The Assembly

Assemble You
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The Assembly: Where L&D Minds Assemble The future of workplace learning doesn’t live in theory — it lives in lived experience, fresh research, and honest conversations. That’s what The Assembly delivers. Hosted by Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and digital learning veteran, and Brigid McCormack, a newcomer to the world of L&D, this is your go-to space for rich, real talk on what’s driving L&D forward. In each episode, you’ll find: Richer insights that go beyond surface-level tips to unpack what really works in learning today Expert perspectives from leaders shaping the L&D landscape Access to new research on tech, methods, and innovations defining tomorrow’s learning culture Practical strategies you can use right now to build essential skills like leadership, communication, and adaptability Whether you’re designing programs, shaping strategy, or driving culture change — if learning is your thing, this is your podcast. Formally known as L&D Challenges.

  1. 4d ago

    How to Create Measurable L&D Impact at Scale with Gavin McQuillan

    How to Create Measurable L&D Impact at Scale with Gavin McQuillan When Gavin McQuillan took charge of Learning & Development across a major British banking group, he faced the massive challenge of supporting over 60,000 colleagues in a highly complex financial environment. Moving away from a fragmented, federated model, he led a major structural transformation to create a unified, commercially aligned L&D team focused on driving tangible business outcomes. Adam Lacey sits down with Gavin McQuillan, Head of Learning & Development at a major British bank, to explore how learning functions can eliminate "content chaos" and deliver measurable commercial value. Gavin shares his unexpected transition from a 30-year career in banking operations into L&D, breaking down his strategy built on three foundational pillars: impact, quality, and less. He highlights how curating learning materials, leveraging AI for search and discovery, and focusing on high-value human interactions allowed his team to reduce friction across the workforce. They also discuss the design and rollout of an award-winning digital performance management programme that saved business leaders over 250,000 hours, along with essential career advice for L&D professionals looking to build commercial acumen and navigate continuous organisational change. What you'll learn in this episode How to transform a federated L&D model into a cohesive, commercially aligned team serving 60,000 learnersWhy grounding L&D strategy in three core words, Impact, Quality, and Less, slashes content fatigue and improves engagementHow to curate learning libraries using AI search and discovery tools to eliminate content chaosCase study: Designing a digital performance management programme that returned 250,000+ hours to business leadersWhy understanding business value drives workforce adoption for new AI and change initiativesCritical advice for L&D professionals: building commerciality, developing comfort with change, and prioritising leadership capability Connect with Gavin via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-mcquillan-fcbi-73703610/ The Assembly Debrief, A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSjW0 Come and connect with us  We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world.  Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/  Brigid McCormack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You  Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work, plus the AI Confidence Method, a workforce AI change programme that measures what your people really think about AI and then changes it. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSkk0 Privacy & Data  This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

  2. Oct 12

    Hiring for Values without AI: How Barnardo's Recruited its L&D Team from 500+ Applicants with Jodie Pritchard

    When Jodie Pritchard joined Barnardo's, she took on the challenge of leading learning for a massive workforce of over 25,000 colleagues and volunteers across the UK. Moving from hospitality management into the third sector, she brought a deep focus on human-centred training, responsible resource management, and aligning everyday learning with overarching organisational values. Brigid McCormack sits down with Jodie Pritchard, Director of Learning & Development at Barnardo's, to discuss how third-sector L&D teams achieve high-impact outcomes under tight budget constraints. Jodie shares her personal career path from managing restaurant training sites to leading large-scale learning transformations in major non-profits. Facing a recent surge in applications, including over 500 candidates for just three team roles, she breaks down how Barnardo's designed a candidate-first recruitment process centred entirely on values, inclusion, and human connection without relying on AI shortlisting. They also explore the rising demand for purpose-aligned work across a multi-generational workforce, how L&D teams can exercise "responsible stewardship" of public funds, and why leaders must actively role-model organisational values long after new hires complete their onboarding. What you'll learn in this episode How the core initiatives of L&D remain consistent across sectors, but why the delivery and creativity differ within non-profitsWhy post-pandemic job seekers and multi-generational teams are seeking greater purpose and values-alignment in their careersHow to design an intentional, candidate-first recruitment process focused on inclusive practice, behaviours, and social mobilityWhy Barnardo's chose to manually review 500+ applications to maintain human warmth and transparency during hiringPractical steps for interview accessibility, such as sharing question themes in advance and pasting questions into virtual meeting chatsHow L&D leaders can empower non-hierarchical teams while acting as responsible stewards of public and donated funds  🔗Connect with Jodie via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodiepritchard1/  📮The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSjW0  👋Come and connect with usWe're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world. Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Brigid McCormack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work, plus the AI Confidence Method, a workforce AI change programme that measures what your people really think about AI and then changes it. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSkk0 Privacy & Data This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

  3. Oct 5

    How to Lead L&D Through Acquisition and Uncertainty with Gemma Glover (Cezanne HR & LearnAmp)

    When Gemma Glover joined LearnAmp, it was a 37-person employee experience platform. Following its acquisition by Cezanne HR, she transitioned into Head of L&D within a combined business of over 215 people across multiple global offices. Almost overnight, the tight-knit atmosphere of a small startup dissolved into a complex company filled with new management layers and separate team cultures. Brigid McCormack talks with Gemma Glover, Head of L&D at Cezanne HR, about what happens to culture and credibility when an L&D leader guides their business through a major acquisition while navigating the uncertainty themselves. Gemma’s early career in operations and HR started when she tackled company culture issues in cybersecurity, shaping her practical approach to training. When her company was acquired, she asked her L&D network for advice, landed quick wins like updating the LMS platform, and built trust with new leadership by being authentic instead of overly polished. They also discuss how culture splits into micro-cultures as companies scale, why L&D leaders must be present with their teams on the change curve rather than forcing them through it, and the importance of over-communicating key messages. Gemma also highlights why L&D professionals must prioritise their own development and know their personal toolkit during times of high stress. What you'll learn in this episode How to assess whether leadership views L&D as a cost centre, a compliance exercise, or a performance driverPractical first steps during an acquisition, from leveraging peer networks to tackling high-impact platform migrationsHow company culture changes when scaling from 37 to 215 people, and how to adapt when you can no longer know everyone individuallyHow casual leadership coffee chats and showing personality in company syncs build cross-functional credibilityWhy employees move through the change curve at different speeds and require compassionate, repeated communicationWhy L&D professionals need to protect their own development and personal toolkit during organisational change 🔗 Connect with Gemma via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmaglover/ 📮 The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSjW0 👋 Come and connect with us We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world. Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Brigid McCormack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work, plus the AI Confidence Method, a workforce AI change programme that measures what your people really think about AI and then changes it. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSkk0 Privacy & Data This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

  4. Sep 29

    How Merlin Entertainments Scales Learning with Rob Peacock

    At Merlin Entertainments, local L&D teams handled everything from seasonal onboarding and safety training to leadership development. Urgent work came first, so longer-term priorities were often pushed aside. Merlin responded by creating global specialist teams to give those priorities more focus. But how could those teams stay connected to what each attraction needed? For L&D leaders supporting multiple sites, countries or business units, this episode offers a practical look at how to divide work between global specialists and local teams. Adam Lacey talks with Rob Peacock, Director of Leadership and Development at Merlin Entertainments. Rob’s global team supports more than 30,000 colleagues across 130 attractions, including LEGOLAND parks, SEA LIFE, Alton Towers and the London Eye. Rob explains how Merlin reorganised L&D around learning academies. Instead of organising the work by geography, each academy builds expertise in one priority area. Regional learning partners connect the academies with attractions and leaders across the business, bringing in local and commercial needs. The new model was introduced in stages, so essential training could continue. Onboarding and safety remained local. That matters in a seasonal business where a single attraction can grow from 200 or 300 employees to 1,500 within two months. Rob also explains why L&D cannot own learning at this scale. The central team can set the direction and provide content and systems, but local managers must bring the learning into everyday work. Merlin also uses a platform where subject matter experts can create and share their knowledge. What you’ll learn in this episode: How Merlin decides which L&D responsibilities should be global and which need to remain localHow learning academies and regional partners connect specialist expertise with business needsWhy managers and subject matter experts must help L&D reach more than 30,000 colleaguesHow storytelling and great conversations can build skills that remain useful throughout a careerWhy performance programmes cannot succeed when pay, incentives, systems and working practices create a low-performance environment 🔗 Connect with Rob via LinkedIn – https://uk.linkedin.com/in/robpeacockuyl 📮 The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSjW0 👋 Come and connect with us We’re always keen to hear what’s resonating or what you’re seeing in your world. Adam Lacey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Brigid McCormack – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work, plus the AI Confidence Method, a workforce AI change programme that measures what your people really think about AI and then changes it. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSkk0 Privacy & Data This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

  5. Sep 21

    Building Great Managers at Flat Iron with Gina Knight

    When Gina joined Flat Iron three years ago, it had nine restaurants and around 540 employees. It now has 23 locations and more than 1,300 people. The informal ways of working that worked for a small company no longer fit. Managers needed clearer processes, more support and the confidence to handle tough conversations early. Adam Lacey talks with Gina Knight, who leads all things people at Flat Iron, about how her team is helping managers grow without making things more complicated than they need to be. Gina shares why development should keep going after someone becomes a manager. Her team looks at people data to see how talent moves through the company and spots where people get stuck. Then, they create simple tools to help managers handle these challenges. One of these tools is a decision tree for performance issues. It guides managers to check things like probation status, working hours, health and other underlying issues before deciding what kind of conversation to have. The tool doesn't give a final answer, but it helps managers think through the problem, make fairer decisions and feel more confident when talking with their team. Gina also talks about how Flat Iron builds these tools into induction, development programmes and operational reviews. About 70% of employees now say they've had a review with their manager in the last three months, up from 54%. Hardly anyone appeals disciplinary decisions anymore. They also discuss using AI to find better insights without replacing human judgement, why polished presentations can fall apart when candidates cannot explain the thinking behind them, and how broadening your perspective, creating access and taking action can shape your career. What you'll learn in this episode Why managers need ongoing development, even after they get promotedHow simple decision trees can help managers have fairer and more confident conversations about performanceHow people data can show where problems come up in hiring, development, promotion and retentionHow Flat Iron makes management tools part of daily work, not just a one-time rolloutWhy AI should support people's judgement rather than do their thinking for themHow broadening your perspective, creating access and taking action can open up more career opportunities 🔗 Connect with Gina via LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ginamarieknight 📮 The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSjW0 👋 Come and connect with us We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world. Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Brigid McCormack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work, plus the AI Confidence Method, a workforce AI change programme that measures what your people really think about AI and then changes it. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSkk0 Privacy & Data This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

  6. Sep 14

    What Skills Are Hiding in Plain Sight with David Hayden

    Most organisations know what their employees have done at work. They know far less about what those same people learn through hobbies, volunteering and life outside the job. Useful skills can stay hidden until someone thinks to ask. That gap is the subject of Adjacent Learning, a book about recognising the knowledge and skills people gain outside an organisation and bring back into work. Adam Lacey speaks to co-author David Hayden about where that knowledge comes from, why employers miss it and how L&D can make better use of it. David has worked in learning since 1988, with roles at Royal Mail, in manufacturing and at the CIPD. He is also co-author of the fourth and fifth editions of Learning and Development Practice in the Workplace. Through Talent Delivers, he now supports people who are new to organisation design and organisation development. For Adjacent Learning, David and Steve George asked around 40 contributors one question: “What do you do outside of work that makes you a better employee in work?” Only one person said they had consciously made that connection before. Their answers covered rock climbing, fishing, parkrun, a book club and a community of women going through menopause. David argues that the usual workplace systems make this knowledge easy to lose. Recruitment may uncover it, but induction focuses on what the organisation needs the new employee to know. One training coordinator, for example, had built his own website and knew enough about technology to help with a system problem. Nobody had asked him. His advice is to start with conversation, not a company-wide survey. Add “What have you learned this week?” to an existing meeting or training session. Use a World Café for a larger group. Let people choose what they want to share, especially where trust is low. As David puts it, L&D does not own people’s learning. David and Steve also include a framework for L&D teams that want to use Adjacent Learning. It starts by defining the development question they need to answer. From there, they can look for relevant knowledge, decide what might help and work out how to use it. The same questions can help an individual think more broadly about their own development. What you’ll learn: What Adjacent Learning means, and why life outside work can change how someone performs at workThe question David and Steve used to uncover skills that contributors had never linked to developmentHow recruitment finds useful experience that a “steamroller induction” can quickly leave behindWhy David recommends conversations, meetings and World Cafés instead of another mass surveyHow the book’s framework helps L&D teams and individuals think beyond formal workplace learningWhere organisation development goes beyond L&D, plus four lessons for new practitioners 🔗 Connect with David via LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-hayden-8176919 📮 The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSjW0 👋 Come and connect with us We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world. Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Brigid McCormack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work, plus the AI Confidence Method, a workforce AI change programme that measures what your people really think about AI and then changes it. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSkk0 Privacy & Data This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

  7. Sep 7

    Be Inclusive When Nobody's Looking with Esi Hardy

    You have a disability inclusion policy. The hard part is making a disabled colleague actually feel the difference. That part costs nothing, and most of it sits with your line managers. Esi Hardy has spent almost ten years turning disability inclusion policies into practice. Her company, Celebrating Disability, trains line managers to spot the barriers a disabled colleague faces and fix them. At Homes for Students, the UK's largest student accommodation provider, disability disclosure rose by 91% in the first 18 months of that training. Brigid McCormack sits down with Esi Hardy, Managing Director of Celebrating Disability. They ask what a policy can and cannot do, and how to run training that includes every person in the room. Esi is a disabled leader herself, and Celebrating Disability was named Best Disability Inclusion Consultancy 2026 in South West England by Corporate Vision. For Esi, a policy puts your intentions in writing, and nothing more. The real work is testing it against the working day. She also draws a line between accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility is the tools that get a disabled person to a meeting. Inclusion is how they feel once they are in it. Her message is simple: be inclusive even when you think no one is looking. There are a billion business cases for disability inclusion, but the main reason is why not. What you'll learn: Why over 80% of disabled people have a disability you cannot seeWhat separates accessibility from inclusion, and why you cannot do one first and the other laterHow to stress test a policy against a real working daySmall changes to any training session that cost nothing, from reading slides aloud to sending codes early 🔗 Connect with Esi via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/esihardy/ 📮 The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSjW0 👋 Come and connect with us We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world. Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Brigid McCormack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work, plus the AI Confidence Method, a workforce AI change programme that measures what your people really think about AI and then changes it. https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xWSkk0 Privacy & Data This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

  8. Aug 24

    Culture Is What Happens When Nobody's Watching with Kira Squire at LastPass

    Most L&D teams know the frustration: you run the workshop, people enjoy it, the feedback is positive… and then everyone goes back to work and nothing really changes. Kira Squire is taking a different approach. When LastPass identified continuous feedback as a significant organisational challenge, she didn't just build a training programme. She designed an ongoing system around it, combining pre-work, live practice, conversation guides, quarterly feedback cycles, manager briefings and continued reinforcement. Adam Lacey sits down with Kira Squire, award-winning Learning and Development professional at LastPass, to explore how she's using L&D to help create a culture where feedback becomes part of everyday work rather than something reserved for annual performance reviews. Kira was named the 2025 winner of the Unsung Hero (Vendor/Distributor) category at the CRN UK Women & Diversity in Channel Awards, and the LastPass Learning & Development team is a finalist for the OnCon Top 100 Learning & Development Team Award 2026. Kira's starting point was simple: understand the problem before creating the solution. Following feedback from LastPass's annual people survey, she worked with senior leaders, People Partners, managers and employees to understand what was getting in the way. What emerged wasn't a motivation problem. People wanted to have better feedback conversations, but many lacked the skills and confidence to know how to approach them. She explains how she built the business case, why leadership was already behind it before she started, how she designed for a global remote-first organisation across different cultures and time zones, and how she deliberately built reinforcement into the programme from the beginning. For Kira, workshops are a catalyst, not the destination, and the real measure of success is what happens when nobody from L&D is watching. What you'll learn: Why continuous feedback needs to become part of everyday work rather than something reserved for performance reviews  How to identify the real problem behind an L&D request before jumping into solution design  Why leaders buy solutions to business problems, not training, and how to approach senior stakeholders when you're new to an organisation  Why a workshop is a catalyst, not the destination, and how reinforcement can turn learning into lasting behaviour  Why confidence, not willingness, is what usually stops people from having feedback conversations 🔗 Connect with Kira LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kira-squire/ 📮 The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://www.assembleyou.com/the-assembly/newsletter 👋 Come and connect with us We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world.  Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Brigid McCormack - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigidmccormack/ More from The Assembly & Assemble You  Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work. https://www.assembleyou.com Privacy & Data  This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy/

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The Assembly: Where L&D Minds Assemble The future of workplace learning doesn’t live in theory — it lives in lived experience, fresh research, and honest conversations. That’s what The Assembly delivers. Hosted by Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and digital learning veteran, and Brigid McCormack, a newcomer to the world of L&D, this is your go-to space for rich, real talk on what’s driving L&D forward. In each episode, you’ll find: Richer insights that go beyond surface-level tips to unpack what really works in learning today Expert perspectives from leaders shaping the L&D landscape Access to new research on tech, methods, and innovations defining tomorrow’s learning culture Practical strategies you can use right now to build essential skills like leadership, communication, and adaptability Whether you’re designing programs, shaping strategy, or driving culture change — if learning is your thing, this is your podcast. Formally known as L&D Challenges.

Information

  • Creator
    Assemble You
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Assemble You Limited
  • Show Website
    The Assembly

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