Why Learning Isn't Always the Solution with Matthew Richter

Courage is not something you are born with. It is something you build every time you choose vulnerability, self-awareness, and connection over comfort.In this episode, I speak with Justine Froelker, author, speaker, and corporate trainer at JBF Therapy & Coaching, LLC, and creator of the Courage Is Built Here framework. Drawing from her personal experience with trauma and 25 years of helping people navigate grief, leadership, relationships, and change, Justine shares why courage is a practice, not a personality trait.Her point is clear. People do not need to be fixed. They need to feel seen, heard, valued, and loved. This becomes even more important as AI reshapes the workplace, where leaders must create psychological safety, communicate uncertainty, and protect the human skills technology cannot replace.Some curious takeaways:Treat courage as a daily practice, not something you either have or lackBuild psychological safety by naming uncertainty and addressing what remains unspokenUse AI to support human thinking, agency, and connection, not replace themEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:36) How trauma shaped Justine’s understanding of courage(04:30) Why self-awareness is the foundation of courage(07:49) Why people need empowerment, not fixing(09:43) Psychological safety during AI adoption(12:57) Why successful people become disconnected from themselves(15:46) The fear beneath most leadership challenges(18:46) Why the unspoken is never benign(20:42) Bringing your authentic self into every space(27:21) The human skills AI cannot replace(34:21) How leaders can build trust during AI change(38:42) The most courageous words a leader can say(42:13) Five practical pathways for building courage(45:29) Why you should stop waiting to feel comfortableConnect with the guest:Justine Froelker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinefroelker/ Explore Justine’s website: https://justinefroelker.com/ Explore Justine’s podcast: https://justinefroelker.com/blog/episode-0-welcome-to-the-courage-is-built-here-podcast-courage/ Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

Learning is not the goal. Better performance is. Before building another course or adopting another tool, L&D teams must first understand the problem they are trying to solve.In this episode, I speak with Matthew Richter, author of The Motivation Blueprint, president of The Thiagi Group, and co-founder and co-director of The Learning Development Accelerator. Drawing from more than 30 years in learning and development, Matt shares why practitioners must move beyond training requests, challenge unsupported learning myths, and use evidence-informed practices to improve performance.His point is clear. A course cannot solve every workplace problem. L&D professionals must diagnose the system, identify whether learning is truly needed, and design solutions grounded in cognitive science and motivation. As AI changes the industry, teams must also protect human agency, question mandates, and focus on meaningful behavior change rather than adoption alone.Some curious takeaways:Start with the performance problem before proposing a learning programUse learning science, motivation, and cognitive load to inform instructional designTreat AI as a tool for improving performance, not a substitute for human judgmentEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:51) How Matt entered learning and development(02:38) How the Learning Development Accelerator began(05:22) Building a community around evidence-informed practice(09:35) Where the L&D industry stands today(12:31) Debunking digital natives and adult learning myths(15:08) The risks of forcing AI into learning programs(17:49) Using AI like a calculator, a tool, not a replacement(22:01) How the identity of learning professionals is evolving(24:04) What learning leaders can and can't outsource to AI(25:31) Diagnosing requests before jumping to solutions(27:42) Why L&D urgently needs professional standards(31:00) Moving from training programs to performance problems(34:00) Applying cognitive load theory and the forgetting curve(37:58) The doctor vs. pharmacist metaphor for L&DConnect with the guest:Matthew Richter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-richter-0738b84/ Explore The Thiagi Group: https://www.thiagi.com/ Explore The Learning Development Accelerator: https://ldaccelerator.com/ Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

What does it take for learning to make a real difference at work? According to Stella Collins, the answer is not another course, a higher completion rate, or more content. Meaningful learning changes what people do, how they think, and how effectively they contribute to the organisation around them.In this episode, Stella Collins, author of Neuroscience for L&D and The Learning Organization, shares her perspective as a performance alchemist, neuroscience specialist, and entrepreneur. She breaks down the science behind effective learning and explains why effort, attention, motivation, repetition, curiosity, and resilience matter more than simply delivering information.The conversation also looks at the wider environment in which learning takes place. Managers, leaders, workplace culture, collaboration, communication, and psychological safety can either reinforce new behaviours or make them almost impossible to sustain. For L&D teams, the challenge is to understand what the business needs, identify what is preventing progress, and support learning as part of everyday work.Some curious takeaways:Design learning around effort, attention, motivation, energy, and repetitionBuild organisational cultures where people can experiment, collaborate, and learn from failureUse AI to support performance while protecting human judgement and creativityEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:08) What it means to be a performance alchemist(02:36) Stella’s journey from neuroscience to L&D(04:40) What L&D needs to understand about neuroscience(05:57) Challenging myths and pseudoscience in learning(07:49) Neuroplasticity and the possibility of lifelong learning(09:24) How curiosity and resilience support learning(10:11) From individual learning to organisational learning(15:50) Experimentation, collaboration, and shared responsibility(18:02) Why managers are essential to learning transfer(26:23) How L&D can hunt the friction(28:52) Why L&D must measure business outcomes(33:58) Why decision-making is a uniquely human capability(37:36) Helping people develop discernment in the AI era(39:53) Connecting learning strategy to expensive business problems(41:53) Thinking about learning beyond the courseConnect with the guest:Stella Collins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stellacollinslearningrevolution/ Explore her website: https://stellacollins.com/ Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

AI can make us faster, but that does not necessarily mean it is making us more capable. As AI becomes embedded in how we work and learn, the real challenge is knowing when to use it, when to question it, and when to rely on our own judgment.In this episode, I speak with Rahim Hirji, Founder & Managing Director at SuperSkills, longtime edtech leader, and author of SuperSkills: The seven human skills for the age of AI. Rahim has spent more than a decade thinking about the human capabilities that become more important as technology becomes more powerful. His perspective is clear. The skills that will matter most in the AI era are not simply technical. They are the distinctly human capabilities that help us remain intentional about how we think, decide, and work.We talk about Rahim’s concept of “drift versus design,” why discernment may be one of the most important skills we can develop, and the danger of outsourcing too much of our judgment to AI. We explore the seven superskills he believes will become more valuable as AI advances, why learning teams need to become architects of capability rather than simply creators of content, and how organisations can decide which work should remain deliberately human.Rahim leaves us with an important question: if AI disappeared tomorrow, would we still know how to do our jobs? Productivity matters, but not if it comes at the cost of the judgment, agency, and capability we need to think for ourselves.Some curious takeaways:Build AI fluency while strengthening human judgment and discernmentDesign intentional relationships with AI instead of drifting into dependencyDevelop the SuperSkills that become more valuable in the AI eraEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:21) Life since the SuperSkills book launch(02:44) The perfect timing for a book about AI and humanity(06:23) Drift vs design, the core concept of the book(07:57) Where is the line between AI helping and AI deciding(10:02) Outsourcing agency to algorithms and social media(13:56) Discernment as the last mile of thinking(15:19) Training discernment like training taste(20:05) The seven SuperSkills and how they were chosen(23:33) Culture, STEM, and the risk of losing human skills(27:09) Judgment atrophy and saying no to AI(31:05) Rethinking our role as architects, not creators(39:37) Becoming more productive but less capable(41:43) What kind of humans are we designing in the AI eraConnect with the guest:Rahim Hirji on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahimhirji/ Explore SuperSkills: https://thesuperskills.com/ Explore Rahim’s book, SuperSkills: The seven human skills for the age of AI: https://thesuperskills.com/book Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

AI is becoming L&D’s newest employee. Who’s onboarding it?In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Christie Vanorsdale of Vanorsdale Learning Lab, Kelly Morin of SPARK Performance Strategies, and Ibrahim Faizan of DXC Technology for a practitioner-led conversation about what it takes for L&D to have real impact in the AI era.One idea kept surfacing throughout our conversation. AI cannot compensate for weak foundations. If teams are unclear about the behaviour they want to change or the business problem they are trying to solve, producing more content at greater speed will not get them any closer to meaningful results.That raises a bigger question about the role L&D should play. Instead of being the team that takes an order and builds a course, we need to get much closer to the problem. As Dr. Christie puts it, if you diagnose the wrong problem, you end up spending time and money on the wrong solution. AI makes that shift more urgent. It also gives L&D an opportunity to rethink where we can genuinely add value.Some curious takeaways:Start with diagnosis before deciding that training is the answerTreat AI like a new employee that needs context and clear expectationsMeasure L&D by the improvements it creates, not the content it producesEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:23) Why skills-based learning starts with behaviour change(05:59) Are organisations actually closing their skills gaps?(09:13) Why better learning starts with clearer goals(12:46) Where AI adds real value in L&D(15:45) Why AI should be your second brain(19:11) What if AI were your newest employee?(25:17) Why managers can make or break learning transfer(29:20) Creating psychological safety for AI experimentation(33:23) Giving managers a bigger role in behaviour change(37:54) What separates real L&D impact from the illusion?(41:36) Why diagnosis should come before trainingConnect with the guest:Kelly Morin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mo/ Explore SPARK Performance Strategies: https://www.sparkperformancestrategies.com/ Dr. Christie Vanorsdale, Ed.D, Ms.Ed. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christievanorsdale-learning/ Explore Vanorsdale Learning Lab: https://www.vanorsdalelearninglab.com/ Ibrahim Faizan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-lowna/ Explore DXC Technology: https://dxc.com/ Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

In this episode, JD Dillon, author of The Frontline Enablement Playbook, shares why frontline employees need a fundamentally different approach to learning, enablement, and performance support. He explains why traditional training often clashes with the realities of frontline work, how L&D teams can connect their efforts to operational outcomes, and why the goal should be helping people become capable and confident on the job.We also discuss why frontline managers are critical to performance. JD explains how operational pressure shapes their priorities, why corporate programs often break down at the manager level, and how enablement teams can build stronger support around real workflows. They explore frontline technology, learning in the flow of work, local culture, continuous listening, and why making a manager’s job easier can unlock better employee and business outcomes.Some curious takeaways:Connect frontline enablement directly to operational and business outcomesDesign support around the realities and priorities of frontline managersBuild learning into the workflow instead of pulling people away from the jobEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:40) 2.7 billion: 80% of the workforce is frontline(02:34) Why L&D overlooks the frontline workforce(06:27) Why it's so hard to support frontline workers(09:57) Labor hours and the franchise challenge(11:34) Business models that invest in frontline execution(14:44) The "enshittification" of customer experience(17:18) Proving top-line value to CFOs and CEOs(20:43) Stop saying "learning" to your stakeholders(31:31) The book's 12 authentic frontline stories(34:35) The frontline hierarchy of needs(38:49) Why frontline managers are the most important people(55:11) "I want spandex, not concrete": building tech for frontline(1:04:41) Magic wand: three things to eradicate and replaceConnect with the guest:JD Dillon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jddillon/ Explore The Frontline Enablement Playbook: https://www.td.org/product/book--the-frontline-enablement-playbook/112602 Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

Customer education has spent years fighting to prove it belongs in strategic conversations. AI may finally force the issue.In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle Evans from Sendoso, Monica Walsh from Klaviyo, Ashley DeKerlegand from Quickbase, Talya Reynolds from ClearCo, and Ben Love from Jupiter Learning for a practitioner-led conversation about where customer and partner education is heading.A big theme emerged from the discussion: education creates more value when it stops behaving like an order-taking function. That means starting with the customer’s problem rather than the request for another course, then showing how learning connects to outcomes the wider business cares about.AI changes what teams can produce and how quickly they can produce it. The more interesting question is what we do with that capacity. As content becomes easier to create, judgement, empathy, and a deep understanding of the learner become more valuable.Some curious takeaways:Start with the customer’s problem before deciding whether training is actually the answerConnect education to meaningful business outcomes without losing sight of the learnerUse AI to remove repetitive work while protecting the human judgement that makes learning valuableEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(08:12) Where customer education should live(12:38) Looking beyond the training request(16:35) Starting with the business problem(20:15) Thinking like a growth leader(24:02) Moving customer education beyond support(28:49) Connecting content to customer outcomes(32:14) When the traditional LMS falls short(33:02) How adaptive learning can create demand(39:19) Knowing what to delegate to AI(46:41) What AI should actually automate(53:01) Will AI mean smaller teamsConnect with the guest:Danielle Evans on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemevans/ Explore Sendoso: https://www.sendoso.com/ Monica Walsh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-sindwani/ Explore Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com/ Ashley DeKerlegand on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-dekerlegand-60760289/ Explore Quickbase: https://www.quickbase.com/ Talya Reynolds on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talyareynolds/ Explore ClearCo: https://www.clearcompany.com/ Ben Love on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benlove26/ Explore Jupiter Learning: http://www.jupiterlearning.co.uk/ Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

What happens when a learning and development team has to evolve as quickly as the technology and business around it?Cammy Wood, Global Director of L&D & Engagement at GoDaddy, shares how her role grew from supporting sales training to shaping enterprise-wide learning, leadership development, onboarding, and skills enablement. She explains how GoDaddy uses experimentation, pilots, social learning, and learner communities to connect L&D with business performance.We also discuss AI’s changing role in L&D. Cammy explains why learning teams must use AI, learn AI, and train others to use it while protecting proprietary information and keeping human judgement involved. They explore personalised learning, learning in the flow of work, dynamic SharePoint playbooks, manager accountability, and the soft skills organisations will need as AI becomes more common.Some curious takeaways:Start with the business outcome and work backward to the learning needUse pilots and experimentation to learn quickly and iterate quicklyMeet learners in their time zones and create opportunities for social connectionEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:47) Building GoDaddy’s sales training programme(03:26) How Cammy’s L&D role evolved(06:09) Connecting learning to business performance(08:56) GoDaddy’s align, connect, and grow strategy(16:44) Making global learning feel personal(21:56) Learning in the flow of work(27:50) Why L&D must teach AI(30:15) Balancing AI exploration with security(32:17) AI as an enabler for learning(37:21) Growing the Learning Connect community(40:17) Creating shared language through team training(42:16) The future skills of discernment and prioritization(45:30) Why learning needs more lab work(47:42) Keeping human judgement in the workConnect with the guest:Cammy Wood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cammywood/ Explore GoDaddy: http://www.godaddy.com Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

Learning and development teams often begin with content, courses, and completion rates. Nick Shackleton-Jones and Charlie Kneen argue that the better starting point is performance.Nick, creator of 5Di, and CEO and founder of Shackleton Consulting, explains why he would erase education from the L&D industry and replace content-centred thinking with human-centred design. Charlie, CEO and Founder of Solvd Together, shares how 5Di has shaped the way his team works with clients to define business problems, understand context, and design for measurable outcomes.We discuss how emotion drives behaviour change, why completion rates are weak evidence of impact, and how to shift from designing education to designing performance. They also explore federated learning organisations, delegation of authority, AI’s impact on human capability, the risks of outsourcing judgement, and why L&D should architect experiences rather than information consumption.Some curious takeaways:Start by defining the business problem and the impact you want to createDesign for changes in behavioural capability, not content completionUse human-centred design to understand people, context, tools, and systemsEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(01:48) Why L&D should stop thinking like education(05:33) What completion rates fail to tell us(07:31) Start with the business problem(09:38) Define impact before designing learning(14:38) Finding the balance between centralisation and autonomy(17:25) The three capabilities L&D actually needs(19:18) When AI starts reducing human capability(25:29) A more scientific approach to behaviour change(31:57) Why AI content isn’t the answer(33:50) Are we outsourcing our thinking to AI?(38:23) Why humans could become the premium productConnect with the guest:Nick Shackleton-Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shackletonjones/ Explore Shackleton Consulting: https://shackleton-consulting.com/ Charlie Kneen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliekneen/ Explore Solvd Together: http://www.solvdtogether.com Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/

The way we think about talent is changing. A neat climb from one role to the next makes less sense when the work itself keeps moving.In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Bishop, Director of Talent Development at LinkedIn, whose own career has taken an unconventional route from theatre into learning and talent. Kevin makes the case for thinking less about job titles and more about the skills you can bring to whatever the business needs next.That shift also asks more of L&D. Learning only matters when it helps people change how they work, and a workshop alone rarely gets us there. As AI changes what people need to be good at, Kevin sees human judgement becoming even more valuable.The big question is what successful talent development looks like when neither careers nor skills stand still.Some curious takeaways:Think of your career as a portfolio of skills rather than a predictable ladderTreat learning as a lever for behaviour change, not the default answer to every performance problemBuild human judgement as AI takes on more of the workEpisode highlights:(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner(02:04) An unconventional path into talent development(04:43) What acting can teach us about L&D(10:40) Moving from learning activity to behaviour change(12:53) Finding impact where L&D might overlook it(18:58) Building talent teams that can adapt(23:44) Why skills could reshape career mobility(32:13) Using skills data to guide learning strategy(38:42) Why durable skills matter more with AI(45:37) What talent velocity means for organisations(48:47) Turning talent initiatives into business initiatives(50:04) What will define successful talent teamsConnect with the guest:Kevin Bishop on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrbishop/ Explore LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ Follow me on the following sites:Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/ Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/