Episode 38

Simple ways for learning to make an impact with Roz Tsai

May 28, 2020

Ep 38 Roz Tsai.jpg

Talent and learning initiatives don’t have to be complex in order to make an impact on strategic goals. Talent and learning leader Roz Tsai shares how insights from neuroscience have led her to create experiences that drive authentic, sustainable change in leaders.

You can connect with Roz on LinkedIn.

Making an impact: Key takeaways from Episode 38

  • Roz’s work distills into three keys for success as a learning leader:

    • Sound practices: planning initiatives that are evidence-based and will actually work for the unique organization we’re serving today

    • Simplicity: ensuring talent experiences are as frictionless as possible, using best practices from consumer technology

    • Sustainable: implementing talent practices well, ensuring they’re strategically sponsored and aligned

  • In order to fill the gap between knowing and doing, we have to acknowledge that human nature gets in the way of change. Providing information isn’t enough to drive real, sustained change in most people. When we impart information, we have to look at the things that drive people to internalize the change and make it show up in their day-to-day work.

  • Creating powerful experiences that drive real insights will drive real change. These don’t have to be overly complex. Roz shared some great examples of how prompting leaders to ask questions of their teams allowed those leaders to gain new insights about motivating their people, and they could then turn around and put those insights into practice. In lieu of a lecture, the leaders came to the conclusions of the learning objectives on their own.

  • The effort to drive change can’t stop at the big ah-ha moment. Building in 360-degrees of support around the learner will help to sustain the new habit over time. This can be accomplished by using commitment partners or accountability groups that all support each other and continue to learn together.

  • Talent work is never solo work. It’s well worth the messy process of hearing from diverse voices who sometimes bring dissenting opinions. As long as you’re strategically aligned, there are many ways to get to the end goal. People need to feel safe offering divergent opinions.

  • Roz is 100% committed to continual learning and growth. Her father would say, “Read 10,000 books and travel 10,000 miles.” This is what it means to be a lifelong learner.


Roz Tsai’s recommended reading for talent leaders

Fill out the form below for a list of more than 50 books recommended by Roz Tsai. Topics include leadership, behavioral science, learning and development, culture and change, and more.


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