490 — Creating the environment for self-directed learning

493 — Developing the timeless skill of communication

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 [https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/] website. You can also check out the Presentation Toolkit [https://bit.ly/TimelessPresenterKit], where you'll find details on Timeless Presenter. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit mindtools.com [https://www.mindtools.com/] or kineo.com [https://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 custom@mindtools.com [custom@mindtools.com]. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at lddispatch.com [https://www.lddispatch.com/] Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: * Ross Dickie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-dickie/] * Dr Anna Barnett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-barnett-phd/] * Andrea Pacini [https://www.linkedin.com/in/apacini/]

492 — Enabling frontline workers to succeed

80% of the world's workforce are deskless, but L&D teams spend most of their time worrying about the 20%. Speaker, advisor and author JD Dillon is on a mission to change that with The Frontline Enablement Playbook. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, JD joins Ross G and Ross D to discuss: * why the 80% get neglected * why frontline managers are the most important people in the business * strategies for supporting deskless workers. To find out more about JD, visit jddillon.com [https://jddillon.com/]. For the book, visit jdwroteanotherbook.com [https://jdwroteanotherbook.com/] In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D discussed Casey Newton's thoughts on Grammarly [https://www.platformer.news/grammarly-expert-review-reviewed/]. Ross G discussed the number of satellites in the night sky [https://www.discovermagazine.com/about-15-000-satellites-are-circling-earth-and-they-re-disrupting-the-sky-48550]. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit mindtools.com [https://www.mindtools.com/] or kineo.com [https://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 custom@mindtools.com [custom@mindtools.com]. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at lddispatch.com [https://www.lddispatch.com/] Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: * Ross Dickie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-dickie/] * Ross Garner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-garner/] * JD Dillon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jddillon/]

491 — Better meetings, more psychological safety, and cognitive offloading

It's once again 'Bring Your Paper to Work' day here at Mindtools Kineo, as Ross G, Dr Anna and Ross D each take turns to share an academic study that they think has key insights for L&D professionals. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we discuss the following papers: Rogelberg, S. G., Kreamer, L. M., & Gray, J. (2026). 'Thirty years of meeting science: Lessons learned and the road ahead.' [https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031925-091223] Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 13, 415–442. Castro, S., Englmaier, F., & Guadalupe, M. (2024). 'Fostering psychological safety in teams: Evidence from an RCT' [https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMPROC.2024.16624abstract]. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2024(1), 16624. Shen, J. H., & Tamkin, A. (2026). 'How AI impacts skill formation' [https://arxiv.org/html/2601.20245v1] (arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.20245). In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross D mentioned National Grid: Live [https://grid.iamkate.com/]. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit mindtools.com [https://www.mindtools.com/] or kineo.com [https://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 custom@mindtools.com [custom@mindtools.com]. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at lddispatch.com [https://www.lddispatch.com/] Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: * Ross Dickie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-dickie-88408388/] * Anna Barnett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-barnett-phd/] * Ross Garner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-garner-8594a341]

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 action learning sets [https://www.mindtools.com/anbk5zv/action-learning-sets/]. We also referenced our 'Building Better Managers [https://www.mindtools.com/thought-leadership/reports/building-better-managers/]' report, Amy Edmondson's book The Kind of Wrong, and the CRAFT framework. [https://tamarahusher.medium.com/the-human-artistry-of-ai-interactions-with-craft-1c8f5b62be02] Stella's books are: * Neuroscience for Learning and Development: How to apply neuroscience and psychology for improved learning and training [https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/neuroscience-for-learning-and-development-9781398608337] * The Learning Organisation: Using self-directed learning to drive workforce engagement and performance [https://www.tgjonesonline.co.uk/Product/Stella-Collins/The-Learning-Organization--Using-Self-Directed-Learning-to-Drive-Workforce-Engagement-and-Performance/15737181] Stella also discussed the book Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures [https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life], by Merlin Sheldrake. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed the current trend for placing bets on world events [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/18/polymarket-gamblers-threaten-israeli-journalist-missile-strike-wager]. For more from Stella, see stellacollins.com [https://stellacollins.com/]. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit mindtools.com [https://www.mindtools.com/] or kineo.com [https://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 custom@mindtools.com [custom@mindtools.com]. Like the show? You'll LOVE our newsletter! Subscribe to The L&D Dispatch at lddispatch.com [https://www.lddispatch.com/] Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: * Ross Garner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-garner/] * Cammy Bean [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cammybean/] * Stella Collins [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stellacollinslearningrevolution/]

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 mindtools.com/thought-leadership/reports/building-better-managers-infographic [https://www.mindtools.com/thought-leadership/reports/building-better-managers-infographic/]. In 'What I Learned This Week', Nina discussed her new reading technique to absorb more of 'Scattered Minds' [https://drgabormate.com/book/scattered-minds/] by Dr Gabor Maté. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit mindtools.com [https://www.mindtools.com/] or kineo.com [https://kineo.com/]. 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 lddispatch.com [https://www.lddispatch.com/] Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: * Claire Gibson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairefordgibson-learning-design/] * Dr Anna Barnett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-barnett-phd/]