Learning Rebels Podcast

Learning Rebels
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Get the live, unfiltered conversations behind the popular Learning Rebels Coffee Chat. Workplace Learning will never be the same.

  1. 1D AGO

    Demands and Deadlines: Working with Stakeholders

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. What do we wish our stakeholders knew about learning—and how do we actually tell them?   This Coffee Chat was all about the communication breakdowns between L&D and stakeholders, and how to fix them without just venting for an hour (though we did some of that too). We kicked off with a hard truth: sometimes the misunderstandings are our fault. When we say yes to impossible deadlines, we train stakeholders to keep asking. So how do we break the cycle and have better conversations?   The group tackled the classic stakeholder statements. "Everyone needs this training" got unpacked with the five whys—asking why, why, why until you get to the actual problem they're trying to solve. We talked about shifting from big questions like "What's the business goal?" to smaller, clearer ones like "What behavior are you seeing that you don't like?" or "What failures are we trying to prevent?" Sometimes stakeholders have more clarity around what they want to avoid than what they want to create.   We explored practical tools for working with SMEs and stakeholders. Training request forms that are short enough to actually get filled out. Checklists that prompt SMEs to gather what we need without us having to nag. Discovery meetings where we fill out the form together. And the magic phrase: "If I don't hear from you by Friday, silence means yes." Documentation and receipts matter—send back what you agreed on so there's no confusion later.   The conversation turned to getting real reviews from SMEs. Sit with them and go through it together. Send them one section at a time instead of a 20-minute course. Give them specific examples of what feedback looks like—"This looks great" doesn't help, but "I like the tone you used on slide 3" does. Test it with someone who knows nothing about the topic. Read it out loud. Project it on a big screen. All of these catch things you'd never see otherwise.   We also vented about the things that drive us up the wall. Everything defaults to one hour. SMEs who tell us the solution instead of the problem. Requests that arrive with "turn this into a game" or "make a video" already baked in. The key is reframing without being combative—asking what "game" means to them, explaining constraints, helping them break content into need-to-know versus nice-to-know buckets.   The takeaway? We need to communicate better, set expectations upfront, and remember that stakeholders and SMEs aren't the enemy—they just don't know what we need unless we tell them clearly.   So what's one conversation you could reframe this week?   Stay curious! -Shannon   Andrew Jacobs   Chatbox   Andrew Jacobs Transcript   Transcript Summary   Resources   The Learning Rebels’ The 2025 Edition: From L&D Order-Taker To Strategic Business Partner   Where L&D Will Survive and Where It Will Die In Age of AI   What is Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model?   Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model   Andrew Jacobs’ PPT   Andrew Jacobs’ Four Cs:   Collaboration - this is where we want to be but requires us to agree with their outcomes and theirs with ours Cooperation - we have different objectives from the business but we work with them to create effective elements which support both Coordination - we can't help the business but get out of the businesses' way so they can do their thing Competition - we're trying to get attention and fight for awareness with every other team, e.g. facilities, IT, Finance, etc   Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping   Management by Wandering Around   Andrew Jacobs’ Linkedin   Books   Leading the Learning Function: Tools and Techniques for Organizational Impact by MJ Hall and Laleh Patel   The Trusted Learning Advisor: The Tools, Techniques and Skills You Need to Make L&D a Business Priority by Keith Ketting   Employee Engagement for Organizational Change: The Theory and Practice of Stakeholder Engagement by Julie Hodges   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    43 min

  2. FEB 3

    Small Budgets and Big Impact: Scrappy Design That Actually Works

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. How do we design learning fast without sacrificing quality? This Coffee Chat was all about scrappy design—doing more with less time, smaller budgets, and whatever tools you've got at hand. We kicked off with a reality check: sometimes your best work isn't your most polished work. It's the work that gets done and actually helps people. One participant shared a story about creating an entire electrostatic discharge course in one week by scanning a workbook into PowerPoint, adding a quiz, and launching it. Five years later, that "rushed" course was still running successfully. The conversation turned to mindset shifts and practical workflows. Progress over perfection. Templates over starting from scratch. Using tools in ways they weren't necessarily designed for—like turning PowerPoint into a graphic design tool or loading your brand guide into ChatGPT so it generates content in your voice. We talked about recording subject matter experts and repurposing that single video into scripts, podcasts, mini clips, job aids, and course content. One video, ten different outputs.| Tool recommendations came fast. Canva for templates and quick graphics. TechSmith's suite (Snagit, Camtasia, Audiate) for seamless video workflows. iSpring for PowerPoint-based courses on a budget. Gamma for AI-powered slide design. Genially for building interactive content and internal resource hubs. The group emphasized finding tools that talk to each other—upload once, edit everywhere, export in seconds. We also tackled the tension between being scrappy and putting out crap. There's a difference. Scrappy means helpful and useful, just faster. It means asking "What do people need to do?" before jumping into a full ADDIE process. Sometimes your analysis is one question. Sometimes the solution is a Word doc, not a course. And sometimes you say yes to the request, then gently steer the conversation toward what'll actually work. The takeaway? Build your workflow. Know your tools. Reuse what works. And remember—scrappy doesn't mean sloppy. It means smart. So what's in your scrappy design toolbox? Stay curious! -Shannon Resources: Video:VimeoScrappy Design & Smart Shortcuts - Coffee Chat   Chat Box: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Scrappy-Design-Smart-Shortcuts-chat.pdf   Transcript:OtterOtter.ai Note | Otter.ai   Transcript Summary: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Scrappy-Design-Smart-Shortcuts-Summary.pdf   Resources:  The Scrappy Instructional Designer’s Workflow Guide    Dr Phil's Newsletter   HeyGen TechSmith Tools Camtasia Snagit Audiate Screencast Keynote PowerPoint Storyline 360 Gamma Canva Canva Design School Presentation Zen Nolan Haims Creative ChatGPT Claude Monday.com Copilot Mico BrightCarbon BrightSlide Scribe Miro Venngage Vyond Sana Synthesia Goose Chase Genially     Books:  DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story by Nancy Duarte    slide:ology: The Art and Science of Presentation Design by Nancy Duarte   Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte   Leaving ADDIE for SAM: An Agile Model for Developing the Best Learning Experiences by Michael W. Allen (Author), Richard Sites (Contributor)   A Trainer’s Guide to PowerPoint: Best Practices for Master Presenters by Mike Parkinson   Do-It-Yourself Billion Dollar Graphics: 3 Fast and Easy Steps to Turn Your Text and Ideas into Persuasive Graphics by Mike Parkinson   Downloadables: ChatGPT CheatSheet: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ChatGPT-CheatSheet-10.pdf   Image Prompt Sheet: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Image-Prompt-cheatsheet.pdf Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    40 min

  3. JAN 27

    The Unmeasurable Problem: Soft Skills and Real Evidence

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. How do we measure the unmeasurable—those soft skills that don't fit neatly into a spreadsheet?   This Coffee Chat tackled one of the trickiest challenges we face: proving that leadership development, communication training, and other "fuzzy-edged" programs actually work. We moved beyond completion rates and smile sheets to explore what real evidence looks like when the numbers just don't tell the story.   The struggles came fast. Financial acumen training where clients want proof it makes people more money. Leadership programs where stakeholders won't touch 360 feedback. The classic problem of one person messing up, so now all 50 people need mandatory training. The group shared stories of self-assessments where the most confident people scored the lowest, and programs where leadership only cares about completion percentages.   We explored practical approaches to gathering evidence when traditional metrics won't cut it. Anecdotal stories from learners and stakeholders, discussion boards that show what people are taking away, and post-training check-ins that nudge application while measuring retention. One clever idea: have learners submit real scenarios anonymously, then use those examples throughout training to build relevance and buy-in.   The conversation turned to asking better questions upfront. Not just "What does success look like?" but "What's happening right now that's making us have this conversation?" and "What will this look like in the wild?" Because if you don't know what success sounds like and looks like before you build the program, you can't look for evidence of it afterwards.   We also tackled an uncomfortable truth: sometimes we're order takers whether we like it or not. Leadership says "build this course" and strategic partnership isn't happening today. But that doesn't mean you can't still ask questions or look for evidence in the wild—even when leadership doesn't want formal metrics. Just because they say "I don't want you to measure X" doesn't mean you can't ask the question and build toward it anyway.   Soft skills come with actions. Communication done well has body language, tone, and specific phrases. Leadership development shows up in how managers handle conflict. If you can describe what it looks like and sounds like when it's done well, you can watch for those signals after training. That's your evidence.   So what does success actually look like in the wild for your soft skills training?   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Chat Box   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Resources: The Learning Rebels Podcast ft. Kevin Yates Will Thalheimer's Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model   Books:  Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learningby Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III , Mark A. McDaniel   Proving the Value of Soft Skills: Measuring Impact and Calculating ROI by Patricia Pulliam Phillips, Jack J. Phillips, Rebecca Ray   Map It: The hands-on guide to strategic training design by Cathy Moore (More Affordable Option) Design Thinking for Training and Development: Creating Learning Journeys That Get Results by Sharon Boller, Laura Fletcher   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    41 min

  4. JAN 21

    Bias Traps and Design Flops

    It all started with the BIG question on the table.  How do cognitive biases sneak into our learning designs—and what can we do about it?   It quickly became clear this conversation was going to hit close to home. We all fall into these traps—affinity bias, confirmation bias, halo effect, availability heuristic, and the Dunning-Kruger effect. It's not about shame; it's about recognizing that our brains have built-in shortcuts that sometimes help us and sometimes lead us astray.   The group shared real examples. One person caught themselves gravitating toward job candidates they liked rather than those with the best portfolios. Another realized they'd been making assumptions about learner personas based on who they wanted the audience to be, not who it actually was. We talked about how personality assessments like DISC can create bias, putting people in boxes and giving them excuses for behavior. And we explored the "squeaky wheel" problem—when one loud voice convincing us "everybody" needs something turns out to be just that one person.   The conversation turned practical. How do we catch ourselves? Listen for trigger words like "everyone," "always," and "never." Add a bias checkpoint to your needs analysis process. Share your assumptions with colleagues as accountability partners. One suggestion that landed: upload your training needs analysis into AI and ask it what you missed or overstated—an unbiased second look can reveal blind spots you didn't even know were there.   The takeaway wasn't about fixing ourselves overnight. It's about awareness. Recognizing when you're walking that worn path and choosing to step out of the trench. Starting with yourself before trying to point out biases in others. And when you see it happening in stakeholder meetings, using the gentle nudge: "I've heard that too—help me understand who 'everyone' is in your world." So what bias are you going to watch for in your next stakeholder meeting? Stay curious!  -Shannon   Video   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Chatbox   Resources   Cognitive Bias Quiz   5 Cognitive Biases Sabotaging Your Learning Programs   Explaining the Dunning-Kruger Effect   Unmasking the Mind: 11 Cognitive Biases That Can Derail Workplace Decisions (and How to Overcome Them)   The Cognitive Bias Checker   Books   Cognitive Biases - A Brief Overview of Over 160 Cognitive Biases: + Bonus Chapter: Algorithmic Bias by Murat Durmus   Mental Models: Learn How to Improve Decision Making, Problem Solving, Develop Better Strategic Thinking and Reasoning Ability to Avoid Cognitive Biases by Joe Silva   The Critical Mind: Enhance Your Problem Solving, Questioning, Observing, and Evaluating Skills (Cognitive Development Book 2) by Zoe McKey   How Our Brains Betray Us by Magnus McDaniels   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    33 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    Murder Mystery Learning Design

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. How can we set goals that truly align with our personal and professional aspirations while making the process motivating, realistic, and actionable? This Coffee Chat was all about rethinking how we approach goal setting. Forget the old SMART goals you’ve heard about a thousand times—this conversation was focused on making goals meaningful, personal, and, most importantly, doable. We talked about the problem with framing goals in a negative light. How often do we say, “I need to stop doing this” or “I should do that”? We instead tried to ask “What’s the positive motivation behind my goal?” We also had some fun with numbers! By calculating the weekends left in our lives (yes, weekends), we got a new perspective on time and how to prioritize what matters most. It’s not about how many years you have left, but about how you’re using the time you’ve got. There was a great moment when someone shared their experience with imposter syndrome. But remember, Identifying barriers upfront—like fear or complexity—is the first step to overcoming them. This chat was full of “aha” moments and practical ideas, but what stuck with me most was this: Goal setting isn’t just about planning. It’s about believing in the process, breaking things down, and being kind to yourself along the way. So, what are your big, hairy, audacious goals? What’s stopping you? Let’s keep the conversation going! Stay Curious!  ~Shannon       Resources: Video   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Chatbox   Resources   BHAG Big Rock Goal Setting Planner   Books   SMARTER Goals: A Better & Smarter Approach To Setting & Achieving Goals by Tal Gur   The Efficient Path to Success - A Practical Guide to Achieving Your Goals by Nelson JR   Start Poorly: Sidestepping Perfection to Reach Your Goals by Justin Grifford   Goal Setting: Forget SMART Goals Try SMARTER Goals by Martin Formato       Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    40 min

  6. 12/05/2025

    Strategic Rest, Not Strategic Stress

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. What does burnout really look like, and how do we bring ourselves back from it without treating rest like another item on the to-do list?   This Coffee Chat opened with an honest acknowledgment that many of us are feeling stretched thin. Between back-to-school schedules, heavy workloads, shifting priorities, and the general pace of life, it has been catching up with people. Special guest Chris Coladonato joined us to talk about rest as a strategy rather than something you squeeze in when everything else falls apart. What stood out early on was the reminder that burnout is not always obvious. Sometimes you only recognize it when you finally stop.   The conversation was filled with relatable moments. People shared the signs they notice in themselves, like irritability, lack of motivation, mistakes that seem to pile up, or the feeling of being backed into a corner. Others admitted they do not realize they are burned out until something forces them to pause. Chris encouraged us to look for these cues sooner and to view rest as a practice that happens throughout the day rather than a reward you earn at the very end of a long stretch. Even small breaks create a reset, whether it is stepping outside, stretching, listening to the birds, or taking a minute to breathe without checking email.   There was also an honest look at the guilt so many of us feel when we take a break. A lot of that pressure comes from old beliefs, workplace culture, or past expectations about what “busy” is supposed to mean. We were reminded that we often put as much pressure on ourselves as anyone else does. Choosing rest is choosing yourself, and that choice matters. People shared creative ways they weave in restorative moments, such as using Notion boards to track energy levels, taking tiny walks, using music, doodling, or keeping a calming activity nearby so it is easy to reach for during short pockets of time.   As the chat wrapped up, the takeaway was simple. Burnout does not disappear through one long weekend or a single deep breath. It shifts when we build small practices that support us throughout the day. It shifts when we notice our signals and respond with care. And it shifts when we stop viewing rest as laziness and start treating it as maintenance for being human.   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Transcript   Chatbox   Transcript Summary   Resources   Zentangle   Sacred Rest Book Club   Recharge-Renew-Refocus Your Toolkit   Books   Burnout Recovery: 15 techniques to overcome chronic stress, regain control, restore your energy and your focus by Amber Pierce   Burnout Recovery Breakthrough: A Compassionate Guide to Manage Stress Overload and Build Unshakable Mental Resilience to Reclaim your Happiness by Laurie Grist   I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life by Amy Shah   The Burnout Solution: 7 Steps from Exhausted to Extraordinary by Sharon Grossman   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    42 min

  7. 11/28/2025

    Finding the Stories that Drive Workplace Culture

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. What if learning and development professionals thought more like anthropologists?   This Coffee Chat explored what it means to study the culture of our organizations instead of simply observing it from a distance. How do we uncover the stories, rituals, and behaviors that shape it?   We began by exploring the idea of acting as storytellers. We already curate knowledge and connect people to resources, but what if we also helped uncover the stories that show who we are as a company? Culture does not live in a PowerPoint slide about values. It lives in the moments people share, the choices they make, and even the quiet in between.   Several participants reflected on how remote and hybrid work have changed the way we see culture. Without breakroom chatter or hallway check-ins, those unspoken stories are harder to find. Some suggested new ways to listen, like forming engagement committees, or simply asking questions that reveal what is really happening behind the scenes. Others noted that listening also means noticing what is not being said and understanding why.   We shared examples of how learning can reflect culture instead of sitting apart from it. That might mean weaving company values into course content, highlighting real stories from employees, or recognizing behaviors that model the culture we want to build. When culture shows up in learning, it starts to feel real.   Toward the end, the conversation turned practical. How do we help culture grow when budgets are tight and influence feels limited? The group offered creative, low-cost ways to build connection, such as virtual movie clubs, “Be Kind” chats on Teams, cross-department highlights, and even therapy dog visits at the office. Small, human moments like these help people feel part of something bigger, and that is where culture thrives.   Being a workplace anthropologist is not about changing the company overnight. It is about paying attention, capturing stories, and creating spaces where people can connect and be seen. That is how we keep the heart of an organization beating strong.   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Chatbox   Resources   Workplace Redux: An Anthropological Approach to Today’s Workplace Design by Melissa Fisher and Hana Kassem   How to Replicate Water Cooler Conversations in Hybrid & Remote Workplaces by Matthew Reeves   What Is Employee Wellbeing? And Why Does It Matter?   Books   Your Wellbeing Blueprint: Feeling Good And Doing Well At Work by Michelle L McQuaid and Dr Peggy L Kern   The Pandemic Workplace: How We Learned to Be Citizens in the Office by Ilana Gershon   Beyond the Workplace Zoo by Nigel Oseland   Cultural Sensitivity Training: Developing the Basis for Effective Intercultural Communication by Susann Kowalski   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    34 min

  8. 11/22/2025

    Keeping the Human in Presentations

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. Have we lost our edge when it comes to presentation skills?   This Coffee Chat centered on something many of us have noticed. With so much attention going to AI tools and digital platforms, it is easy to forget that connection and presence are still at the heart of great facilitation. Participants shared strategies they use to spark engagement, like starting with a playful question, calling people by name as they join, or choosing icebreakers that help everyone warm up without feeling awkward.   We also talked about what keeps a session lively once it begins. Simple tools like chat prompts, polls, and annotation help, but small human gestures often matter more. Reading the room, noticing who is quiet, acknowledging comments in real time, and keeping your tone approachable can turn a presentation into a conversation. A few trainer red flags came up too, like saving questions for the very end or reading directly from the slides.   The group shared ideas for keeping presentations fresh. Changing visuals to maintain energy, using a co host to help with tech, and keeping each slide focused on a single idea were all crowd favorites. We also laughed about what happens when things go wrong, whether the poll freezes or the audio drops. Great presenters stay calm, improvise, and keep the room connected through those moments.   In the end, presentation skills are not about performance. They are about building trust, showing care, and making people feel included. Technology can support that work, but it cannot replace the human element that makes learning come alive.   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Chatbox   Resources   Presentation Skills Self Assessment   250 Conversation Topics   Woodstock 1969 Playlist   The Learning Rebels’ 22 Tips To Level-Up Your Virtual Learning Game   How to Present Survey Results in PowerPoint   Bingo in the classroom: A fun & educational tool   Books   Presentation Skills 201: How to Take It to the Next Level as a Confident, Engaging Presenter by William Steele   The Confident Presenter: Ditch Your Fear of Public Speaking and Embrace the Stage by Ryan Millar   Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot by Matt Abrahams   Develop Your Presentation Skills: How to Inspire and Inform with Clarity and Confidence by Theo Theobald   DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story by Nancy Duarte   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    21 min
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Get the live, unfiltered conversations behind the popular Learning Rebels Coffee Chat. Workplace Learning will never be the same.

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