
Talk L & D
By Louisa Rodriguez and Alexander Firmin
The podcast is run by Alex Firmin a Leadership Consultant with his own Consultancy - Promethean and Louisa Rodriguez, Facilitator, Coach and Training Manager. They both share a passion for Endurance Running and Learning and Development.

Talk L & D Jan 18, 2021

Episode 4 - Creating a culture for learning with Justin Collinge
Louisa talks to Justin Collinge, the Founder of Leadability, a business dedicated to making great work easier. His career includes being a schoolteacher, university lecturer, firefighter, pastor, author of two books and has started four businesses. His previous start-up used big data to support high performing teams in large organisations. He sold that business to return to his passion - the practical application of social psychology & neuroscience.
This episode we discuss how to create an environment and culture that allows optimal learning to happen. Within this we discuss:
- The importance of Psychological Safety
- Safe Experiments and how they can optimise learning?
- The ability to reflect and its connection to learning
- How trauma can prevent us from learning?
- How to optimise learning in the online world?
- Importance of leadership in creating a culture suitable for learning
Here is a video from Justin on Safe Experiments:
http://leadability.biz/SafeExperiments/index.html#/
You can find out more about Justin and the work he does at the website: https://leadability.co.uk/
He is also on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincollinge/

Episode 3: The book Review, books to help you with your Learning and Development
This episode, we do a book review of books which can be helpful tools for your Learning and Development, within the discussion we cover topics of diversity, equality, collective intelligence, leading through a crisis, making tough decisions and pushing through your comfort zone with mindset.
We discuss four books:
- Rebel Ideas - Matthew Syed
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men - Caroline Criado Perez
- From Crisis to Calling - Sasha Chanoff and David Chanoff
- Can't Hurt Me - David Goggins
We hope you enjoy the episode and the book reviews, if there are any books you would like us to discuss in the future, let us know.

Episode 2: Creating a culture of Wellbeing and Sustainability - Why is it so important? With guest Tim Etherington - Judge
This Episode we are joined by Tim Etherington -Judge, Entrepreneur and founder of Healthy Hospo which is a not for profit company working to build a healthier, happier, hospitality industry by supporting and improving the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of hospitality professionals around the world. He is also the founder of Avallen which is a Calvados with a difference as its designed with sustainability at its heart.
We discuss all things wellbeing in the workplace, looking after your teams and why this is important? .
We also discuss Sustainability and how to bring sustainability into organisational strategy.
It was a thought provoking and insightful chat with Tim. Wellbeing and sustainability are two really important issues at this time globally so it was great to be able to discuss these topics.
Find out more about Tim's businesses here:
https://healthyhospo.com/
https://avallenspirits.com/
You can find Tim on Instagram @gingerbitters
For anyone that is currently struggling with their mental health, please reach out, don't suffer in silence, talking can be really helpful in getting support, below are some places that can help if you are struggling:
Samaritans - call, 116 123
Shout - text for support, 85258
Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/

Episode 1: What will Learning and Development look like in 2021? with guest, Graham Scott.
Welcome back to The Talk L and D Podcast, this is Episode 1 of Series 2.
This episode we have Graham Scott, the founder of The Learning and Development Consortium join us, to discuss all things Learning and Development in 2021. We discuss what themes might emerge? What the key learning interventions might be ? and how learning and development will support the ever changing world of work, during these times?
Some areas we discuss are:
- Bringing an Agile way of working to Learning and Development
- Importance of culture
- Importance of people to organisations, looking after the team and their wellbeing becoming even more important
- Learning on the job using Action Learning Sets and empowering teams to take charge of their own development.
We hope you enjoy this episode, we would love to hear your thoughts on it. If you enjoy this podcast, make sure you rate, review and share it to help others find us.
For more information about the Learning and Development Consortium please check out the link https://www.ldconsortium.com/

Episode 12: A review of the year in leadership and the world of work, and what is to come in 2021?
In this final episode of 2020 we do a review of themes in leadership and the world of work. We also consider what might be the emerging themes for 2021.
We explore what we can do to look after our wellbeing during these times where work and home have merged into one.
We hope you enjoy this episode, if you do, please rate and review this podcast, and share on Social Media so other people can find us.
Thank you for all your support this year, we will be back with Series 2 in 2021.

Episode 11: What is Self-Awareness and what do Psychometrics have to do with it? With Mark Gilroy
This episode we are joined by Mark Gilroy, Business Psychologist, Executive Coach, Psychometrics specialist and the Managing Director of TMSDI. TMS Development International was established in 1980 by Dr Charles Margerison and Dr Dick McCann. TMSDI offer a range of accreditation programmes to give learning and development professionals the knowledge confidence to help people achieve their potential and add real value in a team-based environment.
We discuss with Mark, all things Self Awareness:
What is it?
How can we develop it?
How is it useful?
We explore the different types of profiling and psychometrics, and how they can be useful in supporting and building self awareness, alongside personal and professional development.
You can find Mark on Social Media:
Twitter: @thatmarkgilroy
Instagram: @mark_tmsdi
To find out more about TMSDI accreditation and their profiling tools check out their website: https://www.tmsdi.com/

Episode 10: What happens when we experience change?
Alex Firmin and I talk about change in relation to the Kubler Ross Transition Curve, we consider how change of any type in our lives impacts on us as individuals, we discuss the impact of organisational change on teams. We consider the impact of 2020, the pandemic and all the change that has come with it, and how this may have impacted on us as a collective.

Episode 9: Mental Health in the Workplace with Erene Hadjiioannou
In honour of World Mental Health day on Saturday 10th October we have dedicated this podcast to Mental Health, which we believe is an important issue during the Covid Pandemic of 2020. Alex and I talk to our guest, Psychotherapist and Consultant, Erene Hadjiionnou about Mental health. We look at the impact of the pandemic on Mental Health and what employers can do to create cultures that are positive towards Mental Health.
If you want to know more about any of the work Erene does please check out her Website: https://therapy-leeds.co.uk/
You can also find her on Instagram: @therapyleeds
If you are struggling with your mental health, here are some helpful links for you:
Samaritans - https://www.samaritans.org/
-Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/
-Mental Health At Work - https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/
-Talk to Frank - https://www.talktofrank.com/
-Heads together - https://www.headstogether.org.uk/get-support/
-PH7 Health - https://ph7wellbeing.co.uk/ph7-health/

Episode 8: The impact of 2020 on Leadership
In this episode we discuss the impact of Covid and 2020 on how leaders lead:
What this means for organisations?
How leadership could be different going forward?
What will leadership look like in 2021 post Covid?
We also consider the value of taking time to stop, reset and reflect on 2020!
Warning there is some one word which is bad language in this one!

Episode 7: How the great outdoors can enhance learning? With Dave Stewart, from the Fresh Air Leadership Company
This episode we have Dave Stewart join us as a guest, he is the Managing Director of the Fresh Air Leadership Company (https://freshairleadership.com/). He talks about his fascinating career journey from being in a rock band to setting up the Fresh Air Leadership Company. We discuss, high performing teams, psychological safety, importance of trust and the nature of conflict in teams. We explore what it means to be a great leader during this time and how the great outdoors can enhance learning and development?

Episode 6 - The Power of Stories with Simon Hall
We have our first podcast guest join us on this episode. Simon Hall a former BBC Correspondent, Author, Entrepreneur and University of Cambridge Tutor, talks to us all about navigating career transitions, overcoming Impostor Syndrome, the Power of Stories and what makes a great facilitator! We hope you enjoy this episode!

Episode 5 - What is Coaching and How can it be helpful to your development?
This episode, Alex and I talk all things coaching:
What is it?
What is a Coaching Culture?
What is the GROW Model and how can it help you?
How is Coaching related to leadership?
How can Coaching help you with your development?

Episode 4 - What does working "Agile" actually mean?
On this weeks episode Alex Firmin and I discuss all things Agile, a bit of a buzz word in training and organisations! We unpick what it is? How it can help organisations grow and deliver excellence with their products and services to customers. We discuss how agile thinking can help us not only at work but in our personal lives to overcome the need for perfection to get started on that project we have been thinking about for too long! We hope you enjoy this episode, we would love to hear your feedback from it!

Episode 3 - Growth Mindset
This episode we explore Growth Mindset: What is it? How can it help you at work and in your personal life? The importance of goals and how they are connected to Growth Mindset. We also discuss how Growth Mindset can be a valuable tool in overcoming failure!

Episode 2 - Resilience
We talk about Resilience, it has been a bit of a buzz word in Learning and Development and Leadership the last couple of years. We discuss what is Resilience? What does it mean? How and why is it important? What does Resilience mean in terms of Leadership? We look at how we can develop resilience in ourselves and the ability to adapt to change.

Talk L&D - Episode 1, Introduction to Learning and Development
Alex and Louisa Introduce you to the Talk L & D podcast, why they decided to set up the Talk L and D podcast? Their passion for Learning and Development. They discuss delivering Learning and Development during lockdown and their favourite Learning and Development tools.
Talk L&D is run by Leadership Consultant Alexander Firmin and Facilitator and Coach Louisa Rodriguez

Talk L & D Trailer
A little trailer to give you a insight into what Talk L&D is all about . .