The Learning & Development Podcast: The #1 L&D Show

“The field of play has evolved for L&D and now includes supporting a dynamic learning performance ecosystem. If the field of play changes, it implies we must evolve and adopt new rules of engagement.” 

What Gary is referring to here is the the Point Of Work. In this episode, the point of topic is the Point Of Work, which is broader than workflow learning and an essential area of focus if we (L&D) are to make a real difference in our organisations. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Workflow learning is learning in the workflow where the worker does not have to disengage with the work in order to resolve a moment of need. 

• The concept of learning in the workflow is one where learning is accessible, but you have to disengage with the actual work to go and find it. 

• Point Of Work is not necessarily a destination. It’s a discipline. The whole concept is a mind-shift, a strategic re-think of how we are going to approach a dynamic learning performance eco-system. 

• “Changing the conversation” is one of the key objectives that a Point Of Work assessment is designed to facilitate. It has to start at the top. 

• The question we should truly be asking is what is that operationally, people-wise, or systemically, might actually be the problem that is preventing your people from doing what they are here to actually do? 

• If you go down through from a senior leadership position to an individual contributor, you have multiple points of work, and you have multiple perspectives that are influencing those points of work. 

• The shift from learning to performance is one that comes up more and more these days. In a study, only 26% of respondents said that the ability to support performance was prevalent within their function. 

• We need to pick the greatest pain-point that we’re dealing with and figure out how to resolve that. What that will then become is proof-of-concept. Conversations will arise from this, which will fundamentally shape development.

BEST MOMENTS

• ‘It’s in the workflow. It’s in the application. There’s no downtime’ 

• ‘Off-task time is required in order to engage in learning in the workflow’ 

• ’No. I want it all’ 

• ‘What is the problem that we are truly seeking to address here?’ 

• ’There was a landmine there of a different kind!’ 

• ‘It starts small and it scales’ 

• ‘Human performance outfitters drives living and learning’   

ABOUT THE GUEST

Gary Wise is an established Workforce Productivity Strategist and Coach with over 35-years of cross-industry leadership experiences in corporate Learning & Development. During the first 20-years he amassed an impressive string of failures; not failures in team leadership or poorly designed Training solutions, but failures to recognise a blind spot – the myth that Training solutions drive and sustain workforce performance.  

During the next 15-years, he postured a reality that Training only promotes potential; measurable workforce performance does not manifest until knowledge workers reach a new ground zero – Point-of-Work 

You can follow and connect with Gary via: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garywiseprofilemyca/ 

Website: https://livinginlearning.com/ 

ABOUT THE HOST

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 

• Website: https://www.looop.co/

Each week David has talked to guests about what lights them up in the world of people development across 31 episodes this year. 

As a way of wrapping this up for2019 in this episode, he shares a summary of his learning so far and looks ahead to next year. 

In 2020 truly understanding user-centricity, human-centred designed will be key and learning what this really is that will be important for every learning and development professional. 

By understanding what it is people are trying to do, the experiences they are having what’s required of the organisation then better experiences can be designed in order to improve performance and insight. If we can understand the experiences people have then we can design even greater experiences   

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The shift from learning to performance is well underway and it was a key theme for many of the guests on the podcast. 

• The emergence of data in learning and development that is far beyond the valuation data available previously is a good signifier of where we should be applying our attention. 
• if we are going to address the primary concerns of our workforce and organisations it’s going to be around performance. 
• We need to move forward and with the changes to the workplace and work, we need to change the way we work to bring greater impact. 
• An agile mindset which is working with and for the client understanding what it is they are trying to achieve and iterating this over a period of time to affect performance, output, results and data can be a game-changer for learning and development. 
• Resources, not courses are both a mindset and a practice and it continues to gain momentum within the learning and development arena. 

• Learning in the flow of work is learning while you are working it’s not stopping work to learn 
• You are building your knowledge and incite from where you work and is focused on what you are trying to achieve. 
• People are already having experiences at work – these may be good, bad, effective, ineffective or largely indifferent and it’s about understanding what people are already experiencing in relation to what they are trying to do and designing Learning and Development experiences that move the needle in the right direction. 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘What  does acceptable performance look like and what performance needs to be addressed and what needs to be the focus to understand performance to a greater degree?’ 

‘Everyone is now experimenting to see if they can move the needle in the right direction’ 

‘It’s not an emerging trend it’s one that’s being embraced a lot more and will help us to affect performance’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

The Learning & Development Podcast  

ABOUT THE HOST 

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

CONTACT METHOD 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 

Website: https://www.looop.co/ 

"L&D is fast becoming more than just a support function, one that is a strategic partner to the effective operation of any business”: this is a phrase Jeremy McLellan uses in his LInkedIn bio and a great description of the value he brings to his employers. 

In this episode, we talk about how Jeremy has evolved his own practice, how he has brought his organisations along with him and achieved real business results.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The paradigm shift in technology and its everyday applications has driven change in the way we consume education. The result is that we have adapted our own behaviours to suit this, but business training and development hasn’t yet caught up.

• Expectations from our stakeholders, organisations and bosses, are that we run programs based on requests. Jeremy has begun to solve this by blogging, opening discussions and holding conversations. Communication is key.

• An effective tool was to role-play the candidate experience with staff members, everything from arriving at the office to the setting of each environment. It even went so far as to include calls and conversations. The feedback proved extraordinarily accurate when real candidates arrived.

• We do not tend to acknowledge the actual situations and challenges that people face in the context of their work, then a great deal of effort and credibility loses out.

• When development was certificate-based, people saw each session as little more than a step toward their goal, instead of a real and fruitful development experience. Once the certificate was earned, the experience and knowledge was sidelined.

• trust is vital between candidates and L&D. We all face resistance due to the expectations of candidate’s prior experiences. It’s best not to force something. We need to go where we’re wanted and needed, and look for the areas that are open to embracing change.

BEST MOMENTS

• ‘Business L&D needs to bridge the gap’
• ‘Googling our way through life’
• ’There were so many rituals that I thought were bonkers and unreasonable’
• ‘When you write something down it frames that thing in your own mind’
• ’To try something different in an organisation requires currency’
• ‘Resistance can be born out of miscommunication or lack of vision'

ABOUT THE GUEST

Jeremy McLellan is Head of Learning and Development Europe at Alvarez & Marsal and previously held the same title at Hudson. As a progressive L&D leader who focuses on performance and results, Jeremy challenges his teams to make the difference that makes a real difference, helping people to do what they’re trying to do better and helping his organisation to more effectively and efficiently achieve its aims.

You can follow and connect with Jeremy via:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mclellan-evolving-learning-b6a12711

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/

In this fascinating episode, David is in conversation with Haydn Bratt founder of MINDSET and a personal leadership coach. He works to change the ways people lead so people can express their brilliance in the workplace. 

They discuss the changing face of leadership and the different drivers that impact on business today. 

The old models of leadership are no longer achieving the results businesses are striving for so what needs to be different and how can it be achieved? 

This thought-provoking discussion will benefit any Learning and Development professional listen in and learn. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Future leadership is about how do we equip the people in our businesses to lead into and master tomorrow. 

• The world is changing there is a lot of different drivers impacting business today. 
• The old models of leadership are no longer working or achieving the results businesses are striving for. 
• There are a group of people coming into the workplace with a completely different set of expectations. 
• There is rapid growth in technology and this is driving different ways of working. 
• Knowledge is no longer the currency it used to be and there is a change in the dynamic around how people are working together. 

• There is an emergence of the need for leadership with an emotional connection. 
• People want to feel a sense of belonging to the people around them and a connection to the leaders of the organisation. 
• There is a genuine fundamental foundational need for an alternative way to lead organisations. 
• As an L&D professional, you need to invest in yourself in the areas you are passionate about. 
• Become more of a challenger and build your ability to look beneath. 

• If you are passionate about learning and development first educate yourself about the trends and then start thinking about where your organisation is going. 
• No organisation fails from a lack of hard work we fail through a lack of quality thinking 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘One career in one organisation is gone for many’ 

‘They want to feel more than just a number in the organisation’   

‘There are a set of behaviours that have always existed in great leaders over the years and we are now seeing a greater demand for these leadership skills’ 

‘There is a fundamental shift in the power dynamic’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

The Learning & Development Podcast  

Mindset Leadership website 

Haydn Bratt LinkedIn 

ABOUT THE HOST 

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

CONTACT METHOD 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 

Website: https://www.looop.co/ 

More and more, forward-thinking organisations are exchanging traditional hierarchies for networks of empowered teams. These teams are more agile, connected by tech and may only be brought together for short amounts of time. In this podcast, we discuss the importance of measuring high performance in teams and what we need to do to develop them accordingly. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• There are now fusion teams that are brought together for a specific activity. 
• You are not just part of a set team you are teaming with others. 
• Our environments are highly complex so it’s important that our definitions of high performing teams continue to evolve. 
• When a measure becomes a target, it is no longer a measure. 

• A measure will always help the team to learn more and work out where look for it. 
• In real situations, the dynamics are continually changing. 
• We need to understand what we want to affect,  the current state of play and what the priorities are for the people within the team. 
• When you are in a complex environment you cannot ask the question ‘what’ or ‘how’ you can only ask  - who can I speak to? 
• Currently, you have to learn the tool first and then use it with the team. 

• The team has to be able to self-service the data and deal with its environment and the individuals. 
• To start you can identify the number of teams you have and what types of teams you have within your organisation then look at the environment. 
• If you are at a point where you are moving teams you can look at a different way of evaluation, one that empowers people. 
• Find out what you need your teams to be able to do and the environment they need to do it in. What environments need to be created so that teams can be effective. 
• Start from a place of knowing not a place of assumption. 

• What teams are currently using as tools are far too slow we have the technology, the people, the knowledge and the science its now about creating the tool that  works in real-time helps us learn on the go  providing the information that indicates progress is in the right direction. People are then in a position to make decisions and performance  becomes a by-product because the team are energised 
• If people are coming in happy and leaving happy it’s an indicator of positive team energy. 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘The answer are everywhere else but in your own industry’ 

‘It’s making the world your classroom’ 

‘As a team lead, I wanted help to be able to practically support my teams’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

The Learning & Development Podcast 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Imran Rehman Bio 

Imran Rehman is an organisation and performance specialist, with an expertise in measuring and developing high performance. 

Based in Vienna, Imran is a leadership coach as well as co-founder of Kokoro, an intuitive app to measure emotions in teams, in real-time. 

CONTACT METHOD 

You can follow and connect with Imran via: 

Twitter: @ImsRehman 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranrehman/ 

Website: https://bekokoro.com/ 

ABOUT THE HOST 

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

CONTACT METHOD 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 

Website: https://www.looop.co/ 

What is Resilience and Why is it such a Hot Topic? Interview with Dr Carole Pemberton, Resilience Expert and Developer of Coaches 

There has been a generation who have seen themselves as helicopter parents, watching over their children,  but in reality, they are lawn mower parents, mowing out of the way any obstacles but resilience is the learning that you take from the things that go wrong when obstacles are overcome. All the time spent having adventures and playing with others is important in building resilience and without this learning, it can be challenging for individuals to cope when things go wrong at any point in their lives. 

In this fascinating interview with Dr Carole Pemberton a resilience expert, we find out about the role of resilience in individuals and organisations and how L&D can support and develop resilience effectively. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Resilience is a requirement when working in any organisation as the environment can be subject to constant change. 
• There is no longer a fixed path through an organisation. 
• There’s a whole climate that feels less certain and within that in order to work a level of agility is required, you’ve got to be able to flex and adapt. 

• The situations in which we expect people to be resilient have changed dramatically 
• The evidence shows that it is less about a particular approach to resilience and more about on-going support. 
• If we think about resilience as an outcome that is a result of a variety of things  - your confidence, optimism, ability to flex are all contributors to your level of resilience. 
• It can be helpful to start by asking about the resilience you already have. 
• Developing resilience is a commitment by the organisation, the team and the individual. 

• There is something about sharing that helps people deal with problems and challenges. 
• One of the most important things you can create is a supportive environment where people feel confident about sharing. 
• Being able to talk with group or peers can leave the individual feeling more resilient and more resourced. 
• For L&D building in ongoing support and including it as part of training programs alongside the recognition that it has to be an ongoing conversation can be effective in building resilience. 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘Resilience can be applied at a team level – are they supportive of each other, does this team notice when something is going well and support each other’ 

‘You can start with a conversation and gain a feeling about how things are going’ 

‘Most of your resilience comes from the stuff you didn’t want to happen’ 

‘Most of the time most of us are resilient’ 

‘Sometimes people don’t start a conversation until its almost too late’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

The Learning and Development Podcast 

Resilience: A Practical Guide for Coaches 

Carole Pemberton website 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘The L&D world needs to become much more confident working in these ways’ 

‘For people in senior positions, it’s about letting go and trusting in something new’ 

‘You need to be where people are and understand why they want to learn in the first place’ 

‘There is a recognition now that everything is changing, and it is happening at a pace so beware of certainty’ 

 ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr Carole Pemberton has over 30 years’ experience in helping individuals to have more successful and satisfying working lives. She does this in her work as an executive coach and career coach working with clients across the globe and across sectors. Her doctorate in resilience coaching positions her as having a particular expertise which is supported by her advanced level qualifications in Executive Coaching and Career Coaching.

Carole is an author whose publications offer coaches and managers practical tools for enhancing their effectiveness, based on research and experience.

You can follow and connect with Carole via:

Website: https://carolepemberton.co.uk/

Email: [email protected]

‘Resilience: A Practical Guide for Coaches’ Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resilience-Guide-Coaches-Carole-Pemberton/dp/0335263747/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425577961&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=resilience+a+practical+guide+for+coaches

ABOUT THE HOST 

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

CONTACT METHOD 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 

Website: https://www.looop.co/ 

In an article of the same name, Mike Bedford commentated on a revolution that he’s seeing - and experiencing - in the Learning & Development profession, and encourages us all to get involved. 

In this episode, we discuss the revolution, which is a backlash against ineffective practice and maintaining the status quo.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Revolution is about change. In terms of an L&D revolution we need to change, but we also need to unite behind a common purpose. At present the L&D industry feels too fragmented, but needs to come together or risk becoming obsolete.
• Employees often misperceive L&D as the training itself, rather than the functional improvement that results in effective targeting of training needs.
• Disruption in the sector means breaking the cycle of Order - Content - Delivery. The disruption needs to come from us instead of elsewhere.
• Telling an evidence-based story, and using effective evaluation is far more valuable to L&D and to their respective parent companies, than any kind of stat sheets or numbers.
• Mike has adopted a blended approach towards L&D for his organisation. Because many of the workforce are scattered, he rules nothing out. Some development is done remotely or through e-learning, while some is done in-house. They are currently looking at the first six months of 2020 for potential direction.
• Sometimes, when the training requested by the workforce does not seem a fit, it is Mike’s job to look at the deeper reasons that have led them to ask. The questions asked and the solutions are becoming more bespoke.
• We need to stop being so entrenched in our preferred methods of delivering our craft. We need to be more fluid and embrace the entire profession.
• Ask ourselves how equipped we are to hold the right conversations and develop the solutions that will move the needle.

BEST MOMENTS

• ‘It feels to me like revolution is in the air’
• ‘We’re in the business of improving performance outcomes’
• ‘Disruption needs to come from us’
• ‘LinkedIn knows more about you than your HR department does’
• ‘People think I’m anti-training, but I’m not’
• ‘We’re changing the world one conversation at a time’
• ‘We have more things in common than we do differences'

ABOUT THE GUEST

At the time of recording, Mike was Head of Learning & Development and Wellbeing at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. He is a self-proclaimed L&D modernist and blogger.

You can follow and connect with Mike via:

Twitter: @BeddyMike

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebedford/

Read ‘The L&D Revolution’: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ld-revolution-mike-bedford

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/
• Website: https://www.looop.co/

Andy Lancaster is Head Of Learning at CIPD and author of the book ‘Driving Performance Through Learning’, in which he charts a course for L&D that challenges traditional expectations and shows the way towards the future. 

In this episode, we explore the drivers of this change and how L&D can - and should - adapt to meet the needs of the modern workforce.

Please note, as a special offer to listeners, the link below to purchase Andy's book will give you 15% off the cover price.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What can we practically do to support the transformation of organisational learning; to really support performance improvement? - this was the question that spurred Andy to write his book.

• Learning and development in any organisation, private or public, should always be driving that company’s performance and purpose.

• Performance itself is a contentious, and indeed sometimes controversial word or concept. Many believe that performance is open to interpretation, and therefore a difficult metric to measure.

• When preparing to write the book, there were several key themes that emerged for Andy surrounding the emerging organisational landscapes (we need to understand how organisations are changing), and foundational principles (transformational approaches to development). These manifested in three themes:
  • Work - operational models are being disrupted everywhere. The way we approach development has to change.
  • Workforce - There are a greater range of ages in the workforce than ever before. There is less hierarchy.
  • Workplace - Single locations are becoming rarer these days. 

• In Andy’s experience, he has found that change is generally embraced when it comes to development, but there will always be an element that resists due to the transition to the new way of working, and the ever-evolving working environments.

• We need to ask what foundations look like. We need to ask what learning approaches look like. We need to think about these questions in a new way, and use technology to aid in answering.

• Around 50% of all Learning & Development professionals are extremely concerned with the state of their own development. 

• Smart devices are changing the way we live. They guide us throughout our day and act as personal assistants in every way possible. We need to better understand a way in which these highly personal devices can drive our own learning and development in a revolutionary way.
• We need people to have more self-direction in the workplace, with a greater sense of autonomy (essential), and learning needs to be interrelated with others in that space

BEST MOMENTS

• ‘You have to have a very compelling reason to write a book’
• ’Performance is not a contentious word’
• ‘Unless you paint a compelling vision, change is a very difficult concept to go with’
• ‘We’ve got to think about a bigger vision’
• ‘People want to change. We have to be modern learners ourselves’
• ‘It’s now about creating not fixed dishes, but buffet menus’
• ’Self direction is what really motivates us’
• ‘I dream of painting and then I paint my dream’
• ’The best way to predict the future is to create it'

ABOUT THE GUEST

Andy Lancaster has more than 25 years’ experience in learning and organisational development in commercial, technological and not-for-profit organisations and has also worked as a consultant. 

As Head of Learning at CIPD, Andy is responsible for professional development and learning products, content and qualifications for L&D, coaching and mentoring and management and leadership.

You can follow and connect with Andy via:

Twitter: @AndyLancasterUK

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-lancaster-ab995418/

Link To Book With 15% Discount Off Cover Price when you enter the promotion code AHRDL15 at the checkout: www.koganpage.com/DPTL

ABOUT THE HOST

David James

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.

CONTACT METHOD

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/
• Website: https://www.looop.co/

Performance Consulting is recognised as a key skill-set for the modern L&D professional who wants to make a difference in their organisation. In this episode, Nigel Harrison helps us to understand what Performance Consulting is and how it’s helping L&D to align to its organisation to achieve more. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Performance Consulting is how you ask your client questions to uncover the apparent need. It doesn’t assume that learning and training are the best solutions. Deliberate beforehand if what L&D strategy is the way to go. 

• Some use L&D for work compliance, some use it for personal development, and some use it to improve the business performance. You need consulting when something’s bound to be crucial to the business goals. Great L&D can help you in cost reduction and in work efficiency. 
• There are great risks when we become lenient of people we take in our company. We want people who understand your business needs and can move with us forward.  
• Application > Theory. Your priority is to ready them in what they’ll be facing in work. Give it a second thought if an academic or educational appraoach is the correct one for them. You should be able to introduce them to the work culture, increase their productivity, and be knowledgeable with your obectives. 
• Why people have the hard time seeing that performance is greater than training courses? Some seniors are immovable in incorporating changes in the traditional apporach they’re used to—the mentality has to change. Some, though know of the recent developments in L&D, just don’t have the means to push through such changes. 

BEST MOMENTS 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Nigel Harrison is recognised as an authority in Performance Consulting and has worked globally with clients to develop the skills for sustained business impact. He’s a Chartered Business Psychologist, Author of “How to be a True Business Partner by Performance Consulting” and founder of Performance Consulting UK Ltd. 

You can find out more from Nigel via: 

• Website: https://performconsult.co.uk/  
• The Performance Consulting Process: http://performconsult.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/new-web-site-7StepProcess.png  
• ‘How To Be A True Business Partner’ Book: https://performconsult.co.uk/book-shop/ 

ABOUT THE HOST 

David James  

David has been a People Development professional for over 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board.  

CONTACT METHOD  

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ 

Changes in the Retail landscape have meant that companies have had to adapt or collapse if they don’t meet the changing expectations of consumers. But a business can’t change if it’s people aren’t ready. In this episode, these changes are explored and Mike shares how River Island’s approach to L&D has had to adapt too. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

Challenges 

Resale and in particular fashion is facing real challenges with competition and changes in the buying trends of consumers. As a business, we have to focus on serving our customers better. 

In retail ,recruiting and having the right people with the right expertise is vital and there are challenges in attracting and keeping the right people. 

Retail is still about how people feel - both the customer and the people within the business. 

Our employees may not our customers but we need to take the mindset methodologies and the approaches we apply with customers and use them for the people who provide the service to the end-user. 

Learning 

There are so many different ways we can support people in getting access to the information they need at the time they need it, feeling connected with the organisation and that they have meaningful work and are developing professionally. 

People do want to learn but they will only learn when they have the autonomy to do so and can link it to developing their competence and expertise. This then, in turn, drives the motivation to go out and find learning for themselves. 

If you can guide and support people towards confident and competent doing then you will have their attention. 

When you create a program for everything you create rules and barriers for people wanting to engage and then what we offer as learning and development becomes a blocker to actual performance. 

As L&D professionals we need to have a suite of tools and solutions that we can mix and match to suit the individual need and we need strong enough relationships with our colleagues to follow it through, understanding what the problem is and working collaboratively to solve it. 

We should be able to attribute hard business metrics to the things we are doing and we can only do this if we have credible relationships with our colleagues and are trusted to work with them. 

Data-driven learning 

There are lots of different ways of using data but it’s helped me to tell stories with credible points. 

We need more people telling stories about how data is helping them. 

Data is the foundation of digital from which the approaches and tech are built 

If you can talk with authenticity and not talk about the tech, but talk about the value then you start to change hearts and minds and gain traction. 

It’s about challenging yourself taking your opportunities learning from other people and don’t be afraid of taking a jump and being brave. 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘The bedroom is the new changing room’ 

‘I wanted to feel that buzz and excitement about contributing to real business change’ 

‘The way and means in which  learning and development serve an organisation would be better served in listening more’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

The Learning & Development Podcast 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Mike Collins 

Mike Collins is Senior People Experience Specialist at River Island and podcast host on The Lancashire HotPod. Previously, working for RBS for 10 years winning numerous awards for the work he had been involved in. Mike has also worked for CIPD training provider DPG plc, specialising in social & collaborative working and developing L&D qualifications. 

GUEST CONTACT METHOD 

You can follow and connect with Mike via: 

Twitter: @Community_Mike 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/communitymike/ 

Instagram: layzmc  

Podcast: https://www.thelancashirehotpod.com/ 

ABOUT THE HOST 

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Strategist at Looop, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

CONTACT METHOD 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning?lang=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 

Website: https://www.looop.co/