Must reads.
This is more of a manual on how to build education programs that deliver results, than a book on how people learn. Although this is discussed in the earlier chapters, particularly the concept of providing resources not courses (think of the London Tube map vs a course on getting around London) the most powerful aspects for me was the overarching principle of designing for performance. This principle creates a very powerful narrative for when anyone senior asks you what you do. Learning and development is not about “knowledge transfer” but about improving performance.
This is one of those books that lets you understand why you sometimes get things horribly wrong, particularly when working internationally. I had never really properly understood why some of my content went down well with EMEA audiences but bombed with a near identical delivery in the US, until I read this book. In particularly I found the ideas around low and high context societies the best explanation of the lack of irony in the US (as well as other nuances), more importantly I learned that leading with action and recommendations is how US audiences like their briefings in an almost “just tell me what to do” type approach whilst Europeans need to understand your thinking first, in an “explain to me why you are making this recommendation” type of way, so effectively the converse. There is a lot more besides in this fascinating and super practical book.