The Learning Xchange

How can you give the best training advice possible? What if someone asks for training, but you want to suggest an alternative?

As a trusted learning professional or trainer, it’s your job to assess the need for training as well as implement it. But how do you give the best advice if it’s contrary to what the organization asks for?

In this episode of The Learning Xchange podcast, Matthew Brown (Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success) is joined by his colleague, Karen Clem. They discuss how to strike a balance between being a “yes-man” and learning how to say “no” when giving training guidance. They also talk about the importance of positioning yourself as a consultant, or even a doctor diagnosing problems, to help create better solutions.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• How to build trust, authority, and respect as a learning professional
• How to say no without building walls
• The benefit of viewing your job as a consultant or a doctor diagnosing problems
• Learning when to implement extra training or advise on better communication instead
• How to give great guidance on training.

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Have you set clear expectations with your team?

Setting clear expectations is a simple yet effective way to keep everyone on the same page. If you are having trouble with employee engagement or even turnover, perhaps it’s time to revisit how expectations are communicated.  

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Matthew Brown discusses the importance of setting clear expectations. Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success highlights just how important it is that each member of a team knows exactly what’s expected of them. He draws on his own personal experience of what happens when expectations are not clearly defined.  

Listen to this episode to find out:

• Why setting clear expectations is good for both managers and subordinates
• How clear expectations improve employee engagement
• What can happen when expectations are unclear or misunderstood
• Simple ways to communicate expectations more effectively

If you liked this episode, please subscribe and, if you’re feeling generous, please leave us a five-star review so more people can discover The Learning Xchange. Thank you. 

How much focus does your company place on feedback? Is your workplace built on a culture of feedback? By this, we mean a culture that makes it very easy for people to give feedback and receive it as well. 

Feedback is integral to any group of people working together. It’s key to healthy working relationships, clear communication and overall productivity. However, your company’s culture could be standing in the way of open and honest discussions at all levels in a business. 

How you approach feedback can have a huge effect on your business. Get it wrong, and you could have an unhappy team on your hands. Get it right, and everyone can move forward and build solutions...instead of just resentment.

So, how can you start to build a culture of feedback within your company?

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Matthew Brown, Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success, discusses the importance of feedback in a company setting. He also shares some best practices for giving feedback that genuinely helps others to improve.

Listen this episode to find out:

• Why our approach to feedback is so important
• How to be more mindful when giving feedback
• How to handle defensiveness in response to feedback
• The best practices for giving positive feedback

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How should you measure the impact that training has on your organization?

Whether you are a learning professional or someone who has been tasked with implementing new training within your organization, you’ve probably been asked to measure and articulate the results by your leaders. This is something that should be expected. After all, it’s important to know that any training courses, regimes, etc., are having an overall beneficial impact on the organization.

But how can you start to measure the impact that training has had on your organization? 

You’ll find out in this episode of The Learning Xchange podcast, where Matthew Brown (Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success) talks about how you can get started when it comes to measuring the resulting impact of training on your organization.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• Why you should measure the impact of your training
• How to determine the role of training within your organization
• Why it’s important to know how your employees feel about training
• The benefits of beginning with the end goal in mind
• Questions to ask yourself when gathering data to prove what impact training has had on the organization

If you enjoyed this episode, please share what you love about The Learning Xchange by leaving us a rating and review! 

How has hiring, onboarding and training changed for your organization in the last 12 months?

Many businesses now have a remote workforce. If your organization is one of them, have you considered how to update your training and onboarding accordingly?  

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success, Matthew Brown, discusses how to approach training new hires in 2021. Matthew shares what to think about when innovating your training approach this year and why. 

Listen to this episode to find out: 

• How long your onboarding program should be
• What to include in your onboarding program
• How to adapt your initial onboarding since the pandemic
• How to shift from in-person to virtual training
• Why you should personalize training
• How to set training goals for new employees

If you enjoyed this episode, please share what you love about The Learning Xchange by leaving us a rating and review!

How are virtual events inspiring digital trainers? 

Events and educators face similar challenges when it comes to keeping audiences engaged. Moving online presented challenges for both industries, however as virtual events have developed, they’ve presented some interesting ways to keep an audience’s attention. 

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Matthew Brown reflects on how virtual events’ transformation can inspire online training. Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success analyzes what’s made virtual events successful and shares what digital trainers can learn from them.

Watch this episode to find out:

• What makes virtual events engaging
• Why the traditional event model is less effective online
• How your physical space influences your learning mindset
• How to increase participant engagement with a “sprint” model
• Why you should leverage digital tools in online learning

If you liked this episode, please subscribe and, if you’re feeling generous, please leave us a five-star review so more people can discover The Learning Xchange. Thank you. 

How does your organization define diversity, equity and inclusion? 

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are becoming an increasing focus for many organizations. After the disruption and uncertainty of 2020, businesses have been forced to pay more attention to DEI practices and how they affect their company culture. 

In this episode, Matthew Brown, the VP of Learning and Brand Success at Schoox, discusses diversity, equity and inclusion’s recent developments. He looks at how diversity and inclusion initiatives are constantly evolving and how the pandemic continues to affect equality challenges within organizations. 

Listen to find out:

• How the diversity, equity and inclusion conversation has developed
• How remote working opened opportunities for diversity, equity and inclusion recruitment strategies
• Why remote working is an equality issue
• The ongoing pandemic challenges for DEI
• The future of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Learning Xchange, the podcast from Schoox. The Learning Xchange is our weekly feature that focuses on the ever-changing landscape of online learning and talent management.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends, family, colleagues, or on social media. The podcast is also available to access as blogs on our website, or you can find the video episodes on YouTube. 

As the rollercoaster year of 2020 finally comes to an end, it’s a good time to think about self-reflection. Self-reflection is so powerful because it leads to self-awareness. It challenges you to look inward, assess what you do and why, and think about ways to continue to grow as an individual. 

In this final episode of The Learning Xchange in 2020, Matthew Brown (VP of Learning and Brand Success at Schoox) takes time to reflect on the eventful (and often difficult) year of 2020. However, instead of looking out into the world, Matthew looks inward and invites you to join him on a journey of self-reflection and discovery.

Listen in to find out:

• Why self-reflection is so important to achieve happiness both in your personal life and professional life
• How to break down your goals for the new year using the start, stop, continue approach
• Why you should cleanse your inbox before or at the start of the new year
• Why you need to consider updating your training content
• Why you should take an inventory of your personal values
• How to identify your core values in three easy steps
• The importance of cross-checking that your values align with your company’s values

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Now’s the perfect time to make sure you’re using the best L&D tools available to your organization. The right tools will help you build, embed, and deliver excellent L&D. 

As many businesses move their L&D to new and varied spaces, it’s more important than ever to think strategically so you can provide learners with connected and engaging content. 

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success, Matthew Brown, examines the many categories of L&D tools available, and asks you to assess which you’re using, what you can sharpen, and what’s missing from the mix. He breaks down the categories so you can understand how each technology provides specific learning experiences.

Watch the video to find out: 

• How organizations are using a wide range of tech tools to enhance the L&D experience
• What tools should be in your organization’s toolkit, and how best to use them
• Which tools you haven’t thought of and how to use them strategically
• Why reconnecting with your existing tech can help you see the bigger picture    

If you liked this episode, and haven’t already done so, please subscribe to The Learning Xchange podcast. We appreciate every single subscriber.

Good reviews mean a lot to us, so if you’re enjoying listening to The Learning Xchange, please leave us a five-star review so more people can find and listen to our weekly episodes. Thank you.

How does L&D shape culture in your organization?

If your organization is establishing or redefining their culture, then connecting to every employee is key. L&D can access employee insights, reinforce messages, and instigate change through their relationships with each individual–making them the perfect culture ambassadors.

Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success, Matthew Brown, reveals how you can discover the nuances of your organization’s culture and why it’s important to pay attention to it in this episode of The Learning Xchange. Listen in as he dives deep into how you can operationalize L&D to achieve your ideal company culture.

Listen to find out:

• What is organizational culture?
• How understanding culture can benefit you
• How L&D can elevate culture
• Why learning experiences shape organizational culture

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Learning Xchange podcast. We’re thankful for every subscriber, and also love to hear your feedback. Reviews help us reach more people so please leave us a five-star review and share this episode with your friends and colleagues!