Getting better as an L&D professional

Welcome to the third edition of the Making Better Newsletter. This issue we are focusing on something near and dear to my heart, developing ourselves as learning professionals.

Since so many people in our industry enter the profession without formal training, our own development is essential to our future and the credibility of L&D as a field. That is why I was so excited to talk with Loren Sanders on exactly this topic.

When I first got started in L&D, I spent most of my time learning from non-L&D sources. These were incredibly impactful in helping be form a broader understanding of what learning actually was and how to use it to improve performance.

So, in this edition, I wanted to share my top 3 list of books every L&D professional should read, if they want to have more impact on the people in their organization.

Peak

Anders Ericsson is the original researcher behind the concept of deliberate practice, which was watered down into the 10,000-hour rule. Though there is no such thing as a clear 10,000- hour rule, deliberate practice is an amazing way to think about building development programs. You can purchase the book here if you want to dive in.

How Emotions Are Made

If you want to understand how people learn, you have to understand how the brain creates meaning and emotion, which is why this book by Lisa Feldman Barrett is a must read. She does an amazing job of breaking down the way the brain takes in information and uses it come to conclusions about the world around you. Pick it up here if you are interested.

Thinking Fast and Slow

Having a Nobel Prize may not ensure you can write a good book, but it doesn’t hurt. Daniel Kahneman, the father of modern behavioral psychology, breaks down the way people think and make decisions, which is essential to understand if you want to change people’s behavior. This book is a great follow-on to How Emotions Are Made. Purchase is here.

What do you recommend?

Do you have any books that have been instrumental in your development? If you do, I would love to hear about them. In fact, I think everyone could use another development book to read.

After you read this, I want you to go on LinkedIn and post your favorite development book. Make sure to tag me so I can hear about it. I need some new books to read.

See you next time.