As we wrap up our series on the learning business in disruptive times, it’s important to reflect on what we’ve learned and consider where we go next in these complex times of uncertainty

You may remember back in episode 254, that we broke down and reflected on our first two interviews—one with Seth Kahan, founder of Visionary Leadership, and the other with Shilpa Alimchandani, a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist.

Since then, we've had the chance to also speak with Tracey Steiner, senior vice president for education and training at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and Shawn Boynes, executive director of the American Association for Anatomy.

In this final installment of our seven-part series, we delve into the highlights and key takeaways of those recent conversations. We also offer some final points of reflection to consider related to the possibilities and complexities of the learning business in disruptive times and the places where you might need to “begin again”.

Full show notes and transcript available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode257.

With 25 years of experience in the association sector, Shawn Boynes, executive director of American Association for Anatomy (AAA), spent the greater part of his career passionately serving in the education and professional development space. In this time, he developed a true appreciation for learning and the value that associations bring to the world, which has undoubtedly shaped who he is today as a leader.

Focused on influencing positive change, he is also a co-host of the recently launched Texts to Table podcast, which focuses on conversations around race and leadership.

In this sixth episode in our series on the learning business in disruptive times, Celisa talks with Shawn about the challenges and opportunities related to leading through the coronavirus pandemic and the renewed spotlight on systemic racism. He also shares his perspective as a Black leader, how recent events led to the creation of his new podcast, and why now is the best time for organizations to take risks.

Full show notes and transcript available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode256.

As the senior vice president for education and training at NRECA, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Tracey Steiner oversees the development of the association’s annual and regional meetings, national conferences, board of directors training, executive and staff-level education, and credentialing programs.

She is also the creator of "Tracey’s Takeaways", a regular feature on NRECA’s website that focuses on employee development, management issues, leadership and organizational culture.

In this fifth episode of our series on the learning business in disruptive times, Jeff talks with Tracey about how NRECA is being impacted by the current pandemic including the related challenges and opportunities. They also discuss the thoughtful approach NRECA has taken to address issues around racial equity, the importance of cultivating a safe environment for difficult conversations, and what Tracey thinks learning businesses need to consider in order to successfully navigate times of disruption.

Full show notes and transcript available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode255.

We’ve reached the midpoint in our series on the learning business in disruptive times so we want to take some time to reflect on what we’ve learned so far.

After laying the groundwork in the first episode, we then featured interviews with Seth Kahan, founder of Visionary Leadership, and Shilpa Alimchandani, a seasoned diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist.

In this fourth episode of the seven-part series, we revisit reflection questions from our first episode and provide an update on the rapidly evolving issues related to the pandemic, racial justice, the economy, and the elections. We also look at the related practical implications and what all of this means for how a learning business might survive – and potentially even thrive – in these disruptive times.

Full show notes and transcript available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode254.

With over two decades of experience in DEI leadership development and intercultural learning, Shilpa Alimchandani, author of Communicating Development Across Cultures: Monologues and Dialogues in Development Project Implementation, is a leadership coach, instructional designer, and facilitator.

In her independent consulting practice, she is passionate about helping her clients tackle issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion to achieve transformational change.

In this third episode of our seven-part series on the learning business in disruptive times, Celisa talks with return-guest, Shilpa about DEI, including what it is, ways it’s being impacted by disruption, and how it relates to implicit bias. They also discuss the importance of unlearning and what learning businesses need to know about supporting DEI and succeeding in these disruptive times.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode253.

Seth Kahan is founder of the consulting firm, Visionary Leadership and author of  the business bestsellers, Getting Change Right, Getting Innovation Right, and, most recently, Visionary Leadership: How Association Leaders Embrace Disruption in the 21st Century .

He's worked with leaders of large multinational organizations and over a hundred association CEOs. Some of his most exciting work with those CEOs involves Grand Challenges—big, bold goals that organizations take on, partnering with others to make a difference with problems that society has thus far not been able to resolve.

And learning how to navigate the major disruptors we’ve seen unfold in 2020 related to the pandemic, politics, social issues, and our economic situation, have certainly created a new set of related challenges for organizations, particularly for those of us in the learning business.

In this second episode in our seven-episode series on the learning business in disruptive times, Jeff talks to Seth about how organizations have responded and evolved due to recent circumstances surrounding not only the coronavirus pandemic, but to other major disruptors such as climate change and racial injustice. They also discuss Seth’s 100 CEOs and 100 Days initiative, the various resources he’s created to help organizations in this time of crisis, and the lasting – and in some cases, positive – impact that all of this will potentially have on society.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode252.

It’s been a couple months since we released episode 250 of the Leading Learning Podcast and we're excited to be back with a new, revamped series approach to the podcast (rather than single, independent episodes as we’ve done in the past).

With our new approach, over the course of several episodes—seven in this case—we’ll explore a topic from a variety of viewpoints, drawing on multiple interviews as well as offering our own thoughts and providing context for the conversations with others.

And the first topic we’re going to explore is that of the learning business in disruptive times. In other words, what’s going on in the world right now in 2020.

We are all experiencing unprecedented levels of uncertainty and change and, of course, a major reason for that is the coronavirus pandemic. But there are also major social, political, and economic issues deeply impacting how we live and work.

In this first episode of the very first series of the Leading Learning Podcast, we explore these key areas of disruption and their implications on learning businesses. We also preview the interviewees we will feature in the series and the varied perspectives they will bring to the topic of leading learning in times of disruption.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode251. 

In yet another exciting milestone for Leading Learning, we are thrilled to have officially reached episode 250 of the podcast.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for roughly five years at this point and have grown from zero listeners to more than 7,000 downloads a month!

In this turning-point episode, we express our tremendous gratitude to everyone who has made the podcast possible. We also focus on input received from listeners that we think would be valuable to all learning businesses and the entire Leading Learning community.

Finally, we share some recent reviews of the show submitted through Apple Podcasts as well as touch on our plans for the podcast going forward.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode250. 

As Vice President of Learning at Udemy, Shelley Osborne is a true learning leader who is passionate about building cultures of learning that enable the continuous upskilling of employees.

She is also author of an upcoming book titled, The Upskilling Imperative: Five Ways to Make Learning Core to the Way We Work. And Shelley is even a Udemy instructor herself with seven courses currently available, ranging from topics such as fostering psychological safety, to best practices for working remotely.

In this episode of Leading Learning, Jeff talks with Shelley about Udemy’s model as a global learning provider and why continuous upskilling is so critical to the success of individuals and organizations.  They also delve into the “five ways” outlined in her book including: developing agile learners, the important role of feedback in learning cultures, thinking like a marketer to drive learning, learning in the flow of work, and signaling the value of learning.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode249. 

Blake Boles is the founder and director of Unschool Adventures, a company that gives self-directed teens and young adults—mostly unschoolers—an opportunity to explore cities all over the world.

Well-known for questioning our traditional approaches to schooling, Blake is a thought-provoking speaker, host of the Off-Trail Learning podcast, and author. His books include The Art of Self-Directed Learning, Better Than College, College Without High School, and the recently published, Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School?.

In this episode of Leading Learning, Jeff talks with Blake about key concepts from his latest book related to alternative paths of education in K-12, a particularly relevant topic given the current disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. They also discuss the importance of engagement, self-directed learning, and connection in young learners and how they inevitably impact adult learners.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode248. 

Micène Fontaine is the executive director at Design Arts Seminars (DAS), an accredited provider of continuing education for design professionals that aims to inspire their clients to become catalysts of change and to design a world in which all of us can thrive.

With two decades of experience designing high-quality learning experiences, he is passionate about their call to action as a provider of continuing education to move beyond the transactional relationship, to a truly transformative one.

In this episode, Celisa talks with Micène about what has – and hasn’t – changed in the decades he’s been at DAS, how he came to realize his interest in learning experience design (LXD), and what he sees as the major opportunities and threats for learning businesses. They also talk about the origin and purpose of DAS's Change by Design initiative, which aligns their educational offerings to match with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode247. 

Learner engagement is one of the holy grails of learning businesses—if the learner isn’t engaged, learning is unlikely to happen. So what are the necessary circumstances that need to exist in order for engagement in learning to happen?

In this episode of the Leading Learning podcast, we delve into three conditions that have to be met to foster learner engagement: meaning, safety, and availability.

We also discuss some examples and ideas of how you might support those conditions in the products and services you create and deliver, and why your learning business should care.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode246. 

Feverbee founder and return podcast guest, Richard Millington has spent over a decade helping hundreds of companies around the world develop successful, indispensable communities.

He is also an international speaker and author of Buzzing Communities: How To Build Bigger, Better, And More Active Online Communities and The Indispensable Community: Why Some Brand Communities Thrive When Others Perish.

In this episode of the Leading Learning podcast, Jeff talks with Rich about the evolution of online communities and ways the current pandemic is impacting them. They also discuss the relationship between virtual events and online community and Rich shares specific and practical tips about how to successfully launch and grow a community.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode245. 

Diane Elkins is co-founder of Artisan E-Learning, a custom e-learning development company, and E-Learning Uncovered, a company specializing in training services, books, and resources for e-learning development using the major rapid e-learning authoring tools.

She frequently speaks at events (in fact she led a session at Learning • Technology • Design 2019), and she’s co-author of E-Learning Fundamentals: A Practical Guide and the E-Learning Uncovered book series.

In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Celisa talks with Diane about all things e-learning including common mistakes and keys to success with e-learning design and development. They also discuss ways to foster learner motivation and engagement in the context of e-learning as well as her view on designing effective microlearning.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode244. 

The current coronavirus crisis is necessitating major changes in how many learning businesses meet existing needs. For example, a change like investing in expanding and improving your online learning portfolio as so many organizations are currently considering.

But before making any major changes or investments, it’s important to first have a solid understanding of where you are as a learning business.

That’s why in this episode, we are revisiting the Learning Business Maturity Model, a simple yet powerful tool we created to provide a framework for helping organizations assess the maturity of their learning and education businesses. And in case you aren’t already familiar with it, we explain what the Learning Business Maturity Model is and why we created it. We also discuss how you can get value from using it, particularly amid current circumstances surrounding COVID-19.  

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode243. 

Future-of-work strategist and return podcast guest, Heather McGowan is an in-demand, internationally known thought leader and speaker. She helps leaders prepare their people and organizations with human-centric approaches to continuously learn and adapt in order to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

She is also the co-author, along with Chris Shipley, of the recently released The Adaptation Advantage: Let Go, Learn Fast, and Thrive in the Future of Work.

In this episode, Jeff talks with Heather about key messages in her book related to adaptation and how it relates to learning, unlearning, and identity. They also discuss what it takes to lead in the age of adaptation, why we need to elevate the role of human over technology, and the fundamental shifts  in how we work and learn—now and in the future—due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode242. 

As president at The Thiagi Group, Matthew Richter is a recognized expert and thought leader in the areas of management, leadership, and performance technology. He wears many hats including that of speaker, facilitator, game designer, instructional designer, management consultant, and author of The Leadership Story: A New Model of Leadership. He’s also the co-host of the Truth in Learning podcast, along with previous podcast guest, Will Thalheimer.

In this episode, Celisa talks with Matt about motivation and self-determination theory in the context of learning. They also talk about the elements of effective learning games, why lazy trainers are a good thing, and the importance of activities in learning and in designing faster, cheaper, better training. Lastly, they delve into the topic of leadership and Matt’s view that most leadership training is pretty worthless and what he recommends to focus on instead.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode241. 

Is e-learning effective? It’s a seemingly age-old question but a rather important one to address now when—due to COVID-19—many traditional forms of face-to-face education simply aren’t viable.

And even though there’s a massive rush to move learning online, many—maybe even most—people still hold the view that e-learning is a second-rate or lesser form of learning when compared to face-to-face.

In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we examine whether e-learning is in fact, an effective form of learning, particularly when compared with traditional face-to-face instruction. We address this specifically in the context of the learning business and as it relates to what we have defined as the three major goals of learning businesses: reach, revenue, and impact.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode240. 

Arianna Rehak is co-founder and CEO of Matchbox Virtual Media, a firm that helps organizations produce virtual events that foster meaningful conversations. As the former coordinator of a highly successful virtual event series—a topic we interviewed her about in episode 111—Arianna became passionate about how to effectively cultivate high levels of engagement while making meaning of collective knowledge in the online space.

And since we are currently in the midst of a huge surge in the demand for virtual events due to the coronavirus pandemic, she has been tirelessly working with a wide range of organizations to take their events online.

In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Jeff talks with Arianna about what it takes to successfully transition events to virtual, the related benefits of doing so, and why (contrary to what many organizations think), you may actually gain much more than you lose.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode239. 

Dr. George Siemens is professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and director of the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L) at the University of South Australia. He’s an internationally known author and speaker who has delivered keynote addresses in more than 35 countries. He’s also a researcher and theorist in the field of learning, knowledge management, and technology.

George is recognized for developing the learning theory of connectivism as well as for his pioneering work in learning analytics and the development of massive open online courses (MOOCs). And he’s continued to develop and deliver MOOCs, including one now on helping instructors new to online make the pivot necessitated by COVID-19.

In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Celisa talks with George about connectivism—the theoretical framework he developed for understanding learning in a digital age. They also discuss the strengths and limitations of MOOCs as well as the potential positive and negative impacts of learning analytics with practical insight on how to begin using them in your organization.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode238. 

Trying to figure out how to effectively price educational offerings is something many learning businesses struggle with, even under normal circumstances. But now that we are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic—putting us in far from normal circumstances—it makes decisions related to pricing even that much more complex.

From how to price conferences or seminars that have been abruptly shifted from face-to-face to online delivery, to whether your organization should lower prices given the existing challenges people are facing, there are naturally a lot of questions related to pricing.

That’s why in this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast we’re offering insight and resources to address questions related to pricing educational products during the pandemic. We discuss key questions learning businesses need to ask themselves and consider, the various alternatives for pricing, and how to ensure sustainability, regardless of your approach.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode237. 

The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is an organization that serves more than 200,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. With a history deeply rooted in learning and education, ASHA is a leader among professional societies in the learning business and at the forefront of embracing new approaches to learning.

And leading the charge behind all of this since 2004 is ASHA CEO, Arlene Pietranton. With 25 years at the association, she’s nationally recognized for her exceptional leadership and commitment to voluntary membership organizations.

 In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Jeff talks with Arlene, first and foremost, about their response to the COVID-19 crisis and how they’ve been able to adapt to meet both staff and member needs. They also discuss ASHA’s historical vision for learning, why they are now heavily focused on the future of learning, and the critical role of associations in supporting adult lifelong learning.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode236. 

As a management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator, Liz Kislik has three decades of experience helping organizations break through barriers to develop high performing leaders and workforces. She is also a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, as well as a TEDx speaker on Why There’s So Much Conflict at Work and What You Can Do to Fix It.

In this episode of Leading Learning – recorded in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis – Celisa talks with Liz about the idea of conflict—good and bad conflict and how to encourage the good while limiting the bad. They also discuss ways to improve the customer (or learner) experience and learner engagement, what to consider when selling and marketing in times of crisis, and suggestions for reducing stress through self-care.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode235. 

The coronavirus pandemic is impacting life as we know it, including how we learn. Limits to travel and social distancing have created a resurgence of interest in online learning, and many organizations are rushing to launch or expand their e-learning efforts.

But—and this “but” is critical—learner expectations are higher than in the past. Also, competition from direct competitors has increased as well as competition for people’s time and attention, especially as many are working and learning from home.

And it’s important for learning businesses to take some time to think about what this moment—the pandemic, social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and so on—might mean for the future of online learning.  That’s why in this episode of the Leading Learning podcast, we reflect on the situation to discuss implications of the current moment for the future of online learning, including the related benefits, challenges, and opportunities.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode234. 

Robbie Kellman Baxter, founder of Peninsula Strategies, is a strategy and marketing expert with more than two decades of experience and an extensive list of blue chip clients. She is also a sought after keynote speaker and author of the bestselling book, The Membership Economy (which we interviewed her about in a previous podcast episode), as well as the recently released, The Forever Transaction: How to Build a Subscription Model So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave.

In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Robbie is back to discuss what has changed since her last book related to the membership economy and key concepts behind her new book related to building forever transactions. She and Jeff explore ideas related to launching, scaling, and leading a membership-oriented business over time, as well as her thoughts on pricing and the powerful relationship between community and subscription.

Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode233.