In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Pooja Shemar.
Pooja is a senior L&D leader and passionate mental health advocate with over 20 years of experience, including 17 years driving transformation at Microsoft. Fuelled by her own personal journey, Pooja is on a mission to normalise conversations around mental health in the workplace, creating environments where people can truly thrive.
In this powerful and practical episode, Pooja shares her personal story and provides an essential guide to Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). She offers a masterclass in creating psychologically safe spaces, including:
- What is Mental Health First Aid?: Pooja breaks down the role of an MHFAider – not as a therapist, but as a crucial first point of contact to recognise signs, offer support, and guide colleagues toward professional help.
- How to Spot an Issue: Learn the simple, observable steps to recognise when a colleague might be struggling, centered around the powerful question: "Are you okay?"
- A Practical Toolkit for Offering Support: Pooja provides a step-by-step guide on how to help, including how to create a safe space, listen without judgment, show empathy, and encourage without forcing.
- Starting with Care, Not Assumptions: Discover the importance of framing conversations with concern for the individual, rather than labelling their behaviour or assuming you know what they're going through.
- How L&D Can Lead the Charge: Pooja outlines actionable ways L&D and HR can champion mental health, from embedding it in onboarding to making it a top-down leadership responsibility.
- The Power of Language: A crucial reminder to be mindful of casually using terms like "depressed" or "anxious," and the impact this can have on those with lived experience.
Pooja offers a deeply human and actionable framework for anyone looking to build a more supportive and mentally healthy workplace. If you want to learn how to open up the conversation and make a real difference, this is a must-listen-to episode.
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What is The Assembly?
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.