L&D Go Beyond
L&D Go Beyond Podcast
A deep dive into learning, capability, and performance by Upside Learning
The L&D Go Beyond Podcast brings together leaders who are shaping the future of workplace learning. Each episode moves past traditional training conversations to examine how learning drives capability, performance, and real organizational outcomes.
The series explores the forces redefining the learning landscape, including AI, skilling demands, capability building, learning design, business alignment, and the growing pressure to demonstrate impact. Conversations are grounded in practice and informed by the experiences of CLOs, strategists, researchers, authors, and practitioners from across industries.
Guests share clear, practical insights into how learning can be designed, supported, and measured with intention. The discussions highlight what becomes possible when L&D operates with clarity, purpose, and a focus on meaningful results.
Upside Learning, a Mitr company, brings 20+ years of experience in delivering award-winning custom eLearning, learning consulting, and staff augmentation services.
If you are committed to creating learning that works and contributes to performance in the new world of work, this podcast is your space.
Listen. Learn. Go beyond.
L&D Go Beyond
Curiosity & Learning in the Workplace, with Stefaan Van Hooydonk
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In this curious podcast, Amit Garg speaks with Stefaan Van Hooydonk, Founder of Global Curiosity Institute, on Intersection of curiosity and learning at workplaces. The institute, brainchild of Stefaan aims to help individuals and organizations foster a mindset of curiosity to inspire them to keep discovering and innovative. Stefaan has worked with numerous organizations in learning leadership roles covering 6 industries and 8 countries over 3 decades.
Stefaan shares his observation from his early career that there are people at organization who are natural learners and curious. But the challenge is that such people, whom he calls ‘A’ players, are only 10-15% of the entire workforce. On the other hand there are ‘B’ players who want to learn but miss that chance of learning due to some challenges. Stefaan identified this challenge of turning these ‘B’ players to ‘A’ players. Talking about the L&D choices and mindset, Stefaan highlights about the availability of choices i.e. either L&D is driving innovation or weighing more on compliance. He emphasized that companies need to be intentional about their curiosity and exploration, to avoid dilution of their learning efforts.
Stefaan defines curiosity as ‘the mindset to challenge the status quo; explore, discover, and learn’. Workplace curiosity needs to be productive – start with a question, focus on getting answer, be disciplined enough to get there. Productive curiosity often leads to better exploitation as well as new exploration.
Here are the key takeaways from this podcast-
- Achieving balance between exploration & exploitation
- Organization’s life span link with curiosity
- Measuring curiosity at workplace
- Training people to curiosity- An L&D approach
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About The Guest
Stefaan van Hooydonk - Founder of the Global Curiosity Institute. In his previous life, he had been in learning leadership roles at companies like Nokia, AGFA Healthcare, Philips, Flipkart, Saudi Aramco, and Cognizant. His experience spans six industries and 8 countries over 3 decades. He is also the co-founder and dean of the Earth Academy.
You can follow and connect with Stefaan Via:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stefaanvanhooydonk
Email: stefaan@globalcuriosityinstitute.com
About The Host
Amit has been involved in the workplace learning domain for over 19 years. He is passionate about improving organizational performance through better learning solutions. He consults organizations around the world on resolving business and training challenges through uniquely crafted learning solutions by combining his vast experience and quick adoption of evolving trends on learning and technology fronts.
You can follow and connect with Amit Via:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gargamit100
Twitter: gargamit100
Email: amitgarg@upsidelearning.com