The Mindtools L&D Podcast
The Mindtools L&D Podcast is a must-listen for anyone involved in Learning and Development or Human Resources. The weekly show features regular appearances from the Mindtools team plus special guests to get right to the heart of issues affecting the L&D and HR communities. From learning needs analysis and evidence-based practice through to the impact of technology on work and hot topics at industry conferences, you'll get critical insights into the world of work, performance and learning.
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490 — Creating the environment for self-directed learning
04/07/2026
490 — Creating the environment for self-directed learning
Last year, we recorded an episode on whether "self-directed learning" is a myth. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we ask how we can create an environment where this behavior thrives. Ross G and Cammy are joined by Stella Collins to discuss: What needs to be in place for self-directed learning to flourish? How can L&D pros create this ecosystem? What are the biggest barriers to self-directed learning? During the discussion, we mentioned . We also referenced our '' report, Amy Edmondson's book The Kind of Wrong, and the C Stella's books are: Stella also discussed the book , by Merlin Sheldrake. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed the current trend for . For more from Stella, see . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit or . There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service - including AI skills development! You can also email us at . Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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489 — Are you levelling up your managers?
03/31/2026
489 — Are you levelling up your managers?
Managers are inundated with potential development areas, from technical skills to complex behaviors. But are you focusing on the right ones? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, our in-house Insights experts Dr. Anna Barnett and Dr. Nina Harrison speak to Claire about: how recent research reveals some unexpected co-benefits to managerial skill building how these insights can help us to look at organisational problem areas differently. You can download the infographic at . In 'What I Learned This Week', Nina discussed her new reading technique to absorb more of by Dr Gabor Maté. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit or . There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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488 — L&D is a bit more complicated than that
03/24/2026
488 — L&D is a bit more complicated than that
Completion stats are a vanity metric. Happy sheets are pointless. Revenue impact will get you a seat at the table. We've all heard these statements from conference stages. Some of us, your hosts included, might even have said them. But in this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we wanted to dig a little deeper. We invited Evolve L&D's Tom McDowall to join Ross G and Claire, to discuss: why the context behind completion metrics is crucial to understanding them how to design effective learner surveys how 'metric chains' help broaden our understanding of learning impact. During the discussion, we referenced Dr Will Thalheimer's book . In 'What I Learned This Week', Claire discussed the design of the . Ross G discussed a known colloquially as 'agriculture'. And it's recent acceleration. To find out more about Tom, visit . For more on the IDTX conference, see . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit or . There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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487 — The future of e-learning interfaces (Rebroadcast)
03/17/2026
487 — The future of e-learning interfaces (Rebroadcast)
Hello listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to take the opportunity to dig into the vault and revisit an old favorite from 2024 with Ben Betts. At the time we recorded this one, Ben had receently published a blog post, in which he wrote that ‘the LMS is the first point of entry to learning; the front-of-house of our industry.’ While that front-of-house may look a little different now than it did twenty years ago, and despite the oft-repeated claim that the LMS is dying, it remains the default gateway to digital learning in organizations. But are things changing? To answer that question and others, Ben joined us to discuss: the many eras of the LMS, and how we got to where we are now; the forces that have shaped e-learning interfaces over time; how AI and other changes in the tech landscape might usher in a new era. You can read Ben’s blog post, ‘What’s the Next Generation of E-Learning Interfaces?’, on his . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit or . There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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486 — How to escape the 'hero trap'
03/10/2026
486 — How to escape the 'hero trap'
Often, leaders are promoted into their roles because of their ability to solve problems. But that strength can become a weakness when it leads to dependency, creating an environment where the leader is always swooping in to save the day. In this week’s episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Cammy are joined by Bill Flynn, CEO of Catalyst Growth Advisors and author of The Hero Trap, to discuss: what the 'hero trap' is and why leaders fall into it; why the behaviors that bring early success often limit growth later on; how leadership development programs need to change to address this issue; how we can help leaders make the shift from problem-solvers to systems-architects. You can pre-order The Hero Trap , and find out more about Bill's work on his . In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D recommended the podcast . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit or . There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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485 — What will be hot in workplace L&D in 2026?
03/03/2026
485 — What will be hot in workplace L&D in 2026?
In the introduction to the latest Global Sentiment Survey report, Donald Taylor describes this year's results as 'the most significant' in the survey's history. In this week’s episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Don joins Ross D and Ross G to discuss: whether interest in AI has peaked; why Don believes the results reflect a breaking of old norms; the steady climb of 'showing value' and the relative decline of 'learning analytics'; the key challenges L&D professionals are facing; the things these professionals are doing now that they weren't doing a year ago. You can download a copy of the Global Sentiment Survey report . In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross G drew an analogy between content in the pre-AI era and . Don recommended by Geoffroi de Charny. And Ross D referenced the article '' by Scott Shambaugh. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit or . There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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484 — Level-up your LMS: How points and rewards drive behavior
02/24/2026
484 — Level-up your LMS: How points and rewards drive behavior
Cafes, restaurants and car washes all use points and rewards to drive behaviors. Can we do the same with our Learning Management Systems? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Incentli's Jeff Campbell speaks to Ross G and Ross D about: how digital currencies give LMS administrators levers they can pull to drive behavior the role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on learning the impact of branded swag on learner advocacy In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D discussed (super fun to bet on!) For more from Incentli, visit . Incentli are a Mindtools Kineo partner, so if you would like to discuss integrating points and rewards with our Totara LMS please do get in touch by contacting . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit or . There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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483 — The insider secrets L&D pros want you to know
02/17/2026
483 — The insider secrets L&D pros want you to know
If you're going in for surgery, make sure to get scheduled first thing. When you buy new clothes, wash them before you wear them. Never use a ceramic cup in a coffee shop. These are the kind of insider secrets that get shared on Reddit, and we thought it would be fun to ask the L&D community on LinkedIn to share a few of their own. And boy, did they have secrets to share! In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G and Cammy review the top responses, including: we can't achieve much if we don't change the environment we all know that 'one and done' doesn't work we don't design for how people learn To view all of the 'secrets', check out our newsletter ''. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross G . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, and our off-the-shelf courses. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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482 — Are organizations getting AI upskilling wrong?
02/10/2026
482 — Are organizations getting AI upskilling wrong?
To help organizations reap the benefits of AI while meeting regulatory requirements, many L&D teams are rolling out AI skills programs. But how do we design these programs in a way that shapes consistent, compliant behaviors, while helping colleagues develop the judgment they need to navigate messy, real-world situations? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Cammy are joined by Alyn Kinney, Senior Learning and Development Manager at T-Mobile, to discuss: how organizations are supporting AI skills development; the potential drawbacks of a top-down, skills-based approach; how to deliver practical, problem-based AI skills programs at scale. If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out Alyn's newsletter, . In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D recommended C. Thi Nguyen's book . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, and our off-the-shelf courses. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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481 — Managers: The "squeezed" middle
02/02/2026
481 — Managers: The "squeezed" middle
Pressure from above, pressure from below; little appreciation from either. That's the experience of work for many middle managers! This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, author Gary Cookson joins Ross G and Dr Anna to discuss his new book, The Squeezed Middle, with a focus on: why managers are so misunderstood and undervalued the skills middle managers require to succeed how we can all help build middle managers. During the discussion, Ross G referenced the World Economic Forum's '', Gallup's '' report, and McKinsey's Power to the Middle which . Anna referenced our own reports, '' and ''. Gary's book, The Squeezed Middle, is a. In 'What I Learned This Week', after Anna and Gary's barrage of facts, Ross G discussed . Finally, Ross G and Anna both referenced our , which combine upfront assessment, peer feedback, project-based learning and AI Skills Practice. To find out more, visit . Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at . Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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480 — Click 'Next' to acknowledge
01/27/2026
480 — Click 'Next' to acknowledge
For most of us, compliance training is a regular feature of our working lives. Instead of inducing a mexican wave of eye-rolls, what can we do to design compliance training that has impact? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Gemma, Cammy and Layla discuss: Creating compliance-based learning experiences that change mindsets and behaviors; Meeting the needs of time-poor learners; How to measure the impact of compliance training. As mentioned, we do have plenty more thoughts on compliance training! Take a look through the resources on . Recent posts include a blog "" and a guide called "". In 'What I Learned This Week', Gemma mentioned listening to the podcast The Rest is Science. It was in the episode, "How to drink lava" that Hannah Fry reveals the optimum hand position for maximum propulsion while swimming. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, and our off-the-shelf courses. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at . Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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479 — So, you're new here?
01/20/2026
479 — So, you're new here?
Induction programmes play a crucial role in shaping the way a new starter thinks and feels about an organization. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D, Cammy and Claire discuss: what makes induction programmes different from other L&D initiatives; how an 'accomplishment framework' can help new starters (and learning designers!) break induction down into manageable chunks; how to measure the impact of induction programmes. Click to download a free accomplishment framework template. In 'What I Learned This Week', Claire mentioned the Culross . Cammy referenced the . And Ross D talked about the rise of . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, and our off-the-shelf courses. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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478 — Navigating the fog of learning design
01/13/2026
478 — Navigating the fog of learning design
Learning design work is often accompanied by various forms of uncertainty — ambiguous performance needs, vaguely defined scope, shifting stakeholder expectations... In his book The Instructional Designer's Guide to Project Management, Dr Guieswende Rouamba describes this condition as 'the fog of instructional design'. And he believes project management is the key to navigating it. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Dr Rouamba joins Ross D and Adria Maston, Head of PMO at Mindtools Kineo, to discuss: why he wrote the book, and why project management is a critical skill for learning designers; what learning designers most often underestimate about the human side of project management; what he means when he says 'the best way to resolve conflict is to prevent it'. You can find The Instructional Designer's Guide to Project Management . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, and our off-the-shelf courses. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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477 — A Manager's Guide to Self-Development
01/06/2026
477 — A Manager's Guide to Self-Development
Since its first release in 1978, A Manager's Guide to Self-Development has been one of the go-to texts for new and aspiring managers. Now in its seventh edition, authors Mike Pedler and Joan Keevil join Gemma and Ross G to discuss: why self-development is so key to a manager's capabilities what has changed since the first edition of the book as published (hat tip to Michelle Ockers for this question) some of our favorite exercises from the book, to help us develop as managers. A Manager's Guide to Self-Development by Mike Pedler, John Burgoyne, Tom Boydell, Joan Keevill, Kevin Roe, Jean-Anne Stewart is . For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our own manager development offerings, including face-to-face and virtual workshops, our Manager Skills Assessment, and off-the-shelf courses. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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476 — Christmas Special: Die Hard on an LMS
12/23/2025
476 — Christmas Special: Die Hard on an LMS
Yippee-ki-yay, Christmas Turkeys! In our final episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast for 2025, the gang are climbing to the top of Nakatomi Plaza: foiling a criminal plot and solving L&D challenges as we go. We answer: What rule exists at work that, if broken, would have the biggest impact on performance? (Tony) What should L&D pros be stealing to maximise their impact this Christmas? (Heinrich) What advice would you give an L&D professional as they plan for 2026? (Marco) What do we need to let go of in L&D? (Hans Gruber) During the discussion, Gemma referenced play at work and . Ross G discussed Sir Dave Brailsford's insistence that members of Team GB Cycling . Ross D referenced , and . We also discussed some industry reports from and . And JD Dillon's , inspired by the film It's a Wonderful Life. If you've listened to this episode (always our lowest performing of the year), thank you! You can find out more about Mindtools Kineo at . There, you'll also find our back catalogue of nearly 500 episodes. That's the Christmas entertainment sorted! And if you like the show, you'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at See you next year, and thanks for listening! Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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475 — Is self-directed learning a myth?
12/16/2025
475 — Is self-directed learning a myth?
The promise of self-directed learning is that employees will take charge of their own development, if we only create the environment for them to do so. But does this actually happen? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Mindtools Kineo Head of Product Daniel Potter joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss self-directed learning, with a focus on: what self-directed learning journeys look like how motivation is different for mandatory vs self-directed learning how our approach to learning design needs to align with learner motivation. During the discussion, Gemma referenced . In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed the . For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, and our off-the-shelf courses. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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474 — So long 2025, what's hot for 2026?
12/10/2025
474 — So long 2025, what's hot for 2026?
What a year it was! In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, HowNow's Nelson Sivalingam joins Ross G and Ross D to reflect on 2025 and look to emerging trends in 2026. We discuss: AI (obviously) and how it's evolving the rise of instructor-led training how market consolidation is changing the choice of suppliers for L&D leaders. During the discussion, Ross G referenced a number of new stories: We also discussed Don Taylor's , Don's report written with Eglė Vinauskaitė, and Hemsley Fraser's . Finally, Ross G referenced the '' of AI products. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D shared an example of . Nelson discussed Gmail's new '' tool. And Ross G discussed the process of making a teaser trailer for his novel, Centauri's Shadow. You can . For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. And for more from HowNow, visit . Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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473 — Learning at LV=
12/02/2025
473 — Learning at LV=
How do you run an organization-wide learning function with just two people? At LV=, that's the main focus for Talent, Learning and Development Partner Rob Foster. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Rob joins Claire and Ross G to discuss: how building relationships throughout the organization helps support induction, mentoring and reverse mentoring programs how internal champions expand the impact of digital resources (like Mindtools!) advice for teams working on a similarly small scale. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed the structure of Taylor Swift's ''. For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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472 — Delivering business value
11/25/2025
472 — Delivering business value
The L&D industry has always talked about 'business value' as an elusive concept. Now, a new book from Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers, The L&D Leader: Principles and Practice for Delivering Business Value, articulates what that looks like in practice. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, they join Ross D and Dr Anna to discuss: how L&D teams can transition through different stages of maturity the role of data in shaping business value the role of community and where to find it in the post-Twitter world. The book, , is available now from Kogan Page. For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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471 — A long-term view on learning
11/18/2025
471 — A long-term view on learning
In many organizations, not least within L&D, urgent and important short-term challenges often crowd out the bigger picture. So, how do we step back and take the long view? In this week's episode, Ross D and Claire are joined by Nina Bressler, founder of Reimagined Value, to discuss: Nina's background and what she means by the term 'societal learning' How to work with business stakeholders to help them decide what to focus on How to measure the impact of long-term initiatives. To find out more about Nina's work, check out . In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D mentioned the article from the Stat Significant newsletter. For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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470 — AI in L&D: The Race for Impact
11/11/2025
470 — AI in L&D: The Race for Impact
Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Donald Taylor and Eglė Vinauskaitė have released four reports exploring L&D's use of AI. In this week's episode, Don joins Ross D to discuss the latest report — AI in L&D: The Race for Impact. We cover: What's changed over the last three years, and why we're at an inflection point How L&D's use of AI has slowly matured over time, evolving into more sophisticated use cases A vision for the future of L&D, beyond content-creation. You can download a copy of the full report . In 'What I Learned This Week', Don recommended the book . For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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469 — How businesses can hold on to their best people
11/04/2025
469 — How businesses can hold on to their best people
In his book Targeting Turnover, Dick Finnegan argues that, as the global population ages and more people enter retirement, it is imperative for organizations to retain the talent they already have. In this week's episode, Dick joins Claire and Cammy to discuss: Why turnover is a problem for businesses The strategies organizations can deploy to reduce turnover The impact this might have on the L&D industry. You can pick up a copy of Targeting Turnover . For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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468 — What can L&D learn from product management? (Rebroadcast)
10/28/2025
468 — What can L&D learn from product management? (Rebroadcast)
Hello listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to take the opportunity to revisit our 2021 'documentary special' on product management. It took a lot more work than our usual roundtable format, but we think it paid off. ;) To make this episode, we spoke to Myles Runham, Sukh Pabial, Danny Seals, and Gemma Paterson, discussing: what product management is what L&D can learn from product management what 'the product' is in L&D - is it L&D itself? For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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467 — Decisions, decisions, decisions... by AI?
10/21/2025
467 — Decisions, decisions, decisions... by AI?
When Dr Anna Barnett, Ross Garner and Ross Dickie discussed the role of empathy in decision-making in Episode 463, they started to ponder the role that AI plays in our decisions. In this week's episode, Ross Garner, Anna and Gemma return to the topic of smart decisions to continue that conversation. We discuss: The impact AI is having on our decisions and decision-making processes The pros and cons of using AI to help us make decisions How we might use AI to make more effective decisions. In 'What I Learned This Week', Anna recommended using the '' app to plan your outdoor adventures. Ross introduced us to Quipu. You can read about this cluster of universes in EarthSky's article ''. To read all of our reports, visit For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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466 — What L&D should (and shouldn't) be doing with AI
10/14/2025
466 — What L&D should (and shouldn't) be doing with AI
According to Donald Taylor and Egle Vinauskaitė's recent AI in L&D: The Race for Impact report, 'creating learning content' and 'learning design tasks' remain the primary use cases for AI in learning and development. But should they be? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, L&D consultant Heidi Kirby joins Ross D and Claire to discuss: the obvious appeal of using AI to scale learning content; why Heidi believes outsourcing development to AI is a mistake; what L&D could or should be using AI for, if not content generation. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross mentioned the website . For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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465 — The business impact of play at work
10/07/2025
465 — The business impact of play at work
All children play but, over time, that instinct goes away. We don't lose it, we don't forget. Instead, we get taught to stop. For author and toy designer Cas Holman, that's a problem. With a very real impact on business performance. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Cas joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss: how traditional workplaces surpress play the business benefits of play at work how to encourage play when your organization won't tolerate it. You can find out more about Cas and her book Playfulness at . You can also see her in the Netflix series Abstract: The Art of Design. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed peculiar experiments involving moths, via . For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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464 — Order taker to strategic business partner
09/30/2025
464 — Order taker to strategic business partner
Why does L&D so often feel like the drive-thru window of requests—'one leadership program, hold the ROI please'? As L&D professionals, it's not who we understand ourselves to be. So how can we flip the script so that we're seen and treated as strategic business partners? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we're joined by Jess Almlie, author of "Order taker no more!" We discuss: What keeps us stuck in an order taker role? What are the foundations of great strategic business partnering? What might a move into this new role look like? You can find out more about Jess, her work and book on her website. In What I Learned This Week, Gemma mentioned the . Sadly we don't have a photo of Ross on a horse. For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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463 — The empathy problem: Balancing emotion in decision-making
09/23/2025
463 — The empathy problem: Balancing emotion in decision-making
Decision-making is a key aspect of being a manager, and a complex mix of skills, experiences, judgments and instincts. So how do you help your managers make smarter decisions at work? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, our own Dr Anna Barnett reveals insights from our new report 'The empathy problem: Balancing emotion in decision-making', part of our Building Better Managers series. We discuss: Whether managers are more inclined to delegate difficult tasks than those they think will be achieved Why too much empathy is a problem in decision-making How to build emotionally intelligent managers. During the discussion, Anna referenced the following papers: Maas, V. S., & Shi, B. (2023). ‘’. Management Accounting Research, 60, 100851. Kaiser, R. B. (2024). ''. Consulting Psychology Journal. To read all of our reports, visit For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our new face-to-face and virtual workshops, each aligned to our Manager Skills Assessment. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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462 — Umbrage over troubled water: Disputing last week's episode
09/15/2025
462 — Umbrage over troubled water: Disputing last week's episode
Last week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, L&D Detective Kevin M Yates joined Ross D and Dr Anna to talk about isolating the impact of training at work. When listening back, Ross G took umbrage at some of the claims made by his Mindtools colleagues and so, this week, we re-litigate! We discuss: Are control groups really worth it? How else can you measure impact? Why Dr Anna thinks learning NEVER leads (directly) to business impact To find out how Mindtools can help you measure the business impact of your learning, despite what Dr Anna says, Ross D also discussed Dr Will Thalheimer's . In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D recommended the podcast. For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our award-winning Content Hub, our Manager Skills Assessment, our Manager Skill Builder and our custom work. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
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461 — It takes a village: Isolating training's impact
09/09/2025
461 — It takes a village: Isolating training's impact
Is it up to the humble L&D pro to change people's behavior at work? Or is it up to everyone? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, return guest Kevin M. Yates (aka The L&D Detective) speaks to Anna and Ross D about: How to isolate the impact of training at work What other factors influence performance How L&D pros can demonstrate the value of their roles. You can find out more about Kevin's work at For more from Mindtools and Kineo, visit . There, you'll also find details of our award-winning Content Hub, our Manager Skills Assessment, our Manager Skill Builder and our custom work. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn:
/episode/index/show/goodpracticepodcast/id/38145595