The Mindtools L&D Podcast
Episodes
193 — Can an organisation really manage itself?
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Self-management is increasingly seen as the most diplomatic way to run an organisation. But how does this work when critical, time-sensitive decisions...
192 — Banishing the stigma of part-time working
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Evidence has shown that part-time workers can outperform full-time workers. So why is it that they often feel stigmatized or second-tier within their ...
191 — What will be hot in workplace L&D in 2020?
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What ideas are L&D most excited about in 2020? Artificial intelligence? Learning experience platforms? Curation? This week on the Good Practice Podcas...
190 — The human obstacle to great e-learning
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Good Practice Podcast, e-learning specialist, author and consultant Clive Shepherd joins Ross G and Owen to discuss the promise of e-...
189 — Grit and Mindset: Emotion at Work Crossover Special
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Carol Dweck's Mindset (2006) and Angela Duckworth's Grit (2016) are two of the most influential social science texts of this century, but difficult...
188 — Social by Design vs Social by Chance
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In Social by Design, an upcoming book from Mark Britz and James Tyer, the authors argue that we should purposefully build social connections within o...
187 — The GP Book Club: Stefan Thomke's Experimentation Works
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To what extent are our decisions at work based on data and testing, versus hunches and gut feelings? In Experimentation Works, Stefan Thomke argues th...
186 — Coping with Corona: Working from home and remote meetings
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the past few weeks, the rapid spread of Covid-19 has made 'self-isolation' an everyday term. 'Working from home' has stopped being a perk, and beco...
185 — Back to the future: Insights from the latest Learning Health Check
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the Good Practice Podcast, Ross D is joined by Owen and Gent Ahmetaj to dig into the latest research report from Emerald Works — Back t...
184 — Supporting Parental Leave Returners
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Returning to work after parental leave can be a daunting time for parents. What can managers do to ease this process and support returners in the best...
183 — L&D... for L&D
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Working in L&D, we spend a lot of time focusing on the development of others. But how much time do we spend thinking about our own development? This w...
182 — What we learned at LT 2020
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learning Technologies is one of the biggest industry conferences in the L&D calendar. But what did we learn from attending? This week on The Good Prac...
181 — Lost in translation
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For many organisations, the workplace is no longer local. Technology has helped create a global talent market, where the primary job requirements are ...
180 — L&D in the Not-for-Profit sector
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are some of the L&D challenges faced by the not-for-profit sector? And how do they overcome these challenges on restricted budgets? This week ...
179 — An exciting announcement!
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're taking a break from our usual format to bring you some exciting news! Tune in to hear CEO Peter Casebow speak to regular hosts Ross G...
178 — What makes a great learning organisation?
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The LPI recently surveyed learning leaders, asking them to name their toughest workplace challenges. The results? Creating a learning culture, develop...
177 — Evidence-informed learning design
14 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can learning and development ever adopt the same rigour as clinical research? And how should we judge the usefulness of existing research? This week o...
176 — It's a Wonderful Lifelong Learning
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, it's the return of our much beloved Christmas episode! This year, GoodPractice guardian angels Nicola, Owen, Ro...
175 — Once upon a time in L&D
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What do the Ancient Greeks, Viking warriors and World War II munition factories have to tell us about modern learning and development? More than you m...
174 — The GP Book Club: Malcolm Gladwell's Strangers
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What should we know about the people we don't? Through a series of thematically related anecdotes, this is the question Malcolm Gladwell sets out to a...
173 — Video special: Live from eLN Connect 2019
26 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this special video episode of The GoodPractice Podcast, we're at eLN Connect 2019, the annual e-Learning Network conference for developers and inst...
172 — What can Barcelona FC teach us about organisational culture?
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
At face value, FC Barcelona look like any other top-tier football club. They've got an army of devoted fans, deep pockets and a roster of world-class ...
171 — If only I had the time: achieving work-life balance
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do we achieve work-life balance? Is there even such a thing? And should we treat 'work' and 'life' as two separate entities or are they more integ...
170 — Everything you always wanted to know about learning
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Back in Episode 150, the CIPD's Andy Lancaster told us he was writing a book. Now that he's written that book, Driving Performance Through Learning, ...
169 — One solution, hold the slides: introducing performance consulting
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do you challenge your colleagues and clients to think deeply about the problems they bring to you, and how can you gain the credibility to help so...
168 — Inside 'Messengers': Are attractive people more believable?
22 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How effective are we at separating the 'messenger' from the 'message'? Do we truly listen to what people have to say, or are we overly focused on how ...
167 — In defence of the course
15 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The humble course was once the go-to solution for learning and development teams across the world, but in recent years it has suffered from a damaged ...
166 — Chief Energy Officer: What does that mean?
08 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For many of us, working life is based around five days of energy depletion, followed by two days of recharging. But does it have to be this way? Thi...
165 — Level-up L&D: Organisation development
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Not quite L&D, not quite HR, OD sits somewhere in between (or perhaps above?) the two. But what does 'organisation development' actually mean, and wha...
164 — Challenging a face-to-face mindset
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We know that in a lot of organisations, learning and development still means training, and training still means classroom. How do we overcome resistan...
163 — Evidence: The No. 1 L&D detective agency
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We all like to think our decisions are based on a methodical appraisal of the available evidence. But how do we know what 'good evidence' looks like i...
162 — How did I end up here? Getting started in L&D
10 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We've often talked on this show about how few people actively seek out a career in learning and development. So, how exactly did we end up here? Thi...
161 — Beyond hoodies and ping pong: Lessons from tech
03 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week the GoodPractice team visited Turing Fest 2019, one of Europe's top tech conferences, to learn about product development, leadership, market...
160 — What's in your L&D book bag? (Part 2)
27 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, it's the return of our L&D book bag. Nicola Boyle and Ross G are joined by Owen and James to share insights ...
159 — Hot desks: Do not touch
20 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The modern office, based largely on a 'factory' model, is constantly being re-organised in a bid to optimise output. But how far have cubicles, hot de...
158 — Attention spans: With apologies to goldfish
13 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You may have seen headlines claiming that the average human attention span has dropped below that of a goldfish. But what does the evidence actually t...
157 — Why should we care about behaviour change?
06 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Many learning interventions start out from the position that people would perform much better in their roles if they just did what we told them. But w...
156 — What is the role of emotion at work?
30 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The range of emotions we are allowed to show in the workplace is fairly limited. We can be happy, we can be passionate, we can be enthusiastic. But an...
155 — Is HR unethical?
23 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a function, HR has a role to play in developing talent and protecting employees. But it's also responsible for disciplining and dismissing staff, a...
154 — How do you know your interventions are working?
16 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Learning interventions are typically evaluated based on metrics like attendance and completion. But how much does this actually tell you? How do you k...
153 — How can we embrace neurodiversity at work?
09 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about diversity and inclusion, we often frame it in terms of gender, ethnicity, age or social class. But what about diverse ways of think...
152 — How can we support remote workers?
02 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Technology is making it easier and easier for people to work remotely. But what challenges does that pose for learning and development? This week on...
151 — Is 'lifelong learning' a myth?
25 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, 'lifelong learning' has been the clarion call of governments, employers and higher education institutions - but what has that achieved? A...
150 — Live from London: The past, present and future of learning
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For three years, we've had the ridiculous privilege of producing The GoodPractice Podcast. It's given us the opportunity to speak to some of the bigge...
149 — GoodPractice go to the movies
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What can L&D professionals learn from the likes of Mary Poppins, Jaws and Inception? This week on the podcast, Ross D is taking Owen, Ross G, Gemma ...
148 — Can we get over 'shiny object syndrome'?
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In Learning & Development, we love shiny objects: VR, AR, microlearning - surely one of these tools will turn out to be the key to unlocking higher pe...
147 — How can tech in L&D drive efficiencies at work?
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lean methodology has been widely applied in manufacturing, business and software development. But what role can it play in L&D? This week on the podca...
146 — How do people learn?
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, we're talking fundamentals: how do people learn? Nick Shackleton-Jones joins Ross G and Owen to discuss his new...
145 — Women in learning special
13 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
According to research published this year, women fill 2/3s of all roles in learning and development - but only 1/3 of senior positions. Why is this? A...
144 — What emerging tech has potential for L&D?
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot of buzz around technologies like AI, bots, virtual reality and voice recognition. But which of these has the most potential for learning...
143 — How do we manage uncertainty at work?
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about uncertainty in the workplace, we often frame it in terms of the associated risks and threats. But are we looking at it the wrong wa...
142 — Is L&D in competition with HR?
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Recruitment, talent development, employee engagement and performance management are just a few of the areas where L&D and HR overlap. But are the func...
141 — How do we go beyond the course?
15 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Structured courses are great for learning new skills, but they also tend to be expensive, time-consuming and focused on teaching content that most wor...
140 — Room 101 (Part 2)
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A couple of years ago, James, Owen and Ross G consigned order-taking, visionary thought leaders and other sins of our profession to L&D's Room 101. Th...
139 — How can we transform learning?
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is your learning and development department transactional, taking orders and ensuring compliance? Or does it focus on building capability with targete...
138 — Is it time we stopped discussing innovation?
22 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What is innovation? Can anyone be creative? On this week's GoodPractice Podcast, full-time doodler Simon Heath joins Ross G and Owen to discuss. We as...
137 — What will be hot in workplace L&D in 2019?
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What will be hot in workplace L&D in the year ahead?. Will it be Artificial Intelligence? Or maybe performance support? What about learning analytics?...
136 — Does the language of L&D matter?
08 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In Learning & Development, we love a good buzzword: 'blended learning', 'micro learning', 'learning management systems'... anything with 'learning', r...
135 — What's missing from the learning-tech industry?
04 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
At this year's Learning Technologies conference, we asked delegates what they thought was missing from the learning-tech industry. Better authoring to...
134 — How can L&D support digital transformation?
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Many organisations regard digital transformation as a strategic priority. But what exactly do we mean when we talk about digital transformation, and w...
133 — How can experience design tap into our emotions?
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Think of an experience that triggered such an emotional reaction that your behaviour was permanently changed. Such experiences often happen by acciden...
132 — How can I use storytelling to engage learners?
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's widely accepted that storytelling can be a powerful tool for L&D professionals. But what do we actually mean when we talk about storytelling and ...
131 — What makes a great onboarding experience?
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A great onboarding experience involves plenty of forms, a few handshakes, and a small chance of a working laptop - or so it might seem. But does it ha...
130 — How can I work with robots instead of against them?
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The robots are coming for our jobs and we should all be very afraid. Or should we? This week on the podcast, Ross D is joined by Owen, Jonny and guest...
129 — How can I make the most of a mentoring relationship?
21 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
M, Yoda, Mr Miyagi - we all know a good mentor can make a big difference. But what makes a good mentee? Does everyone need a mentor? This week on th...
128 — How do I develop learning agility?
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As more jobs become automated and the way we work changes, there's a need to constantly adapt. So this week on The GoodPractice Podcast, we're looking...
127 — How do I design MOOCs that people actually complete?
08 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The completion rate for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is famously low, and in many cases these courses are neither 'massive' nor 'open'. But not...
126 — Christmas Special: Have I Got L&D News For You
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Come in and know us better, man! It's time for the GoodPractice Podcast Christmas Special! Always a holiday favourite (and, for many, the true start o...
125 — Are we failing our profession?
10 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every year we discuss hot trends and the latest fads, but are we failing our profession by always chasing the shiny and new? On this week's GoodPracti...
124 — Are we training people for their next job?
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"What if we train people and they leave? What if we don't, and they stay?" This phrase is a terrible cliché, but it has some truth. So this week on t...
123 — Live from London: What does 70:20:10 actually look like in practice?
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As GoodPractice launch their new report, 'The Evolution of 70:20:10 – Will L&D Survive or Thrive?', Ross G and Owen are joined on stage by two L&D p...
122 — How do we contribute to the customer experience?
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In a volatile, highly competitive business environment, organisations need to do more than just provide great customer service. They need to provide a...
121 — How do I build a Personal Learning Network?
13 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Who do you turn to when you need to learn something new? The person sitting next to you? Your manager? A former colleague? By developing a Personal Le...
120 — Why are most webinars so terrible?
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
At face value, webinars seem pretty great. They're cost-effective, they're accessible and they can be recorded for later use. So, why are they always ...
119 — How can data transform your L&D function?
29 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two weeks ago we spoke about how all of our training efforts have the potential to create data. This week, we're discussing what that looks like in pr...
118 — How do you develop a remote workforce?
22 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Technology has made remote working a reality in many organisations, unchaining us from our desks and freeing us to get stuff done no matter where we a...
117 — Do we have evidence for training's impact?
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Around the globe, billions are spent on workplace training. Some people even do it for a living. But does it have an impact on performance? On this we...
116 — What makes a good learning leader?
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the GoodPractice Podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Mike Prokopeak, Editor in Chief at Chief Learning Officer magazine, to discuss w...
115 — What skills does a 21st-century L&D team need?
01 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's been six years since the Learning & Performance Institute put out their first Capability Map. So what's changed? This week on the GoodPractice Po...
114 — Who's responsible for gender equality?
24 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, we're revisiting inclusion with a focus on gender. How do we understand the phrase 'gender gap' and what can be...
113 — How can xAPI drive performance?
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In our second visit to the land of xAPI, Ross G and Jonny from the GoodPractice team are joined by experts from overseas. Author and performance strat...
112 — How do you design for behaviour change?
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's an exciting week on The GoodPractice Podcast as Cathy Moore joins Ross G and James to explore her 'action mapping' technique. Action mapping is a...
111 — One organisation or multiple silos?
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible to bring different functions together to enhance the employee experience? Or are we doomed to live in a world where all 20 cartons of m...
110 — What's in your L&D book bag?
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Way back in episode 103 ("We need to stop overcomplicating learning"), Owen and Ross D proposed a special episode focused on the non-fiction books tha...
109 — Who's responsible for Diversity and Inclusion?
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As political rhetoric becomes more divisive, public and private organisations have been moving in the opposite direction: putting diversity and inclus...
108 — What is the proper role of L&D?
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone loves workplace learning. It means two days away from the office with the potential for a decent lunch! But it shouldn't actually involve 'le...
107 — To coach, or not to coach?
02 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Managers in many organisations are increasingly encouraged to adopt a 'coaching' approach to team development. But what does this mean? Can you 'be a ...
106 — Evidence-based L&D
26 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone and their uncle is a learner, but does this mean that everyone knows about learning? Our guest this week, Mirjam Neelen, thinks not. This wee...
105 — Implementing learning technologies
23 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
After nearly 20 years of implementing learning technologies, we've successfully found more and more elaborate ways to dump content that no one needs....
104 — Cognitive psychology in L&D
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Learning styles, right-brain vs. left-brain, brain training — for those working in learning and development, cognitive psychology can seem like a mi...
103 — We need to stop overcomplicating learning
10 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you work in Learning and Development for a large organisation, there's a good chance that at some point you've spent years putting a programme toge...
102 — What is xAPI anyway?
02 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For over a decade, SCORM has been the industry standard for e-learning, helping learning and development professionals track the completion of courses...
101 — Draining the content swamp
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Curation tools allow organisations to deliver high-quality, relevant content to learners. But is this how they're actually being used? This week on ...
100 — 100th Episode Special: Podcasters in Pubs Getting Pints
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For two years we've been chatting work, performance and learning in the cramped confines of our office - but no longer. For our 100th episode, Ross G,...
99 — Show Your Work
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever completed a project, only to find that someone else had already done it? Have you ever spent hours trying to learn something new, only t...
98 — Working Across Generations
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The GoodPractice Podcast, Ross G and Owen are joined by Hello2morrow's Chloe Walton to ask how far we can generalise 'millennials'. We ex...
97 — YouTube for learning
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ross D and Owen are joined by Craig Taylor of HT2 Labs to discuss the success of his YouTube channel, 'The Bushcraft Padawan'. How ...
96 — Blockchain for L&D (Yes, really!)
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Blockchain is an open, distributed ledger, that records transactions in such a way that it is nearly impossible to edit. That might sound technical, b...
95 — Recommendations: Human vs machine
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Smart recommendation systems are commonplace across consumer sites like Amazon, Netflix and Facebook. But how do they compare with recommendations fro...
94 — Challenging trends in L&D
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Following last week's live episode, Ross G and Owen revisit some of the topics covered with the help of our friend Anthony Williams. We discuss whethe...