How to become an L&D influencer
You too can be a #VisionaryThoughtLeader...
The other day, I was walking down the street, thinkingly deeply about learning measurement. Coffee in one hand, Design for How People Learn in the other.
Then… SQUISH! Something stopped me in my tracks.
I looked down, and realized I had stepped in gum.
At first, I was frustrated. I was already running late, and now my journey had been disrupted by some thoughtless litterbug.
But then I paused. Because, in that moment, I saw the lesson that piece of gum was trying to teach me.
In L&D, we often throw out content without any consideration for learners. When confronted by it, learners naturally react with disgust.
But what if we could design learning that was truly sticky? Learning that’s a breath of fresh air? Learning that leaves a pleasant taste in the mouth?
As an L&D Influencer and #VisionaryThoughtLeader, I know that everyday moments like this often hold invaluable lessons — lessons I naturally share (for free) on LinkedIn, as my way of giving back to the community.
If you want to follow in my gum-encrusted footsteps and become an L&D Influencer in your own right, here are a few simple steps you can take:
🔥 Insist that training is never the answer
In my early days in L&D, people would sometimes come to me with a problem. More often than not, they’d already have decided training was the solution, and they’d expect me to develop it for them.
After consulting with them to identify the root cause of the issue, I’d occasionally agree that there was a knowledge or skill gap that training could help fill.
Oh, how naïve I was!
As an L&D Influencer, one of the most profound revelations I’ve had is that more training is never, ever, ever the answer.
I am utterly convinced by the truth of this statement, as it always receives hundreds of likes and fire emojis when I post it on LinkedIn.
😱 Repeatedly remind everyone that L&D is failing the business
Every good L&D Influencer knows that L&D is all about ‘driving strategic value’, ‘aligning to business outcomes’, and ‘delivering ROI’. They also know that L&D is failing miserably in these tasks.
In my experience, learning professionals appear to enjoy living in a state of constant existential dread. And as an L&D Influencer, it’s your job to continually press on that wound, reminding practitioners of the need to justify their very existence.
Of course, you could also posit some solutions. Maybe throw around the phrase ‘trusted advisor to the business’ here and there for good measure.
But, let’s face it, nobody really knows what that means. And even if they did, it’s not what they’re looking for.
💩 Claim that educators don’t understand how real learning happens
If you’ve ended up in L&D, there’s a good chance you were a bit of a nerd in school. You might have been the sort of student who enjoyed writing essays and taking tests. Before getting your first job in L&D, you might even have spent a few years working as a teacher.
But as an L&D Influencer, you must put away childish things.
L&D, not education, is where the real learning action is. Teaching is for those who can’t (L&)Do.
Sure, some people might point out that learning in universities has led to innumerable breakthroughs that have fundamentally altered the way we understand the world.
But you’ll be ready for those pedagogical peasants, quick to retort that you once helped Steve in Finance reduce invoice-processing errors by 8%. Because you know how real learning happens.
🤖 Make bold predictions about the impact of AI on L&D
As an L&D Influencer, it’s important to have strong opinions on artificial intelligence, and what it means for workplace learning.
Whether you think AI will save us or destroy us is largely irrelevant. What matters is that you make your predictions with absolute confidence.
I know, I know… You studied English Literature in college, and probably don’t feel qualified to speak with authority about a term that, until recently, you thought meant ‘action item’.
But this is just your imposter syndrome talking! Today, anyone can become an expert on AI. And it may as well be you!
Want to share your thoughts on The L&D Dispatch? Then get in touch by emailing custom@mindtools.com or reply to this newsletter from your inbox.
🎧 On the podcast
Most organizations offer some kind of content library to help their people develop. But how much content is too much? How do you give your people choice, without overloading them?
In last week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross G and I were joined by Rosemary Hoskins (formerly of AstraZeneca), to discuss:
why extensive content libraries are a problem (as well as a solution) for organizations;
what mechanisms help people find the right content, at the right time;
whether it matters if people like the content we provide.
Check out the episode below. 👇
You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify or the podcast page of our website. Want to share your thoughts? Get in touch @RossDickieMT, @RossGarnerMT or #MindToolsPodcast
📖 Deep dive — Manager Skills Framework (2 of 12)
For the next instalment in our series of deep dives into the 12 skills that make up our Manager Skills Framework, we’re exploring self-regulation.
Closely tied to self-awareness, self-regulation is the ability to manage our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
So, why is this skill important in the context of management?
In a 2024 study, researchers examined the impact of managers’ emotional exhaustion on their teams’ psychological safety and readiness to change.
Based on survey data gathered from a Canadian governmental organization that was undergoing a period of significant transformation, the researchers found that managers experiencing emotional exhaustion were more likely to engage in laissez-faire leadership.
In turn, teams led by laissez-faire managers reported lower levels of psychological safety, which is correlated with a team’s readiness to change.
The authors write:
‘Managers are often perceived as change agents impervious to the increased demands associated with change management. Our study highlights the importance of considering managers as stakeholders who are also impacted by the organizational change and for whom their resources can become threatened.
‘Supporting overwhelmed managers instead of blaming them for the lack of readiness of their team members could help organizations navigate through organizational change in a more constructive and humane way.’
Groulx, P., Maisonneuve, F., Harvey, J.-F., & Johnson, K. J. (2024). ‘The ripple effect of strain in times of change: How manager emotional exhaustion affects team psychological safety and readiness to change’. Frontiers in Psychology.
👹 Missing links
🧐 The Consequences of Erudite Vernacular
If you’re anything like me, you might speak and write differently at work. Words like ‘align’ and ‘leverage’ have somehow slipped into my vocabulary over the years. And while I’d like to tell myself I’m merely adapting to the world around me, a recent post from Matt Furness got me thinking… Am I just trying to sound smart? In the post, Matt highlights research from 2005, which shows that using complex language actually makes us sound less intelligent. The paper’s title is also a treat: ‘Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly’. Ross G reminded me that we also covered this paper in a previous Dispatch.
🦾 Is AI Killing Your Critical Thinking? Or Are You the Problem?
In this edition of his Steal These Thoughts! newsletter, Ross Stevenson pushes back on the notion that AI is killing critical thinking. In short, Ross’s argument is that ‘AI is only as good as the human using it’, and that critical thinking is a choice. While I’d maybe counter that technology isn’t neutral, and shapes the choices we end up making, I found Ross’s perspective usefully provocative. By which I mean, it sparked some critical thinking. 😉
Ross G sent me this article from The Atlantic last weekend, knowing I share his affection for the reality show The Traitors. It has absolutely nothing to do with L&D, but it’s a highly nerdy, very ‘Atlantic-y’ delve into a cultural phenomenon, attempting to rationalize the consumption of trash TV by submitting it to near-academic analysis. It was right up my street.
👋 And finally…
Like every good millennial hipster, I am eagerly awaiting the release of Bon Iver’s new album Fable. Here’s one of the singles from the album to get your week off on the right foot.
👍 Thanks!
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