Harald’s Curious Corner

Harald Overaa
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Harald’s Curious Corner is where curiosity meets connection. Harald chases that question with a guest, gathers perspectives from voices across the industry, and then steps back to reflect on what it all means. The show unfolds like a story arc, part exploration, part roundtable, part reflection, blending imagination with analysis. The result: trusted insights, meaningful conversations, and forward-looking takeaways that shine a light on where learning is headed next.

  1. 6d ago

    Turning Learning Into a Product With Erick Prospero

    Education should not just be content organizations produce. Used well, it should be a product that solves real problems for the people who pay for it. In this episode, I speak with Erick Prospero, CEO, also known as “Chief Ninja”, at Ninja Tropic eLearning, a learning experience design company focused on external education and monetized learning products. Erick brings a deeply practical view shaped by over a decade of building certification and education programs for associations and organizations. His point is simple, but important. Learners are not employees to be pushed through compliance. They are customers who have to be earned. We talk about what it means to treat learning as a product, why good content still fails without a product mindset, and how associations can use tools like the fake door test to validate real demand before building. Erick's phrase stays with me: content is a catalog, but a program solves a problem. Some curious takeaways: Treat learners as customers, not employees to be pushed through contentValidate demand with a fake door test before building the full courseBundle courses with community and network access, not just standalone content Episode highlights: (00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner (00:30) Turning training from a cost center into a product (02:25) Why learning products fail behind the scenes (06:18) The shift from vitamins to Vicodin thinking (08:46) Why good content alone does not guarantee success (10:20) A tax association example of product thinking (13:07) How to start monetizing expertise through education (16:39) Building feedback loops after a course launches (18:14) Selling access to networks, not just courses (23:43) The Medical Learning Institute and meeting learners on social media (26:05) Warning signs a learning platform is not gaining traction (31:21) The fake door test for validating demand (39:31) Advising an association on new learning technology (42:48) Building requirements and running a vendor tender (45:08) Extreme ownership and the future of associations Connect with the guest: Erick Prospero on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickprosperotorres/  Explore Ninja Tropic eLearning: https://www.ninjatropic.com/  Follow me on the following sites: Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/  Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

  2. Aug 6

    Why You Should Join Learning Technologies 30U30

    The biggest opportunity for L&D isn’t AI. It’s earning a seat at the right conversations. L&D has spent years being asked to build training. That expectation is changing. As AI reshapes the way organisations work, learning teams have a chance to become trusted advisers who solve business problems before they become learning requests. In this special panel episode, I’m joined by Sam Marney, People Development Lead at People’s Partnership, Tiffany Bayliss, Founder and Lead Learning Designer at Lawyerly, and Chantelle Hodson, Lead Learning Consultant at Bloom Creative Learning. Together, we consider how AI is changing expectations of L&D, why understanding the business matters more than creating more content, and what separates teams that create real impact from those that simply respond to requests. One theme kept coming back throughout the conversation. The future belongs to learning teams that stay close to people, stay curious, and never lose sight of the problem they’re trying to solve. Some curious takeaways: Why AI should help L&D solve business problems rather than produce more contentWhat it takes for learning teams to move from order takers to trusted strategic partnersHow managers, relationships and business understanding shape whether learning has an impactWhy curiosity, confidence and human judgement will matter as L&D continues to change Episode highlights: (00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:21) Why Join 30 under 30?(03:50) Imposter syndrome and standout cohort moments(06:27) Confidence and the power of community(08:26) Advice for future cohort applicants(10:39) AI giving L&D a stronger strategic voice(16:55) Are we actually closing skills gaps?(19:32) How AI is reshaping expectations of L&D teams(20:16) Quality over quantity: why faster isn't always better learning(26:24) The overlooked role of managers in learning success(38:00) What distinguishes truly impactful L&D teams(40:38) Final reflections on the future of L&D Connect with the guests: Sam Marney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-marney/ Explore People's Partnership: https://peoplespartnership.co.uk/  Tiffany Bayliss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-bayliss/  Explore Lawyerly Learning: https://www.lawyerly.es/  Chantelle Hodson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantelle-hodson-861b6b142/  Explore Bloom Creative Learning: https://bloomcreativelearning.com/  Zac Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacbr/  Explore HSBC: https://www.hsbc.com/  Follow me on the following sites: Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/  Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

  3. Jul 30

    How People Teams Can Build Trust With AI

    AI should not make “people teams” less human. Used well, it should help them become more intentional about the work only humans can do. In this episode, I speak with Erica Farmer, CEO of Quantum Rise and author of AI for People Professionals. Erica brings a deeply practical view of AI adoption, shaped by years in L&D and people transformation. Her point is simple, but important. HR and L&D do not need to become technologists. They need to become clearer. We talk about what it means to build a deliberate relationship with AI, why “people teams” should stop chasing shiny tools, and how AI can help us spend more time on trust, judgement, behaviour change, and real business problems. Erica’s phrase stays with me: AI drafts, human crafts. Some curious takeaways: Start with the workforce problem before choosing the AI toolBuild governance that includes HR, L&D, legal, data, operations, and the people affected by AIUse AI as a thought partner, not just a faster way to rewrite emails Episode highlights: (00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner (00:36) Why AI should start with the human relationship (01:39) Writing about AI without chasing expiry dates (04:20) Why HR does not need to become technical (05:56) Start with the problem, not the shiny tool (08:20) What human and AI collaboration really asks of us (13:10) Building trust through better AI governance (18:49) Using AI to prove learning transfer and ROI (20:11) Prompting as a strategic thinking skill (24:21) How L&D becomes a capability architect (28:35) Why L&D needs to fall in love with problems (31:45) A practical guide for moving from as-is to should-be (33:49) Automating admin to make more room for people (38:42) Why AI is reshaping HR roles, not just replacing them (41:20) Staying relevant through learning agility Connect with the guest: Erica Farmer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericafarmer/  Explore Quantum Rise Talent Group Ltd: https://quantumrise.co.uk/  Explore EricaFarmer.AI Ltd (Erica’s professional speaking consultancy) www.Ericafarmer.aiExplore Erica’s book, AI For People Professionals: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/ai-for-people-professionals-9781398625990  Follow me on the following sites: Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/  Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

  4. Jul 23

    Why AI Adoption Starts With Behaviour

    AI adoption should not be measured by how often someone opens a tool. The real question is whether their behaviour changes. In this episode, I speak with Jerry Pharr, Founder and CEO of Sales Excellence Advisors, about how enablement is evolving as AI becomes part of everyday work. Jerry has worked across enterprise sales, enablement, RevOps, and AI orchestration, which gives him a clear view of where teams often get stuck. He makes the case that managers are the real lever for change. Training can introduce a new behaviour, but regular coaching is what helps it stick. AI can support that process by surfacing patterns and showing where someone may need help. We also look at how enablement teams can start building their own AI workflows without overwhelming users or losing trust. Jerry’s advice is simple: test quickly, learn from real feedback, and improve before scaling. Some curious takeaways: Measure whether AI is changing how people work, not how often they log in or open a toolGive managers simple behavioural data they can use in regular coaching conversationsTest new AI workflows with curious users who understand the role and will give honest feedback Episode highlights: (00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:23) The career path from sales to AI orchestration(03:00) Why enablement should focus on behaviour(05:17) Measuring what changes after the training(09:36) The moment AI became impossible to ignore(11:16) Why managers make new behaviours stick(17:12) Measure AI application, not tool adoption(19:53) Reading performance data from right to left(22:17) The five-minute coaching habit that drives change(24:22) How peer coaching creates psychological safety(32:02) Why enablement teams should start building AI agents(36:28) Testing AI quickly without losing user trust Connect with the guest: Jerry Pharr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrypharr/  Explore Sales Excellence Advisors: https://salesexcellence.xyz/  Follow me on the following sites: Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/  Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

  5. Jul 16

    Building Champions and Earning a Seat at the Table

    "You have to find your sponsors. You have to start with things that you are capable of solving today." That line from Becky Willis, Founder and Chief Learning Officer at Tractus Learning, captures the discipline at the heart of this conversation: influence in L&D is earned, not requested. As the author of 7 Steps to Better Learning Engagement, and former Learning Strategy Leader at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Becky has spent her career helping organisations, including clients such as HP and Dell, prove that learning only matters when it’s tied to business results. This conversation centres on what Becky calls strategic engagement: the idea that learning succeeds only when it solves real business problems and shows up in real business data. She makes the case that L&D teams asking for a seat at the table are asking the wrong question entirely. The table doesn’t exist until you’ve earned it by delivering measurable outcomes stakeholders actually care about. She challenges learning leaders to stop starting with courses and instead begin with data, executive sponsors, and the priorities keeping business leaders up at night. Her perspective is both candid and practical. L&D shouldn’t lead with a training request. It should lead with a diagnosis. It should build champions across the business, communicate its value like any successful brand, and resist the temptation to bolt AI onto broken systems and call it transformation. As Becky puts it, a dinosaur with wheels is still a dinosaur. Some curious takeaways: A seat at the table is earned, never simply requestedSponsors matter more than the systems you try to buildSolve real business problems before you reach for training Episode highlights: (00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner (01:08) Why engagement is strategic, not just classroom training (02:14) Becky's path from business roles at HP into L&D (03:37) What "working" really means for learning and talent (04:39) The onboarding turnaround at a manufacturing plant (05:23) The 40% improvement in retention, time, and safety (07:12) Finding a sponsor who believes in learning (11:44) What's changed: AI and the crisis in L&D value (15:43) Why "a seat at the table" is the wrong ask (19:09) The dinosaur on wheels problem with AI and LMS (22:31) What actually makes someone a true champion (28:53) Where most L&D teams sit on the maturity model (36:17) The HPE case study: growing engagement to over 50% Connect with the guest: Becky Willis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckywillis/ Explore Tractus Learning: https://tractuslearning.com/ Explore Becky’s book, 7 Steps to Better Learning Engagement: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Better-Learning-Engagement-Business-ebook/dp/B0GHDTRPFZ  Follow me on the following sites: Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/  Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

  6. Jul 9

    Building AI-Native Learning For Real Capability

    Learning is no longer something people leave work to do. It is becoming something the work itself reveals. In this episode, I speak with Shellie Grieve, Director of Learning Innovation & Emerging Technology at ServiceNow. Shellie is helping shape an AI-native L&D strategy inside a complex ecosystem of employees, customers, partners, and product teams, which gives her a very practical view of what this shift really asks of learning leaders. Her point is clear. AI will not simply make old learning models faster. It is forcing L&D to rethink how capability is built, how skills are validated, and how learning shows up in the moments where people actually need it. The future is less about sending people to training and more about recognising what they can do. Some curious takeaways: Build AI strategy around business impact, not shiny toolsTreat skills as evidence gathered through work, not a one-time assessmentDesign learning that appears in the flow of work, where people already are Episode highlights: (00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner (01:20) Why innovation now sits inside L&D (03:04) The tension between quick wins and reinvention (06:06) What AI-native learning strategy actually means (09:21) How ServiceNow is becoming customer zero for AI (11:05) Building strategy from research and business reality (16:06) Why skills need evidence from the work itself (22:41) Balancing AI speed with governance and trust (28:54) Why scaling AI is harder than experimenting (32:35) How L&D roles need to evolve (36:58) What smaller teams can do without legacy systems (44:34) Why learning may stop being a destination Connect with the guest: Shellie Grieve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellie-grieve/  Follow me on the following sites: Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/  Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

  7. Jul 2

    Why Your Star Performer Is a Risk: Building a Connected Organisation

    "You won't exist in five years' time if you're not accelerating learning around the organisation." That line from Nigel Paine captures exactly what's at stake for every leader still treating learning as optional. As a globally recognised learning strategist, author, and former Head of Training and Development at the BBC, Nigel has spent decades advising organisations on why knowledge sharing, connection, and culture are not soft ideas, they are survival strategies. This conversation centres on what Nigel calls the connected organisation. He makes the case that when a star performer leaves and takes their knowledge with them, it is not just inconvenient, it is a catastrophe that was entirely preventable. He challenges L&D professionals to stop reacting to training requests and start operating like architects: designing systems that capture tacit knowledge, build genuine connection across teams, and create the conditions where learning can travel fast enough to keep pace with change. His view is both urgent and practical. L&D should not be delivering courses on demand or solutioning before understanding the problem. It should be earning a seat at the executive table by asking better questions, doing real fieldwork, and building the kind of organisational brain that makes the whole stronger than the sum of its parts. Some curious takeaways: Star performers leave, but the knowledge loss was always preventableCulture matters more than the spaces you build for connectionUnderstand the problem before you reach for a solutionEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:12) Why knowledge loss is the real cost when star performers leave(02:58) The connected organisation and how knowledge should flow(03:18) L&D as architects of learning and knowledge systems(08:28) How to build quality connections, not just more meetings(14:42) Culture vs infrastructure: what actually enables learning(16:31) Defining culture as the way we do things around here(17:56) Why L&D goes wrong by assuming they know the problem(22:52) Purpose and vision as the antidote to solutioning(24:14) Why buying tech before understanding the problem fails(29:55) Building the organisational brain and winning exec buy-in(32:55) What good fieldwork looks like for executives and CHROs(34:51) Make mistakes, keep learning, and stay ahead of change Connect with the guest:Nigel Paine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelpaine/ Explore Nigel Paine’s website: https://www.nigelpaine.com/  Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

  8. Jun 25

    Building AI Capability Through a Human First Mindset

    "You can't make people learn. You can make them do tricks." That line from Katja Schipperheijn cuts to the heart of what's broken in how most organizations think about learning. As a globally recognised learning strategist, and Co-Founder at The Learning Mindset Organization, Katja has spent years advising C-level leaders on why capability building requires more than technology, content, or another AI project. This conversation centers on the ideas behind The Learning Mindset and the new 2026 edition of Learning Ecosystems. Katja shares why The Learning Mindset is rooted in the deeply human side of learning, from imposter syndrome and anxiety to neuroscience, labels, and the need to help people feel capable again. She also explains how Learning Ecosystems has evolved into a more global, holistic view of cognitive learning architecture, where culture, technology, data, and human behavior all shape whether learning can truly take root. Her view is both human and strategic. Learning should not be something people are forced into or measured through outdated frameworks. It should be designed like a garden, built with care, rooted in trust, and eventually strong enough to grow on its own. Some curious takeaways: Lead with imagination and consilience, not just technical skillsYou cannot mandate learning, behaviour change needs a different approachTrust and a lack of human wisdom pose a greater obstacle to the adoption of AI than the technology itselfAI amplifies imposter syndrome and undermines psychological safety.  Episode highlights: (00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner (01:09) Why human skills matter more than tech skills (02:12) From learning ecosystems to a learning mindset (07:41) Why organisations approach AI with the wrong mindset (13:33) Trust and imposter syndrome blocking AI progress (18:09) AI regulation and the EU Act divide (21:49) Why imagination and consilience are the future competencies (17:14) Debunking neuroscience myths in learning (23:33) Lean learning and why social learning is being wasted (27:21) Breaking down silos for holistic capability building (33:52) Measuring performance beyond Kirkpatrick (37:22) Buy, build, borrow, bot approach to capability (40:08) Ethical risks of AI and losing practical wisdom (41:53) Why corporate structures block interdisciplinary learning (43:25) The Learning Mindset and Learning Ecosystems Connect with the guest: Katja Schipperheijn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katjaschipperheijn/ Explore Katja’s website: https://katjaschipperheijn.com/  Explore The Learning Mindset Organization: https://thelearningmindset.org/ Explore Katja’s book Learning Ecosystems, 2026 Edition: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/learning-ecosystems-9781398629899 Explore Katja’s book The Learning Mindset: https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Mindset-Combining-Competencies-Technology/dp/1398617342  Follow me on the following sites: Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/  Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

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Harald’s Curious Corner is where curiosity meets connection. Harald chases that question with a guest, gathers perspectives from voices across the industry, and then steps back to reflect on what it all means. The show unfolds like a story arc, part exploration, part roundtable, part reflection, blending imagination with analysis. The result: trusted insights, meaningful conversations, and forward-looking takeaways that shine a light on where learning is headed next.

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  • Creator
    Harald Overaa
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Harald Overaa