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… What if the content you shared with your people helped them to be smarter, better, faster?  

… What if people had access to expertise at their fingertips?  

… What if the business saw L&D for what it is - problem solvers, growing efficiencies, and helping people to get unstuck?  

In a recent webinar, Learning Architect Shannon Tipton explored these very questions, sharing expert insights into how L&D professionals can build their curation skills. Ready to move beyond simple aggregation to quality and impactful sharing? 

Check out some of the key takeaways below. 

Today’s modern learner is overwhelmed, distracted, and impatient. They want learning content that is relevant, focused and succinct, timely, mobile, and engaging. Unfortunately, 41% of their time is spent merely trying to find the right content … yep, 41%! 

So, what does that say about your curation efforts, and how can you be helpful? 

According to Shannon, putting your curation efforts together in an organized effort encourages collaboration and communication, a growth mindset, and most importantly, it encourages a level of learning curiosity that will extend itself outward to your organization.  

Why is curation an important skill?

How do you know good content when you see it? 

People within organizations want to be able to access information that will allow them to learn, grow and improve overall skills - making them smarter, better, faster than the day before. The issue for organizations is that there is an overabundance of information. The ability to filter out quality training content is an ever-growing issue. Shannon explains the important difference between aggregation and curation below. 

The "filtering" issue

The point of curating information is for people to be able to take action. This provides employees with the motivation and direction they need to complete the learning, and continue to improve their overall skills within the organization.

Have a call to action

The importance of knowing your audience - communication is key 

“What if the focus shifted from: look, here's something interesting to, look, here's something incredibly useful.” 

Knowing your audience and segmenting where you're sending your content to is a critical part of any curation strategy. As Shannon explains, when communicating with key stakeholders, the communication piece that goes out them needs to be compelling enough to hook them in and help them break away from any previous biases they have.  

The importance of knowing your audience 

The struggle of modern L&D is not getting people to train, it's about giving them effective learning solutions that cut through the noise. To be able to do so, understanding content curation for workplace training and the benefits it can bring to your organization is key. 

Keen to watch the full webinar? Catch up on the recording here. 

You may also be interested in the following articles: 

💡Why content curation is important for staff training

💡Why content curation is effective for workplace learning

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Gain expert insights from Learning Strategist Shannon Tiptonon how to build your curation skills, moving beyond simple aggregation to quality and impactful sharing. 

Curating content with meaning and impact with Shannon Tipton

Gain expert insights from Learning Strategist Shannon Tipton on how to build your curation skills, moving beyond simple aggregation to quality and impactful sharing. 

Over the past decade, digital transformation has been a popular topic in business circles. So popular, in fact, that last year, global spending on digital transformation grew by 10.4%, reaching $1.3 trillion. That’s right, trillion. With a T. In other words, digital transformation is a massive global enterprise that will influence the future growth and prosperity of businesses worldwide, regardless of size, industry, or country.  

This enormous level of investment begs the question, what is digital transformation? If you don’t already know, now is the perfect time to familiarise yourself with digital transformation, as it is likely to increase exponentially in both scope and relevance in the coming years. 

Already, 70% of businesses have a digital transformation strategy or are actively developing one, while companies are expected to invest a further $6.8 trillion in digital transformation initiatives between 2020 and 2023.

To ensure your team can keep up, we’ll take you step-by-step through digital transformation. We’ll start by asking ‘what is digital transformation?’ before analysing the key benefits of digital transformation.

Digital transformation means using digital technologies to create new business models and processes to keep up with evolving customer expectations. In fact, 60% of companies with digital transformation initiatives have already created new business models. As such, integrating new technologies is inherent to digital transformation. 

Digital transformation also requires a company-wide culture shift to move on from old, outdated practices to new processes that make the best use of modern technologies. In many ways, it’s a simple case of modernisation. Out with the old, in with the new. Put simply, digital transformation requires a ‘digital-first’ mindset, integrating technology into all levels of business to deliver more value to customers.

According to CIO, digital transformation “marks a rethinking of how an organisation uses technology, people, and processes in pursuit of new business models and new revenue streams, driven by changes in customer expectations around products and services.” 

The Enterprisers Project expands on this definition, adding, “Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It's also a cultural change that requires organisations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure.” 

To provide a concrete example of digital transformation in action, McDonald’s realised that digital transformation could improve their customer experience. To achieve this, the organisation implemented strategies such as mobile ordering apps to reduce wait times, in-store digital ordering kiosks, and even smart-car drive-thru integrations. As The Power MBA explains, “In McDonald’s case, digital technology such as interactive ordering units, AI drive-thrus, and smart mobile app experiences have helped them reduce that customer experience gap.”

This is just one of many examples illustrating successful digital transformation. Other prominent examples include Netflix transforming from a mail-order DVD service to a streaming giant, and Walmart adopting a cloud platform in 2019 that connects the company’s checkout system to nearly 23,000 point-of-sale devices, allowing for advanced insights into store operations and the customer experience.

Now that we've answered the question 'what is digital transformation', it's time to examine the benefits of digital transformation. As mentioned, digital transformation is already a $1.3 trillion industry, meaning the benefits of digital transformation are far-reaching and multi-faceted. 

One of the key benefits of digital transformation is gaining a competitive advantage. According to McKinsey, 70% of executives implement digital transformation to secure a competitive advantage or keep up with competitors. As a result, 38% of executives plan to invest even more in digital technology to gain a competitive advantage. 

These findings should come as little surprise, given 89% of enterprises are planning to adopt or have already adopted a digital business strategy. Thus, digital transformation is now non-negotiable for many organisations. Without a forward-thinking digital transformation strategy, businesses risk being left behind. 27% of companies say digital transformation is a matter of survival, while 59% of companies who have not yet adopted a digital transformation strategy fear it might already be too late. 

It’s easy to see why companies with robust digital transformation strategies gain a competitive advantage, with one study finding that digital-first companies are 64% more likely to achieve their business goals than their peers. What’s more, a survey of the benefits of digital transformation found that more than one-third of businesses say meeting changing customer expectations is the main benefit of digital transformation. Other popular responses included improving operational efficiency (40%), improving new product quality (26%), and introducing new revenue streams (21%). 

Additionally, Deloitte found that implementing digital technologies can accelerate progress towards enterprise goals such as financial returns, workforce diversity, and environmental targets by 22%. Likewise, McKinsey finds that data-driven companies are 23x more likely to acquire new customers. 

If you’re not already convinced that digital transformation is vital, it also plays a significant role in boosting revenue. According to Forbes, 56% of CEOs say digital improvements have increased their revenue, while digitally mature companies are also 23% more profitable. A similar study by Deloitte found that companies with high digital maturity report 45% revenue growth on average, compared to just 15% for lower-maturity companies. 

Accordingly, digital transformation is no longer an optional extra — it is now essential. By adopting digital-first strategies, organisations gain an array of benefits, including increased customer satisfaction, improved operational efficiency, and even a competitive advantage over less digitally mature organisations. In other words, the question is no longer ‘what is digital transformation?’ but rather, ‘how quickly can my team adjust to digital transformation?’ 

Need support on your digital transformation journey? Go1 can help. Start your free trial today to access dedicated courses on Digital transformation basics, Enabling digital transformation, and many more.

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today.

We’ll take you step-by-step through digital transformation, asking ‘what is digital transformation?’ before analysing the key benefits of digital transformation.

What is digital transformation? 

We’ll take you step-by-step through digital transformation, asking ‘what is digital transformation?’ before analysing the key benefits of digital transformation. 

Since the widespread move to remote learning in early 2020, two big questions have been on our minds. Firstly, what have L&D teams learned from this transition? And secondly, how can they apply this knowledge to benefit learners?

In episode 16 of the Learning with Go1 podcast, Training Manager Francesco Cortese joined host Craig Hamill to discuss these and several other pressing questions. With a particular focus on L&D in retail, Francesco had many pertinent insights to share. 

🎧 Make sure you listen to hear Francesco’s thoughts on:

Delivering impactful training from anywhere

New skills and tools L&D teams have gained since moving to remote learning 

Here are some of the highlights from the conversation. 

Delivering impactful training with less time  

One of the key benefits of the transition to remote learning is that it forced L&D teams to think in new ways and do more with less. As Francesco explains, his team learned to deliver more impactful training with less time. 

In this highlight, Francesco emphasises that no matter where your learning occurs, it must be impactful. As such, learners must walk away satisfied that they achieved exactly what they set out to do. 

Delivering impactful training with less time

Agility in the face of adversity for L&D 

The sudden move to remote learning required agility on a scale that few L&D teams were truly prepared for. As Francesco puts it, “agile means that you are solving a problem in a certain way today, and tomorrow you have the same problem but you have to solve it in a different way.” 

Ultimately, teams that were able to adapt the fastest while still centring learners were the most successful. Listen as Francesco explains the challenges and unexpected benefits his team encountered. 

Agility in the face of adversity for L&D

How has the break from face to face training benefitted L&D?   

Sometimes, a change is as good as a holiday. This saying has been especially true for L&D teams following the move to remote learning. 

While the shift to remote learning was sudden and arduous for most L&D teams, many silver linings have subsequently emerged. 

Below, Francesco talks us through the new tools and skills that L&D teams have gained thanks to the break from face to face training. 

How has the break from face to face training benefitted L&D?

How will L&D influence business strategy in the future?

To answer this question succinctly, Francesco believes that alignment is critical for L&D to be successful. He explains that L&D teams must take more responsibility for business results and align more closely with their organisation’s overall strategy. 

Rather than being seen as a separate entity, L&D must align with business leaders to ensure success. 

Hear Francesco’s thoughts on the future of L&D below. 

We would like to thank Francesco again for joining us on the Learning with Go1 podcast to share his insights into the ever-changing world of L&D. If you haven't already, you can listen to the full episode here. 

We look forward to continuing the rest of the series, with L&D professionals already scheduled to join us from Cyprus, Egypt, Oman, Finland, the Netherlands, Australia, the USA and many more. Stay tuned! 

Want to hear more? Browse the full Learning with Go1 podcast library on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify to help expand your knowledge of all things L&D and hear how other organisations are navigating this ever-evolving landscape.

In Episode 16 of the Learning with Go1 podcast, we were joined by Francesco Cortese to discuss how L&D has benefitted from the transition to remote learning. Catch up on some of the highlights from the podcast here.

What has L&D learned from the transition to remote learning?

In episode 16 of the Learning with Go1 podcast, we were joined by Francesco Cortese to discuss how L&D has benefitted from the transition to remote learning. Catch up on highlights from the podcast here. 

What has L&D learned from the transition to remote learning? 

For many organizations, the past two years have forced a reactive look into how we work. Suddenly shifting focuses and upending workplace structures certainly helped us adapt, but the emotional wellbeing of workers has now become a priority as we look ahead.

Exacerbated by remote working, loneliness has become an increasing concern.  

Three in five working Americans considered themselves lonely in 2020, with time and social distance likely to have increased that number even more.  

Loneliness is when one perceives that they are alone, regardless of how physically close or isolated they may be. It is not the absence of social activity, but rather a lack of high-quality connection and belonging.  

Taking care to combat loneliness in your workforce will not only increase your employee's overall wellbeing but will deliver stronger performance and engagement levels. Lonely workers report being twice as likely to take a sick day and five times as likely to miss a day from stress. Loneliness (or perceived isolation) has also been shown to contribute to lower cognitive performance, executive functioning and ability to adapt to change. 

It can be increasingly difficult to recognize loneliness in our team, particularly when working remotely. Go1 content partner, Mindscaling, explore the importance of creating a calm and judgement free environment in their interactive course Recognize Loneliness at Work (available in our playlist below).

To proactively address the risk of loneliness, let’s focus on quality connection and creating a culture of belonging within our team.  

Much of the responsibility for high-quality connection, based on empathy and interdependence, sits with leaders and direct managers.  

Now, while social isolation has certainly played a role in how widespread loneliness is, the answer is not to simply increase the amount of social zoom calls, team building events or hours spent in check-ins. This can actually have the opposite effect, with low-quality connection proven to increase an employee's loneliness susceptibility.

Prioritizing one-on-one check-ins with your employees, that divert from ‘work-chat' and demonstrate genuine care, can make just as much impact on their connection to the team as achieving measurable KPIs. These lighthearted and compassionate conversations with your team should be seen as a driving force of performance and engagement. 

Consider as well how your distributed or isolated workers are managed and supported. They require a different approach to any centrally based teams. Within our free Loneliness and Isolation content playlist below are two specifically useful courses (Managing Remote Teams Inclusively and The Adventures of the Lone Worker) to assist leaders in managing and connecting with each worker. 

While 85% of employees worldwide report feeling disengaged at work, organizations are beginning to see the impact a lack of belonging can have.  

Hybrid teams in particular can struggle with isolation and a lack of belonging and require an increase in proactive measures to mitigate loneliness. With 52% of workers wanting hybrid work options to continue, fostering belonging and combatting loneliness will continue to remain a workplace priority.

Employee expectations and priorities have also drastically shifted, with happiness becoming up to 12% more dependent upon the feeling of belonging than before.  High levels of belonging are linked to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover and a 75% drop in days taken off sick.  

In short, belonging mitigates loneliness, increases happiness and empowers workplace performance.

Thrive Learning note the link between belonging, trust and freedom to express your opinions. When a worker is empowered with not only purpose in their role, but the ability to bring about change when it’s needed, they find belonging. 

Lauren Romansky, Managing Vice President at Gartner, recently noted how belonging is a key component of inclusion, also saying, “when employees are truly included, they perceive that the organization cares for them as individuals, their authentic selves.” 

Establishing a foundation of care and inclusion for your workers will allow for increased belonging. This in turn, when paired with high-quality connection, will support your efforts in proactively reducing the risk of loneliness. 

For the month of October, we will continue providing insight and content around mental health subjects and struggles within the workplace. Our articles on burnout and empathetic leadership are also available in this series. 

To assist you and your team in developing a comprehensive workplace mental health plan, we have curated a free Loneliness and Isolation playlist of learning resources within the Go1 platform.  

The playlist includes learning content from Blisspot Wellbeing, Emberin, iAM Learning and other Go1  partners. If you are already a Go1 customer, you can recreate this playlist in your own LMS or Go1 Platform. If you are not yet a customer, click on the link above to access the playlist. If you're interested in the Go1 Content Hub for your organization's wellbeing and L&D goals, please get in touch with us today.  

Please remember, if you are struggling with your mental health and experiencing significant distress, we encourage you to reach out for immediate support. 
Australia: Lifeline 131 114 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636  
USA: NAMI HelpLine 800-950-6264 
UK: Samaritans 116 123 or Shout Crisis Text Line text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 
Global: United for Global Mental Health Regional Directory 

To proactively address the risk of loneliness, let’s focus on quality connection and creating a culture of belonging.

The lonely workforce. Using connection and belonging to combat loneliness in your team

Why am I getting angry at small things?  

Without understanding our brains, how we process information, and how we work and learn, we may feel stuck in an unproductive state. 

In episode 15 of the Learning with Go1 podcast, we're joined by Lauren Waldman, Founder and Chief Learning Specialist of Learning Pirate, to bring a deeper understanding and awareness on this topic.  

Listen to hear Lauren dive into the science of the brain and how neuroscience can be translated into practical application within L&D, to positively change the way we experience and feel learning. 

Ready to learn what your brain can really do? Check out some of our favourite highlights below. 

When we’re learning, we are literally changing the physiology of our brains. Lauren believes that memory plays a key part in this process, and there are three fundamental stages of memory that must be considered when it comes to learning design - encode, store, and retrieve.  

Why is learning not retained?

People struggle to learn when their brains are under stress 

Are you finding it increasingly difficult to focus? Harder to switch off? Or things slipping from your memory?   

You're not alone. These past 18 months have taken their toll in many ways, and most likely, your brain is exhausted. 

Considering this, many organisations don’t have internal resources with the knowledge and skills to effectively help those in need. And so, the question is - when designing learning, how do we get to the heart of what is really going on and ensure that we are being psychologically safe? Lauren begins to dive into this more below.  

People struggle to learn when their brains are under stress

Why is it important to understand how our brains work? 

Drawing from her own journey, Lauren speaks about the importance of joining forces with your brain and understanding the role it plays in our day-to-day feelings and emotions. There may be more benefits than you think...

What is the benefit of learning about our brains?

Evolving the way we learn – what's next? 

This is where the science of the brain and learning meet.  

Having the knowledge about how the brain learns enables organisations to create impactful, measurable and memorable learning experiences for their employees.   

If you’re listening and this resonates with you, Lauren encourages you to reach out and start a conversation.  

Where do we go from here?

When neuroscience found its way into Lauren’s world, it was game over. All it took was one question, “how did I not know this!?” It was that one question that changed everything. 

Just like Lauren, we hope that you too can walk away from this episode with a deeper curiosity about the inner workings of your brain, and how we can be using that knowledge to advance business practices. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the full episode here.  

We look forward to continuing the rest of the series with L&D professionals already scheduled to join us from Italy, Cyprus, Eqypt, Oman, Finland, The Netherlands, Australia, USA and many more. Stay tuned! 

Want to hear more? Browse the full Learning with Go1 podcast library on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify to help expand your knowledge of all things L&D. And hear how other organisations are navigating through this ever-evolving landscape. 

Do you know how you learn? Think again. Catch up on Episode 15 of the Learning with Go1 podcast as Lauren Waldman, Founder and Chief Learning Specialist of Learning Pirate, discusses the practical applications of neuroscience in the workplace. 

Why am I so tired? How the pandemic has impacted our ability to work and learn 

Do you know how you learn? Think again. On Episode 15 of the Go1 podcast, Lauren Waldman, Founder and Chief Learning Specialist of Learning Pirate, discusses the practical applications of neuroscience in the workplace. 

For the countless negative impacts of COVID-19, one significant silver lining for many employees has been the transition to working from home. From reduced commute times to increased freedoms, workers have reaped the rewards. However, as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease worldwide, returning to the office is imminent for many workers. Understandably, workers are feeling a complex array of emotions about returning to office life, ranging from excitement to anxiety to trepidation. 

These varied feelings should come as little surprise, as the pandemic has showcased working from home is a high priority for employees. In some instances, it’s even more important than money. In a recent survey by Logitech, 42% of Australian workers said they would prefer to work from home than receive a pay rise. What’s more, 64% said that working from home saved travel time, allowing for a better work-life balance. 

And these statistics are just the tip of the iceberg. Research shows that 53% of employees would feel some or high levels of stress if their employers required them to return to a shared office. Likewise, having to return to a physical workplace all or part of the time would cause 41% of employees to seek a job with another company. 

To emphasise this, a survey of over 4,500 employees by Limeade found “there was not a single employee that did not have any anxiety about returning to the office/worksite”. This point is worth reiterating — every single employee felt some degree of anxiety about returning to office life. Specifically, the most common anxieties were less flexibility (71%) and commuting to work again (68%). 

Finally, Australia reported the highest levels of anxiety about returning to the office (53%), followed closely by the U.S. (52%). At the other end of the scale, Germany and Belgium reported the lowest levels of anxiety (31%) about returning to office life.

Put simply, most employees feel high levels of anxiety — even dread — about returning to office life. These feelings are understandable, as returning to the office full time may come as a culture shock after getting used to the increased freedom and flexibility of working from home. 

To ease this transition, employers have a duty of care to look after stressed and anxious employees, listen to their concerns, be flexible, and make returning to the office a positive experience. With this in mind, we’ll take a closer look at how to deal with returning to the office, offering tips for both employees and managers to make a smooth transition back to the office. 

How to deal with returning to office life for employees 

It’s easy to let routines slip in lockdown, especially as you’re no longer frantically rushing out the door to beat the morning traffic. What was once a strict morning routine may have become a little lax. So, to help ease back into office life, it’s important to reset your daily routines. 

According to Very Well Mind, routines can have far-reaching psychological benefits, particularly during times of disruption like a global pandemic. These benefits include lower stress levels, increased focus and productivity, and better overall health. Very Well Mind explains that “research has consistently shown that routines can play an important role in mental health. One study, for example, found that routines could help people better manage stress and anxiety.” 

Returning to office life is an excellent opportunity to take stock of your daily routines — ​​particularly your morning routine — to find what works for you. This process will look different for different people. However, some suggestions include completing a morning meditation to help with any anxieties around returning to work, having a morning shower while listening to your favourite podcast, or even just eating a healthy, fulfilling breakfast to start your day on the right note. 

If you feel trepidation about returning to the office, don’t be shy about asking questions and voicing your concerns. Ideally, you should reach out to your manager and talk to them in-depth about your concerns. However, if you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to a manager, it could also be a good idea to reach out to a trusted colleague. Having a clearer understanding of your company’s return to work plan may help calm some of your anxieties. 

We’ll take a closer look at how to deal with returning to the office, offering tips for both employees and managers to make a smooth transition back to the office.