The How To Learn Podcast

It might feel like a boring chore to take notes at an event, or to 'cascade' some learning back to colleagues. or even to explain something that you know - or think you know.

But in this 5-minute mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan talk about the known 'Protégé Effect' - basically how teaching or explaining something helps you to learn it better. It can also add to your visibility in an organisation. Or maybe your pupil or 'protégé' ...

In this 5-minute mini-podcast, Thembi brings up a skill which is often neglected: conversation. We talk all the time, but how often do we think about it, consciously, as a skill which can be improved?

From active listening to building rapport, conversational skills are crucial for our working and social lives. Thembi talks about 'How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks' by Leil Lowndes as a way into this set of skills we should be ...

"You can tell when you're reading from the notes."

In this 5-minute mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan chat about office skills, and plunge straight into two examples: how to facilitate meetings, and how to deliver presentations. How did they actually get better over time? (assuming they did)

The episode covers:

- the role of observation, copying and practice

- using an emotional reaction to things you don't like, to motivate yourse...

We have a disagreement in this podcast: when you see a colleague demonstrate a real skill, is it intimidating ("oh wow, I don't know how to do that") or is it inspiring ("oh wow, show me how")? Either way, we think we should definitely learn more from others in the workplace.

The discussion also covers:

- are we losing random workplace learning?

- how can we be more curious, and more grateful? 

Please share your ideas on getting th...

Thinking about your workplace: do team members feel able to admit mistakes? Do you feel comfortable asking questions, and expressing incomplete ideas?

Or do you find yourself avoiding situations, questioning your own capability, and feeling demotivated or stressed?

How you feel in the workplace is a major factor in how (and whether) you learn and develop. In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan explore Amy Edmondson's concept of ...

The medieval apprenticeship model was a superb piece of learning design. Unfortunately a seven year skills programme is a hard sell in the modern workplace :)

But you can still use the apprenticeship model for your own benefit, even if you're not technically an apprentice, and even if you don't aspire to become a master violin-maker in Bavaria.

In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan offer a quick checklist: how do you know you'v...

Part of learning is putting ourselves forward for new things: for new projects, for interesting experiments, for more responsibility, for stuff that looks a bit scary but will develop our confidence and skills. We need the confidence to say yes to good opportunities.

So why do we hold ourselves back?

This episode looks at 10 common psychological barriers to learning: from impostor syndrome to perfectionism, from fear of failure to ...

In this four-minute mini-podcast Thembi and Jonathan decide to pass some new legislation, and to enforce it immediately.

So please get ready to comply with:

🎇 the new National Labelling Scheme for Training, based on the traffic light model for sugar, salt and fat in foods. "Short, one-off things" are now labelled Red. Consumer choice and employer information are paramount. If it isn't based in learning science, it's not getting ...

How can we use small fluffy animals to get valuable feedback? In this 5-minute mini-podcast we look at two tricky issues:

• how can you persuade people to give you feedback?
• and how can you offer it yourself - tactfully - in a way that lands?

From hypothetical guinea pig hostage situations, to coaching techniques, here's five minutes of practical advice on feedback. Let us know what you thi...