Episodes

  • 412 — Three research papers with Jane Bozarth (Rebroadcast)

    412 — Three research papers with Jane Bozarth (Rebroadcast)
    Sep 17 2024
    Hey listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to revisit this 2022 classic with Jane Bozarth because we thought it paired nicely with the latest edition of our L&D Dispatch newsletter. Do check out the newsletter Ross G discussed on our L&D Dispatch page, 'Four papers that will make you laugh (then make you think)'. Regular show notes below. --- In learning science, there are certain ideas that have leapt the fences of academia and seeped into the public consciousness. Often, these ideas gain traction because they feel intuitively true. But what does the data say? And how should we apply these ideas as learning professionals? This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross Garner and Ross Dickie are joined by Jane Bozarth, Director of Research for the Learning Guild, to discuss three research papers that challenge the received wisdom. We cover: Generational difference Learning styles The “Marshmallow Test”. The three papers we discussed were: 'Generational Differences in Work-Related Attitudes: A Meta-analysis', published in 2012 in the Journal of Business and Psychology. 'Another Nail in the Coffin for Learning Styles? Disparities among Undergraduate Anatomy Students’ Study Strategies, Class Performance, and Reported VARK Learning Styles', published in 2018 in Anatomical Sciences Education. 'Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replication Investigating Links Between Early Delay of Gratification and Later Outcomes', published in Psychological Science in 2018. The Atlantic did a good write-up of the controversy surrounding the 'Marshmallow Experiment'. See here: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/06/marshmallow-test/561779/ In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Ross Garner mentioned a Twitter thread from Aaron Berman, in which he shares writing tips from his time as editor of the US President’s daily brief: https://twitter.com/aarondberman/status/1541576231891525633?s=21&t=1_oHB0tqjbt4VXZXmTMnXQ Jane spoke about Kate the Chemist’s recent session at DevLearn. To find out more about Kate, visit her website: https://www.katethechemist.com/ Ross Dickie recommended the technology podcast ‘Hard Fork’ from the New York Times. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts, or through the NYT website: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/podcasts/hard-fork-technology.html To find out more about Jane’s work at the Learning Guild, see: https://www.learningguild.com/ For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtoolsbusiness.com. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.  Connect with our speakers    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with our speakers on Twitter:     Ross Garner - @RossGarnerMT Ross Dickie - @RossDickieMT Dr Jane Bozarth - @JaneBozarth
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • 411 — Your questions answered (Part 1)

    411 — Your questions answered (Part 1)
    Sep 10 2024

    This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Owen are diving into their L&D mailbag to answer your questions.

    We discuss:

    · Will there be more or less opportunity to make a meaningful living in L&D over the next five years? (via JD Dillon)

    · If we think of L&D as a product, what would you sunset and what would the top three candidates look like for development? (via Sean Brown)

    · What's more important to a Learning strategy and approach... Speed or Efficacy? (via Marc Steven Ramos)

    · What's your best ROI story? (via Marc Zao-Sanders)

    During the discussion, Ross referenced Benedict Evans article ‘The AI Summer’.

    Ross also referenced an example of work our behavioral scientists completed for an ESG project.

    For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.

    Or become a member to support our show! Visit mindtools.com and use the offer code PODCAST15 for 15% off an individual subscription. This offer is for new subscribers only and can’t be used with any other offer.

    Connect with our speakers 

    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:

    · Ross Garner

    · Owen Ferguson
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • 410 — Agile L&D puts the ‘human’ into ‘Human Resources’

    410 — Agile L&D puts the ‘human’ into ‘Human Resources’
    Sep 3 2024
    This week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, we're putting the ‘people’ back into People Development and the ‘human’ back into ‘Human Resources, as we explore Natal Dank's book Agile L&D. Natal is the co-owner and director of PXO Culture, a consultancy firm on a mission to make HR, culture and change about humans. And her book, Agile L&D, is a follow-up to Agile HR. We discuss: Problems with a ‘traditional’ approach to L&D Tools and methods for prioritizing and organizing workloads Whether ‘agile’ has just become another corporate buzzword To find out more about Natal, and the book, visit pxoculture.com During the discussion, Natal referenced the books The Build Trap by Melissa Perri and Embracing Uncertainty by Margaret Heffernan. For more on Taylorism, see ‘scientific management’. In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Ross Garner discussed Yuval Noah Harari’s bleak take on the future of AI and government. Nahdia discussed digital twins. Natal discussed Meditations for Mortals. For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.   Or become a member to support our show! Visit mindtools.com and use the offer code PODCAST15 for 15% off an individual subscription. This offer is for new subscribers only and can’t be used with any other offer.  Connect with our speakers    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: Ross Garner Nahdia Khan Natal Dank
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • 409 — Communication skills for geeks

    409 — Communication skills for geeks
    Aug 27 2024
    Technical professionals have a high level of expertise, but translating that expertise for non-technical colleagues isn’t always straightforward. Whether you’re an engineer, a researcher, or even an L&D professional, how can you communicate in a way that resonates with your audience? This week on the Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Owen are joined by Neil Thompson, founder of Teach The Geek, to discuss: why good communication skills are important for technical professionals; the specific challenges associated with technical communication; how L&D can support technical professionals to become better communicators. To find out more about Neil’s work, visit www.teachthegeek.com The very geeky meta-meta-analysis that Owen mentioned in ‘What I Learned This Week’ can be found at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01172-y You can read the Verge article that Ross D referenced at: https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/18/24223160/waymo-honking-san-francisco-parking-lot-depot-fix-not-working For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.   Or become a member to support our show! Visit mindtools.com and use the offer code PODCAST15 for 15% off an individual subscription. This offer is for new subscribers only and can’t be used with any other offer.  Connect with our speakers    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: Ross Dickie Owen Ferguson Neil Thompson
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • 408 — Early careers: What if we teach them and they leave?

    408 — Early careers: What if we teach them and they leave?
    Aug 20 2024

    This week we’re revisiting an old adage: The employer who says, ‘What if we train our people and they leave?’ And the trainer who says, ‘What if we don't and they stay?’

    As Talent Development Manager for Kew Green Hotels, Clare Sheppard knows all about this. She’s responsible for helping those who want to stay progress in their careers, while giving those who leave a great experience that they can carry with them into their next role.

    We discuss:

    · the types of colleague who fall into the ‘Early Careers’ bucket (it’s broader than you might think!)

    · how to identify high potential colleagues

    · the role of managers in supporting Early Careers professionals.

    For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work.

    Or become a member to support our show! Visit mindtools.com and use the offer code PODCAST15 for 15% off an individual subscription. This offer is for new subscribers only and can’t be used with any other offer.

    In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Clare discussed the likelihood of it raining, and what that means.

    Ross recommended (sort of) an old episode of The Magic Roundabout.

    Connect with our speakers 

    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:

    · Ross Garner

    · Clare Sheppard
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • 407 — Revisiting 70:20:10: From learning to performance

    407 — Revisiting 70:20:10: From learning to performance
    Aug 13 2024
    Last week on The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Owen explored how the 70:20:10 model is being applied by three L&D Practitioners: Ceri Sharples, Cath Addis, and Carl Akintola-Davis. Today, we wanted to follow up on some of the challenges posed during that discussion with The 70:20:10 Institute’s Charles Jennings. What does it really mean to 'integrate learning into the workflow', and how does 70:20:10 move us towards a performance focus? We discuss: · Where the numbers ‘70’, ‘20’ and ‘10’ come from · How a focus on ‘learning’ tends to lead to a ‘10+’ approach · Examples of interventions that have focused on supporting performance, rather than formal learning. For more on the origins of 70:20:10, see this blog post from Charles. See also The Center for Creative Leadership’s chapter ‘Learning Through Experience’. Mind Tools offers a summary of Informal Learning, by Jay Cross. Joseph Stiglitz book is Creating a Learning Culture. Find out more about Dr Edwards Deming. For more from Charles and his team, see 702010institute.com. The case study Charles wrote with Brian Murphy from Citi bank was: ‘From Courses to Campaigns: Citi’s Journey to a Culture of Continuous Learning’. For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work. Or become a member to support our show! Visit mindtools.com and use the offer code PODCAST15 for 15% off an individual subscription. This offer is for new subscribers only and can’t be used with any other offer. In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Owen recommended (again) Lenny’s Newsletter, in particular a recent edition on pricing for AI features. Ross discussed a post from Ben Evans on how users are interacting with ChatGPT. Charles recommended the podcast The Infinite Monkey Cage. Connect with our speakers  If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: · Ross Garner · Owen Ferguson · Charles Jennings
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • 406 — Revisiting 70:20:10: Theory into practice

    406 — Revisiting 70:20:10: Theory into practice
    Aug 6 2024

    Depending how you count it, 70:20:10 is almost 40 years old. The model provides a high-level outline of how we learn at work: 10% through formal learning, 20% through working with others, 70% through doing the work.

    The numbers get criticised, but this insight is widely accepted: Most of what we learn does not come from formal training. But how then should L&D practitioners apply the model to the work that they do? Is it still a useful concept after all this time?

    In the first of this two-part series, Ross Garner and Owen explore these questions with three practitioners: Ceri Sharples, Learning and Development manager at Somerset Bridge Group; Cath Addis, L&D manager at Ascential; and return guest Carl Akintola-Davis, Head of Leadership Development at Phoenix Group.

    We discuss:

    · The history and criticisms of 70:20:10

    · How useful the concept is for discussing workplace learning with stakeholders

    · How to think about the ‘70’, the ‘20’, and the ‘10’ when designing learning programs.

    For more on the origins of 70:20:10, see this blog post from Charles Jennings of The 702010 Institute, who is joining us next week on the show.

    Carl’s acronym for workplace learning was ‘Performance RECIPES: Reflection, Experimentation, Connection, Information, Practice, Environment and Support’.

    In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Owen discussed a new paper from Nature, which didn’t really impress him: Bloom, N., Han, R., & Liang, J. (2024). Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance. Nature, 1-6.

    Ross learned the unfortunate fate of 440 squirrels.

    For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work. 

    Connect with our speakers 

    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:

    · Ross Garner

    · Owen Ferguson

    · Ceri Sharples

    · Cath Addis

    · Carl Akintola-Davis
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • 405 — What’s in your book bag this summer?

    405 — What’s in your book bag this summer?
    Jul 30 2024

    A summer holiday holds the potential for distraction-free reading. With that in mind, in this week’s episode our podcast team suggest books that hold lessons for L&D practitioners. Which might you take on holiday this summer?

    Book list

    • Right Kind of Wrong. Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive (2023) by Amy Edmondson

    www.amazon.co.uk/Right-Kind-Wrong-Learning-Thrive

    • Counter-Intelligence: What the secret world can teach us about problem-solving and creativity (2024) by Robert Hannigan

    https://www.roberthannigan.com/

    • The Tyranny of Metrics (2018) by Jerry J. Muller

    www.amazon.co.uk/Tyranny-Metrics-Jerry-Z-Muller

    • How big things get done. The surprising factors behind every successful project (2023) by Brent Flyberg and Dan Gardner

    www.amazon.co.uk/How-Big-Things-Get-Done

    • A history of the world in twelve shipwrecks (2024) by David Gibbons

    www.amazon.co.uk/History-World-Twelve-Shipwrecks

    • Performance-focused learner surveys (2022) by Will Thalheimer

    www.amazon.co.uk/Performance-Focused-Learner-Surveys-Distinctive-Effectiveness

    In ‘What I Learned This Week’, Nahdia spoke about how former PM Harold Wilson funded his Alzheimer’s care www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/23/former-pm-harold-wilson-sold-private-papers-fund-care-alzheimers

    Ross Dickie also mentioned the traditional Greek bagpipe, known as the ‘tsampouna’, which he discovered during a recent holiday on Santorini.

    For more from us, including access to our back catalogue of podcasts, visit mindtools.com/business. There, you'll also find details of our award-winning performance support toolkit, our off-the-shelf e-learning, and our custom work. 

    Connect with our speakers 

    If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:

    · Nahdia Khan

    · Owen Ferguson

    · Ross Dickie
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins