The Assembly

By Assemble YouEducation Self-Improvement

The Assembly episodes

June 16The Messy Middle: Why Your Managers Are Flying Blind With John Gregg
Your senior leaders get coaching. Your early careers get apprenticeships. But the managers actually running your organisation day-to-day? They're on their own.

John Gregg has spent over 20 years in L&D and OD across commercial, regulated and nonprofit sectors - most recently as Head of Learning and OD at Alzheimer's Research UK.

With a small team and a tight budget, he built a management development programme that made it to the finals of the Learning Excellence Awards, competing with some of the biggest names in the industry.

In this episode, John shares what it takes to develop the managers everyone else overlooks, prove L&D's impact when scrutiny is high and shift from a cost centre to a genuine performance function.

What you'll learn:
Why your mid-level managers are the engine room of your organisation and what a programme that actually develops them looks like in practice
How to shift from a cost centre to a performance function and the language change that makes it stick
Why psychological safety isn't a course and how to build it incrementally across onboarding, appraisals, policies and everyday culture
The "Big Four" stakeholder model and why misreading each group's agenda is where most L&D impact gets lost
Where AI is genuinely moving the needle in L&D right now and where the hype is running ahead of the reality
Four pieces of advice for anyone starting out or levelling up in the profession

🔗 Connect with John
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gregg-fcipd/

📮 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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

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/
39 min
June 09Why Your EDI and L&D Functions Are Fighting the Same Battle, Separately? With Shannon Rivers
You've run the awareness session. The feedback was strong. People were nodding. And then... nothing changed. If that sounds familiar, it's not because your programme was wrong. It's because awareness alone doesn't change behaviour. Conditions do.

Brigid sits down with Shannon Rivers, organisational development strategist, consultant and Director of Social Enterprise, Social Responsibility and Change. With over 12 years of experience helping organisations move beyond tick-box exercises, Shannon applies a Black, queer, and womanist liberatory lens to embed anti-oppressive practices into how organisations operate.

Starting her career in marketing, she quickly realised that if you want to change what shows up externally, you have to address the internal culture first.

Shannon argues that EDI and L&D are working towards the same goal: behaviour change. Keeping them in separate silos limits the impact of both. She explores why many EDI initiatives stall, what actually drives culture change and how L&D leaders can secure buy-in from senior stakeholders without compromising their values.

If you're trying to make learning stick or embed inclusion beyond a one-off programme, this episode will change how you think about both.

What you'll learn:
Why EDI is scaffolding, not a separate workstream and what happens when it's treated as one
The real reason learning sessions generate great feedback but little behaviour change
What actually works: line managers, action learning sets, accountability and designing for how people engage
How to build the business case for EDI and L&D investment, including the often-overlooked social return
Why organisations mirror the external world and what that means for learning culture design
Shannon's marketing-inspired internal communications framework: problem, position, proposal
One mindset shift for L&D and EDI professionals who feel they need to do more

🔗 Connect with Shannon
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonbethanyrivers/

📮 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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

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/
44 min
June 02 Building the L&D Team of the Future with Simon Gibson of Center Parcs
Adam sits down with Simon Gibson, the Talent Director at Center Parcs and former Group Head of L&D at M&S, to get brutally honest about what's holding L&D back and what high-performing teams do differently.
With a career spanning banking, retail, nuclear decommissioning and hospitality, Simon has a rare cross-industry perspective: if you don't understand how your business makes money, you're probably doing nice things that don't matter.
They cover how to diagnose the right problems, build a commercial business case, and tell stories that earn influence which includes a standout M&S example where fixing a policy search issue saved 5,000 managers 30 minutes a month and unlocked a multi-million pound productivity win. They also tackle the deskless workforce problem: most L&D solutions are built for people with desks and diaries, and frontline teams deserve better.
If you want to sharpen your commercial edge and prove your worth - this one's for you.
🔗Connect with Simon
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongibsonlearning/
📮 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.
👋 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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/
More from The Assembly
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/
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
42 min
May 26If They Can't See It, They Can't Do It: Scaffolded Learning That Actually Sticks. With Stephanie Alayyoubi-Trattles
Most people don't fail because they're incapable. They fail because the support disappears too early.

Brigid sits down with Stephanie Alayyoubi-Trattles, founder of Kyoshi Consulting, to explore what it actually takes to build learning that drives measurable change.

Stephanie has spent over a decade leading learning strategy and design across EdTech unicorn Multiverse, London Business School, and global organisations. She began her career in the classroom, and she makes a compelling case that the teaching frameworks we left behind in education are exactly what corporate L&D is missing.

At the centre of the conversation is the gradual release of responsibility: I do, we do, you do. Stephanie unpacks what this looks like in practice inside an organisation, how to model best practice before expecting people to replicate it, and why most programmes skip the very steps that make learning stick.

She also shares how to build the wider ecosystem around a training programme, from communities of practice and peer feedback to manager reinforcement in the flow of work.

She doesn't shy away from the harder conversation either. L&D teams too often operate as order takers, delivering ad hoc content that isn't tied to business priorities. Steph's challenge is to pause, get a seat at the table, and design with intention so that learning creates real capability, not just compliance.

If you're designing, running, or rethinking how learning lands in your organisation, this episode will give you a sharper, more grounded way to approach it.

What you'll takeaway from this episode:
What the gradual release of responsibility looks like in practice and why it works just as well for an 8-year-old as a 48-year-old
Why people cannot do what they haven't seen and how to audit your existing programmes for this blind spot
The two traps that stop L&D from modelling best practice: the curse of knowledge and imposter syndrome and how to overcome both
How to build a competency framework that defines best practice before you design a single piece of learning
What scaffolding looks like inside a real organisation with a detailed example from Stephanie's time at Multiverse
Why communities of practice and mentorship are the parts of the learning ecosystem that create lasting capability
How to build a learning culture where people don't just attend, they queue up to get in
The first practical step for any L&D team ready to start integrating this approach

🔗 Connect with Stephanie
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-trattles/

📮 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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

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/
36 min
May 19Most manager development programmes are well-designed. They just weren't built for how humans actually behave. With Farley Thomas - Manageable
Adam sits down with Farley Thomas, CEO of Manageable, the global manager development platform he co-founded in 2020, to explore why manager development so often falls short and what it takes to build something that sticks.

After a decade in investment banking at HSBC, Farley trained as a coach and spent years advising CEOs before spotting that managers were one of the most underserved populations in any organisation. Manageable was built to fix that.

Farley breaks down eight pieces of the manager development puzzle, from building genuine learning habits to using AI as a safe practice environment for difficult conversations. He also tackles the cohort versus individual learning debate and explains why most organisations are getting both wrong.

If you are designing, running, or rethinking a manager programme, this episode will give you a sharper framework to work from.

What you'll learn:
The eight pieces of the manager development puzzle and why most programmes only tackle two or three
Why cutting practice from your programme is the most expensive corner you can cut
How to make cohort-based learning genuinely valuable rather than logistically painful
What scaffolding actually means and how it builds lasting learning habits
Where AI fits into manager development and where it falls short
Three practical tips for any new or aspiring manager just starting out
🔗 Connect with Farley
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/farleythomas/

📮 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.

👋 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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

More from The Assembly
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/

Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
29 min
May 12Your middle managers are not underperforming. They are under-resourced. With Toluwa Hughes
Brigid sits down with Toluwa Hughes, behavioural scientist, two-times TEDx speaker, and founder of Zoah Consultancy, to explore why the manager layer is so often the most overlooked group in any organisation and what L&D can do about it right now.

Toluwa has coached over 4,000 leaders across the UN in East Africa, tech scale-ups, and global enterprises including HSBC, Dell, and Alzheimer's Society.

Her work sits at the intersection of behavioural science and real-world leadership pressure - helping managers stay steady through growth, change, and AI adoption.

In this episode, she breaks down the hidden cost of ignoring middle managers from the two things their role actually demands (translation and emotional regulation) to why high performers are the ones most quietly burning out. She also challenges L&D teams to stop asking managers what training they need, and start asking better questions entirely.

If you work with or support managers, this episode will sharpen how you think about development, wellbeing, and where L&D can have the most impact.

What you'll learn:
Why middle managers carry more than any job description acknowledges and why they rarely say so
The two types of managerial silence, and how to tell them apart
Why 82% of managers step into leadership with no formal training and what that actually costs
How mindset, not skills, determines behaviour under pressure
The three things L&D already has that are more valuable than budget permission, proximity, and trust
Why leadership development and wellbeing must be the same conversation
The questions that surface what managers are really carrying

🔗 Connect with Toluwa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toluwa-oyeleye/
Zoah Consultancy: https://www.zoahconsultancy.co.uk

📬 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/ Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

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

This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For privacy information visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy
48 min
May 05 How Do You Build Critical Thinking, Curiosity, and Better Decision-Making in an AI-Driven World? With Liggy Webb
In this episode, Adam sits down with Liggy Webb to explore how L&D leaders can equip their people with the human skills that matter most - cutting through noise, thinking clearly, and performing in a complex environment.

Liggy, a behavioural skills specialist and author, shares practical ways to develop an “inquiring mind” - from building self-awareness and asking better questions, to strengthening curiosity and critical thinking.

Together, they unpack how learning can move beyond information and focus on how people think, decide, and act - offering simple, actionable ways to navigate today’s fast-changing world.

If you’re looking to future-proof your workforce or build stronger thinking skills, this episode will give you practical ways to move forward.

Episode breakdown:
(00:00) Introduction to Inquiring Minds
(02:00) Why critical thinking matters more than ever
(04:00) The nine skills of an inquiring mind
(05:00) Self-awareness and feedback
(09:00) Cultivating curiosity
(12:00) Lifelong learning in a changing world
(16:00) The power of human conversations
(21:00) Asking better questions
(26:00) Critical thinking vs emotional reactions
(31:00) Distilling complexity
(34:00) Problem solving and decision making

🔗 Connect with Liggy
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liggyw/

📮 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.

👋 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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

More from The Assembly
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://transistor.fm/privacy/
44 min
April 28 How do you prove the value of L&D in a business that sees it as a cost, not a driver of performance? With Jade Rogers
In this episode, Brigid sits down with Jade Rogers to unpack how learning and development leaders can build influence, demonstrate impact, and secure a more strategic role within their organisations.

Jade, an L&D professional in a tech consultancy, describes her role as “the bridge between potential and performance” - but like many in the field, she’s had to navigate the challenge of making that value visible.

Together, they explore practical ways to reposition L&D - from using storytelling to demonstrate ROI, to speaking the language of senior leaders and aligning more closely with business goals.

They also go deeper into the realities of organisational change. Jade shares her experience navigating multiple rounds of redundancies—what it does to culture, trust, and morale - and how L&D professionals can support others while managing their own resilience.

If you’re trying to increase your influence, communicate your value more effectively, or navigate uncertainty in your organisation, this episode will give you practical ways to move forward.

Episode breakdown:
(00:00) From youth work to L&D
(02:30) Why L&D is misunderstood
(04:30) Storytelling as ROI
(06:30) The link between L&D and culture
(08:00) Why L&D is at risk during redundancies
(10:00) Speaking the language of leadership
(12:00) Progress over perfection
(14:00) The emotional impact of change
(17:00) Rebuilding trust and culture
(20:00) Meeting people where they are
(22:00) Turning insight into action
(25:00) Building resilience at work
(28:00) Communicating your value

🔗 Connect with Jade
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaderogers/

📮 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/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/
Richard Ward – https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

More from The Assembly
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://transistor.fm/privacy/
30 min
April 21Award-Winning L&D at Qatar Airways: Gary Clarke's Blueprint for Success
Adam sits down with Gary Clarke, former Group Head of Learning & Development at Qatar Airways, for a candid conversation spanning 20+ years of global L&D leadership - from starting in the British Army at 16 to leading functions at BlackRock, Capita, and Qatar Airways.
Gary delivers a masterclass on managing a complex, geographically dispersed L&D function. He shares the real work behind building a high-performing, award-winning team - uniting a fragmented function post-COVID, running internal learning conferences with 270 attendees, and creating a culture where cleaners and café staff get recognised alongside senior leaders. He also gives sharp, practical advice on what it means to truly understand your business - and why that skill separates good L&D professionals from great ones.
He takes us through:
Managing Global Complexity: Leading an 80-person L&D team responsible for the capability strategy of 65,000 employees. Overseeing learning technology, digital content, leadership pipelines, and highly regulated operational training across 170 international stations.
Rebuilding Team Culture: The impact that fostering a culture of trust and psychological safety can have, and how in enabled people to innovate.
Fostering Connection: To build community, Gary introduced cross-departmental "Lunch and Learns" , "potluck" meals and internal learning conferences.
Inclusive Recognition: Gary highlights the importance of recognising the entire workforce. He implemented peer-nominated awards, including a "Pay It Forward" trophy for acts of kindness outside the workplace.
Connect with Gary LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyclarke21/
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.
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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/
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/
32 min
April 14 How do you move L&D from delivering training to driving real performance in an AI-powered world? with Yousaf Khan
In this episode, Brigid sits down with Yousaf Khan, an AI strategy and business transformation consultant, to explore how learning and development leaders can shift from knowledge delivery to measurable impact, and stay relevant as work evolves.
Starting his career in L&D, Yousaf quickly recognised the gap between learning and real performance. Now working across strategy, performance, and AI, he helps organisations rethink how work actually gets done and where L&D can add the most value.
Together, they unpack what it takes to reposition L&D as a driver of performance, from diagnosing the real problem to focusing on workflows over skills and using AI to enhance how work happens day-to-day.
They also explore how AI is reshaping the workplace, and how L&D leaders can use it as a performance multiplier - boosting speed, capacity, and efficiency - without jumping to solutions before fully understanding the challenge.
If you’re looking to move beyond traditional training, show real business impact, or better understand how AI is changing the role of L&D, this episode offers practical, thoughtful ways to rethink your approach.
What You’ll Learn
• Why “skills” alone aren’t enough and why behaviour in context is the real measure of performance
• How to reposition L&D as a driver of performance by starting with workflows, not training briefs
• What the Fix, Enhance, Reimagine framework looks like in practice across different business functions
• How AI can augment work - speeding up research, proposals, follow-ups, and content - without replacing human judgment
• Why most organisations aren’t ready to use AI effectively yet, and what “fixing the foundations” actually means
• Practical questions L&D leaders can ask themselves this week to start identifying where AI could have real impact
• How the role of L&D shifts as AI takes on more of the diagnostic and data-gathering work

🔗 Connect with Yousaf
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousaf-khan-b36a0591/?originalSubdomain=ae
Performance Intelligence AI - www.performanceintelligence.co
📮 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/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/
Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

More from The Assembly
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
his podcast is hosted by Transistor. For more information on how your data is handled, please visit: https://transistor.fm/privacy/
47 min