Impact Learning Visionaries Podcast

Carla has almost two decades of experience facilitating and supporting organisations to change and transform successfully using fit-for-purpose learning and development solutions. In this episode, she discusses the impact of technology on learning and development, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a human connection in the learning process. She also explores the role of curiosity in understanding organizations and shares her excitement for virtual and augmented reality in learning, as well as the potential of gamification.

From Dr Seuss's quotes to lessons from Lord of the Rings, and everything in between, Tash Willcocks comes with a whirlwind of passion, insight and energy in every aspect of leadership and leadership development. In this episode, Tash talks to me about the importance of human-centric design in learning and development. She emphasizes the need to create psychological safety in learning spaces and shares strategies for understanding the audience.

Liz Stefan, CEO of Nifty Learning, discusses the concept of impact in learning and development and the importance of aligning learning initiatives with business needs and KPIs. Liz also highlights the challenges faced by training professionals in achieving impact, including the historical focus on content creation rather than the end result. We also explore the importance of aligning training with organizational values, managing expectations and digging deeper to understand the real problems training is trying to solve.

Diana Kawarsky is a senior training and development professional with over two decades of experience consulting with Fortune 500 companies, Universities & Colleges across the world. In this episode she takes us on an excursion into the semantics and debate around the term' soft skills' whilst highlighting the relevance and complexity of these skills in the modern workplace. We also explore some of the wicked challenges faced by L&D professionals in addressing individuals' diverse soft skills needs and just how much of a role artificial intelligence will have in this domain now and in the future.   

Cathy Hoy is the founder of the CLO 100 programme which aims to prepare learning and development managers for senior roles. In this episode she highlights the need for continuous development in the L&D industry and the challenges faced by professionals in bridging the gap between foundational skills and senior positions. Cathy also discusses the role of emerging technologies, such as AI and VR, in learning and development, and the importance of demystifying AI and making it more approachable for everyone.

In this episode, we interview Jared Kruger, the head of education for Startup School, an online entrepreneurship and business mentorship programme in South Africa. Our discussion extends to the challenges and successes of entrepreneurship education, the importance of user-centric design in learning experiences, and the question of whether entrepreneurship can be taught. We also explore the mindset of curiosity and inspiration, the role of failure and mistake-making in entrepreneurship, and the balance between freedom and responsibility in pursuing entrepreneurial endeavours.

In this podcast, we dive deep into the theory and practical applications of learning and development with Laura Overton, an international speaker, author, and industry analyst with 30 years of experience. The concept of impact in learning is part of Laura's DNA, and over the years, she's seen a barrage of new tools and technology come and go as they make promises to shift the needle in learning and development. But how much 'impact' have these tools and tech made to the way we learn, what we learn and why we learn in the first place?

Ancient history graduate turned L&D expert and learning experience designer, our guest, Sam Taylor, joins us for her take on the desperate need for organisations to create a culture and environment for learning that encourages making mistakes, asking questions and growing from failure. She also takes us on a journey into this ongoing discussion around accessible design and why it needs to be applied if we hope to develop workplace skills that are successful and significant.

In this episode, Rakefet shares her honest and raw experience working with teams and individuals during turbulence and societal anguish. She expands on the reality of supporting organisations in a volatile and uncertain world, the impact that life-changing circumstances have on our learning and personal development, and what we need to consider from an emotional aspect. She also answers why Israel is the Startup and Innovation Nation and how they've achieved it. Hint: It's not the answer you're expecting!  

In this episode, we get insight from Donna Ward-Higgs, founder of Learning Partner Solutions, on creating a winning learning culture, embracing failure, challenging hierarchies and the need to involve stakeholders at every level in the learning process. From having to learn, unlearn and relearn new skills in a rapidly changing world, Donna unpacks the need for organisations to embrace a growth mindset and instil practices that encourage psychological safety if they want to develop their teams and stay ahead of the competition.  

Find the full episode here https://youtu.be/4RyS4VYMoXw

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