LEARNING: INTERVIEWS

In Conversation with Experts and Professionals

RECENT
“Demonstrating Empathy Is Half the Battle.”
This 13 min. read saves you up to 5 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from one getAbstract summary (one book with a total of 256 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 295 minutes (about 5 hours). Learn more.
“Demonstrating Empathy Is Half the Battle.”

People resist embracing new things for four fundamental reasons. David Schonthal, author of The Human Element, explains how to overcome change resistance and prevent friction clashes.

“Our Brains Simply Aren’t Designed to Absorb Massive Portions of Complex Information in One Sitting.”
This 11 min. read saves you up to 11 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from 2 getAbstract summaries (2 books with a total of 536 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 633 minutes (about 11 hours). Learn more.
“Our Brains Simply Aren’t Designed to Absorb Massive Portions of Complex Information in One Sitting.”

Jana Eicher, EdContent Lead at getAbstract, explains what microlearning is and isn’t – and how getAbstract decided to move into the microlearning space.

ALL
“Psychological Safety Will Not Just Bubble up Because People Talk about It.”
This 14 min. read saves you up to 27 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from 4 getAbstract summaries (4 books with a total of 1360 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 1618 minutes (about 27 hours). Learn more.
“Psychological Safety Will Not Just Bubble up Because People Talk about It.”

Alex Osterwalder, one of the world’s most influential strategy and innovation experts, is convinced that leaders need help changing the concept of psychological safety from head to toe – because he’s gotten some himself.

“Security Is a Process, and That Includes the Culture in a Company.”
This 19 min. read saves you up to 6 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from one getAbstract summary (one book with a total of 288 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 327 minutes (about 6 hours). Learn more.
“Security Is a Process, and That Includes the Culture in a Company.”

Cybersecurity expert Mikko Hypponen, author of If It’s Smart, It’s Vulnerable, offers insights on how to navigate the wilds of the Internet.

“If You’re Good at Coaching, You’ll Eventually Become Obsolete to the Person.”
“If You’re Good at Coaching, You’ll Eventually Become Obsolete to the Person.”

Master Coach Marion Franklin on asking the right questions, waiting patiently for answers, and the number one problem with coaching-style leadership.

“The Conventional Recruitment Process Already Discriminates Against People Who Are Neurodiverse.”
“The Conventional Recruitment Process Already Discriminates Against People Who Are Neurodiverse.”

No human brain is wired the same way. It’s time for the workplace to reflect this fact, neurodiversity advocate Theo Smith explains.

“You Almost Fail Your Way Towards Success.”
“You Almost Fail Your Way Towards Success.”

Organizational change expert Aidan McCullen, author of Undisruptable, encourages people and companies to disrupt themselves.

“Opening Up Is a Practice, Not a One-Time Activity.”
This 9 min. read saves you up to 6 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from one getAbstract summary (one book with a total of 258 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 301 minutes (about 6 hours). Learn more.
“Opening Up Is a Practice, Not a One-Time Activity.”

Author and executive coach Alexsys Thompson explains how aligning your values and behavior will make you a more effective and resilient leader and team member.

“You Can’t Just Tack on DEI Work Like You Add an App to Your Phone.”
This 19 min. read saves you up to 6 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from one getAbstract summary (one book with a total of 272 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 308 minutes (about 6 hours). Learn more.
“You Can’t Just Tack on DEI Work Like You Add an App to Your Phone.”

Journalist and author of Speaking Of Race, Celeste Headlee, talks about improving DEI by doing the work of having difficult conversations.

“If Our Value Is Growth, Then I Love Disruption.”
“If Our Value Is Growth, Then I Love Disruption.”

Tom Ziglar, author of 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times, discusses why the “coach leader” gets results while the “T-Rex” leader is going the way of the dinosaur.

“You’ve Got to Understand How the Work You Try to Improve Gets Done.”
“You’ve Got to Understand How the Work You Try to Improve Gets Done.”

Brandon Carson, author of L&D’s Playbook for the Digital Age, believes L&D must focus on performance readiness and recognize the potential for on-the-job learning and development – especially in tough economic times.

“We Make Data More Vivid, Beautiful, Intuitive and Memorable.”
“We Make Data More Vivid, Beautiful, Intuitive and Memorable.”

Visual Capitalist founder Jeff Desjardins, the author of Signals, illustrates the future.

“If You Don’t Know How to Connect Effectively Across Cultures, You Miss the Chance to Be Inclusive.”
This 10 min. read saves you up to 5 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from one getAbstract summary (one book with a total of 240 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 278 minutes (about 5 hours). Learn more.
“If You Don’t Know How to Connect Effectively Across Cultures, You Miss the Chance to Be Inclusive.”

Diversity consultant and author Tayo Rockson explains how to shift the needle on DEI, step by step.

“We Need to Have Continuous Learning Built Into Our Lives”
This 16 min. read saves you up to 12 hours
For your knowledge advantage, we put together the most actionable insights from 2 getAbstract summaries (2 books with a total of 580 pages) on this topic. If you did this work yourself, you would be busy for at least 680 minutes (about 12 hours). Learn more.
“We Need to Have Continuous Learning Built Into Our Lives”

Bernard Marr, author of Future Skills, says your humanity is your future’s most valuable skill.

“We Learn Better by Doing and Applying”
“We Learn Better by Doing and Applying”

Teri Hart, the author of Hardwired to Learn, harnesses neuroscience to help people become lifelong learners.

Interview Highlights 2022
Interview Highlights 2022

Michael Wiederstein, Caryn Hunt and Sara Küpfer share this year’s personal highlights.

“People Are Angry Because They Feel Their World Views and Values Are at Stake.”
“People Are Angry Because They Feel Their World Views and Values Are at Stake.”

How can people find each other in an increasingly fragmented society? Sociologist Michael Carolan says: through experiences.

“It Doesn’t Matter What People Get Curious About, as Long as They Get Curious.” 
“It Doesn’t Matter What People Get Curious About, as Long as They Get Curious.” 

More and more companies emphasize curiosity in the workplace. This is no surprise to Stefaan van Hooydonk, who considers curiosity a “growth mindset in action.”

“Unlock Your Greatness by Working on the Hard Things.”
“Unlock Your Greatness by Working on the Hard Things.”

Accomplishing something that makes you proud starts with picking the right goal. Author and entrepreneur Michael Bungay Stanier explains the ingredients of a “worthy goal” and shares best practices for working toward it.

“You Don’t Have to Be Old and Wise to Do What’s Right.”
“You Don’t Have to Be Old and Wise to Do What’s Right.”

G. Richard Shell explains the value of honest, moral behavior for both individuals and organizations.

“Work Will Never Love Us Back. Other People Will.”
“Work Will Never Love Us Back. Other People Will.”

We’ve been told that we should look for purpose, joy and fulfillment in our jobs. But that claim is a fraud, says labor journalist and author Sarah Jaffe.

“People Don’t Want to Be Merely Motivated – They Seek Inspiration.”
“People Don’t Want to Be Merely Motivated – They Seek Inspiration.”

Trust is the lubricant of the new world of work, says Stephen M.R. Covey – but if you really want to bring your organization forward, you have to be an inspiring leader and put purpose…

“This Process is Relentless and You Will Either Adapt or Die”
“This Process is Relentless and You Will Either Adapt or Die”

Robotic process automation repurposes older software technologies for exponential gains. Christopher Surdak, author of The Care and Feeding of Bots, offers a glimpse into the next wave of digital transformation.

“Mapped Perfection Is Often Not What Learners Want.”
“Mapped Perfection Is Often Not What Learners Want.”

How do you keep learners engaged in organizational training? Hadiya Nuriddin, author of StoryTraining, advises outstanding storytelling to become an attention magnet – a key facilitation skill in times of hybrid learning.

“Empathy Is One of the Most Incredible Superpowers.”
“Empathy Is One of the Most Incredible Superpowers.”

Gary A. Bolles, author of The Next Rules of Work and Chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University, talks about the declining shelf life of skills, ways to compensate for those losses –…

Interview Highlights 2021
Interview Highlights 2021

The Journal team shares personal recommendations.

“Pettiness Costs a Lot of Time, Money And Morale.”
“Pettiness Costs a Lot of Time, Money And Morale.”

Alex Alonso, chief knowledge officer at SHRM, on the hidden costs of workplace niggles, what disasters can result from borrowing Kleenex tissues from the neighbor’s desk – and how to prevent all that from happening…

“Responding to Different Realities Is What Tribal Peoples Have Always Done in This Country.”
Shoshana Wasserman
“Responding to Different Realities Is What Tribal Peoples Have Always Done in This Country.”

Shoshana Wasserman has worked all her life to increase native peoples’ visibility – the past 16 years alone by helping to make the First Americans Museum (FAM) in Oklahoma a reality. Yet, for many years,…

“The Growth Mind-Set Is Almost a Ticket to Entry to Becoming an Effective Learner”
“The Growth Mind-Set Is Almost a Ticket to Entry to Becoming an Effective Learner”

Executive coach Matthew Smith, former CLO at McKinsey, opens up about simple and actionable learning practices that will make you an intentional learner in no time.

“It Helps People Communicate, It Helps Reduce Conflict, and It Helps to Drive Innovation.”
“It Helps People Communicate, It Helps Reduce Conflict, and It Helps to Drive Innovation.”

Simon Brown, author of The Curious Advantage and chief learning officer at Novartis, explains the superpower that lies dormant in all employees, but is organizationally discovered only in a few: Curiosity.

“The Genie Is Out of the Bottle”
“The Genie Is Out of the Bottle”

Co-founder of Centric Consulting and management expert Larry English on why “hybrid” work solutions – where employees work from home at least part time – are here to stay.

“Context Is the Kingdom”
“Context Is the Kingdom”

Author and Human Resource expert Dave Ulrich talks about business transformation and what it means to be a learning organization.

“Virtual Learning Is a Great Equalizer.”
“Virtual Learning Is a Great Equalizer.”

COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation in all areas, including the L&D space. Blended learning pioneer Jennifer Hofmann shares some of her experiences working with clients over the past year.

“Go Watch Your People!”
Donald H. Taylor
“Go Watch Your People!”

Donald H. Taylor on the results of the latest Learning and Development Global Sentiment Survey, and what matters now if you want to properly upskill and reskill in your organization.

“Being Open and Agile Is the One Vital Skill for the 21st Century”
Henna Inam / transformleaders.tv
“Being Open and Agile Is the One Vital Skill for the 21st Century”

Applicable Tricks That Help Navigate Disruption in the Workplace.

“People Thoroughly Underestimate the Importance of Body Language in Virtual Communication.”
Richard Newman / borntospeak.com
“People Thoroughly Underestimate the Importance of Body Language in Virtual Communication.”

The virtual work environment requires a new set of communication skills. Award-winning communication expert Richard Newman explains how to captivate an online audience.

“Experience Tells People What You Did. Your Character Tells People Where You’re Going.”
“Experience Tells People What You Did. Your Character Tells People Where You’re Going.”

In US Special Operations, having the right people on your team can often mean the difference between life and death.