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.
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.
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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.