{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Assembly","title":"Building the L&D Team of the Future with Simon Gibson of Center Parcs","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2591,"description":"Adam sits down with Sam Gibson, the Talent Director at Center Parcs and former Group Head of L&D at M&S, to get brutally honest about what's holding L&D back and what high-performing teams do differently.With a career spanning banking, retail, nuclear decommissioning and hospitality, Sam has a rare cross-industry perspective: if you don't understand how your business makes money, you're probably doing nice things that don't matter.They cover how to diagnose the right problems, build a commercial business case, and tell stories that earn influence which includes a standout M&S example where fixing a policy search issue saved 5,000 managers 30 minutes a month and unlocked a multi-million pound productivity win. They also tackle the deskless workforce problem: most L&D solutions are built for people with desks and diaries, and frontline teams deserve better.If you want to sharpen your commercial edge and prove your worth - this one's for you.Episode breakdown:(00:00) From banking to L&D - Simon's unlikely path in(02:30) What L&D is getting fundamentally wrong(04:30) How to understand your business (and why most don't)(07:00) Finding the right problem before building the solution(10:00) The power of informal networks and honest feedback(16:45) Measurement, impact, and the art of telling great stories(19:00) The M&S case study - from policy chaos to productivity win(24:00) Scrutiny vs. value - are we just bad at proving our worth?(26:00) The future skills every L&D professional needs now(31:00) Deskless workers - why they're underserved and what to do about it(38:30) Three pieces of advice for anyone starting out in L&D🔗Connect with SimonLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simongibsonlearning/📮 The Assembly DebriefA short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. 👋 Come and connect with usWe’re always keen to hear what’s resonating or what you’re seeing in your world.Adam...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/x7Rhz_fIdJ_YcsToaOc85qvOXhRGlI7-OBTSDkGc05Y/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9lYjcw/NDcyMWMzZDYzOTUz/NjM4MGQyMTMwMmQ5/NWNhZi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}