{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Assembly","title":"How to Build Confidence, Community, and Culture in L&D with Paul Headland (PPLPRS)","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2159,"description":"When Paul Headland moved from client services into Learning & Development at PPLPRS (the joint venture collecting music licensing fees for creators), he recognised that effective training required far more than static e-learning modules or script reading. Navigating sensitive, legally required customer conversations meant empowering new joiners to lead with authenticity, personal confidence, and human connection.\n\nBrigid McCormack talks with Paul Headland, L&D Specialist at PPLPRS, about how to design immersive onboarding programs that build trust, eliminate hierarchy, and prepare employees for challenging customer interactions.\n\nPaul shares his journey from banking and front-line customer service into L&D, detailing how PPLPRS infuses music, lightheartedness, and communal learning into every step of induction. From crafting custom festival lineups as day-one icebreakers to taking a \"names, not job titles\" approach that connects new joiners directly with executive leadership, he breaks down how to create a safe space for people to practice, make mistakes, and build confidence.\n\nThey also discuss how to handle difficult customer calls using psychological coping methods, why businesses should focus on internal talent mobility and long-term career planning from week one, and practical facilitation strategies for modern L&D teams.\n\nWhat you'll learn in this episode\nHow to use creative, domain-specific icebreakers (like planning a music festival) to unlock core values and engagement on day one\nWhy adopting a \"names, not job titles\" culture removes hierarchy, builds psychological safety, and improves leadership engagement during onboarding\nHow to prepare front-line teams for difficult, legal-adjacent conversations without relying on rigid scripts that destroy human rapport\nPractical psychological techniques to help delegates stay calm, disassociate during high-friction interactions, and lead with empathy\nHow internal mobility and clear progression pathways turn...","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}