The Assembly: Where L&D Minds Assemble
The future of workplace learning doesn’t live in theory — it lives in lived experience, fresh research, and honest conversations.
That’s what The Assembly delivers.
Hosted by Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and digital learning veteran, and Brigid McCormack, a newcomer to the world of L&D, this is your go-to space for rich, real talk on what’s driving L&D forward.
In each episode, you’ll find:
Richer insights that go beyond surface-level tips to unpack what really works in learning today
Expert perspectives from leaders shaping the L&D landscape
Access to new research on tech, methods, and innovations defining tomorrow’s learning culture
Practical strategies you can use right now to build essential skills like leadership, communication, and adaptability
Whether you’re designing programs, shaping strategy, or driving culture change — if learning is your thing, this is your podcast.
Formally known as L&D Challenges.
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Generational Intelligence: Leading a Gen Z Workforce with Zavier Coyne and Patrick Quinton-Smith
Season 3 · Episode 76
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 • Duration 35:39
In this enlightening episode, Adam is joined by Zavier Coyne and Patrick Quinton-Smith, the founders of Gen Z Coach. Zav is the youngest qualified master intuitive psychology coach in the world and a TEDx speaker. Patrick is a certified leadership trainer and ICF PCC coach who has led multiple high-performing teams globally. Together, they combine their expertise to help businesses bridge the gap between managers and the incoming generation of talent.
In this interview, Zav and Patrick unpack the concept of "Generational Intelligence" and offer strategies for leaders to navigate the unique challenges of a digitally native workforce. They discuss:
Reframing the "Problem": Zav argues that leaders should not view Gen Z as the problem, but rather understand that they are navigating a "polluted" digital environment. Leaders must look at the context—the water the fish is in—rather than just judging the fish.
The Digitally Native Impact: As the first generation to grow up entirely with the internet and smartphones, Gen Z’s social and cognitive development has been uniquely conditioned. This has created an expectation for rapid feedback loops and instant gratification that often clashes with traditional workplace structures.
No News is Bad News: Unlike previous generations where "no news was good news," Zav explains that for Gen Z, silence is interpreted as bad news. They are accustomed to instant, personalised feedback data in their personal lives and disengage when they encounter silence in the workplace.
Generational Intelligence: The duo defines this as the behavioural and strategic skillset to effectively understand, empathise, and communicate across all age groups . This involves moving away from "command and control" leadership toward a coaching style that asks questions to stimulate thinking.
The Trust Gap in Recruitment: Patrick highlights that many young people leave within the first 12 months because the reality of the role does not match the vision sold during recruitment. Authenticity is critical, as 87% of Gen Z will leave a role to do the exact same job elsewhere if the new company is more aligned with their values.
Zav and Patrick provide a compelling case for evolving leadership styles to meet the speed of change in today's society. If you are a leader looking to improve retention, engagement, and productivity by better understanding your younger employees, this is a must-listen episode.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Embodied Learning with Horses: How Altezza People UK Drives Behavioural Change
Season 3 · Episode 75
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 • Duration 35:36
In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Julia Jones of Altezza People UK.
Julia is the founder of Altezza People UK, a leadership and emotional intelligence consultancy that uses embodied learning with horses to create measurable behavioural change. With a background in financial services and psychometrics, she combines commercial acumen with a passion for helping leaders and teams understand how their behaviour influences trust, communication, and performance.
In this episode, Julia discusses the limitations of traditional classroom training and the power of embodied learning to shift behaviour. She provides a fascinating masterclass on using physical experience to drive culture change, including:
Why Horses?: How horses act as mirrors to human energy and emotion, providing immediate feedback on leadership and behaviour that reveals what is really going on beneath the surface.
Embodied Learning vs. Cognitive Learning: Julia explains why we are often "tired of the mind" and how engaging the body creates lasting "lightbulb moments"—similar to the permanent skill of learning to ride a bike.
Psychological Safety: How removing teams from their usual environment and asking simple questions like "How are you feeling?" can uncover vulnerability and build immediate trust and safety.
Bridging Generational Gaps: Using shared experiences to connect the "fluid intelligence" of younger workers with the "crystallised intelligence" of the ageing workforce to foster better communication.
Measuring the Intangible: The critical need to move beyond "happy sheets" and link behavioural change and soft skills directly to business ROI and corporate objectives to prove value to the board.
Julia offers a unique and refreshing perspective on how to achieve deep behavioural change. If you are looking to move beyond theory and truly transform your team's culture, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Let's Talk About Executive Leadership Development with Samah Salih
Season 3 · Episode 66
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 • Duration 50:20
In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Samah Salih.
Samah is a strategic talent and learning leader with over 18 years of experience in FTSE 100 retail and corporate environments, including pivotal roles at Nestlé, BGA, River Island, and BT. She specialises in helping organisations build leadership pipelines and align people strategy with business goals to enable transformation at scale.
In this episode, Samah discusses the unique challenges of executive leadership development. She provides a candid look at why senior leaders often struggle to prioritise their own growth and offers a back-to-basics framework for building resilient, empathetic leadership teams, including:
The Executive Development Paradox: Samah explains why leaders are often "time-poor" and risk-averse, treating development as a secondary habit rather than a core responsibility.
"Fail Fast" vs. "Fail Well": Why the popular buzzword is often misunderstood, and how true growth comes from the pause, reflection, and accountability that follows a setback.
The Power of the Coaching Mindset: Why great leaders move from "telling" to "asking." Samah argues that coaching is a fundamental skill for life, driving accountability and clarity in a complex world.
Case Study in Success: A deep dive into a successful global leadership program at Nestlé, highlighting the importance of sponsorship, application processes, and applying frameworks to real-world business context.
AI and Human Skills: While AI can drive efficiency, Samah discusses why it cannot replace the human need for empathy, difficult conversations, and authentic connection.
Building Psychological Safety: How to foster trust through clarity, transparency, and consistency. Samah emphasises that trust should be given first, not just earned, and highlights the underrated power of kindness.
Samah offers a deeply human and practical perspective on what it takes to lead at the highest levels. If you are looking to understand how to support and develop your executive team effectively, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Engage, Inspire, Empower: Designing Experiences, Not Just Courses with Jez Anderson
Season 3 · Episode 65
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 • Duration 50:15
In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Jez Anderson.
With over 30 years in L&D as a manager, leader, and consultant, Jez has a deep passion for understanding how people learn. He specialises in digital learning technologies, informal learning, and creating cultures that foster curiosity and growth.
In this episode, Jez draws on his extensive experience to provide a masterclass on the principles of effective learning design. He offers a thoughtful and practical guide for L&D professionals, including:
Learning Design as Experience Design: Jez defines learning design not just as constructing content, but as creating learning experiences that engage, inspire, and empower people to make meaningful changes.
Balancing Needs: He discusses the crucial (and often difficult) balance L&D must strike between meeting organisational objectives and catering to the individual learner's needs and how they best learn.
Three Core Pedagogies: Jez outlines the spectrum of learning approaches, from traditional instructor-led methods to adult-centred (ecological) designs, and the learner-driven heutagogical model, advocating for a blended strategy.
Keep It Simple, Focus on Context: Learn why effective design isn't about chasing the latest tech fad (like VR for VR's sake). Sometimes the best solution is simple and tailored to the learner's context, even if it's a well-designed PDF for shop-floor staff.
Beyond Content Download: Discover how to make traditional classroom or synchronous virtual sessions more impactful by shifting the focus from instruction to facilitation, using methods like reverse classrooms, experiential activities, and scenario-based learning to embed knowledge and encourage application.
Jez emphasises the most critical question for any learning experience: If learners can't articulate what they'll do differently as a result, the learning hasn't landed.
Navigating Hyper Growth and the Move to Digital Learning at Spotify with Adela Paun
Season 3 · Episode 64
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 • Duration 46:29
In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Adela Paun.
Adela is a global L&D leader with over 15 years of experience, known for her pivotal role as a founding member of Spotify's L&D team, "The Greenhouse." During her 11+ years at Spotify, she witnessed and supported hypergrowth, scaling learning initiatives for thousands of employees globally while navigating the shift to a work-from-anywhere model.
In this episode, Adela provides a rare inside look at building and scaling L&D within one of the world's fastest-growing tech companies. She offers a masterclass on creating a thriving learning culture amidst constant change, including:
Laying the Tracks for Hypergrowth: Adela explains how the L&D team's mission was to enable learning "at the pace of change," acting as enablers, not bottlenecks, for Spotify's rapid expansion.
Navigating the Pandemic Pivot: Adela details the strategic decisions made when shifting L&D entirely virtual, prioritising leadership support, rethinking content ("killing darlings"), and managing the chaos of adopting (and later consolidating) new learning technologies.
Leveraging Leaders for Impact: Hear how Spotify strategically involved senior leaders in key learning programs to provide business context, model behaviour, and foster connection, trusting them to speak authentically.
L&D as a Cultural Engine: Adela highlights how L&D initiatives like Introdays and intentionally diverse training cohorts actively built cross-functional connections and reinforced Spotify's collaborative culture.
Adela offers a unique and invaluable perspective on the realities of high-growth L&D. If you want to understand how to build adaptable, impactful learning experiences that scale, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Building Bridges, Not Barriers: The Power of Cross-Cultural Communication with Anita Anthonj
Season 3 · Episode 63
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 • Duration 31:04
In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Anita Anthonj.
Anita is the co-founder of Talaera, a New York-based business communication and cultural training company. Drawing on her own experience moving from Germany to the US, she has deep expertise in the challenges and opportunities of cross-cultural communication in a global business environment.
In this episode, Anita provides a masterclass on why effective communication is not a "nice-to-have" but a business-critical "need-to-have." She offers a powerful framework for L&D leaders looking to foster connection and drive impact, including:
Building Bridges, Not Barriers: Anita defines cross-cultural communication as recognizing that "your way is not the only way." It's about empathy, curiosity, and building connections across different lived experiences.
The Challenges for Non-Native Speakers: Learn about the invisible hurdles non-native speakers face, from the mental processing delay in fast-paced meetings to the difficulty of bringing their "whole self" to work in a foreign language.
Communication is ROI: Discover how effective communication is directly tied to business outcomes. Anita shares real-world examples of how improved communication skills can decrease customer call times, build stronger client relationships, and save significant money.
A Bespoke, Not One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Anita explains why communication training is most effective when it’s customised to an organisation's specific pain points, using a blend of one-on-one coaching, group workshops, and scalable digital solutions.
A Practical Guide for L&D: Get actionable advice on how L&D teams can champion communication training, from going on a "listening tour" to identify needs, to starting with small, high-impact pilots to prove the concept and demonstrate value.
Why Communication Matters More Than Ever: In a volatile world with AI, hybrid work, and multiple generations in the workplace, Anita argues that human connection is the most critical skill, and investing in communication signals to employees that they are valued.
How to Successfully Launch New Learning Technology with Ashley Robinson
Season 3 · Episode 62
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 • Duration 52:56
In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Ashley Robinson of Virgin Media/O2.
Ashley is the Strategic Learning & Operational Lead at Virgin Media/O2, bringing a wealth of experience as a senior digital technology professional and project manager. He specialises in implementing learning systems globally, improving employee attainment, and demonstrating clear ROI across diverse workforces, including corporate and frontline staff.
In this episode, Ashley draws on his journey from web developer to L&D leader to provide a masterclass on successfully implementing learning technology, especially at scale.
Included in this weeks’ episode:
The Power of Consultation: Ashley identifies the biggest challenge in tech rollouts: organisations failing to include all user archetypes (especially frontline workers) in the initial consultation and decision-making process.
The Blueprint of a Successful Rollout: Learn why involving diverse working groups from the start, getting them in front of vendors, and facilitating collective reflection is crucial for building buy-in and creating internal champions.
Marketing Beyond the Launch: Ashley stresses that the real work begins after implementation. Success requires ongoing, engaging communication and leveraging early champions to build grassroots momentum.
Cracking the Frontline Code: Discover why accessibility and authentication are the most critical, yet often overlooked, factors for engaging frontline workers who might not have corporate devices or dedicated learning time.
Lessons from Failed Rollouts: Ashley shares examples where lack of user consultation and unaddressed access issues killed adoption within the launch window.
The 5% Shift: How small, consistent behavioural changes transform workplaces with Dan Philips
Season 3 · Episode 61
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 • Duration 42:16
In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Dan Philips.
Dan is a highly experienced L&D consultant with a deep background in psychology and behavioural change. For the last 15 years, he has specialised in using the Insights Discovery model to help individuals, teams, and leaders improve their self-awareness, communication, and collaboration.
In this episode, Dan provides a masterclass on the Insights Discovery model, a powerful personality profiling tool that uses a simple language of four colour energies to unlock profound behavioural change. He provides a comprehensive guide for L&D professionals, including:
What is the Insights Discovery Model?: Dan explains the Jungian-based model and its four core colour energies: Cool Blue (detail and clarity), Sunshine Yellow (innovation and collaboration), Fiery Red (action and decisions), and Earth Green (values and trust).
The Power of the Team Wheel: Discover how the model visually plots entire teams, helping individuals understand their colleagues' preferences and what it’s "like to be on the receiving end of me."
Beyond a "Fun" Team Day: Dan stresses that while the model is engaging, its true power comes from aligning it with specific business challenges—from improving stakeholder communication and breaking down silos to enhancing leadership effectiveness.
A Common Language for Feedback: Learn how the language of colour helps to depersonalise feedback, allowing for more open and constructive conversations that reduce interpersonal tension.
Driving Real Business Value: Discover how improving self-awareness and collaboration directly impacts the bottom line by increasing employee engagement, reducing turnover, and saving money.
How L&D Can Leverage the Model: Dan provides practical use cases for integrating Insights into leadership development, change management, one-to-one coaching, and even for an L&D team's own self-reflection.
From Nokia to Adidas: Lessons in Global Sales Enablement with Sybrand Oudega
Season 3 · Episode 60
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 • Duration 42:00
In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Sybrand Oudega.
Sybrand is a global learning and talent development leader with 25 years of international experience at iconic brands like Nokia, Microsoft, and Adidas. As the former Senior Director of the Global Sales Academy at Adidas, he was responsible for the skills and performance of over 35,000 employees across 75 countries and 37 languages.
In this episode, Sybrand provides a masterclass on how to design learning programs that scale globally while connecting locally. He shares the hard-won lessons from his extensive career, including:
The Golden Rule of Global L&D: Sybrand explains his core principle: the success of a global team is not defined by what they create, but by how successful they make the local market teams. It’s a shift from dictating to enabling.
Balancing Consistency and Autonomy: Discover how to maintain a consistent global brand and core frameworks (like a service model or leadership principles) while empowering local teams to adapt the application of these skills to fit their unique cultural context.
The Power of Partnership: Learn why the most critical factor for success is building strong, trust-based partnerships with local market teams and involving them directly in the design and validation process.
Scaling the Trainers: Sybrand details the 20-week global trainer certification program his team created to build a common language and skill set across 120 trainers, ensuring that when they localised content, they did so without compromising its integrity.
The Technology Game-Changer: Hear how advancements in AI-powered video translation completely transformed their ability to deliver relevant, timely product training, causing content engagement to spike.
Lessons in Cultural Nuance: Sybrand shares his personal experience of learning the hard way that a direct, Western approach to feedback doesn't work everywhere, and references as a valuable resource.
Building Thriving Learning Communities with Nahdia Khan
Season 3 · Episode 59
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 • Duration 47:27
In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Nahdia Khan.
Nahdia is a strategic advisor and purpose-driven leader with over 20 years of experience in digital learning, public policy, and executive education. As the former Chief Impact Officer at Mind Tools, she has deep expertise in transforming customer relationships into vibrant communities of practice that drive both engagement and commercial success.
In this episode, Nahdia provides a masterclass on the power of Learning Communities of Practice, built on her core belief that "people learn best when they're connected." She offers a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to build and sustain a thriving community, including:
What is a Learning Community of Practice?: Nahdia defines it as a group of people sharing a common challenge or passion who come together regularly to learn from each other through a blend of peer learning, co-creation, and applied practice.
The Key Ingredients for Success: Discover the essential elements needed to build a successful community, including trust, transparency, psychological safety, and co-creation, with the ultimate goal of the community becoming self-managing.
A Practical Guide to Getting Started: Nahdia outlines a step-by-step process for building a community from scratch, from defining the problem you're solving to doing market research and involving members from the very beginning.
"Living Labs for Insight": Learn how communities solve critical challenges for L&D teams by serving as a real-time source of feedback, a space to test ideas, and a way to have nuanced, hype-free conversations on fast-moving topics like AI.
How to Measure Success: Nahdia breaks down measurement into three key layers: engagement (participation rates), value (member feedback and stories of applied learning), and impact (contribution to business outcomes).
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Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
The "So What?" Question:
"So what?"
Embracing Digital & Informal Learning: He stresses the importance of thinking digitally about the entire learner experience (not just the LMS) and fostering informal learning through communities of practice and social connection.
Jez offers a pragmatic and experience-led perspective, grounding innovative ideas in the fundamental principles of good learning practice. If you want to design more impactful and engaging learning experiences, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Anita offers a compelling and practical guide to unlocking the power of communication in your organisation. If you want to learn how to build trust, foster connection, and drive measurable business impact, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Speaking the Language of ROI: Understand the two key approaches to justifying investment: direct ROI (easily measured in areas like Sales) and indirect ROI (the strategic cost of not investing in people, impacting talent attraction/retention).
Ashley provides a candid, practical, and highly valuable guide for anyone involved in selecting, implementing, or driving adoption for learning technology. If you want to avoid common pitfalls and ensure your next tech rollout lands successfully, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Dan offers a clear and practical guide to a tool that gets to the heart of what drives business success: how people work effectively together. If you are looking for a framework to improve communication and team dynamics, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Geert Hofstede's six dimensions of culture
Sybrand offers an incredibly insightful and practical guide for any L&D professional operating in a multi-national environment. If you are looking to create learning that is both globally efficient and locally effective, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
The Future is Connection: Nahdia makes a powerful case for why communities are not a "nice-to-have" but a "must-have," arguing that the most sustainable asset an organization can build is the connection between its people.
Nahdia offers an inspiring and actionable framework for creating powerful learning communities. If you believe in the power of connection and want to foster collaborative learning, this is a must-listen-to episode.
Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
