This special episode is a replay of a live podcast recording I did with Tom McDowall on November 15 in London as part of the Learning Network's Connect 2024 conference.

You can also find the replay (with video) on Tom's The iDeas Podcast.

I also highly recommend joining The Learning Network if you want to connect with other brilliant L&D folks!

In the episode, Tom suggests everyone read Human Competence by Thomas Gilbert.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great resources:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our global Useful L&D Community
• Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this episode, I invite all of you to join the Useful L&D Community I launched back in September. I share a little bit about why I started this (global - as I forgot to mention in the episode) safe space for aspiring, new, and expert L&D pros to connect and working together to make learning more useful.

We are having great discussions, hosting events, and we're just getting started!

Join us here: https://useful-stuff.circle.so/join?invitation_token=729b68d43899a5f480ee11363cc12b7a9b766573-aea3a980-a69c-4a70-b0f4-8d3b27a526c4

Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great resources:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our global Useful L&D Community
• Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this episode, I chat with Fred Thompson, CEO of Thirst, about staying current in L&D and how he's managed to continue to take a modern approach to L&D, despite beginning his career with Flash.

Fred Thompson is CEO of Thirst and is a seasoned learning and development expert with over two decades of experience helping businesses create engaging learning environments that level up learner engagement.

Fred has spearheaded numerous initiatives that have empowered employees to learn and develop in the most intuitive way possible. His insights into the latest learning technologies and trends have been invaluable to countless organizations looking to turbocharge their learning cultures with game-changing learning platforms.

Fred has a passion for using AI and machine learning to create social learning experiences that meet the unique needs of each employee and help them enhance their skills and grow their careers.

Fred's suggestion for taking a modern approach to L&D:

• Look at what influencers and your favorite people on social media are using to create content, and try creating a prototype!!

Thanks for listening to the BLOC! To learn more and get more great resources:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn
• Join our global Useful L&D Community
• Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff