21 for 21!

Learning Changemakers know that traditional corporate training approaches are no longer enough to ensure individuals, teams and organisations are equipped and ready to adapt in the new world of work. They explore alternative models for adding better business value and will take action that gets the job done.

In edition 1 of #learningchangemakers we saw that learning changemakers emerge from all professional walks of life, not just L&D to tackle the important work that needs to be done.

The goal of this newsletter is encourage others by joining the dots of great practice so I thought I would start with my personal list of 21 resources* for all aspiring Learning Changemakers in 2021.

If this is helpful, please subscribe and share.

The links in this article connect you with ideas, people and applications here on LinkedIn. For direct a direct link to the all resources - head straight to the comments! Let me know if you find something here to bookmark, save, inspire and use.

6 books to keep your Learning Changemaker journey on track

Learning Changemakers tackle organisational challenges and opportunities, not just learning problems. The first 3 recommendations guide us through the journey of the changing the world of corporate learning and performance.

1. Andy Lancaster ‘Driving Performance through Learning’ - evidence driven practice
2. Michelle Parry Slater ‘The Learning & Development Handbook’ - the practicalities, because there's often more than one route to success.
3. Mirjam Neelen and Paul A. Kirschner ‘Evidence Informed Learning Design’ - the 'must read' for designing formal learning that delivers.

Having worked closely with the Tulser/ 702010 institute team last year, I strongly recommend their essential yet radical roadmap of new roles and tactics to establish performance based learning as the norm:

4. Jos Arets, Charles Jennings and Vivian Heijnen ‘702010 towards 100% performance’

The final books, two learning changemakers Simon and Siobhan, have shared insights from their own system-wide practice that change how organisations learn, flex and grow:

5. Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones ‘The Curious Advantage’ - check out what the book means in context at Novartis.

6. Siobhan McHale ‘The Insider’s Guide to Culture Change’ - this infographic is just a taster!

5 podcast series to challenge and stretch

We are constantly learning more about how to add strategic value through new models and approaches to learning. Michelle Ockers and David James do an excellent job regularly capturing the practical stories of learning changemakers around the globe:

1. Learning Uncut - Michelle Ockers 

2. The Learning & Development podcast - David James

For thought-provoking insights and ground-breaking ideas to reframe organisational learning check out:

3. Learning Hack - with John Helmer

4. Learning is the new working podcast - with Chris Pirie

Changemakers go outside of their immediate field of interest - Hidden Brain is just one example of a podcast that always inspires me- you will have plenty more!

5. Hidden Brain podcast with Shankar Vedantam

4 Frameworks to reframe your practice

A framework summarises research and insight in a way that helps us speed up progress. Many of the 6 books above share invaluable frameworks but here are 4 more to help us streamline our practice:

1. Personal Knowledge Mastery (PKM) - Harold Jarche - brilliant for developing co-operation and collaboration essential to the practice of Learning Changemakers
2. Evidence based management - with Rob Briner and colleagues from CEBMA - to support evidence informed decisions without analysis paralysis.
3. L&D Value spectrum - I create this as a continual reminder that Learning Changemakers focus on solving business problems.
4. LTEM - The learning transfer Evaluation Model- By Will Thalheimer and others. When formal learning is a necessary intervention, this model keeps us focussed on what is important!

3 Research sources for evidence informed decisions

Learning changemakers are comfortable out of their comfort zone, open to experiments and taking risk. They are also inspirational problem solvers, able to map an evidence informed path forward. Here are just some sources of evidence that combine to support smart practice (I definitely cheated here and went for groups of evidence sources!):

1. Industry analysts - constantly reviewing the changing market - with so much going on in edtech and effective practices I have to recommend Redthread Research and Fosway Group (two here I know, I cheated!)
2. Learning maturity research from Emerald works - This study maps a 15+ year journey of learning changemakers in numbers. Here are just some of the most useful reports.
3. Professional institutions - The CIPD, Learning Guild, ATD and others do a superb job of summarising academic evidence and industry research across the wide range of disciplines important for learning changemakers (behavioural science, business, design principles and more).

2 Mental models to reframe your thinking

Tackling significant learning challenges demands more than a sound strategy and a grand plan. Spotting the opportunity and challenging the status quo of corporate learning also demands different mindsets, thinking habits and mental models. 

1. Carole Dweck's growth mindset - embracing an 'I'm not finished... yet' perspective is essential for breakthrough
2. Mungers lattice work - Learning changemakers will draw on a diverse and dynamic lattice of mental models (another cheat entry thanks to ModelThinkers!)

1 #learningchangemakers newsletter!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The role of learning changemaker is essential in supporting sustainable strategic impact, but sometimes it can be a lonely road to travel. It's time to come together, to share and celebrate success, to join the dots, to build on what is working. Organisations urgently need learning changemakers - they urgently need you! I trust you'll find these resources fit companions for your journey!

The #LearningChangemaker newsletter explores and celebrates the work of learning changemakers and their strategic impact on the world of work.

If you find it insightful or it makes you curious, please subscribe, share and join us on this exciting journey.

*I'm sharing these 21 resources for 2021 because I have found them consistently helpful - it was tough to reduce to just the 21. The list is personal and independently compiled.

I know you will have been inspired by the learning changemakers in your own world, and I'd love to know which resources you would add in the comments below.