In this episode of the That's Audacious podcast, host Lauren Clemett speaks with the brilliant Melissa Williams, CEO of Learning Dimensions Network.
An award-winning corporate training organisation, LDN specialises in leadership, safety, and cultural change. With over 20 years of experience, Melissa shares her personal journey and professional insights on how to create truly impactful learning solutions.
From School Struggles to a Passion for Learning
Melissa reveals a surprising truth: she hated school with a passion.
She felt she merely survived, and it wasn't until her twenties that she realised the problem wasn't her, but the rigid school environment. This realisation sparked a lifelong mission to understand how people learn and to create training that embraces the natural cycle of learning so that no one is left behind. She is fiercely passionate about busting the belief that people can't learn, a belief often instilled by flawed educational systems. Melissa shares a touching anecdote about her son, who has dyslexia and beautifully describes his condition as his letters ‘dance’, a gift she doesn't have.
In her work with corporate clients, particularly in the construction industry, Melissa witnesses firsthand how past negative learning experiences, like those from formal education, can make senior professionals revert to a state of fear and anxiety in a training room. She finds immense joy in watching these individuals realise their full potential, proving that when training is well-designed, the world is their oyster.
The Due Diligence of Choosing a Training Partner
Melissa provides invaluable advice for anyone looking to hire a training organisation. She recommends asking three critical questions to ensure a real return on your investment:
- 1What is your instructional design methodology? Ask for evidence that their approach is researched, validated, and proven to work.
- 2How do you evaluate beyond ‘happy sheets’? True impact is about more than just satisfaction; it's about behavioural and cultural shifts. Ask them how they measure long-term change.
- 3What is your facilitator's bench strength? A single provider is a risk. A reliable company has a team of skilled facilitators ready to step in to avoid last-minute crises.
Melissa stresses that effective training must go deeper than just behaviour—it needs to address beliefs, attitudes, and mindset. Without shifting these core elements, any training program is likely to fail.
The Return of Human Connection in Corporate Learning
During the pandemic, many organisations pivoted to self-paced online learning. To gauge the effectiveness of this shift, Melissa ran nearly 50 focus groups. The results were unanimous: employees overwhelmingly disliked self-paced online learning for three key reasons:
- 1Time and Mandatory Clicks: The expectation to do the training in their own time made the objective simply "get it done" rather than actually learn.
- 2Lack of Connection: Learning is a two-way street that requires connection to truly integrate new information. Self-paced online modules offer none of this, and being designed for the masses, they often aren't relevant.
- 3Feeling Devalued: Employees felt that online learning was something the organisation expected of them, not an investment in them.
The research revealed a clear desire to return to face-to-face or live online sessions in small groups, where they can connect, engage in dialogue, and focus on one thing at a time. The message is simple: we are humans, and we need human connection to learn and grow.
The Power of Awards and Getting Out of Your Own Way
Melissa admits she avoided personal branding for decades. However, she realised that to make a bigger impact and share her wealth of knowledge, she had to "put my big girl pants on" and be more visible.
She shares how awards have been public validation that what she and her team do works. Awards provide credibility and help them stand out in the international market. Two awards hold special significance for Melissa:
Melissa leaves listeners with a powerful message: "You've got to get out of your own way.
Be brave, be audacious, be authentic, be humble, be grateful, and just do it."
Her final advice to her younger self is to "stay with it... and be more visible" because doing so creates a ripple effect, helping more people reach their potential.
Melissa Williams is the CEO of Learning Dimensions Network (LDN), an award-winning corporate training organisation specialising in leadership, safety and cultural change learning solutions. With over 20 years of experience in adult learning and instructional design, Melissa is passionate about creating engaging and impactful training programs that drive workplace transformation.
To learn more about Melissa Williams and LDN’s award-winning solutions, find her contact information below:
Website: https://ldn.com.au/
