The Learning & Development Podcast David James

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/