Voices of the Learning Network

The Learning Network
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Get ready for "Voices of the Learning Network", from The Learning Network! Tune in to hear straight from our members, and industry partners, and keep up with what happening in the Network and the wider Learning and Development industry! Voices of the Learning Network is the official podcast of The Learning Network. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) and exist solely to support you as a learning professional – so whether you are a seasoned professional or have just entered the field, the Learning Network exists to help you no matter what stage of your career you’re in. We like to think we have something for everyone – our community includes instructional designers, trainers, developers, technologists, consultants, strategists, freelancers and industry leaders.

  1. Even Great Learning Fails When People Don’t Engage

    Apr 9

    Even Great Learning Fails When People Don’t Engage

    What if the real reason learning fails has nothing to do with content and everything to do with attention? In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham sits down with Ashley Hinchcliffe, Founder of MAAS Marketing, and one of the strongest voices challenging how learning and development shows up inside organisations. Ashley has spent the past decade working at the intersection of L&D, behaviour change, and internal communications. Her work centres on an uncomfortable truth: even great learning fails when people don’t engage with it — and engagement doesn’t happen by accident. Together, Bill and Ashley unpack why traditional L&D campaigns struggle to cut through in the attention economy, what learning teams can borrow from marketing without becoming salesy, and how to shift from assumption-driven programmes to behaviour-led design grounded in real user discovery. The conversation explores learning as a product: clear value propositions, intentional curation over content overload, and messaging that helps employees choose learning because it helps them do better work today — and build the career they want tomorrow. They also go deep on impact. Beyond attendance and completion rates, Ashley outlines the outcomes leaders actually care about: time to proficiency, error reduction, tool adoption, first-contact resolution, and attrition in critical roles — and how L&D teams can tell a credible ROI story in language CFOs understand. This is a practical, challenging episode for anyone ready to declutter their catalogue, sharpen their message, and make learning genuinely business-critical. In this episode, we explore: Why engagement fails before learning even launchesBehaviour-led design vs intention-led programmesTreating learning as a product with a value propositionBorrowing from marketing without getting salesyCuration over accumulation in noisy learning librariesMeasuring impact beyond completions and smile sheetsProving ROI in operational and financial termsThe future skill stack for influential L&D leadersSubscribe, share with a colleague who owns a major programme, and tell us: which outcome will you measure first? Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    15 min
  2. How Storytelling Helps Organisations Navigate Change

    Apr 2

    How Storytelling Helps Organisations Navigate Change

    Big ideas don’t fail because they’re wrong - they fail because they’re buried in jargon. In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham is joined by Hari Patience-Davies, a storytelling coach and facilitator who helps organisations turn complex ideas into clear, compelling communication people actually trust. Hari’s career spans screenwriting, journalism, marketing, digital delivery, product management, and consultancy. She is co-founder of 13 Times, the learning arm of Patience Davies Consulting — a small, agile East London consultancy known for its deep expertise in storytelling, facilitation, transformation, and innovation. Working across sectors including law, finance, media, FMCG, utilities, healthcare, engineering, and tech, Hari has seen a consistent pattern: the smartest work often fails at the final mile — explaining it. In this conversation, we explore how storytelling and facilitation help organisations navigate complexity and change. Hari shares practical tools she uses with teams, from tight loglines that force clarity to tactile methods that surface hidden assumptions. We dig into what it really means to be an “E-shaped” practitioner, how to adapt communication across vastly different cultures, and why launches are easy — but aftercare is the real work. This episode is a practical guide for L&D and change leaders who want to cut through noise, build trust, and make learning and transformation stick. In this episode, we explore: Why big ideas die in jargonStorytelling as a leadership and learning capabilityWhat it means to be an “E-shaped” practitionerAdapting communication across sectors and culturesUsing facilitation to navigate changeMeasuring impact beyond dashboards and vanity metricsWhy follow-up and aftercare matter more than launchTurning fear into clarity through narrativeIf this conversation helps you cut through complexity, follow the show, share it with a colleague who wrangles tough messages, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    16 min
  3. AI Won’t Fix Learning by Default

    Mar 26

    AI Won’t Fix Learning by Default

    In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham sits down with Linnéa Sjögren, Swedish learning strategist, founder of LinnéaLearning, and a leading voice in the global conversation around modern learning ecosystems. Linnéa works with organisations navigating rapid technological change, helping them move far beyond reactive training requests and into proactive, business-aligned learning strategy. She also plays a key role in the Global Learning and Development Community and leads several Swedish L&D networks — bringing a systems-level, international lens to the evolution of our field. In this conversation, we cut through the hype around AI in learning. Linnéa shares why value doesn’t come from tools alone, but from skilled humans applying smart technology with clear intent, strong guardrails, and a bias toward outcomes over outputs. We explore how L&D can define practical boundaries for agentic AI, teach teams to prompt and verify responsibly, and ensure speed never outruns quality. From there, we tackle the harder strategic question: how L&D stays relevant, funded, and positioned as a true business partner. This episode is about moving from “create a course” to “build an ecosystem” — auditing where learning actually happens, fixing friction in knowledge access, enabling managers to coach, and strengthening psychological safety so mistakes become fuel for growth. If you’re ready to step out of order-taker mode and into strategic partnership, this conversation offers a blueprint. In this episode, we explore: Common misconceptions about AI’s role in learningSetting guardrails for agentic AI in organisationsTeaching teams to prompt, verify, and apply responsiblyMoving from reactive training to proactive strategyActing like a business partner before you’re invitedDesigning learning ecosystems in the flow of workSecuring trust and budget through data + empathyThe power of community and collective intelligenceEnjoyed the episode? Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so others can find us. Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    14 min
  4. The Shifts Redefining Modern Workplace Learning

    Mar 19

    The Shifts Redefining Modern Workplace Learning

    Skills are turning over faster than annual plans can track. AI is moving into the flow of work. Engagement is running low. And many L&D teams are being asked to move faster — without a clearer definition of value. In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham is joined by Kirstie Greany, Head of Learning Strategy at Elucidat, part of the Learning Pool family. With more than 20 years’ experience shaping learning strategy in global organisations, Kirstie is known as a strategist, storyteller, speaker, and connector. She also hosts the Learning at Large podcast and convenes senior L&D roundtables that surface what’s really happening inside organisations right now. In this conversation, Kirstie helps make sense of the shifts redefining modern workplace learning. She breaks down four forces reshaping the field: rapid skills obsolescence, the unbundling of careers into skills portfolios, AI’s rise as an always-on coach, and a worrying dip in engagement. Together, Bill and Kirstie explore what a workflow-first learning model really looks like, where AI can support nudging and reflection in real time, and where L&D must continue to lead on deeper human capabilities like critical thinking, resilience, and systems thinking. They also tackle the growing strategy gap — why access to decision-makers isn’t enough without a stronger value story — and what it takes to move stakeholders beyond speed and completion rates toward outcomes leaders actually care about. This episode is a practical and provocative guide for anyone ready to shift from courses to learning ecosystems — and make learning indispensable. In this episode, we explore: The biggest shifts redefining workplace learningWhy skills are outpacing traditional planning cyclesWorkflow-first learning and AI as an always-on coachEngagement challenges and what sits beneath themDesigning learning ecosystems instead of pushing contentMoving from completions to performance outcomesThe future skill set for learning practitionersOne provocation L&D should take seriously for 2026 and beyondSubscribe, share with a colleague who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    15 min
  5. How L&D Teams Can Design For Impact From the Start

    Mar 12

    How L&D Teams Can Design For Impact From the Start

    Pressure to “prove impact” has never been higher for learning teams—but too often, that pressure leads to dashboards full of activity metrics rather than evidence leaders truly value. In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham is joined by Emma Klosson, Founder and Chief Success Officer at Rooftop Recognition, to explore what meaningful impact really looks like—and how L&D teams can design for it from the very start. Drawing on more than 25 years across L&D, Talent, Learning Technology and EdTech in the UK and US, Emma brings a rare perspective shaped by hands-on delivery, consultancy, vendor work, and deep experience as an awards judge and category chair. She has crafted over 90 award-winning submissions—more than 80 of them Gold—and shares what separates persuasive impact stories from those that fall flat. Together, Bill and Emma unpack why recognition is far more than a shiny trophy. Award submissions, when done well, impose discipline: clear problem definition, aligned success measures, thoughtful design choices, and credible evidence that something genuinely changed. Emma explains how judges think, why behaviour change and business outcomes matter more than vanity metrics, and how even imperfect data can tell a powerful story when handled with intent. This is a practical, honest conversation for anyone in L&D, Talent, or EdTech who wants to raise standards, strengthen credibility, and communicate value with confidence. In this episode, we explore: Designing for impact instead of chasing dashboardsStructural and cultural blockers to measurementWhat judges really look for in performance and innovation categoriesRecognition as a credibility and influence builderCrafting human, evidence-led impact storiesAvoiding vanity metrics and proving behaviour changeUsing award criteria as a blueprint for better learning designIf this episode sharpened your thinking on impact and recognition, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review telling us your biggest measurement challenge. Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    16 min
  6. What if 80% of Corporate Training Disappeared Tomorrow?

    Mar 5

    What if 80% of Corporate Training Disappeared Tomorrow?

    What if 80% of corporate training disappeared tomorrow - would performance really suffer, or would we finally see what actually works? That provocative question frames this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, where host Bill Banham is joined by Kurt Lindley, a learning design consultant whose work spans elite sport, education, healthcare, and global organisations. With more than two decades exploring human performance and meaningful learning, Kurt brings a rare blend of coaching science, psychology, and narrative. He’s known across the Learning Network for his thought-provoking sessions, including “Learning is a wicked problem,” which challenges the idea that development can ever be clean, linear, or easily measured. In this conversation, Kurt unpacks why so much corporate training remains passive and forgettable — and what happens when we strip learning back to the few ideas that genuinely shift behaviour in the real world. Drawing lessons from high-performance sport, he explains how pressure can be managed (not avoided), why one-size-fits-all design fails, and how humility and co-ownership outperform control. We also explore the future of human capability in an AI-shaped world, the concept of “safe uncertainty” as a leadership frame for change, and why storytelling remains the most powerful human technology for sense-making, memory, and identity shift. This is a deep, challenging episode for anyone rethinking what learning is for — and how to design experiences that actually endure. In this episode, we explore: What would really happen if most corporate training stoppedWhy learning is a “wicked problem” by natureLessons from elite sport on pressure, recovery, and performanceManaging stress without burnout“Safe uncertainty” and the stabilisers of changeNarrative as a driver of sense-making and behaviour changeDefining impact beyond engagement and smile sheetsWhat meaningful learning looks like in an AI-shaped worldIf this episode sparked new thinking, follow the show, share it with a colleague who cares about real change, and leave a quick review to help others find it. Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    15 min
  7. Why Human-Centred Design is the Missing Ingredient

    Feb 26

    Why Human-Centred Design is the Missing Ingredient

    In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham is joined by Jane Hames, Director and Lead IT Trainer at Glide Training, to explore why human-centred design is the missing ingredient in many software rollouts. Jane’s journey from self-described technophobe to trusted IT educator gives her rare empathy for the fear, frustration, and confidence barriers learners experience. Drawing on nearly three decades in the industry, she explains why feature tours fail, why listening comes first, and why training must be treated as a full change programme — not a calendar invite. Together, Bill and Jane unpack the anatomy of successful adoption: mapping benefits to real work, spotting the subtle signals of overwhelm, building champions and senior leaders who model change, and protecting business-as-usual during transition. They also explore the emerging role of AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini in learning new software. Jane’s advice? Use AI to accelerate discovery — but maintain healthy skepticism, strong mental models, and precise prompting skills. If you lead L&D, manage system rollouts, or want practical ways to reduce resistance and build confidence, this episode offers immediately actionable ideas. In this episode, we explore: Jane’s journey from art student to IT trainerWhy empathy beats expertise in software trainingTreating training as change managementSpotting overwhelm and hidden fear signalsBuilding champions and visible leadership supportBespoke sessions vs rigid skill tiersPre-work prompts and BAU safeguardsUsing AI with confidence — and skepticismVoices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    14 min
  8. Lowering the Barriers to High-Impact Video Learning

    Feb 19

    Lowering the Barriers to High-Impact Video Learning

    What if your most effective learning video could be filmed today — with the phone in your pocket? In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham is joined by Niki Hobson, Learning Specialist at the BBC, and a smartphone videographer and trainer on a mission to make video learning accessible to everyone - not just teams with big budgets and production crews. Niki believes that if you’ve got a smartphone, you’ve already got what you need to create meaningful learning experiences. At the Learning Network’s Connect Conference, she introduced her practical V.I.D.E.O. Framework - a five-step approach that helps teams plan, create, and publish learning videos with clarity, speed, and confidence. In this conversation, we dig into what really stops people from using video (hint: it’s rarely the tech), how to get teams comfortable on camera, and what “good enough” looks like when learning needs to move fast. Niki also shares how to reduce cognitive load, hook attention without gimmicks, and design video that actually leads to action. We explore the cultural side too: building psychological safety for experimentation, keeping momentum despite approvals and stakeholder pressure, and why video creation is becoming a core workplace capability — far beyond L&D and Marketing. This episode is packed with practical advice you can apply immediately. In this episode, we explore: Why smartphone video is powerful for learningThe real blockers to video adoptionNiki’s V.I.D.E.O. Framework explainedReducing cognitive load and designing for actionResearch on video length and attentionBuilding psychological safety for experimentationKeeping momentum in approval-heavy environmentsVideo skills as a future workplace capabilityIf this episode helps you rethink learning video, follow the show, share it with a colleague who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so others can find us. Then try a one-minute video this week and see what changes. Connect with Niki: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikihobson/ Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/

    16 min
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About

Get ready for "Voices of the Learning Network", from The Learning Network! Tune in to hear straight from our members, and industry partners, and keep up with what happening in the Network and the wider Learning and Development industry! Voices of the Learning Network is the official podcast of The Learning Network. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) and exist solely to support you as a learning professional – so whether you are a seasoned professional or have just entered the field, the Learning Network exists to help you no matter what stage of your career you’re in. We like to think we have something for everyone – our community includes instructional designers, trainers, developers, technologists, consultants, strategists, freelancers and industry leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    The Learning Network
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Learning Network
  • Show Website
    Voices of the Learning Network