From Scratch: Recent Episodes
From Scratch
Nigel is a former chief learning officer and now teaches, consults and writes books on leadership, learning and people development. Martin is a journalist, editor, curator and publisher.
In this episode Martin Couzins and Dr Nigel Paine discuss proactive vs reactive organisations. The discussion was prompted by a recent post by Martin on LinkedIn.
We discuss topics including . . .
The risks of being a reactive organisation
Change now happens so quickly that, by the time an organisation responds to a challenge or copies a competitor, circumstances may already have moved on.
The importance of data and foresight
Strong organisations actively manage and interpret data, notice emerging trends and weak signals, and use these insights to anticipate change rather than wait for a crisis. Thanks to Teresa Rose for making this point.
Employee knowledge as the “organisational brain”
Employees closest to the work hold valuable expertise, ideas and experience—including insights about AI and process improvements. Proactive organisations create the psychological safety and channels needed to share this knowledge; reactive ones trap it in functional silos.
Why continuous adaptation is essential
Customer demands, technology and employee expectations are constantly evolving. Organisations therefore need curiosity, integrated systems thinking and a willingness to experiment—not rigid procedures designed to preserve the status quo.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at L&D's fixation with measurement and whether the industry is measuring the right things.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins explore the
2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report: Agents, human agency, and the opportunity for every organization, Microsoft.
In this episode, Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the Training Journal L&D Influence Report 2026.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the role of learning in helping organisations realise the potential benefits of AI.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss leadership and transformation, two themes of the iVentiv Pulse: Top Priorities for Global Heads of Learning and Talent.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey - Leading through uncertainty in the age of AI.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the themes from the most listened to episodes of 2025.
Martin Couzins and Dr Nigel Paine discuss latest research from GP Strategies and Watershed - Measuring the Business Impact of Learning.
In this episode Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss latest research from Atlassian - The AI Collaboration Index.
In this episode Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss critical thinking and why L&D and talent teams need it more than ever.
Martin will be running a session on critical thinking at the Learning Technologies Autumn Forum - more here.
In this episode, Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at new research from Donald H Taylor and Eglė Vinauskaitė that looks at how learning and development teams are using AI.
Read the report here.
In this episode Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at research into shadow AI from Fuel iX. You can download the research here.
In this episode Martin Couzins and Dr Nigel Paine discuss David James' L&D maturity model, the Towards Maturity maturity model and why nothing seems to change in L&D.
Martin Couzins and Dr Nigel Paine discuss research from Microsoft that looks at what it calls the 'infinite work day'.
Read more on the research here.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins celebrate the big 250 and reflect on the most listened-to episodes.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins explore ways L&D can move beyond a content focus towards performance and business impact.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at why trust continues to be a problem for organisations and what can be done about it.
Martin Couzins and Dr Nigel Paine discuss ways to encourage organizational learning based on Nigel's latest book.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at why we might see a renewed interest in communities of practice in the coming months.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Cognota's 2024 LearnOps Trends & Insights Report.
In this episode, Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at MIT Sloan Management Review research that shows only 51% of the top team can list their organisation's top three priorities, dropping to 13% of frontline supervisors.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins reflect on the need for broader perspectives on AI so that learning teams can be a part of business transformation, not just learning transformation.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss pwc's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2024.
Martin Couzins asks Dr Nigel Paine to reflect on the process of writing his latest book, The Great Reset: Unlocking the Power of Organizational Learning. Pre order here.
In this episode Nigel and Martin explain what we mean by fieldwork and why it should be a part of how you work.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review the book The Social Brain - The Psychology of Successful Groups.
In this episode Dr Nigel Paine explains why there is no one definition of leadership and what that means for leadership development. Nigel will be co-facilitating the Building Leadership Capability Series with Matt Richter. Find out more here.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at Nigel's session at the conference, The Great Reset: Why we need to rethink organisational learning.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss how organisations can create a climate and culture of organizational learning.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss why organisations and individuals need to break through the status quo and how to do it.
In this episode, Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins explore the role of external insights in developing Organizational Learning. Nigel will be running a webinar on the topic on 7 March 2024 - register here.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at the Learning and Performance Institute's Learning Survey 2024.
Dr Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at McKinsey's paper on raising organisational resilience.
In this episode, Dr Nigel Paine gets a grilling about some of the ideas in his forthcoming book on Organizational Learning. Nigel is running a series of webinars discussing these ideas - register here.
In this episode Nigel answers some of the questions that were asked at the first in a series of webinars on organisational learning. Find out more and see the webinar recording here.
Bottom up mentoring to reinvigorate the learning process for those who feel they have nothing new to learn
The relationship between OD and learning
Overcoming resistance to community learning - how to make communities of practice work
Building and nourishing connections between people
How to enable and support innovation
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Organizational Learning, the subject of Nigel's new book and also a series of webinars. Find out more here.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at the latest research from the Chartered Management Institute into the state of UK managers.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the six action points taken from Insights Media's Research Roundup report into generative AI.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins propose some tactics for finding credible insights on generative AI.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review the LinkedIn Learning course How to research and write using generative AI tools.
Nigel Pain and Martin Couzins discuss research from the IBM Institute for Business Value.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine explore the importance of audience insights to understand the learner context and develop learning interventions that deliver organisational impact.
It's the 20th year of the benchmark and Mind Tools for Business is serialising this year's report into three parts. Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at part one.
Nigela Paine and Martin Couzins review the CIPD's Learning at Work report, looking specifically at what it says about learning alignment and the learning environment.
In this episode, Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at Sage's The changing face of HR in 2024 research and reflect on the paradoxes that exist between HR and the C-suite.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at the CIPD's evidence review of high-performing teams.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review recent research on line managers and consider what it will take for organisations to raise the game on management capability and effectiveness.
Research mentioned:
More than 50% of managers feel burned out, HBR
Hybrid work is just work. Are we doing it wrong?, Microsoft
The importance of people management: Analysis of its impact on employees, CIPD
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss Nigel's keynote at the Learning Technologies conference 2023.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss research from Coursera and Emerge - Moving L&D to Systematic and Strategic Impact.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discus the State of the Global Workforce 2022 report from Gallup.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Nigel's research work into remote learner motivation.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review the Learning Technologies Conference 2022, held in London.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins briefly celebrate 200 episodes and then talk technology.
In this episode Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss the fundamental changes facing corporate learning teams.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review Lior Locher's bpok The DIY Phoenix.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the latest Fosway 9-Grid™ for Talent & People Success.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the Learning Guild's latest research on adaptive learning.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at the climate change challenge for L&D and HR professionals.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins explore the reasons for taking a fresh look at organisational learning.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins pose some questions about L&D that they'd like answers too.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the role of theory and practice in corporate learning.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins continue the discussion of Nigel’s Covid-19 quarantine experience in Australia.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Nigel's Covid-19 quarantine experience in Australia.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss organisations' renewed interest in skills development.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at the difference between a learning culture and a culture of learning. There is a difference!
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at The Business Case for AI in HR published by the IBM Smarter Workforce Institute.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the changing role of learning, using this CEO research as provocation.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins call for more diverse voices in learning and development.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss LEO research into Measuring the Business Impact of Learning.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the origins of the LearnPatch Learning Technologies barcamp.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at the Fosway Group 9-Grid analysis of learning systems.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss research from GP Strategies entitled Movement or Moment? A Pulse on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from Leaders and Employees
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins consider what leadership should look like in put post Covid-19 world.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the latest Fosway 9-Grid on Talent & People Success.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at the obstacles to better decision making and how to overcome them.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the UK skills landscape as described by the Open University Business Barometer 2020 report.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins finish their series on Recasting L&D. In this episode they discuss the need for L&D to rethink its relationship with the business.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins continue their series on Recasting L&D. In this episode they discuss the need to recast the way we think about evaluation and impact.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins continue their series on Recasting L&D. In this episode they discuss the need to recast the way we think about content.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins continue their mini-series on recasting L&D. In this third installment, they discuss the role of technology in transforming the learning function.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins continue their mini-series on recasting L&D. In this second installment, they discuss the need to recast leadership.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins kick off a mini-series on recasting L&D in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this episode, Nigel Paine interviews Michelle Ockers about the impact of Covid-19 on corporate learning.
Ockers is a leading contemporary practitioner and contributor to the learning community in Australia and New Zealand. Her extensive experience includes building a learning culture at Coca-Cola Amatil and strategic leadership on learning transformation at Qantas.
Ockers was recently awarded the tile of Learning Professional of the Year by AITD.
Nigel Paine reviews his keynote talk that kicked off the Learning Technologies Summer Forum 2020.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the opportunity to reset corporate learning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss what to consider when moving face to face learning online.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the CIPD's latest report on learning culture, Creating learning cultures - assessing the evidence.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins explore what organisations are learning from the Covid-19 lockdown.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Covid-19 disinformation and the need for individuals to curate and sense-make the information they see and use to make decisions.
In this episode, Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss TrainingZone's whitepaper, Driving business value through flexible learning, written by Laura Overton.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the rapid shift to online teaching in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this episode, Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine talk with learning strategist and author Paul Matthews about how learning professionals could benefit from adopting techniques from nudge theory.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Donald Taylor’s L&D Global Sentiment Survey 2020.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at the Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems. More on this here.
In our Christmas 2019 episode, Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins, look at why caring, sharing and support at work are so important. And why you should carry out an emotional intelligence audit.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Donald Clark's blog post on video in learning which is a great example of evidence-based insight.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the report Neuromyths and Evidence-Based Practices in Higher Education.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the Towards Maturity report Who moved my skills?
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss credibility and Martin's new Customer Credibility Index.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss data science with DataCamp co-founder Martijn Theuwissen.
Nigel paine and Martin Couzins discuss this report into digital mindsets in learning from Sprout Labs.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss their highlights from the Learning Live conference 2019.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the learning chapter in the 2019 Human Capital Trends report from Deloitte.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss learning cultures - what is a learning culture exactly?
Nigel Paine talks to Bob Tinker, author of Survival to Thrival, about his learning journey as an entrepreneur.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss corporate learning's dependency on content creation.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the article It’s not learning. That’s a problem for L&D and organisations and explore what constitutes learning at work.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins talk to Josh Schneider, author of 5 Days to Your Best Work Yet: A Human Like Approach to Better Work.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the CIPD's latest research on health and well-being at work.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss thinking environments (the work of Nancy Kline).
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins talk to Nick Shackleton-Jones about his forthcoming book, How people learn.
Academic and learning innovation consultant, Steve Wheeler, talks to Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins about his new book, Digital Learning in Organisations.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss Fosway's latest research into the learning technologies market.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look ahead to the Learning Technologies Conference 2019, held in London on 13-14 February.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the latest GoodPractice research into the 70:20:10 concept for organisational learning.
This week Doug Shaw joins Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins to discuss how to deal with ambiguity and uncertainty.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss older worker myths and multi-generation workforces.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the biases that cause learning evaluation to be less than reliable.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Mary Meeker's Internet Trends report and what it has to say about lifelong learning.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins interview Amy Burvall after Amy's keynote to the Learning Technologies Summer Forum 2018.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the impact of football manager Ray Wilkins, who passed away recently, on one young player. #leadership
In this our 100th episode, Nigel Paine interviews learning thought leader Elliott Masie.
Nigel Paine reflects on being a speaker at the LearnPatch barcamp held during the Learning Technologies Conference 2018.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss latest Facebook data that shows people leave jobs, not managers.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins talk to author of historical fiction Jane Harris about her creative process.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss the shift from learning first to performance first.
New research from the Corporate Research Forum should heaten L&D professionals, says Nigel Paine.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine discuss the shift to UX in using technology for learning.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the shift towards the Netflix experience in learning technologies.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss findings from the Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2017 report.
Nigel Paine offers some leadership development nuggets from his new book on effective leadership development.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss The Alliance by Reid Hoffman and The Future of the Professions by Richard and Daniel Susskind.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at whether the 80s concept of the learning organisation is back in fashion.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the Maisie report on virtual reality and learning.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine provide their end of year round-up . . . which are some tips for the year ahead!
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Nigel's new book on leadership development, Building Leadership Development Programmes That Work.
gpsol Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review the launch of Good Practice research into how managers use the web to help them do theor jobs.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine are joined by consultant film maker Penny Jackson. Penny talks through how to use video interviews to capture great stories.
Amy Burvall joins Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine to discuss the creative zone at the Learning Live conference 2016.
A longer debate here with Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine unpicking the idea of performance support.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at whether it is a good thing for L&D teams to give colleagues what they say they want.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine look at the rise of live video and implications for learning programmes.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on learning and development.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at how to develop a learning culture within organisations.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at how to make curation work across the organisation. #curation
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review the Learning Technologies Conference 2016 #lt16uk
Nigel Paine discusses his new book on leadership development which is still being written.
HR Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at the year ahead for learning and development in organisations.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins review the 2015 Charity Learning Consortium conference #ConfCLC15
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss Josh Bersin's list of disruptive HR technologies, which you can see here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ten-top-disruptive-hr-technology-related-trends-highlight-a-wave-of-innovation-focused-on-engaging-employees-300161802.html
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at why PowerPoint reigns supreme as a communication tool.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss research into the digital transformation of organisations.
Martin Couzins and Nigel Paine review the Learning and Performance Institute's Learning Live conference 2015.
In October 2015, Nigel and Martin are facilitating a corporate learning bootcamp in London. In this episode, Martin talks about content curation - the subject of his workshop. More on the bootcamp here: http://bootcamplearningstrategies.uk/
Nigel Paine reports from the Gettysburg battlefields and reflects on the tragedy, human resilience and leadership.
Nigel Paine shares his thinking on current learning challenges fresh from his talk at Learning Technologies 2015.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss blended learning and the launch of Clive Shepherd's More Than Blended book.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins take a look at the first 30 episodes and look at the importance of context in learning.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins look at why learning by itself won't see the returns organisations might be looking for.
Martin Couzins talks to Jon Bartlett about mental health, Lego and his new project www.thementalblocks.com
Nigel Paine interviews learning and performance consultant Stephanie Dedhar about her work at BP.
Martin Couzins interviews technology analyst Craig Weiss at the World of Learning Conference 2014.
Martin and Nigel discuss innovation and the #mooc 'Innovating your training business with technology'.
Sukh Pabial from One Housing Group talks through the session he gave at the Learning Live Conference 2014.
Martin Couzins talks to Mike Collins, head of learning solutions at DPG, who has put a community platform at the heart of the DPG business.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss elearning and whether it is time to drop the name.
Nigel Paine talks to Gemma Rayner, co-founder of the Woodend Children’s Festival, about festival learning experiences and how these learning experiences could benefit organisations.
Martin Couzins talks to Sam Burrough about design thinking and why learning professionals should use it in their practice.
Nigel and Martin discuss the book, A new culture of learning, by Doug Thomas and John Seely Brown
Nigel Paine interviews Jon Husband about wirearchy, an organising principle for living and working in a wired world.
Nigel Paine interviews Donald Clark whilst Donald demonstrates the Oculus Rift augmented reality headset
Nigel Paine talks to Giuseppe Auricchio, executive director, Learning Innovation at IESE Business School, Barcelona, about online learning in people development.
Nigel Paine turns the table on Martin Couzins and ask some questions about why corporates should consider using massive open online courses.
Nigel paine shares three tips on writing - something he says you should do at least once a day.
Nigel Paine interviews ApprenNet co-founder Emily Foote. ApprenNet is a video learning platform - find out more here: http://info.apprennet.com/
Nigel and Martin talk to the Learning and Performance Institute's Lesley Price for an update on the institute's Capability Map data and what it tells us about the profession.
Martin and Nigel are joined by Laura Overton, MD of Towards Maturity, who talks through Towards Maturity's latest research on learner preferences.
Nigel Paine and Martin Couzins discuss reflection and why it is important to take the time to reflect on your work.
Nigel Paine reflects on what makes organisations great and where learning fits into that.