role that is not a good fit for them. Use other L&D professionals as a sounding board and help each other. Understand how humans learn and stay up to date with the research. Stay curious and stay up to date with the tech. Build good relationships with all stakeholders and network. BEST MOMENTS “You created the opportunity that helped you gather the experience that you needed to be taken seriously by those L&D hiring managers.” “Words matter … how you fill in the silence is so critical.” “Frankly, that role was not the right fit for me.” “The career path that I'm on looks bananas, but gave  me all these skills, resources, knowledge, community and networks.” “Create your own sandwich of tech to create what you need.” “The world limits you already. Don't be the one that limits yourself.”   Jennifer Sutherland Bio Jennifer is the Global Leader of Culture, Learning & Development at Trustwave, where she is responsible for driving employee engagement and developing enriching learning experiences. Her team focuses on initiatives such as change management and sales enablement, essential for a dynamic global workforce across EMEA, APAC, and North America. Concurrently, as an Adjunct Professor at Davenport University, Jennifer leverages her expertise to educate the next generation in HR and Learning & Development.  You can follow and connect with Jennifer via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifernsutherland Website: https://sutherlandtalentsolutions.com The Nonlinear Training Career article - https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/spring-2024/the-nonlinear-training-career https://www.toastmasters.org   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

L&D can sometimes fail to make sense to even the most seasoned L&D leader but what about our colleagues in other departments? What do they make of our products and approaches? What do they make of our inability to equate our spend and effort to ROI? Well Ajay Pangarkar can tell us. His frustrations with L&D had him lean in from his Accounting background and tell us. But not just by heckling. But by giving us advice. In this episode, Ajay will tell us how we’re perceived and what we can do to better measure the impact of what we do. KEY TAKEAWAYS Using business terminology, you are not 100% familiar with undermines your credibility. Knowledge is now genuinely driving businesses, so L&D is seen as far more important. Focus on the end result. Use the Kaizen approach – keep asking why. Become a listener, get into people´s heads and skill them up in a non-intrusive way. Data analytics is essential to L&D. Work with your financial team to deliver your business case. BEST MOMENTS “With all respect and love for Learning and Development, they  are the nerds in the schoolyard trying to fit in with the cool kids.” “Nobody in the organization cares about learning. They care about the doing.” “We are in the golden age of L&D.” “I always say they cut their budget because you didn't deliver value.” Ajay Pangarkar Bio Ajay is the author of four books, with the most recent titled, “Learning Metrics: How to Measure the Impact of Organizational Learning" (Kogan Page). He’s an award-winning author receiving multiple prestigious TrainingIndustry Readership and Editors’ Award, eLearning Magazine’s Learning Champion, and the World Training Development Congress named Ajay their “Distinguished Trainer”. He is a broadcast media commentator addressing workplace performance issues and contributor to leading international publications. Ajay is also a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA, FCMA), Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP), and a world-renowned workplace performance authority on integrating employee performance strategies within operational environments.  On top of all this, he is a professor at the Sprott School of Business (Carleton University) and Smith School of Business (Queens University) as well as being actively involved with workplace learning working closely with LinkedIn Learning. You can follow and connect with Ajay via: Twitter: @bizlearningdude LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajaypangarkar/ Book: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/learning-metrics-9781398615366 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/

When we have an opportunity to understand L&D and Leadership trends from global L&D experts we should take them, right? On the eve of DevLearn, David Kelly (Chairman of the Learning Guild) gives us his perspective on the things we should be paying attention to as well as the areas we should be focusing our development on. KEY TAKEAWAYS Technology is changing the L&D landscape and we need to evolve with it, but this is something L&D has always done, the same conversations are happening the circumstances are just slightly different. L&D can sometimes be one of the first departments to be downsized if a company just looks at them as a cost centre, rather than how they should be looking at them, as a performance partner that is connected to driving the organisation forward. Mixed reality is very powerful, AR and VR can be good solutions to specific problems but their advantages and speed have slowed down, with AI taking a lot of attention away from development.  Whilst AI is impacting many areas of almost all organisations, it’s important to understand where your organisation sits on takeup and where you can fit into that and act accordingly. L&D can appear to be susceptible to 'trends' but this isn't negative. Those who work in L&D are naturally curious and are looking for ways to help and support people's growth which naturally lends itself to new ideas and tools.  As the world develops and changes around us, so does how we learn, are our education and learning models keeping up pace? Leadership is something that is given by others and it isn't a set of traits but skills that can be learnt. Leadership is about what we do, rather than who we are. You can be an effective leader at any level of an organisation; it's about how you approach the job you are assigned.  A modern L&D organisation always needs to be looking to what's next, what does the L&D need to look like to support the organisation in the future.  BEST MOMENTS 'I was always very involved in my career at giving back to the industry’ ‘The industry is in the exact same space it’s been for 20 years’ ‘I can tell you that the industry is growing rapidly…doesn’t make a difference where I am working for an organisation where I am seen as a cost that needs to be mitigated' 'AI is sucking all the energy out of the room' 'Hype is nothing more than shared energy, but what is driving that energy' 'We don't want to do something because it's cool but because it can make a difference' 'My focus in leadership in the L&D space is removing the role from the equation and focusing more on the environment that learning exists' David Kelly Bio As Chairman of the Learning Guild, David Kelly constantly explores the convergence of learning and technology, demonstrating a profound commitment to transforming workplaces and enriching lives through innovative learning strategies. With over two decades of experience in learning and performance leadership and consulting, he brings his passion to life in his daily work building events and resources with the Guild and as a dynamic speaker and writer, inspiring others to view their work through a fresh, technology-enhanced lens. You can follow and connect with David via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lnddave/ Learning Guild Website: https://www.learningguild.com/ DevLearn: https://devlearn.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/

A governance structure in L&D is a move from implicit to explicit practices. It brings rigour and structure to decision-making practices that would otherwise be nebulous and ill-defined. It is a recognition that L&D is, fundamentally, a strategic function – equally critical for the organisation’s growth and for its survival in turbulent times. But it doesn’t exist in every L&D team.  In this episode, Noah and Tom break down why it is essential and how we, as L&D, get to grips with it.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Governance aligns L&D more closely with business objectives and ensures consistent, scalable impact. The decision on where the L&D budget is spent has to be made by the business so that the budget can be allocated to training that generates profit. Governance includes careful management of your key constituencies and relationships. Alignment, communication, consistency, planning, measurement, execution, tracking, and project management are all equally important. Ask yourself what does better look like? Properly define what you are aiming for. New technologies are not always better, be sure to properly assess them. Good governance is never 100% done, it is an ongoing process. Taking a “solid core, flexible edges” approach to governance works well for most organizations. Be brave. It´s worth a little bit of pain to make big gains.   BEST MOMENTS “Governance is about aligning learning to the strategic objectives and needs of the business… so that you can demonstrate the value of that learning function.” “You have to create consistency in the learner experience .” “AI is going to be a lightning rod.” “Shiny object syndrome  is the enemy of good governance.” “We not only define what governance is, but we define what's what it's not.”   Noah Rabinowitz Bio With 25+ years of experience in learning and leadership development, Noah has been Chief Learning Officer at Intel and Moderna and consulted globally with Korn Ferry and Deloitte. He specializes in innovative learning strategies, executive development, and large-scale digital upskilling programs, driving impactful results across industries. Tom Kupetis Bio Tom brings over 25 years of management consulting and learning solutions experience with Fortune 500 companies. As Executive Vice President at St. Charles Consulting Group, he oversees the firm’s go-to-market strategy. Previously, he held senior roles at Xerox Learning Services and Intellinex LLC (EY subsidiary). Report: https://learningforum.substack.com/p/clo-lift-governance-as-a-strategic   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/

L&D leaders in large organizations often cite a lack of time as the main barrier to upskilling and reskilling. While increasing learning hours is important, the CLO Lift team found that time is not the most critical factor. Instead, the quality of learning has equal or greater influence on performance than the quantity of time spent. Rather than focusing solely on hours, business leaders and L&D professionals should emphasize value. This episode explores these insights with Lisa Christensen and Huw Newton-Hill. KEY TAKEAWAYS CLO Lift is a community of 20 CLOs who have got together to solve the biggest unresolved challenges in the L&D industry. You have to create true value before enough time will be allocated to employee learning. If you are not 100% in step with the business the training that you provide will be out of date and not relevant. The learning you deliver must genuinely enable people to make progress in their careers. L&D needs to stop only being order takers. Work more closely with managers to understand business challenges and be actively involved in finding solutions. Certain elements of people´s roles impact the way they behave. If a learning intervention cannot change that element speak up and ask those who can solve that underlying issue to do so. Create a learning culture, e.g. include skill acquisition in personal reviews. Democratize access to learning. Use generative AI to make the training more relevant in every role in every geography. Measure progress against actual business objectives. Start now. Create some small experiments and generate wins. You only need one win to create credibility and act as a springboard. BEST MOMENTS “Ensure that the whole body of L&D is in lockstep with the business.” “The more courage you lean into, the more credibility you build.” “Be bold and go forth.” “Any good action today is better than perfect action a month from now.”   CLO Lift, From Time to Value report: https://learningforum.substack.com/p/clo-lift-from-time-to-value?r=ivpaq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true   Lisa Christensen Bio: As Director of Learning Design and Innovation at McKinsey & Company, Lisa leads a global team focused on cutting-edge learning solutions. She founded McKinsey’s Learning Research and Innovation Lab and is a recognized thought leader in learning. Lisa is a founding member of CLO Lift and was previously a senior leader at a learning design firm.   Huw Newton-Hill Bio: Huw leads Attensi’s US office, delivering AI-powered training solutions. A former strategy consultant at BCG, he now drives growth and innovation in L&D, contributing to forums like CLO Lift. 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/  

At some point or another, we’ve all found ourselves struggling to demonstrate the value of our L&D solutions, wondering if there has been value or whether we’ll find it. For many of us, it’s a constant search. In this episode, Neil John Cunningham unpacks this for us and lets us in on the steps outlined in his most recent book, Numbers & Narratives, to prove the value of our L&D. KEY TAKEAWAYS Don´t worry about not understanding the data. Someone in the business will just ask them to explain it to you. Using data stories to prove the effectiveness of what you are doing is good for you as well as for the business. Most of us are not getting the most out of existing business data. Storytelling is incredibly powerful, especially if you back it up with data. The Hero´s Journey storytelling framework is often a good way to structure a data story. Once you´ve got your hypothesis, where the business is going and where it needs to go, break that down into learning objectives. Using data stories appeals to people who are emotionally driven as well as to those who are data driven. Understand what commercials are important to the people in your business. If you don´t know what the financials are e.g. how much it costs to handle each call talk to the people that do know. Be really honest about L&D can offer. If you can´t help with a certain issue, be brave enough to say so. Keep things simple and succinct. As much as possible use simple, universally understood data. BEST MOMENTS 'I´d been creating these little data stories, I could prove that what I was doing was having an effect.' 'The way you solve the L&D engagement issue is to solve problems that matter to individuals.' 'Show where L&D can do better.' 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/ Neil John Cunningham Bio Neil is the author of the books, 19 Low-cost Ways to Improve Your L&D Offering; The Strategic Order Taker: A Guide for L&D to be Seen, Heard, and Valued; and his most recent Narratives & Numbers. Neil is an experienced Head of Talent & Learning and following a career of running Learning and Talent functions, he now supports others doing so with his consulting and writing.  You can connect with Neil and follow his work via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiljohncunningham/ Website: www.alignlearndo.com Link to book: https://alignlearndo.com/narratives-and-numbers/ Code for 10% off book: 360 The Hero´s Journey - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heros-Journey-Joseph-Campbell-Collected/dp/1608681890 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/

What do 146 L&D professionals care most about? What are the killer stats L&D should know about right now? Is ‘learning content’ really necessary? What questions will be pulled from the cuddly toy’s posterior? Find out the answers to all these questions and more in this very special live edition of The Learning & Development Podcast with guests Nick Shackleton-Jones and Kenny Temowo. KEY TAKEAWAYS Understanding how to provide their organisation with greater value and impact is a big concern for L&D professionals. 75% of people said their work leader had more of an influence on their mental health than their life partner does. Experiential training for leaders enables them to better understand how their behaviour and expectations impact those who work for them. The fact that future generations look at work differently is having a huge impact on L&D. When people are offered face-to-face training, they feel invested in. Gamification isn´t working but simulations are. If you can´t see a measurable change (ROI) the chances are you should not be doing it. Content has to be carefully crafted to be relevant. BEST MOMENTS 'I would make sure that we're really involving and holding accountable the leaders.' 'How do we help organizations manage stability, the sense of belonging and psychological safety that we need.' 'Content only matters to you if it's relevant somehow.' 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 Nick Shackleton-Jones Bio Nick is a genuine thought-leader in Learning & Development, responsible for initiating 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 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/ Shackleton Consulting: https://shackleton-consulting.com/ Kenny Temowo Bio Kenny Temowo leads Talent Management and Leadership Development for Netflix UK. He’s spent almost two decades in learning and education, working as a consultant with clients such as the BBC, Vodafone, and Rolls-Royce, as well as leading in-house L&D teams. You can follow Kenny via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennytemowo/ 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/

L&D at enterprise scale is very difficult. To say the least. This is why so many start and end by ‘providing learning’ in the hope that some of it sticks and makes a difference. But the opposite to relying on hope is to stand for addressing skills gaps and holding yourself accountable to actually closing them. This is what Ryan has aimed to achieve in his roles and what he shares with us in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lead from the front. Start with skill-based learning now. Treat your skills-based framework as an organic document. Update it regularly. AI is transforming skills-based learning. Ryan shares several real-world examples, during the podcast. You need to complement what AI tells you with your own research and consultation and be specific about your business needs. AI is great at giving you a foundation for discussion. You no longer sit down with a blank piece of paper. AI frees up an incredible amount of time, enabling you to be far more effective. Prioritise the skills that matter most, something many people still do not do. Build out blended learning experiences. At the end of the training session, provide a call to action that ensures that new skill is actually used. Provide an independent validation of the skill. Invite people who have applied that skill to demonstrate it and share how they have used it in their job. Go where the positive energy is. Collaborate with managers who want your help and get them to share the results. The nay-sayers and those short on time will soon be asking for your help. BEST MOMENTS 'Skill-based learning is not knowledge-based learning. So instead of focusing on what you know, it focuses on what you do.' 'AI is going to do a great job. But then you need to round that out with your own work.' 'Be dogged in identifying what that business metric is that this stakeholder, wishes to improve.' Ryan Tracey Bio Ryan Tracey is a senior Learning & Development manager having worked in the corporate sector for over 20 years in addition to roles in government and higher education. Ryan holds a Master’s degree in Learning Sciences and Technology from the University of Sydney and is a prominent commentator of in the field of L&D. You can follow and connect with Ryan via: X/Twitter: @ryantracey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantracey/ Blog: https://ryan2point0.wordpress.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/

Good or bad? Positive or toxic? Powerful or incongruent? Culture plays a huge part in our working lives. In L&D we ignore culture at our peril. But what does it mean to understand and change organisational culture? In this episode, former Deloitte Management Consultant, Lily Woi, unpacks this for us and provides insight and guidance on how we can change culture in our organisations. KEY TAKEAWAYS Culture is about more than behaviour and working practices. Structure and governance both have a significant impact. Don´t overcomplicate things, a simpler approach is easier to follow and iterate. Keep improving. Change should be ongoing and happen quickly. Understanding your culture is the key to shaping it. Instead of assuming you understand the culture, observe how people actually behave. What is your data telling you about your culture? Using consultants helps to overcome not being able to see the wood for the trees and can cut through a lot of internal politics. Collective decision-making works best. Involve employees in the design phase. Using the 4 pillars - mindset, abilities, process, and structure leads to sustainable change. Measure the change. What has worked in one project is not necessarily going to work for another project. You have to tailor your approach. BEST MOMENTS 'In my experience, the simplest approaches are more often the most effective.' 'Removing culture from an aspect of L&D is like trying to remove the egg from a cake.' 'I tend to ask a lot of annoying questions… to understand why, what´s really going on.' 'The approach that I use for one company would not work for my next company or client.' Lily Woi Bio Lily is a former Deloitte Management Consultant, focused on Organisation Transformation and Culture, Leadership & OD Lead at Next Pensions. On both sides of the table (in-company and consultancy), Lily has built deep and rich experience of organisation culture change. As a Culture Change Catalyst, Lily now helps leaders and teams drive transformative change, unlock their full potential, and ignite a high-performance, collaborative culture. Over the past eight years, she has worked with global leaders and businesses to shift behaviours, unlock potential, transform careers, and develop courageous cultures. She has coached and trained clients working in multinationals such as Hello Fresh, Nike, Pureaffinity, and the British Film Institute.  You can connect with Lily and follow her work via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilywoi/ Website: https://lilywoicoaching.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/

Learning communities transform organisations through sharing knowledge, spearheading practice, solving problems, seeding innovation, and supercharging development. So how can you develop a culture of learning in your organisation? In this episode, Andy Lancaster addresses this question - and many more. KEY TAKEAWAYS From the very start of humankind people have learned from each other, often in groups. Animals do it too. Learning from friends and colleagues is seen by practically everyone as being the most effective way to learn. People like human connection and want to feel they belong, so peer connection is powerful. The best learning takes place in context. Learning communities can be just a few people.  We need to empower different types of learning communities. Learning communities share knowledge, spearhead practice, solve problems, seed innovation, and supercharge development. What the group does needs to be structured to a degree. Encourage people to work aloud to ensure everyone is actively involved. Reward the subject experts. BEST MOMENTS 'The social context in which we learn is really important.' 'I think reflective practice ought to be embedded in all learning and development.' 'Subject experts play a vital role in communities in terms of coaching, mentoring and supporting.' 'Communities are a way of validating skills, which maybe organizations overlook. '   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/ Andy Lancaster Bio Andy Lancaster is the Chief Learning Officer at Reimagine People Development consultancy, specializing in supporting, coaching and mentoring learning leaders and teams to create impactful development strategies and solutions, transform learning cultures and empower socialized learning communities. The former Head of Learning at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Andy is a trusted thinker, commentator and inspiring speaker, renowned for his insights that have helped reshape the organizational learning landscape globally. His book Driving Performance Through Learning gained a Business Book Award. You can follow and connect with Andy via: Twitter: @AndyLancasterUK LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-lancaster-ab995418/ Book: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/organizational-learning-communities-9781398615496 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 new report, published by 360Learning, illustrates how far online has come in recent years: from poor relation to classroom training to expected and respected and recognised for helping learners bridge their skills gaps. But is that enough? In this episode, Alice and Ross join David to explore the findings and what this tells us about our ability to scale L&D today. KEY TAKEAWAYS Both employers and employees have finally become more comfortable with digital learning. Employees now honestly believe that online learning is going to help them to do a better job while upskilling. Online learning works well in both big and small organizations. But it is smaller firms that are more receptive and are adopting AI and digital learning faster. For large organizations scalability is still a big challenge. Learning from their peers and colleagues, followed by their line managers is still preferred by most employees. A combination of face-to-face and digital learning works well. Tech is making it easier for people to share their knowledge, L&D can better tap into and benefit from this. Demonstrating to employees how the training can benefit them greatly improves the level of engagement. Clearly identify the skills people need to progress and share that knowledge with them. BEST MOMENTS 'People now expect some respect, online learning,' 'In a smaller company, it is just a bit more dynamic.' 'You can capture SME knowledge that's valuable to the entire organization.' 'Capitalize on people's primary reasons for wanting to engage and develop their skills.' EPISODE RESOURCES Link to 2024 State of Online Learning Report: https://360learning.com/guide/2024-state-of-online-learning-report/2024-report-introduction/ Alice Thompson Bio Alice is a Development Partner for Marks & Spencer and is passionate about designing performance training, data-driven decision-making, measuring impact and creating a continuous learning culture. Prior to M&S, Alice played key roles in the L&D teams at ASOS, Monzo and Butternut Box. You can follow and connect with Alice via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-thompson-849154b8/ Ross Stevenson Bio Ross is Chief Learning Strategist and founder of Steal These Thoughts, an independent L&D think tank. He’s spent 16 years leading L&D teams, strategies, and tools within global organisations. Ross is also at the forefront of exploring the potential of generative AI in L&D. You can follow and connect with Ross via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rstevensonuk/ Twitter: @_Rsvenson Website: www.stealthesethoughts.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/

All the talk is of AI but what about the action? Is it too soon to act or are we at risk of missing the bus? In this episode, seasoned CLO, Christopher Lind, explores how he has led his team and organisation in the age of AI towards expecting and achieving more. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D teams need to adapt fast to both technological and economic disruptors and learn to use a new bag of tricks. You have to understand what is needed before you can deliver, so you have to push back a bit on the pressure to do everything in a rush. When you change the way L&D works you are going to get pushback. You will have to stand your ground but pick your battles. Be very patient with your stakeholders when you change things. It will take many months for them to see the improvement and fully understand the change. To help the stakeholder recognise whether this thing is really that important, ask what things will look like once we have fixed this, Get to know people on a personal level. Building strong relationships opens up communication and makes things far easier down the line. Use AI to work faster, but also think creatively and ask how you can use it to do things differently. AI makes true real-time active learning possible. Use AI to improve your skills and help you to do your job better and faster. AI creates time for you to do things you simply didn´t have enough capacity for before. BEST MOMENTS 'I can get an algorithm to create more creative content than a person now.' 'You actually can use this (AI) for yourself as well.' 'People aren't transactions, they are relationships… focus on relationships.' 'Technology is radically opening new pathways to do stuff like we've never been able to do before.' 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/ Christopher Lind Bio Christopher Lind is VP and Chief Learning Officer at ChenMed, leading enterprise learning strategy. He’s also the host of Future Focused, a podcast and newsletter that explores the landscape of learning leadership and strategy (and much more), an advisory board member of the CLO Exchange, and the founder of Learning Sharks, which offers comprehensive advisory on all things learning innovation and technology. Previously, he was Head of Global Digital Learning at GE Healthcare. You can follow and connect with Christopher via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlind/ Future Focused: https://christopherlind.substack.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/

With a low barrier to entry, everyone fancies themselves a learning designer. How hard can it be? In this episode, Greg Arthur shares his approach to creating engaging and impactful learning experiences, honed over his years of working in L&D teams at highly successful, world-renowned companies. KEY TAKEAWAYS Because you are dealing with people, every business is different, even those operating in the same industry. Ask the 2 basic questions to cut through the noise – What is happening right now? How do you want to change it? Understand who you are talking to and why they will care and listen to you. Ask yourself if I were to put this out a real-life product, would I buy it? The medium you use to provide the learning must be right for the person. Make sure you do the work upfront and solve the problem, even if it takes a little longer. Try different things while the problem is small. BEST MOMENTS 'Some teams, learning teams, regardless of industry are just better than others.' 'You don´t move ahead until you are ready to move ahead. You don´t bring in the wrong people at the wrong time.' 'Basically, it´s like Lego for learning design.' 'This is changing a whole department's attitude to learning design.'   Greg Arthur Bio Greg Arthur is a learning professional with experience of designing learning and leading teams at blue-chip brands such as BP, ASOS, HSBC and Philip Morris. Greg has devised the Learning Experience Design Log Book, and his own design studio (Two Circles) that catalogues his approach and guides followers to develop impactful and engaging learning experiences themselves. You can follow and contact Greg via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-arthur-flpi-736b288/ Website: https://www.twocirclesstudio.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/

When pressed to run a Learning & Development team that reliably, efficiently, and predictably impacts performance, time and time again professionals turn to Agile. As an approach, it has long been employed in HR and L&D teams but like most trends, when the hype dies down many move their attention to elsewhere. However, why move on from something that works? In this episode, Natal Dank returns to the podcast to bring us up to date with how Agile is continuing to make impact to L&D teams. KEY TAKEAWAYS Building business agility is about creating a toolkit tailored to how the business operates. Increasingly businesses are building the customer experience around the product. You often need to move and make decisions without knowing everything. Things move too quickly for this not to be the case, which is why Agility is so important. Mapping the skills is the key to being able to move fast and be adaptable. See the whole employee experience as the L&D product and keep that understanding up to date. Human-centred design sprints help you to identify which problems to solve first. Understand how you sit in the business stream. To get started with Agile use it to solve a single problem. Natal explains how in the podcast. Establish some core principles from you hypotheses and start to design around that. BEST MOMENTS 'You´ve got to deliver now, and not tomorrow.' 'You can´t solve complex problems in silos.' 'Agile is about being laser focused.'   Natal Dank Bio Following over a decade working in senior HR, Talent and Organisational Development roles, Natal is now a leading figure in Agile HR and People Experience. Natal heads-up learning, coaching, and community at PXO Culture and is seen as a pioneer in the Agile HR movement. In 2016 Natal hosted the first Agile HR Meetup in London with the aim of building a community of like-minded disrupters, which has since grown into a regular event held across the world from Sydney to Paris and online. A year later she co-founded the Agile HR Community and has recently published the book, Agile HR. Now, through PXO Culture, Natal is focused on defining modern HR for the 21st Century.  You can follow and connect with Natal via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataldank/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NatalDank Events & Meetups: https://www.pxoculture.com/events Agile L&D Book: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/agile-l-d-9781398613256 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/

With so much talk, and perhaps hype, around skills-based learning, how do we tune into the signal and tune out the noise? One way to do this is to talk with the leaders who have incorporated skills-based learning in more than one organisation and are making it work for them, their workforce, and organisation. In this episode Brandon Caldwell explains how he’s done just this - the hard way and the AI-powered much faster way - and how you can too.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Skills-based learning is a language that everybody can understand. AI is accelerating the rollout of skills-based learning at a staggering pace. Using AI a task that would take 4 to 5 years has been done in 18 months. Skills-based learning largely solves the issues caused by today´s tight labour market. Business leaders already understand that skills-based learning works. They desperately want you to provide it. Because the skills are the nuts and bolts that help enable people to do the tasks, this is wholeheartedly performance oriented. Introducing skills-based learning is costly, so starting in the right place matters. Brandon explains how to do that. Skills are truly transferable. If someone in marketing wants to become an HR manager, they can do that and do it quickly. A marketer knows how to promote the job to attract the best new personnel. Anticipate roadblocks and adapt.  Embrace the technology. It now works and will transform your ability to deliver. BEST MOMENTS 'With skills-based learning, you are using a language that everybody can understand.' 'Skills are the nuts and bolts that help enable people to do the tasks.' 'The ability to do what used to take years and do it now in a matter of months is significant, and you can't ignore that.'   Brandon Caldwell Bio Brandon is Director of People & Culture at 365 Retail Markets, the global leader in unattended and self-checkout retail technology. With more than 20 years of experience in HR and L&D leadership, Brandon is a highly credible and impact-driven leader in our field. Useful links SkillsGPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-bE1ZPceUl-skills-gpt 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/

Skills-based learning is the response to the skills gaps and skills shortages being experienced across organisations, industries, and even entire economies. But how do we ensure that we achieve this, and that skills-based learning isn’t just another fad that departs as swiftly as it emerged without achieving what it’s intended to? In this episode, James Griffin talks about how L&D can step up, upskill, and deliver on the much-heralded promise of skills-based learning. KEY TAKEAWAYS L&D as a function needs to be brave and make the change. Skills-based learning is the opportunity to lead the way and make a difference. The use of skills data leads to L&D being far more effective. You can only measure business impact when you fully understand the problem you are addressing. Getting yourself organized around skills is more dynamic.  Assess people for the work they are doing. Being able to build fast and edit regularly keeps the training relevant. Skills need to be identified and described using natural, easily understood language. Proficiency levels need to be measurable. AI can play a role in this task. AI will help us to bridge the gaps. However, each solution needs to be rigorously evaluated. Not all businesses are equipped to go down the skills-based learning route. James explains how to get them ready. People are an asset; we need to measure their performance and learning and development ROI. BEST MOMENTS 'The ability for them to be more efficient in the work that they do is now real.' 'Go to the people that do advocate for skills…. go where there is the appetite.' 'Skills are not the end game….increase performance and productivity are.'   James Griffin Bio James is customer-focused executive, with in-depth consulting experience in enterprise SaaS innovations across the Skills & Talent spectrum. Over the last 5+ years, James has spent a huge amount of time consulting with the largest enterprises on the planet on how to reimagine their talent transformation strategies and how to get started with skills. You can follow and contact James via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesthegriff/ Website: https://skillcollective.co.uk/ SkillsGPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-bE1ZPceUl-skillsgpt 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/

There’s often a huge difference between the rhetoric around L&D leadership and the reality. It’s not all about creating a Learning Culture and sailing a course to L&D nirvana. The reality is it’s a lot messier with a lot of hustle, winning some days and losing many more. In this episode, presented by 360Learning, Simon Gibson lifts the lid on his reality and how L&D leadership today is evolving and changing within these turbulent times. KEY TAKEAWAYS Hiring people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines results in a more innovative and resilient team. L&D is evolving fast, so there are some big skill gaps, e.g. data analysis.  Those professionals who can prove the positive impact they have had on the business are the most likely to get hired. Get under the skin of what the managers you work for really need. Getting managers together to discuss what challenges they face and how they overcome them is incredibly instructive for them and you. Discovery sessions are powerful. Being clear about what you are trying to fix and staying focused on that is essential. Analysis is essential, without it you cannot prove that you are actually closing the skills gap. Consumption does not equal competence. If that knowledge is not retained and applied on the job, the training is useless. BEST MOMENTS 'Theory is one thing, but show me how, show me when and what that meant. Build that body of evidence.' 'They're bound by restricted and empowered by the culture.' 'Go build that commercial muscle, go find out how things work, go find out how things are made.' 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/ Simon Gibson Bio Simon is Group Head of Learning & Development at Marks & Spencer and an experienced executive-level People Leader/Chief Learning Officer. He has a passion to deliver meaningful commercial change and transformation via learning, organisational development, and talent initiatives. You can follow and connect with Simon via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongibsonlearning/ X / Twitter: @simon1gibson 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/