In this episode of Voices of the Learning Network, host Bill Banham is joined by Jane Hames, Director and Lead IT Trainer at Glide Training, to explore why human-centred design is the missing ingredient in many software rollouts.

Jane’s journey from self-described technophobe to trusted IT educator gives her rare empathy for the fear, frustration, and confidence barriers learners experience. Drawing on nearly three decades in the industry, she explains why feature tours fail, why listening comes first, and why training must be treated as a full change programme — not a calendar invite.

Together, Bill and Jane unpack the anatomy of successful adoption: mapping benefits to real work, spotting the subtle signals of overwhelm, building champions and senior leaders who model change, and protecting business-as-usual during transition.

They also explore the emerging role of AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini in learning new software. Jane’s advice? Use AI to accelerate discovery — but maintain healthy skepticism, strong mental models, and precise prompting skills.

If you lead L&D, manage system rollouts, or want practical ways to reduce resistance and build confidence, this episode offers immediately actionable ideas.

In this episode, we explore:

• Jane’s journey from art student to IT trainer
• Why empathy beats expertise in software training
• Treating training as change management
• Spotting overwhelm and hidden fear signals
• Building champions and visible leadership support
• Bespoke sessions vs rigid skill tiers
• Pre-work prompts and BAU safeguards
• Using AI with confidence — and skepticism

Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/