About

ABOUT

Jonathan Halls

Talent Provocateur

Jonathan Halls

Jonathan Halls is a business advisor, coach, and award-winning author focused on talent development.  With more than 30 years’ experience in 25 countries his focus is on:

  • Change management (especially the people and culture side of change).
  • Learning science (aligning evidence-based learning strategies to corporate performance objectives).
  • Digital learning content (with an emphasis on learning/media psychology and efficient production workflows).
  • Talent strategy (corporate training/talent leadership and modernization to post COVID workplace.
  • Leadership development (communication, leadership, and communication).

He is especially focused on the current shifts in workplace culture as organizations continue to grapple with uncertainty, the need for agility, and changing workforce dynamics.  He sees his work through the lens of cognitive psychology and organizational theory.

30 Years, 25 Countries

Jonathan’s career started in broadcasting. He quickly found himself training other broadcasters in presentation, interviewing and writing.  Earning a bachelors and masters in adult learning, he was hired by the BBC in 1999 to run its new media training unit.  He was then promoted to head of the corporation’s prestigious production training which operated across the UK with a faculty of 250 trainers.  His impact was realigning subject matter expertise to learning science, as well as leading corporate cultural change.

In 2007 he became Managing Director of Talkshow Communication Ltd, in London which provided digital media training and change transition support for newspapers and broadcasters across Europe undergoing digital transformation.  In 2009 he moved to the U.S where he started a boutique consulting firm focused on media and talent development training.  He was invited to join the faculty of George Washington University where he continues today as an adjunct professor teaching digital content creation.

He’s worked with people from DOD, State Department, Sunrun, Ellie Mae, Charles Schwab, Air Force, Coast Guard, Verizon, Sprint, Blue Cross Blue Shield, ATD, APA, McKesson, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Strait Times, New Strait Times, Times of India, WAN IFRA, and many more.

Breadth & Depth

Jonathan has worked at all levels of corporate training and talent development, as well as across all functions from trainer to manager to learning executive.  While his early career was in the media sector, given his early career as a talk show host and radio reporter, his last 15 years have spanned all sectors from government to non-profit to commercial, to manufacturing to retail, from finance to health.

Jonathan Halls keynoteOver the past 15 years he has worked with learning executives to help modernize their training function, trainers to help them adopt evidence-based facilitation skills, supervisors to help develop talent strategies and leaders facilitating transition to support organizational change.  With thirty years deep and broad experience, he is able to quickly and effective provide advice for most talent development situations.

Books

  • Jonathan Halls Keynote Core 4 AnnaheimConfessions of a Corporate Trainer. (Gold award winner, Non Fiction Writers Association.)
  • Rapid Video Development for Trainers. (#8 best selling book in video)
  • Rapid Media Development for Trainers.
  • Video Script Writing.
  • Memory and Cognition in Learning.
  • Learning Objectives: How They Help You Better Develop Talent (Forthcoming 2022).
  • Learning: How it Happens: An Evidence-based Guide for anyone developing talent.  (Forthcoming 2023)
  • Film School for Trainers.  (Working title – forthcoming from ATD Press in 2024)
  • A Learning Science Strategy: Deepening the Impact of Talent Strategy. (Chapter 3) ATD Handbook: Definitive Guide to Talent Development.
  • Video 2021: Learning Solutions bi-annual video report.

Current Areas of Practice

  • Workshops, focused development programs, and performance coaching in:
    • Advanced Train the Trainer
    • Introductory train the trainer
    • Change Management for leaders and facilitators
    • Communication for leadership
    • Rapid digital video production (editorial and technical skills)
    • Rapid podcast production (editorial and technical skills)
    • Creativity and Innovation
  • Consulting, advising, and coaching in:
    • Training/talent department structural reviews
    • Talent strategy development
    • Future planning
    • Support for new learning execs and training managers
    • Change management