Podcast Summary “A Bold New Era of Talent Strategy and Workplace Learning with Lawrence Price of Brink's”
From Army Operations to Organizational Psychology
Dr. Lawrence Price’s journey into the world of learning and development wasn’t linear, it was strategic, informed by both experience and curiosity. He currently serves as the Vice President of People and Culture at a major organization, where he leads employee experience, culture, change management, and organizational design efforts. But his roots lie in operations and the military. After graduating from West Point with a degree in sociology and serving seven years in the Army, he entered the corporate world through manufacturing operations and Lean Six Sigma.
But even with all those process tools in his belt, Lawrence started noticing a gap. “There were things I wanted to change in the workforce that Six Sigma just didn’t address,” he explained. That realization led him to the world of organizational development, guided by a mentor who helped him discover the behavioral and cultural elements that drive real performance change. Since then, he’s added a Master’s in Organizational Behavior and a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology to his toolkit.
A Shifted Landscape: Pandemic and the Blurring of Boundaries
When asked about recent shifts in L&D, Lawrence didn’t hesitate, COVID-19 was the big catalyst. “It accelerated history,” he said. The sudden reliance on virtual tools didn’t just change how people were trained, it started to blur the lines between training, internal communications, and change management.
That blurring comes with pros and cons. On the one hand, collaboration across these functions is essential for consistency. On the other, when everyone’s doing “a little bit of training,” it becomes harder to align on true learning outcomes. According to Lawrence, this shift underscores the need for L&D professionals to deepen their knowledge of adjacent fields like comms and change, not only to work better with cross-functional partners but to future-proof their own careers.
Where We’re Headed: A Return to Human Connection
Looking forward, Lawrence predicts a resurgence of in-person and instructor-led training. Not necessarily because it’s nostalgic, but because it’s effective. “We’re not seeing the behavior change or business impact we want from eLearning alone,” he said. The reality of disengaged virtual learners and “next-button clicking” is pushing organizations to rethink delivery.
A recent initiative his team implemented, a learning experience map, proves his point. Designed as a low-tech, high-engagement group activity with no slides or laptops, the experience fostered deep conversations about company purpose, values, and strategy. The feedback? Overwhelmingly positive. “Employees told us it was the best training they’d had in years,” he shared.
Lawrence believes that while remote and virtual formats are still critical for reaching distributed teams, organizations will increasingly reserve their most important learning experiences like culture, purpose, or leadership development for high-touch, in-person sessions.
Culture in the Virtual Age
Culture doesn’t evaporate in virtual settings, but it does get harder to cultivate. Lawrence pointed out that virtual training can help bridge distances and connect geographically separated employees. But he also noted a common corporate struggle: how to reach frontline employees who don’t work at a desk or have mobile access.
It’s a design challenge that calls for creativity and inclusivity. Whether through printed job aids, simplified training tools, or just-in-time microlearning, Lawrence emphasized the need to ensure every segment of the workforce, especially those on the front lines, gets equitable access to learning.
Critical Skills for L&D Professionals
So, what should L&D professionals focus on now? Lawrence suggests broadening your expertise beyond the traditional bounds of training. Understanding the goals and approaches of communications and change management teams allows L&D professionals to collaborate more effectively and contribute more strategically.
He gave an example: when a comms team wants to make a video, they’re thinking about awareness and engagement. An L&D pro, on the other hand, is focused on behavior change. “You’re both talking about a video, but you’re coming at it from completely different angles,” he said. Recognizing those perspectives makes partnerships smoother—and more successful.
Books and Resources Lawrence Recommends
Lawrence offered a couple of book recommendations for fellow L&D professionals:
- “Performance-Focused Learner Surveys” by Will Thalheimer – If you love research and white papers, this one’s for you. It challenges traditional learning evaluation methods (like the ubiquitous smile sheet) and introduces data-driven ways to assess training impact.
- “Atomic Habits” by James Clear – This bestselling book focuses on building small habits that lead to big results. Lawrence uses the principles in his own daily routine and believes it can help L&D professionals with both personal productivity and behavior-based learning design. “If nothing else, follow him on social media,” he added.
Staying Current in a Fast-Moving Field
So how does Theda stay informed in a field that’s constantly evolving? “Everywhere,” she laughed. Whether it’s Harvard Business Review, Gartner, LinkedIn, or conversations with Gen Z learners, Theda draws insights from a wide variety of sources. Emotional intelligence is one topic she’s especially interested in right now, and she’s always on the lookout for the next book or article that can help her support her team and her learners better.
Final Thoughts
Lawrence Price blends academic insight with real-world pragmatism, making a strong case for L&D as both a science and an art. His message is clear: if we want to improve performance, we have to go beyond content, we need to understand behavior, culture, and change.
By encouraging L&D professionals to build bridges with related functions and return to human-centered learning experiences, he offers a grounded, forward-thinking vision for what’s next in talent development.
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