That’s a wrap on month one of the new format! It’s going well so far—fingers crossed it stays that way. Usually, the monthly plan is simple: two 'Signals' emails, one for tools, and one for research. But I didn't account for the occasional fifth Friday! So, consider this a bonus round. Every time we hit a five-week month, you’ll get a 'Chef’s Surprise' edition. Enjoy the mix!

Thanks for reading!

Supported by iSpring

AI course drafts often miss the mark—no structure, no flow, just messy text. iSpring’s free prompt guide helps you fix that with ready-made prompts for outlines, objectives, scenarios, quizzes, and cleanup. Grab it and share it!

→ Grab the prompt guide​

L&D GPTs

What's a GPT? It's ChatGPT with focus. Instead of answering every random question under the sun, it's built to solve specific problems. Like hiring a specialist instead of a jack-of-all-trades

Here are some GPTs built to solve real problems. We're talking about understanding your audience better, diagnosing performance issues, designing for how brains actually work—not just making slides look prettier.

Here are some GPTs worth bookmarking:

Is Training Really the Answer?

Start here. If you're solving the wrong problem, your brilliant design doesn't matter. This GPT helps you shift from order-taker to performance partner.

​https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6801057d67848191adaa423aeec6a59a-is-training-really-the-answer​

Performance Diagnosis GPT

Also focused on root-cause thinking. It's based on Mager & Pipe's classic flowchart. Helps you ask the right questions before you jump straight to training. Use this plus #1, and you've got the engine for more strategic L&D work

​https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67e91b1a1c30819184e162ab8800bc97-mager-and-pipe-s-performance-diagnosis​

Target Audience GPT

Instructional design only works when it's relevant. This tool forces you to get clear on who you're designing for. What's their context? What are their real challenges? High value for making sure your design matches reality, especially in complex organizations.

​https://chatgpt.com/g/g-euZx5uhFM-target-audience-persona-gpt​

STICKIE

Matt Furness created this to translate academic research into practical design tactics. Great if you want to back up your choices with science.

​https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67f8c66256288191a42378d35cd3a855-stickie​

Ema (Not a GPT, but gold)

Ross Stevenson's tool for becoming a true performance partner. Not just an order-taker.

​https://chatgpt.com/g/g-MMaIYEovO-ema-the-l-d-performance-consulting-coach​

Facilitation for All

From Butter (now Miro), this GPT helps you plan and run sessions people actually want to attend.

​https://chatgpt.com/g/g-GLA43kOGn-facilitation-for-all​

Also supported by Neovation

Stop spending weeks building onboarding plans that still leave new hires confused. Build a human-centered onboarding journey with AI handling the heavy lifting—and avoid spending weeks on manual planning. Join us on February 18!

​→ Register for Building Better Onboarding​

🎵 Today I'm listening to Depeche Mode​

📍Where I'll be next

• ​LearnTec, May 5-7 (Karlsruhe, Germany)
• ​ATD International Conference, May 17-20 (Los Angeles, CA)

If today’s issue was useful, my book Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro goes deeper on designing learning that earns attention and drives action. And if you’ve read it, a short review helps more than you might think.