The How To Learn Podcast
A podcast that explores the process of learning in everyday life. Hosts Thembi Watt and Jonathan Marshall discuss how we actually learn, the science behind it, and how to apply learning strategies to improve personal growth. Each episode offers insights and practical advice on becoming a better learner.
Episodes
Interviews: Skills and Tips
In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan look at deeper interview skills, and share some tips from having been on both sides of the table. This isn't about generic interview tips - dress smartly, turn up on time, research the organisation etc - valid as they all are - this is about conversational skills, storytelling, double-loop examples and the tedious inevitability of practice. Remember there'
The Painful Joy of Creative Collaboration
Who could be against creativity, or collaboration? But put them together - in the learning design world, for example - and sparks can fly. In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan explore how to 'plan for the pain'. How should we contract up front, how should we manage collaboration overload, do we need a conductor, and does the relay race ever finish? Happy collaborating..
So you think Learning Design is simple
We pull back the curtain on what it truly takes to be a learning designer. Spoiler alert: it goes way beyond building your beautiful course.
In the latest How to Learn mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan explore the idea of the super-being learning designer. The truth is, great learning design means nothing if you can't bring people along the journey with you.
Most learning design job descriptions m
Desirable Difficulties
"No pain, no gain." In this mini-podcast Thembi and Jonathan explore the decisions we're all having to make about our learning muscles: which ones are allowed to get a bit flabby? Do we embrace 'desirable difficulties' and take the tougher - but more effective - route to learning via repeated and varied practice, thinking hard, and testing ourselves? Or should we relax, offload the cognitive effor
Perfectionists Anonymous
Are you a self-confessed perfectionist.. or maybe a chronic procrastinator.. or not ready to admit it quite yet?
Well, we all have the tendencies. Here are some tips to help.
In their latest How to Learn mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan look at the cost of perfectionism - 'it's not a quirky character trait, it's a barrier to learning' - and share four tips on how to share something that isn't qui
Switching Off: A Few Tips
Making lists, observing rituals and transitions, putting on different clothes.. these are not just things that happen across Christmas and the New Year, but excellent techniques for switching off in general.
Thembi and Jonathan finish the How To Learn podcast for 2025 with advice which is probably way too late: don't wait for holiday periods to switch off, you need to practise it all the time!
Tha
Letting Go
What are you holding onto.. that's actually holding you back?
In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan look around the workplace at where people need to 'let go'. You might need to delegate a favourite project.. give up your comfort way of doing things.. or leave behind the luxury of the 'junior mindset' where you know somebody else will sort it out.
As Thembi says, 'it's not a personality flaw,
Reading the Room
In this mini-podcast Thembi and Jonathan take 5 minutes to talk about a complex skill: 'reading the room'. Which can also mean 'reading the workplace' or even 'reading the interview panel'. Can we really trust ourselves to pick up social cues and group dynamics, in the moment, with accuracy? Maybe give yourself a better chance by i) understanding and mistrusting your own bias, and then ii) concent
The Dark Side of Learning
Have you noticed how bad habits, sloppy short cuts and toxic workplace cultures can get under your skin? - and even become part of who you are?
In this How To Learn mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan discuss The Dark Side of Learning. Ultimately, the most powerful mechanisms of learning such as repetition and imitation are entirely neutral. They don't care whether you're learning something good or
Nine Skills from One Chair
Chairing meetings is a learning superfood!
In this quickfire How To Learn mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan identify nine skills you can develop through the process of chairing meetings: from time management to tech, from body language to diplomacy.
So don't see it as a chore to avoid, see it as a way of building valuable skills.. and a way of helping your colleagues not to waste their time in the
Random but Valid: How We Actually Learn
Ever picked up a random dog-eared, second-hand book on holiday.. and learned something? Ever picked up a surprising amount of knowledge without actually noticing how you did it?
From double-glazing sales techniques, to life tips for avoiding airport stress, to mastering the London Underground, and to Emotional Bank Accounts - Thembi and Jonathan share some stories of random learning and argue that
Things That Should Work.. But Don't
Do you feel slightly guilty that you're not making full use of all the amazing self-management, personal organisation and efficiency hacks out there?
In this episode, Thembi and Jonathan look at the need to learn what actually works for you - and what doesn't!
Prompts and notifications, colour-coding, post-its, reminders, notebooks and auto-prompts all come under the sceptical microscope of How To
You Are What You Scroll
They're inside your head.. and they're using the most powerful techniques to make you remember and learn.
But do you want your most effective tutors to be the algorithms of your favourite social media?
In this mini-podcast Thembi and Jonathan look at the role of scrolling behaviour - and more generally, the role of habits - in creating learning. How can we be more intentional about our habits? How
Asking Questions: A Life Skill
We believe there is an important life skill called 'the willingness to ask questions'. But what does skilful question-asking look like, and can we get better at it?
In this mini-podcast Thembi and Jonathan discuss:
- why we shouldn't stop asking 'stupid' questions: certainly not when we're still new, and actually not when we're more experienced, either
- the need to pick your person, pick your mom
Learning through Explaining (the Protégé Effect)
It might feel like a boring chore to take notes at an event, or to 'cascade' some learning back to colleagues. or even to explain something that you know - or think you know.
But in this 5-minute mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan talk about the known 'Protégé Effect' - basically how teaching or explaining something helps you to learn it better. It can also add to your visibility in an organisation
Three Tips for a New Job
"Learning on the job" starts on Day 1. Here are three tips from Thembi and Jonathan:
- avoid the experts! (or rather: find somebody who can remember what is was like NOT to know what they were doing..)
- be curious: start volunteering for stuff beyond your role
- remember you need to induct THEM to YOU
It's also never too early to work out the skills you will need further down the line.
A Skill We Need to Talk About
In this 5-minute mini-podcast, Thembi brings up a skill which is often neglected: conversation. We talk all the time, but how often do we think about it, consciously, as a skill which can be improved?
From active listening to building rapport, conversational skills are crucial for our working and social lives. Thembi talks about 'How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks' by Leil Lowndes as a way in
Learning? Later
A cheerful mini-rant about good intentions and bad habits. Why do we trip up our own learning with procrastination, poor planning, bad filing and other habits? Or maybe it's just Jonathan? Plus a bonus moan on how the route to free content is strewn with annoying extras and roadblocks. Rant along with How To Learn..!
Meetings and Presentations: The Messy Art of Improving Your Impact
"You can tell when you're reading from the notes."
In this 5-minute mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan chat about office skills, and plunge straight into two examples: how to facilitate meetings, and how to deliver presentations. How did they actually get better over time? (assuming they did)
The episode covers:
- the role of observation, copying and practice
- using an emotional reaction to things
Are You a High-Training Manager?
A new study shows the difference that managers can make in encouraging their staff to pick up training opportunities. 'High-training managers' see up to 50% more participation - with benefits for performance and productivity.
In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan discuss:
- the link to leadership potential: are 'high-training managers' the leaders of the future?
- what to do if you've got a di
Don't hit the ground running!
We're all tempted to rush into a new job or project, to show that we can 'hit the ground running'.. but in this mini-podcast Thembi and Jonathan say: Please don't.
Much better approach:
- take your time, you have to crawl before you can walk (let alone run)
- be kind to yourself, it's ok not to know things
- don't abandon your induction halfway
- keep an induction mindset, and never stop asking qu
Colleagues: Intimidating or Inspiring?
We have a disagreement in this podcast: when you see a colleague demonstrate a real skill, is it intimidating ("oh wow, I don't know how to do that") or is it inspiring ("oh wow, show me how")? Either way, we think we should definitely learn more from others in the workplace.
The discussion also covers:
- are we losing random workplace learning?
- how can we be more curious, and more grateful?
Pl
Safe Space or Toxic Workplace?
Thinking about your workplace: do team members feel able to admit mistakes? Do you feel comfortable asking questions, and expressing incomplete ideas?
Or do you find yourself avoiding situations, questioning your own capability, and feeling demotivated or stressed?
How you feel in the workplace is a major factor in how (and whether) you learn and develop. In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan
The Surprising Power of Learning Buddies
Don't bother blocking out time for learning.. just find a learning buddy instead!
In this episode, Thembi and Jonathan talk about how they used the learning buddy system to finally get round to reading a book (Julie Dirksen's Design for How People Learn). In the end, we feel more accountable to other people than to our Outlook or Google Calendars. Let's use that power!
Do You Have an Apprenticeship Mindset?
The medieval apprenticeship model was a superb piece of learning design. Unfortunately a seven year skills programme is a hard sell in the modern workplace :)
But you can still use the apprenticeship model for your own benefit, even if you're not technically an apprentice, and even if you don't aspire to become a master violin-maker in Bavaria.
In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan offer a qui
Smart Networking at Big Events
Networking is an important part of learning - and even introverts can be brilliant at it!
In this two-minute special from the floor of a buzzing exhibition centre, Thembi and Jonathan share some quick networking tips:
- how to set yourself an achievable target
- how to use social media
- how to act like a pro and collect the contacts.
Plus - after many years on the diplomatic circuit - Jonathan'
Can You Concentrate for 8 Seconds?
The human brain is wired for distraction.
We're always scanning, processing and deciding on trivial things.. from noises outside the window, to WhatsApp notifications, to random thoughts about shopping.
But can you really define the human (or goldfish) attention span? In this mini-podcast, Jonathan gets grumpy about fake precision and Thembi asks, so if this is affecting our learning, what can we
Why We Hold Ourselves Back
Part of learning is putting ourselves forward for new things: for new projects, for interesting experiments, for more responsibility, for stuff that looks a bit scary but will develop our confidence and skills. We need the confidence to say yes to good opportunities.
So why do we hold ourselves back?
This episode looks at 10 common psychological barriers to learning: from impostor syndrome to perf
Let's Invent New Laws on Learning
In this four-minute mini-podcast Thembi and Jonathan decide to pass some new legislation, and to enforce it immediately.
So please get ready to comply with:
🎇 the new National Labelling Scheme for Training, based on the traffic light model for sugar, salt and fat in foods. "Short, one-off things" are now labelled Red. Consumer choice and employer information are paramount. If it isn't based in l
Feedback: The Guinea Pig Technique
How can we use small fluffy animals to get valuable feedback?
In this 5-minute mini-podcast we look at two tricky issues:
how can you persuade people to give you feedback?
and how can you offer it yourself - tactfully - in a way that lands?
From hypothetical guinea pig hostage situations, to coaching techniques, here's five minutes of practical advice on feedback. Let us know what you think! (e
Imitation and Sweet Potatoes
In this mini-podcast, Thembi and Jonathan talk about learning through imitation:
- why copying people at work is a good thing
- why we should worry about unconsciously absorbing toxic cultures
- what we can learn from the story of the Japanese monkey and the sweet potatoes.
Snack, Observe and Dive In!
How do we actually learn? Thembi and Jonathan abandon the theory and talk about how they actually learn, in real life: through 'snacking' on learning content, and through observing others; through saying yes, but also through saying no; and through getting into situations where practice is unavoidable.
The good news: "There are no calories in learning" :)
We Need Shorter Hours
Why do we insist on using 60 minutes as a standard unit of learning? Jonathan has looked into Babylonian astronomy and decided that basically hours are too long. A mini-podcast which is part rant, part discussion of how to maintain our attention spans.. and which finishes bang on five minutes.
The Discomfort Zone
In this mini-podcast, Thembi talks about being a panellist at a big event - and how you can use the 'discomfort zone' to learn new skills and push yourself. What's the worst that could happen? It's fine to feel nervous, just do it anyway!
The Book at the Bottom of the Bag
In "The Book at the Bottom of the Bag", Thembi and Jonathan discuss:
🎇 the classic problem of not quite getting round to reading that improving book (or pile of improving books)
🎇 some techniques for dealing with it
It's a Procrastination Special and only four minutes long 😄
The Mixed Gift of Feedback
Do you hate getting feedback? Do you love it? Do you see it as a useful developmental tool? Possibly all of the above?
This episode looks at.. The Mixed Gift of Feedback 🎁
Cascading the Learning
Fact #1: one of the best ways to consolidate the learning you've gained at a course, conference or event is to come back and share it with your team. If you want to learn it, teach it!
Fact #2: it's a pain.
This episode looks at Cascading the Learning - even when you don't feel like it.
Red Flags
In Red Flags, Thembi and Jonathan take five minutes to discuss..
🎆 when you should be wary of learning - what are the tell-tale signs that something isn't for you?
🎆awkward silences and Q&As
🎆over-selling
All based on science, and in no way on personal prejudice 😉
Smart Shadowing
Does shadowing actually work?
In this podcast:
🎆 Jonathan is a bit down on the traditional 'sit quietly and watch' model of shadowing
🎆 Thembi points out that well-designed internships and shadowing experiences can be fantastically developmental
🎆 a discussion of the benefits of "smart shadowing" (as tested in diplomatic negotiations): maybe follow a project or a process, not a person!
Mentors and Mini Mentors
Does "finding a mentor" sound a bit intimidating?
In this podcast, Thembi and Jonathan talk about different types of mentoring - and how you can benefit from all sorts of arrangements, from formal to informal. Your mentors don't even have to know they're mentoring you!
The Matrix Problem
Can we download a new skill in ten seconds? If not, why are we pretending that we can?
Too much learning seems to be based on how Trinity learns to fly a helicopter in The Matrix..
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