"Retail lessons: Real ideas, compelling stories, and ownership"

Too often, Learning & Development reacts to short-term needs instead of driving long-term change. In my latest Thirst4Knowledge blog, I share practical tips for shifting from reactive to truly transformative L&D. Here’s a taste: ✅ Align learning with business goals — not just training requests ✅ Use data to guide priorities, not assumptions ✅ Build a culture where learning fuels innovation If you’re ready to make L&D a strategic advantage, this post will help you take the first steps. 👉 Read the blog post below! #LearningAndDevelopment #L&DStrategy #FutureOfWork #ContinuousLearning #Thirst4Knowledge

Executives asked questions about my offerings, might be yours too? "Can I explore what have you done with your clients (e.g. Danone, HMSP, etc)? And how to measure the impact?" Let me answer it here: #𝟭 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁? -Reflected in the real important deck that participants created after the program. -0% about design/visual, 100% about thinking, structured problem solving, and data-driven storyline. #𝟮 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀)? -Danone: from 1 to 3 workshops, with participants improving a total of 7 real decks presented to the top management → Very high satisfaction; just a few weeks ago, I became the main coach and judge for their internal Problem Hack event (and we’re now discussing the 2026 program). -HMSP: working together to improve real decks, with very high satisfaction (from Data Analytics and Product Sr. Managers, continued to their GDP program). #𝟯 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁? -An end-to-end, using your company's real problems and decks (a mix of training + consulting). Step #1: 2-day (or 1 day) Workshop - Problem Solving and Structured Presentation -Fee: Full program XX IDRmn (2 days), or partial program XX IDRmn (1 day) -#Participants: unlimited, but recommend max 20 persons for the best result -Using your real problems and data (NDA signed) for many case studies. → If not possible, we can use hypothetical cases. → Topics include: structured thinking & problem solving: logic tree, MECE principles, hypothesis-driven approach, data analysis (we play professional Excel), pyramid principle; structured presentation: storylining, deck making, data visualization, and PowerPoint making (we play professional PPT). Step #2: X-days Coaching Session -Optional but recommended → The participants and I work together on their real problems and real decks: the important decks that they will present to higher levels (again, we discuss not only deck but most importantly the high quality content). → “X” depends on how many participants there are, and how many iterations we need. Curious if this might help you too? 👉 More at: aseptamar.com https://lnkd.in/gMhS9-jK

📸 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂. A few shots of Alec Evans from a recent whiteboarding session with one of our Higher Education clients, focused on developing meaningful KPIs that drive real insight. 🎯 We were supporting them to: ✔️ Improve 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 ✔️ Boost 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 ✔️ Strengthen 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 Because too often, performance metrics feel disconnected from day-to-day decisions. By aligning KPIs with the outcomes their teams and students truly care about, we’re helping them move from data noise, to insight that actually informs action. This is where the right numbers start to drive the right conversations. 🔍 Want to refocus your own performance measures? Start here → https://lnkd.in/eUGrR3Vy 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙄 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮. #CIProjects #ContinuousImprovement #WithYou #HigherEducation #StrategyDevelopment #KPIDesign #DataDrivenDecisions #ProcessExcellence #LeadershipInAction

🎧 The Power of Listening I was recently reminded of the value of listening during a learning sprint at an Advisory Team workshop…a great refresher 😊 Organisations spend millions training people to speak better. But imagine the impact if we invested as much in listening better. In Solution Advisory, true listening is where understanding begins. It’s how we uncover challenges that aren’t in the brief, and truly build a memorable partnership with our colleagues, prospects and customers. Active listening strengthens culture, accelerates learning, and builds trust — with customers and colleagues alike. It’s how innovation starts: by truly hearing the need before we design the solution. Maybe “Listen First” deserves a place on every company value wall. #LifelongLearning #LearnAndGrow #SkillsForTheFuture #cultureatwork #GrowthMindset #LearningCulture #CuriosityAtWork #WorkSmarterWithDayforce

“𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙟𝙤𝙗.” A statement from the conversation during the debrief of a high-stakes experiential learning activity where I switched between the roles of facilitator and customer. It was an honest statement — 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦. Because behind it lies a deeper question: 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚 “𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩” 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? In today’s world, customers are not just recipients of our work — they’re co-creators of value. The more the value, the more innovation. The lines between product, service, and experience are constantly blurring. Being #Customer-focused and adaptability isn’t a process — 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀: • How do we respond when the customer becomes part of the problem-solving space? • Can we embrace feedback in real time, even when it challenges our comfort zone? • Are we equipped to move from “defensive thinking” to solution-oriented thinking on the go? Experiential learning reveals this truth beautifully — that leadership today is not about control, but about curiosity, co-creation, and change agility. The next time a customer steps onto your shop floor — literally or metaphorically — pause before you react, and open the doors for clarity. You might just #discover your next big innovation hidden in that conversation. #customerfocus #changemanagement #solutionmindset #experientiallearning #leadershipinaction #pegasusunbound

Throwback to an incredible 2-day training with @myrtlefinancials We explored two powerful themes that every organization should invest in — Customer Service and Emotional Intelligence (EQ). From role-playing empathy-driven customer scenarios to lively group discussions on building lasting relationships, the energy and insight in the room were truly inspiring. Here’s what stood out for me: Empathy is everything. When staff understand where customers are coming from, they don’t just solve problems — they create memorable experiences. EQ transforms service. Emotional intelligence helps teams handle pressure, defuse tension, and communicate with care. Customer service can be challenging, but with the right training, your people can turn even tough interactions into moments that build trust and loyalty. That’s why EQ shouldn’t be “nice to have” — it’s a core business skill. Huge shout-out to the @myrtle team for their openness, engagement, and enthusiasm throughout the sessions. 🙏 Here’s to teams that lead with empathy, deliver with excellence, and keep customers at the heart of every interaction. #Throwback #CustomerService #EmotionalIntelligence #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingBeyondSlides #MyrtleFinancials #LeadershipDevelopment

🤔 Where do real answers come from? - We often overestimate what we know and underestimate what we haven’t yet done. - Assumptions feel comfortable, but they rarely survive contact with reality. - The real learning starts where execution begins. Let's consider few scenarios: 🧵 A product idea sounds brilliant in the boardroom—until the market reveals no one is willing to pay for it. 🧵 A training program looks perfect on paper—until learners disengage in practice. 🧵 A strategy seems airtight—until it collapses when confronted with messy organizational realities. In each case, clarity doesn’t come from thinking about it—it comes from doing it. Here’s how the journey unfolds 👇 1️⃣ Doing reveals blind spots and turns speculation into evidence. You don’t really know until you’ve tested it in motion. 2️⃣ Evidence shapes patterns and turns experience into repeatable know-how. Practice exposes what consistently works — that’s the foundation of mastery. 3️⃣ Know-how, through reflection, turns insights into expert knowledge. Expertise isn’t built from theory; it’s forged in cycles of action, reflection, and refinement. 🧑💼 That’s why I advocate for expertise-based knowledge management. It’s not about static documents or abstract plans—it’s about capturing insights from real actions, real experiments, and real execution and turning them into expert knowledge. 🏢 When organizations learn from practice, they move from assumption-based strategies to evidence-driven growth. 💡 The shortest path to expert knowledge is through practice — not documents or records. 💬 Examine your organization for Expertise Development 🏹 Perform a Health Check here 👉 https://lnkd.in/d6cSqDkz Here's my question for discussion, from where your organization get real answers? #Expertise_based_Knowledge_Management #KM #Collaboration #Expert_Knowledge #Insights #Practice #Communities_of_Practice #Execution #Learning_by_Doing 3R Knowledge Services

“I’ve been doing this for years…” We’ve all heard it and maybe even said it ourselves. But here’s what I’ve learned is years of experience don’t automatically lead to better outcomes. The real shift happens when you can take those lessons and build habits around them, ways of working that make it easier to align, simplify, and move faster. That’s the space I’ve been focused on. Turning hard-earned lessons into practices that teams can actually use day to day. ❓ I'm curious, How do you turn experience into something repeatable for your teams ❓

💼 Business & Education Insight: Build Systems, Not Just Goals Many people set ambitious goals — more clients, higher revenue, better grades — but fall short because there’s no system behind the goal. 🔹 In business: Build repeatable systems for marketing, onboarding, and service delivery. 🔹 In education: Create structured study habits and feedback loops that make learning sustainable. Goals set direction, but systems drive progress. If your systems are right, success becomes a byproduct. #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #ContinuousLearning #Education #SystemsThinking #ShadeZahrai #readingcultureltd

A compass 🧭 doesn’t tell you where the road is, it tells you your true direction. Once you have clarity, you can choose the best path forward. The Curao Compass™ is designed to diagnose and align your go-to-market (GTM) strategy across five key points: 🧭North – Business & Organizational Structure 🧭East – GTM Strategy & Execution 🧭West – Operations & Enablement 🧭South – Financial Alignment & Revenue Outcomes 🧭Center – Customer & Marketing (the heart ❤️ ) This guide is both a strategic workbook and a diagnostic tool. As you read, you’ll complete short exercises, quizzes, and reflections. Each section ends with a scorecard, helping you measure gaps in your business GTM strategy and reframe challenges into opportunities. By the end, you’ll have not just insights, but a self-built action plan tailored to your business. Comment “Compass” if you want to join the mailing list to learn more about my diagnostic guide.