In the final part of our 500th anniversary 'Eras Tour' retrospective, we conclude by saying farewell to our human co-workers and embracing the technology that will ultimately destroy us all: Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Ross G and Dr Anna B are joined by our most frequent guest of all time, Donald H Taylor, to discuss:

• how AI took over Don's annual 'Global Sentiment Survey'
• the mindset shift that L&D professionals need to embrace to adapt to change
• whether, 10 years after we first asked this question, L&D is truly dead?

During the discussion, Ross referenced the ultimate hidden banger in our back catalogue: 357 — L&D governance (the ultimate juggling act).

He also referenced an August 2025 report which found that 95% of AI pilot programs deliver no value.

In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed the incredible longevity of sharks.

Don referenced a conversation with his AI reports co-author Egle Vinauskaite. You can find their reports on Don's website. See also: donaldhtaylor.co.uk

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And if you're currently building AI skills in your organization, we can help! Check out our AI Skills Academy to find out more. Or drop us a note on LinkedIn, we'd love to hear from you.

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• Ross Garner
• Dr Anna Barnett
• Don Taylor

If the pandemic years saw the office become a 'blank space', the hybrid era gradually witnessed that space fill up again through return-to-office mandates.

In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Rob Baker joins us to continue our 'Eras Tour'. We discuss:

• how the pandemic created an opportunity for 'job crafting', and what's changed since we've come out of lockdown
• whether job crafting has lost relevance since the pandemic, or just gotten harder to realize
• what new research tells us about the impact of job crafting on performance and wellbeing.

You can find out more about the work Rob does at tailoredthinking.co.uk.

See also:

• Tailored Thinking's series of articles on Work and Job Design (including AI crafting): Building Better Work by Design
• Rob's book, Personalization at Work: Personalization at Work

In 'What I Learned This Week', Rob discussed the art of subtraction, including the Lego experiment explored in this video.

Ross G referenced an article in People Management on the challenge we may experience fulfilling AI roles in the future.

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And if you want to work with us, please do visit mindtools-kineo.com or find us on LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you.

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• Ross Dickie
• Ross Garner
• Rob Baker

Ross G stays out too late. Got nothing in his brain. At least, that's what people say.

In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we're joined by Heeral Gudka and Andy Lancaster to continue our 'Eras Tour', with a look back at the pandemic years. We discuss:

• the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on L&D, and how much of the 'new normal' we've held on to
• what connectedness and belonging look and feel like in the post-pandemic era
• how attitudes and organisational priorities around DEI have shifted since 2020.

In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed an HBR article on the pros and cons of continuous assessment.

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And if you want to work with us, please do visit mindtools-kineo.com or find us on LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you.

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• Ross Garner
• Heeral Gudka
• Andy Lancaster

Ten years, 500 shows, countless guests. To celebrate our anniversary, we're releasing a special four-part series looking back at the evolution of L&D.

In part one, Ross G and Ross D are joined by friend-of-the-show Julie Dirksen to revisit our early years.

We discuss:

• whether L&D has yet become 'evidence-based'
• dumb ideas we fall for, get over, and fall for again
• evidence-based orthodoxies which we once believed, but now aren't so sure about.

During the discussion, we referenced the Mehrabian fallacy, problems with the forgetting curve, and how psychologst Anders Ericsson improved his memory by forming connections with running times.

In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D referenced A History of the United States in 100 Objects, a podcast collaboration between the BBC and 99% Invisible. He wants you to know that his description of the 'screws' episode is inaccurate.

Ross G discussed the carrier pigeon-based social media app Roost.

Next week, we'll be revisiting our second Era: The pandemic years.

You can find details of Julie's books, Design for How People Learn and Talk to the Elephant, at our website usablelearning.com

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And if you want to work with us, please do visit mindtools-kineo.com or find us on LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you.

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• Ross Dickie
• Ross Garner
• Julie Dirksen

According to Dr Tessa Forshaw, Faculty Director of the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Workforce Learning and Innovation Initiative, workplace learning has never been more important. It's also never been at greater risk.

In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Tessa joins Ross D and Matt to discuss:

• the role of L&D at a time when the World Economic Forum has estimated that 59% of the global workforce will need retrained by the end of the decade
• the importance of 'desirable difficulty' in learning, and how this is undermined by technologies like AI
• what the future of L&D should look like in an environment where skills needs are evolving at such a rapid pace.

You can find out more about The Future of Workforce Learning and Innovation certificate programme here. Enter the code MIND5 for a discount on the programme.

In 'What I Learned This Week', Matt referenced research exploring the similarities between whale and human communication.

For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit our website mindtools-kineo.com. There, you'll also find details of our Learning Management Systems, Content Hub for leaders and managers, and custom learning design service.

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• Ross Dickie
• Matt Mella
• Dr Tessa Forshaw

Our Building Better Managers research identified that employees care about having an empathetic manager, but only half reported having a manager who was fair and empathetic.

All is not lost. Empathy is a skill, and like any other skill, it can be developed. So what might that process involve?

In this episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Loren Sanders joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss:

• the difference empathy makes
• developing self-awareness to develop empathy
• tact as the expression of empathy.

You can find out more about Loren and her book Empathy is Not A Weakness and Other Stories from the Edge at loren365.com.

Ross referred to Self-awareness and empathy that Ross referred to : Whiteside, D. B., & Barclay, L. J. (2016). The face of fairness: Self-awareness as a means to promote fairness among managers with low empathy. Journal of Business Ethics, 137(4), 721-730

In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross recommended C.J Cooke's gothic thriller A Haunting in the Arctic.

For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit our website mindtools-kineo.com. There, you'll find out how we can help your organization build AI skills, and how our Skills Practice scenarios help build human skills.

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• Loren Sanders
• Ross Garner
• Gemma Towersey

This week, we're revisting one of our favorite episodes from last year, focusing on the role 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 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 casholman.com/book. 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 The Economist.

For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit our website mindtools-kineo.com. There, you'll find out how we can help your organization build AI skills, and how our Skills Practice scenarios help build human skills.

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• Cas Holman
• Ross Garner
• Gemma Towersey

You know those people who seem to command a room with a certain gravitas? How are they doing it? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Gemma is joined by Frankie Kemp and Ross D to explore:

• what presence is
• the difference between presence and presentation
• techniques to use to develop your presence.

During the discussion, Frankie referenced:

• 'Why You Need Charisma' (via Harvard Business Review)
• 'Can Charisma Be Taught? Tests of Two Interventions' (via Academy of Management Learning & Education)

You can find out more about Frankie's work via her website frankiekemp.com.

For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit our new website mindtools-kineo.com. There, you'll find out how we can help your organization build AI skills, and how our Skills Practice scenarios help build human skills.

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• Ross Dickie
• Gemma Towersey
• Frankie Kemp

If AI is so transformative, how come it's so hard to adopt? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G is joined by Mindtools Kineo AI Strategy Director Rodrigo Bolaños to explore:

• the hype surrounding AI's potential
• the reality experienced by many organizations
• how to drive AI adoption at scale.

During the discussion, Ross G referenced:

• 'The state of AI in 2025' (via McKinsey)
• 'The AI Adoption Reality Check' (via Thomson Reuters)
• 'Many workers are using unapproved AI tools at work' (via TechRadar)
• '38% of AI-suing employees admit to sending sensitive work data' (via National Cybersecurity Alliance)
• 'AI-generated "workslop" is destroying producitivty' (via HBR)
• 'AI workslop is muddying the American workplace' (via The Week)
• 'AI in L&D: The Race for Impact' (via Don Taylor and Eglė Vinauskaitė)

In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed 'death-cleaning', following the passing of Margareta Magnusson (via The Economist).

For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit our new website mindtools-kineo.com. There, you'll find out how we can help your organization build AI skills, and how our Skills Practice scenarios help build human skills.

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• Ross Garner
• Rodrigo Bolaños

Last week, the Mindtools Kineo gang attended the Learning Technologies exhibition and conference, Europe's largest L&D event.

And so, this week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D, Ross G, Gemma and Matt are regrouping to discuss:

• our personal highlights from Learning Tech
• what the conference tells us about the shape of the industry
• the key themes that emerged over the course of the two days
• who and what industry conferences are for in 2026.

In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross G mentioned the Stat Significant newsletter.

Ross D recommended A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre.

For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit our new website mindtools-kineo.com. 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!

Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at lddispatch.com

Connect with our speakers

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• Ross Dickie
• Ross Garner
• Gemma Towersey
• Matt Mella

Throughout human history, technology has disrupted the way we communicate with one another. But according to Andrea Pacini, the fundamental principles behind effective communication haven't changed, and are as relevant today as they were in the past.

In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Andrea joins Ross D and Anna to discuss his forthcoming book, Timeless Presenter. We cover:

• what the book is about, and how it differs from Andrea's previous book, Confident Presenter
• why the principles of communication don't change, even as tools and technology do
• why nobody cares about your presentation skills, but they do care about the things those skills deliver
• why practice is the key to becoming a better presenter.

To find out more about Andrea's work, head to the Ideas on Stage website. You can also check out the Presentation Toolkit, where you'll find details on Timeless Presenter.

For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit mindtools.com or kineo.com. 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 [email protected].

Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at lddispatch.com

Connect with our speakers

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

• Ross Dickie
• Dr Anna Barnett
• Andrea Pacini