Designing for Impact | Fall 2024

44 | SPECIAL REPORT:

Q U A R T E R LY | FA L L 2 0 2 4

A NEW LENS ON TRAINING EVALUATION

Designing for Impact L&D IN THE ECOSYSTEM ECONOMY | 22 Collaborate Across Boundaries

MEASURE THE IMPACT OF LEARNING | 30 Demonstrate Learning Outcomes to Stakeholders

TRAINING NEURODIVERGENT LEARNERS | 36 Create Training for All Learners

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FROM THE EDITOR

MICHELLE EGGLESTON SCHWARTZ, CPTM

CREATING IMPACTFUL TRAINING

How do you define successful training? Is it the number of people who attended? The feedback they give? The changes in their behavior?

The impact on the business? The truth is — it depends. The way training success is evaluated varies from one organization to another, depending on their goals and the data that learning leaders can collect.

DESIGNING TRAINING THAT DELIVERS IMPACTFUL RESULTS IS A COMPLEX TASK.

Training Industry research shows that one of the biggest challenges learning leaders face is proving the value of their training programs. And for good reason — it’s hard! Leaders must gather the right data and clearly demonstrate how training has contributed to results that are important to senior leaders.

While it’s useful to know how many people attended the training and what they thought about it, what really matters to business leaders is how the training has improved important outcomes like productivity, engagement or revenue. This means that learning leaders must understand what their leaders care about most and focus on showing those results.

Designing training that delivers impactful results is a complex task.

That’s why we’ve dedicated this issue of Training Industry Magazine to explore this topic in more detail. The articles in this edition cover essential factors for successful workplace learning, such as the importance of onboarding in helping new hires succeed, designing

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training for neurodivergent learners, unpacking the science of purpose and meaningful work, and how to create lasting behavior change.

This edition also features a special report from Training Industry that introduces a new way of looking at training evaluation. While most organizations use some form of it, the perception of measurement in learning and development (L&D) is not always positive. This report looks at the current state of training measurement and presents a framework to help learning leaders move beyond traditional evaluation methods and take a more comprehensive, businessfocused approach.

Measurement is an extremely powerful tool for business transformation — when it’s done right. We hope that the information in this magazine helps you create more impactful learning experiences that bring lasting change to your organizations.

As always, we love to hear from our readers, so please reach out to our team and share how your training is making an impact.

Michelle Eggleston Schwartz, CPTM, is the editor in chief of Training Industry, Inc., and co-host of “The Business of Learning,” the Training Industry podcast.

Email Michelle.

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TA B L E O F

CO N T E N TS

VOLUME 17

I

ISSUE 4

I

FALL 2024

22 L&D IN THE ECOSYSTEM ECONOMY

30 MEASURE THE IMPACT OF LEARNING

36 TRAINING NEURODIVERGENT LEARNERS

4

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES

22

L&D IN THE AGE OF THE ECOSYSTEM ECONOMY

By Shonna Waters, Ph.D., and Allison Gerrits

34

Develop personalized, integrated learning experiences that drive engagement and ROI.

26

THE SCIENCE OF PURPOSE AND MEANINGFUL WORK

By Dr. Britt Andreatta

Create purpose through job design, supportive colleagues and a clear company mission.

30

HOW TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

By Ajay M. Pangarkar, CTDP, FCPA, FCMA, and Teresa Kirkwood, CTDP

THE MODERN LEARNING ORGANIZATION: THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY

By Allison Sadler, Ph.D.

L&D must balance technology with humancentered approaches to learning.

36

DEVELOPING TRAINING FOR THE NEURODIVERGENT LEARNER BENEFITS ALL

By Valerie Marsh, CPTM

Create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all learners.

41

Link learning to operational metrics to demonstrate value and gain stakeholder support.

BEYOND DIVERSITY METRICS: A FRAMEWORK FOR MEASURING THE VALUE OF INCLUSION AND BELONGING

By Cheryl Flink, Ph.D.

Measure inclusion and belonging using attitudinal data and business metrics.

SPECIAL REPORT

44

A NEW LENS ON TRAINING EVALUATION

By Tom Whelan, Ph.D.

Learn how L&D is moving beyond Kirkpatrick with a new model for training evaluation.

THOUGHT LEADERS

3 9 11 13

FROM THE EDITOR

By Michelle Eggleston Schwartz, CPTM

LEARNING LEADER SPOTLIGHT

By Harry Colangelo, CPTM

L&D CAREERS

By Amy DuVernet, Ph.D., CPTM

SCIENCE OF LEARNING

By Srini Pillay, M.D.

15 57 59 61

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

By Julie Winkle Giulioni

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

By Dr. Kristal Walker, CPTM

BUILDING LEADERS

By Sam Shriver and Marshall Goldsmith

WHAT’S NEXT IN TECH?

By Dr. Nabeel Ahmad

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5

IN THIS ISSUE

INFO EXCHANGE

17 20 51

54

UPSKILLING

By Wendy Brenes

Improve mentorship with clear structure and open communication.

64

HOW-TO

By Steven Potratz

Learn five tips to create a return-to-work program that enables employee success.

STRATEGIES

65

By Dave Meshkov

Discover best practices to enhance learning retention and reduce stress.

A Z B E E S A S B P E Aw a r d s o f E x c e l l e n c e

PERSPECTIVES

By David Wheatley

Most training doesn’t work. Learn how to create lasting behavior change.

CLOSING DEALS

By Sarah Gallo, CPTM D2L’s acquisition of H5P aims to simplify content creation and enhance learning experiences.

COMPANY NEWS

Review the latest training news from the last quarter.

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PUBLISHER Training Industry Magazine is published quarterly by: Training Industry, Inc. 110 Horizon Drive, Suite 110 Raleigh, NC 27615-6520

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SPOTLIGHT HARRY COLANGELO

THE LEARNING LEADER SPOTLIGHT WITH HARRY COLANGELO In this issue, we are excited to spotlight Harry Colangelo, CPTM, who has been working in the learning and development (L&D) sector for 26 years. Harry began his career as a teacher aide in special education and would later work as an assistant superintendent of schools before getting into corporate L&D. He currently works as the supervisory management and program analyst for the IRS School of Leadership Excellence, where he supervises the development, delivery and evaluation of 11 leadership training programs for more than 8,000 leaders. He received the Commissioner’s Award for his work with the Taxpayer First Act Report to Congress.

Read on to learn more about Harry’s career journey.

Q: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN L&D? A: While earning a bachelor of science concentrating on business administration and management, I volunteered to coach three sports for youth programs. I loved coaching and thought I should get into education.

I went back to school to get a post-baccalaureate certification in special education.

Q: WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE TRAINING EXPERIENCE, GOOD OR BAD? A: At the Federal Air Marshal Service, where I served as a curriculum developer and instructor of instructors, I worked with some incredibly talented individuals. Being a training developer, instructor and evaluator was good for me. I saw my impact on the world around me.

Q: WHO WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR MOST VALUABLE ROLE MODEL? WHAT WERE SOME QUALITIES THAT MADE THEM GREAT? A: Dr. Carol D’Zio taught me what it means and takes to be an educational leader. She showed me the value of leadership in helping others to identify their strengths and reach their individual goals.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES ON YOUR PROFESSIONAL PLATE RIGHT NOW? A: New leadership programs are constantly being added: I continuously evaluate them, tracking thousands of leaders being trained within the time requirements. I’m responsible for engaging stakeholders and supporting incredibly hard-working program managers in the demanding work they complete daily, including managing contractual support; virtual environments; classroom facilities; instructor availability and training assignments; and scheduling classes.

Q: WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? A: Quantifying the true value of the work of L&D professionals. Our team is award-winning, and while the awards are outstanding and demonstrate a pride of place, we still need to show that the work we do is making a difference in terms of performance, productivity and individual development.

Q: WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? A: Making a difference in the life of someone because of the work I do.

Whether it’s an action I take to assist

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them, a problem I help to solve, a decision I make or something I say, it is what motivates me each day.

Q: WHAT’S YOUR PREFERRED TRAINING METHODOLOGY? A: I am partial to the Successive Approximation Model (SAM) for training development. Whether virtual, face-to-face or self-paced, I promote performance-based objectives. I find training that promotes a crawl, walk, run process has a great effect on helping to guide trainees to long-term application and success that is measurable.

Q: HOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME FOR YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? A: I listen to books online because it is easy while driving. I love virtual expos or conventions: They allow me to experience numerous trainings in one place. It also helps me to identify the trainings I would like to investigate further.

Q: ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLKS OUT THERE: BOOKS, PARTNERS, RESOURCES, ETC.?

A: I have been meditating more and developing a more positive and grateful attitude. I’ve read hundreds of books. Now, I spend a great deal of time reading the Bible. I was surprised to learn how much about training, learning, knowledge and being a good leader is written there.

Q: IF SOMEONE WANTS TO FOLLOW IN MY PROFESSIONAL FOOTSTEPS, I’D TELL THEM TO BE SURE TO: Face your fears. Fear is the biggest barrier to success. Be honest with yourself and make a list of everything that scares you. Then do all of them.

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L&D CAREERS

AMY DUVERNET, PH.D., CPTM

BUILDING CONNECTIONS IN THE L&D FIELD: YOUR NETWORKING CHECKLIST Making the right connections can be a game changer in your learning and development (L&D) career. However, building and maintaining a vibrant professional network can be daunting.

To help, I’ve compiled essential tips and strategies below.

TIPS FOR BUILDING YOUR L&D NETWORK • Identify and document your key contacts: A list of your key connections can help you identify gaps and maintain your current network. Consider colleagues at your level and within your company, as well as thought leaders, influencers and executives.

• Prepare your L&D story: Craft a compelling elevator pitch and career story to use when meeting new connections.

• Participate in industry events: There are many ways to interact with likeminded professionals — attending conferences, engaging in online communities and volunteering with industry-related associations or events are a few. Another great option is earning a professional certification that comes with a built-in network.

• Be curious: When you meet someone new, ask questions and listen to their answers. Express genuine interest in their backgrounds and experiences.

• Use strategies to enhance your memory: Remembering your new connections’ names and details can be difficult. Some strategies to help include using their name immediately and often in the conversation, repeating back what you’ve heard

them say, and taking notes after the conversation ends. These are just a few strategies among many — figure out what works for you and practice using it.

• Ask for additional connections: Leverage your existing contacts to meet new people. Share what you’re passionate about or currently working on to give them context as they consider additional connections for you.

WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING CONSISTENTLY ON THE CALENDAR, IT CAN HELP ENSURE YOU’RE STAYING CONNECTED. STRATEGIES TO MAINTAIN YOUR NETWORK • Follow up: After an initial connection, send a follow-up note or schedule a follow-up meeting. Make sure to mention how you met — this will be helpful for your connection and will come in handy later if you’re trying to remember how you know each other.

• Check in: On a weekly basis, you should engage with your network by liking or commenting on a few social posts, tagging a couple of key connections in your own social media posts or sharing articles or information.

If you want to take it one step further, set a goal to send a message to one or two contacts a week to see how they’re doing.

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• Share what you’re doing: When something exciting or new happens (e.g., you wrap up a big project, have an epiphany or even when you make a mistake), consider sharing it publicly with your social network, privately via email to your contacts or selectively by messaging the people in your network who you think will be most interested.

This will keep your network informed and your name top-of-mind.

• Plan to connect with your network at events: Industry events and conferences are better with a friend.

Reach out to your network before events to coordinate meetups and make the experience more valuable.

• Organize a community or regular meet-up: When you have something consistently on the calendar, it can help ensure you’re staying connected.

For example, a CPTM recently shared that she formed a community of practice within her organization that meets regularly, creating a space for her peers to connect and share ideas.

I hope this checklist helps you build and maintain your own network.

Building your network doesn’t have to be overwhelming; take it one step at a time.

Amy DuVernet, Ph.D., CPTM, is the director of training and development at Training Industry, Inc., where she oversees all processes related to Training Industry’s courses for training professionals, including program development and evaluation. Email Amy.

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SCIENCE OF LEARNING

SRINI PILLAY, M.D.

IS WELL-BEING TRAINING A THING? Why don’t well-being programs work?

Many programs use apps, webinars and employee assistance programs to enhance well-being, but research indicates many of these interventions have little to no benefit.

So, how can companies improve the impact and outcomes of their well-being programs? The first step is realizing that we are not naturally wired to care for ourselves. Self-care is thwarted by our attachment to unhealthy behaviors, lack of motivation to change, difficulty adopting new behaviors and difficulty maintaining healthy behavior over time.

APPROACHING WELL-BEING TRAINING LIKE A CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM For maximum impact, well-being training must be designed in a way similar to a change management program. Think of well-being as a new operating system that must be adopted. Then, help people understand that they must learn how to adopt this.

Caveats: While the adoption of new well-being practices is like adopting a new operating system, it also differs in important ways: The operating system is not the same for everybody; and if you do not engage with well-being practices in an ongoing way, well-being will fade.

CREATE AN IDEAL SELF GUIDE Extensive research has demonstrated that it is far better to start by defining an ideal operating system rather than correcting current practices. For example, if one is overweight, anxious

and depressed, rather than targeting those symptoms, it would be more effective if they define how they want to be and then use that as a rough guide in their day-to-day lives.

Why treat the ideal self as a rough guide and not a goal? Being goal-directed is far less effective than being compassionate toward oneself. In the brain, being too goal-directed enhances fight-or-flight reactions, thereby creating tension and disruption and eventually thwarting the goal. That’s why tennis players just focus on being in the game without thinking of the end and why CEOs in a flow state are five times more productive than those who are not. A flexible and forgiving attitude is key to sustainable and effective change.

COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE WELL-BEING TRAINING PROGRAM When I work with organizations to implement well-being programs, several principles have proven to enhance effectiveness: 1.

Engage stakeholders: In one program, we received an NPS score of 97, but we would not have been successful had we not engaged the stakeholders first. This set the tone for the rest of the organization.

2.

Start with an “ideal self” guide: In another program, I provided an ideal self-guide. We started the sessions by exploring how wellbeing differed for people. This set the stage for our success, and people immediately adopted the practices.

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3.

Design the program to address relevant pain points, but also to enhance a sense of possibility. I help organizations do this by filling out a possibility thinking index and then using that as a guide to where possibilities can be enhanced with the help of videos, real-life examples, and group discussions to activate new and inspired thinking.

Of course, measuring and tracking the impact and outcomes is crucial. But it is far better to be aware of the need to reroute ahead of time. While we have not cracked the code on optimizing well-being, I have found that these measures do increase the likelihood of success and should be tailored to the organization’s culture.

Well-being training is a thing, and when organizations realize this, the impact and outcomes of their offerings will be enhanced.

THINK OF WELL-BEING AS A NEW OPERATING SYSTEM THAT MUST BE ADOPTED. Dr. Srini Pillay is the CEO of NeuroBusiness Group. He is a Harvard trained psychiatrist and neuroscientist, on the Consortium for Learning Innovation at McKinsey & Company, and author of “Tinker Dabble Doodle Try.” Srini is also co-founder, chief medical officer and chief learning officer of Reulay. Email Srini.

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CAREER DEVELOPMENT

JULIE WINKLE GIULIONI

AI MEETS HI: BALANCING HI-TECH AND HI-TOUCH IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT This fall, my co-author, Beverly Kaye, and I will release the third edition of our book, “Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Organizations Need and Employees Still Want.” It was a wonderful opportunity to reimagine the reader experience, which we decided to do with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). We leveraged generative AI to develop a resource to deepen a reader’s relationship with the content, facilitate self-directed learning and build a bridge between the words on the page (or screen) and action in the real world.

Despite the possibilities that our bot — and generative AI in general — offers, one undeniable truth remains: DEVELOPMENT IS A UNIQUELY HUMAN ENDEAVOR While growth can be supported, informed, accelerated and even nudged along with the help of technology, AI can only go so far without a little HI: Human intelligence. Human interaction. Human inspiration. Human imagination. Human involvement.

built upon a foundation of trusting relationships. Humans are uniquely suited to facilitate and reinforce the sense of security and confidence required to enable development.

• Contextual and cultural understanding: Even the most sophisticated technology is incapable of illuminating the nuanced context of growth within a particular environment or in the presence of changing organizational strategies, challenges and constraints. Humans are uniquely suited to offer an ongoing reality check that enables development.

• Calibrated feedback: Technologybased tools have for some time been able to offer insights about an employee’s performance and behavior. But sterile information doesn’t move the needle. For feedback to land, it must be delivered with the intention of helping the learner. It must be based on historical and organizational context. It must be carefully calibrated to the individual’s unique needs, offered empathetically and with an eye toward the future.

The kind of sustainable, satisfying growth that organizations need and employees want demands a lot more than high tech. It demands high touch.

And that’s because real human beings facilitate several things AI simply can’t:

OUR WORK WITH AI SERVED AS YET ANOTHER REMINDER THAT GROWTH IS DEEPLY HUMAN.

• Trust and relationships: Learning is a risky business. Sometimes it’s one step forward and two steps back. Employees risk mistakes and failure when trying something new and they’ll only take those risks in a psychologically safe environment

• Experiential learning: Practical, hands-on activities, learning from mistakes and applying skills and knowledge in real time and on real challenges is where the rubber meets the road. This can only happen in the real world, with real projects and real

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work. Humans are uniquely suited to identify, support and coach in-theworkflow development in a way that enables development.

• Behavior modeling: Much of our learning comes from observation.

Watching others perform well (or perhaps not so well) offers potent lessons around a range of skills.

And while AI can approximate and demonstrate certain skills and behaviors, it’s no match for humans who offer a steady stream of demonstrations that enable development.

• Reflection: Sure, technology tools can offer nearly unlimited questions for us to consider. But the reality is that for many of us, ideas become clearer, insights more powerful and intentions more deeply embedded when we bring our voice to them. Humans are uniquely suited to hold space for and listen to people as they talk out their evolving understanding — and in the process, enable development.

Our work with AI served as yet another reminder that growth is deeply human. While technology can guide and enhance the journey, it’s the human touch — our ability to connect, empathize and inspire — that enables the experience at work that employees are seeking. And that’s why we must all remember that the most powerful tool for growth isn’t artificial: It’s authentically human.

Julie Winkle Giulioni is the author of the bestselling books, “Promotions Are SO Yesterday” and “Help Them Grow or

Watch Them Go.” Email Julie.

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UPSKILLING

MENTORING: THE KEY INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESSFUL ONBOARDING

BY WENDY BRENES

After reviewing a mountain of resumes and interviewing multiple candidates, you found THE ONE! Congratulations! Your next steps are critical — what will you do to ensure the new employee is set up for success? Does your company have a new hire mentoring program? An onboarding mentoring relationship can accelerate how connected the new employee feels to the company and team culture while expanding their internal network.

Let’s look at this from the new employee’s perspective. Joining an organization can be exciting yet full of uncertainties. While eager to succeed, they are in a period of transition. Think back to your own experiences. For me, these have been some of my most vulnerable moments and I remember wondering if I made the right decision, taking everything in day by day.

While they accepted your offer, today’s new employees are assessing every interaction, every connection and every communication to determine if it is the right role and place for them. They are taking in the company and team culture, evaluating if both align with their personal values. They may be questioning if the work they are doing aligns with their understanding of the role presented to them during the interview process. Some are afraid to ask questions or feel isolated, particularly in remote work environments.

According to research, 70% of employees decide whether a job is the right fit within the first month — and 29% know within the first week. What’s more, 20% of new employees leave organizations within

their first 45 days. Can you afford to let this happen?

CHOOSE A MENTOR FOR THE NEW EMPLOYEE

As they leave the role, they also leave with a bad experience of your company, and these unfortunate experiences are shared freely on websites such as Fairygodboss, Glassdoor and Rate My Employer. That means it’s back to the drawing board — reviewing resumes while battling fresh negative reputations, and existing workers feel the weight of extra workloads.

Productivity, innovation and engagement could be impacted.

When considering who may be the right person to mentor your new employee, I often think of someone who has had similar experiences. Perhaps they worked in a similar industry or share common experiences and interests. Mentors do not necessarily need to perform the same job function and can be job function-adjacent so there is a general understanding of the role and impact they each have.

70% OF NEW EMPLOYEES DECIDE WHETHER A JOB IS THE RIGHT FIT WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH — INCLUDING 29% WHO KNOW WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK.

It doesn’t have to be this way. You can significantly influence a new employee’s experience through a mentorship program.

Below are recommendations to empower new employees and experienced ones to create meaningful mentoring relationships, and ultimately, encourage positive employee experiences for all:

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INTRODUCE THE PARTNERS AND SET EXPECTATIONS Provide an opportunity for each of the partners to get to know one another. This is a great time to share the structure of the program and expectations. Consider meeting for 30 minutes once a week for a two- to three-month period. This will support the new employee beyond the important 45-day mark. Encourage the partners to set a meeting schedule that works best for them and when meeting virtually, encourage the use of video technology.

PROVIDE SAMPLE DISCUSSION TOPICS An onboarding mentorship is more than just pairing people together and hoping for the best. By offering a few focus areas and prepared discussion topics, you can strengthen the impact of the partnership and create a standard for mentoring excellence across your organization. Of course, mentors should also invite the new employee to bring questions of their own and allow time to follow the new employee’s energy and curiosities.

17

Below are a few discussion topics:

samples

of

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Discovering common interests and experiences is a critical step in building trust within a mentoring relationship.

These foundational conversations connect people, and when new employees feel connected, they begin feeling more confident in their decision to join the company.

• Tell me about yourself: Why did you come to join the company?

• Who have you met? Who would you like to meet?

• What aspects of your career at the company interest you the most?

JOINING THE COMPANY There may be a company onboarding roadmap, however, every transition will be unique. Exploring this topic encourages transparent discussions that go beyond reciting the company’s value proposition.

• What has been the easiest part of your transition? What has been the most challenging? What are you hoping to learn next?

• Who are our customers? How does your role support the company customer?

What can I clarify for you?

• What corporate responsibility efforts or accolades interest you?

LEVERAGING YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE You hired the new employee for a reason.

Whether it was skill, knowledge or strategy, you wanted someone who could use their experience to improve efficacy and elevate your company. Mentors can help new employees identify how they can use their experiences to succeed.

• What experience(s) from your prior roles have been most helpful to you?

• Are there past activities you would like to try here?

• How can you leverage professional network?

your

MEETING WITH YOUR MANAGER Having candid discussions about early meetings with a leader can be extremely 18

beneficial for the new employee. They want to put their best foot forward and make good impressions. Sharing tacit knowledge can expedite this relationship.

• Have you had a meeting with your manager? Was the meeting what you expected? Did you learn anything new? How will you use this knowledge moving forward?

• Was the meeting different than you expected? What do you wish you would have discussed? How well do you feel your intentions were perceived?

• What goals did you set during the meeting? What progress have you made toward those goals?

UNDERSTANDING YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT Today’s work environments can be varied: in-person, remote or somewhere in between. When new employees understand how best to adapt to your organization’s work environment, they can begin to thrive.

• What has your previous experience been working in-office, remotely or in a hybrid model? If remote, how common was it for everyone to be on-camera in virtual meetings even when they weren’t speaking? What can make you more comfortable with this?

• What opportunities does your team have because of the hybrid model?

How do you plan to capitalize on these?

• What challenges exist? How might you address or overcome these? Who can support you?

EMBRACING THE COMPANY CULTURE Helping new employees understand your organization’s cultural norms can help them integrate more smoothly, build better relationships with colleagues and contribute to a positive and productive work environment.

• Is the company culture what you expected it to be?

• What company culture norms have you observed?

• How have you embraced these norms? What challenges might you be experiencing?

LIVING THE COMPANY VALUES A significant aspect of company culture is tied to how closely employee behaviors align with the company values. Discussing values in everyday interactions can reinforce the true company culture.

• How have you seen people demonstrating our company values in action?

• How have you tried to embody our company values?

• Which company value resonates with you the most?

MONITOR AND SUPPORT THE PARTNERSHIP Once a mentoring partnership is established, you can offer support as needed. After a few weeks, confirm they are meeting regularly. At the midpoint of the program, inquire if they are seeing value from their collaboration and encourage them to assess what adjustments need to be made to make it even more impactful.

As the partnership comes to a close, invite partners to reflect on their experience and how they would like their relationship to continue moving forward.

DISCOVERING COMMON INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCES IS A CRITICAL STEP IN BUILDING TRUST WITHIN A MENTORING RELATIONSHIP.

Often, partners will keep in touch on a more informal basis. If available, show your appreciation by leveraging company recognition programs.

Not only does an onboarding mentoring program help new employees feel supported but existing employees benefit by strengthening their professional networks and enhancing their leadership and communication skills. Being chosen to serve as a company mentor is a form of recognition and creates fulfillment in helping others progress in their development.

Mentor engagement, retention and connectedness often increase significantly. Try this recipe to set yourself up for onboarding success!

Wendy Brenes has more than two decades of experience in L&D. She passionately creates transformative mentoring cultures at Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm. Email Wendy.

MENTORING DISCUSSION TOPICS • Getting to know you: Discover common interests and experiences.

• Transitioning to the company: Discuss the onboarding process and how they see their role supporting the company.

• Leveraging your previous experience: Help new employees identify how they can use their experiences to succeed.

• Meeting with your manager: Share knowledge about having productive meetings with a leader.

• Understanding your work environment: Help employees understand how best to adapt to your organization’s work environment.

• Embracing the company culture: Help employees understand your organization’s cultural norms.

• Living the company values: Share observations about how employees embody the company’s values.

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HOW-TO

5 TIPS TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL RETURN-TO-WORK PROGRAM

BY STEVEN POTRATZ

When the compressor tipped, it slammed the leg of the ladder just as Jaykan was reaching the top. Thrown off balance, the ladder slid sideways and Jaykan fell, landing hard on his left shoulder with a shock of pain as his collar bone fractured in two places.

The falling ladder struck his knee, badly bruising his leg and creating a four-inch laceration on his thigh that bled heavily and required 12 stitches to close. The doctor ordered Jaykan off work for six weeks while his collar bone and leg healed due to the heavy physical labor that his job as a stocker required.

As the sole provider for his wife and two young girls, Jaykan could not cover his bills on the 65% pay that workers’ compensation insurance would grant while he was off work. But with his arm in a sling, and his injured leg, he didn’t have much choice. Or did he?

Without evidence to the contrary, the doctor will assume Jaykan needs to work his normal job if he returns. On that assumption, he writes Jaykan off

work. This costs the company money in higher workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and significantly impacts Jaykan’s personal finances.

There is a better way.

Here are five steps learning and development (L&D) teams can take that will keep many employees working through an injury in a manner that accommodates their restrictions and minimizes the financial impact to all parties.

STEP 1: MEET WITH LEADERS TO IDENTIFY OPTIONS Meet with management and human resources (HR) to understand potential tasks or roles an injured employee can fill based on common accommodation needs. Get creative and brainstorm tasks across the company so you are ready for injuries as they happen rather than having this meeting for each occurrence. Changes for an injured employee can be as simple as a cashier sitting on a stool to

STRICT ADHERENCE TO DOCTOR’S RESTRICTIONS IS REQUIRED, EVEN IF THE EMPLOYEE STARTS TO FEEL BETTER.

accommodate a broken leg, or as significant as having an employee work in an entirely different role during their recovery period.

In Jaykan’s example, perhaps he could answer phones, place simple sales calls, sit at a table and price products or other things that only require one hand and sitting. His manager could even assign additional training for Jaykan’s primary role, which could help him become a more valuable employee once he recovers.

STEP 2: CREATE A “WORK ACCOMMODATION JOB DESCRIPTION” This is a job description template (or series of templates) full of the different tasks you came up with in Step 1. Before the employee goes to the doctor, management can cross out items that won’t fit the likely accommodation needs. Then Jaykan can present the modified job description to the doctor who can write approval for returning to work based on that job description instead of Jaykan’s normal role.

Elements of a return-to-work job description can include: • Summary: Make it clear at the top of the description that this job description is specifically for accommodating work restrictions due to injury.

• Examples of Modified Work Duties: This is populated by items that the

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injured employee can perform.

After the list of possible tasks, add language to this effect: “We will select from or modify the above light-duty tasks to accommodate the specific restrictions for the injured worker.”

• Signature Block: Start with a checkbox, asking if the employee is released for work: Yes, with restrictions or No. Under that, a signature section for the doctor and one for the employee.

This is a crucial step! If the doctor’s office isn’t comfortable with the accommodations in the job description, they will still order the employee off work.

On the paperwork, make it clear to the doctor that additional accommodations are available if needed.

STEP 3: CREATE TRAINING ASSETS Have basic training assets available for the injured employee to help them be productive quickly. The injury is already traumatic for them. Helping them feel productive as soon as possible can help them heal mentally from the injury.

A word of caution: Don’t over-train for a limited role. Standard role onboarding training will probably be overly detailed for the limited time the injured employee will do these tasks. Most often, peer training will be your best option.

STEP 4: SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS Once the modified job description is approved and the employee returns to work, meet with them and their manager to set clear expectations. Both need to know that strict adherence to doctor’s restrictions is required, even if they start to feel better.

This meeting is a critical liability protection step. Be firm if an employee or manager violates the doctor’s restrictions. That may be a terminable offense and they need to know that fact clearly before they start working again.

The goal here is not punishment, but rather to protect the employee from further harm until the doctor approves easing restrictions.

AGENDA FOR THE RETURN-TO-WORK MEETING Once an employee has the doctor’s approval, here is a sample agenda for the return-to-work meeting: • Attendees: The employee, their direct supervisor, the supervisor who will oversee their modified work if it’s different and a member of HR should all be present.

• Start by reviewing the doctor’s descriptions and modified job description. Discuss the estimated time the employee is expected to be on modified duty.

• Make it clear to all parties that the modifications must be followed exactly until released by a doctor. In some cases, doctors may state a specific time upfront and not require a further checkup.

These must be followed even if the employee feels better.

• Answer any questions and get signatures from everyone present.

• Check in with the employee and their supervisor at an appropriate time later to ensure they are following the modifications and assist with any further needs.

STEP 5: PROVIDE EMPLOYEE WITH ACCESS TO WELLNESS RESOURCES Recognize that an injured employee may have a lot of stress related to the injury. It doesn’t just affect them at work. Be prepared to assist them by having information resources available.

These could include employee assistance

RECOGNIZE THAT AN INJURED EMPLOYEE MAY HAVE A LOT OF STRESS RELATED TO THE INJURY.

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program information, wellness training, HR-approved referrals, a flexible schedule to accommodate doctor’s appointments or therapy, and more.

IN CLOSING Lost wages (money paid by workers’ compensation insurance to nonworking employees) can significantly increase insurance premium costs.

They also do not cover an injured employee’s full paycheck. I don’t know many people who can easily absorb a 35% pay reduction. By communicating well with the doctor and accommodating restrictions based on the injury, both the employee and the company win.

This is also a very practical way for L&D departments to show additional value to the company.

Steven Potratz works in the HR department for a retailer with stores spread across the Rocky Mountains and Texas. He oversees L&D, workers’ compensation and safety programs.

Email Steven.

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L&D IN THE AGE OF THE

ECOSYSTEM ECONOMY

By Shonna Waters, Ph.D., and Allison Gerrits

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T

he traditional economic model, in which companies compete head-to-head within well-defined industries, is rapidly breaking down. In the emerging ecosystem economy, companies are increasingly collaborating across industry boundaries to create value for customers in new and innovative ways. This shift, fueled by technological advancements and new commercial models, is poised to fundamentally change what’s possible in the field of learning and development (L&D). The impacts are farreaching — including unlocking personalization at scale, increasing learner engagement and efficacy and providing unprecedented ability to demonstrate the return on investment of learning initiatives on core business outcomes.

Let’s examine a common L&D challenge to illustrate how the ecosystem approach differs from traditional models.

Consider the perennial topic of new manager development: In the past, L&D practitioners would typically address this need through a range of programmatic solutions — offthe-shelf training, some 1:1 coaching, a series of eLearning modules, supplemented by resources in the company’s learning management system (LMS) or learning experience platform (LXP).

While such an approach, if well designed, could certainly drive impact, it also has some shortcomings. The solutions tended to be one-size-fits-all rather than personalized to the unique needs of each learner. Experiences were often fragmented across multiple disconnected systems and vendors. Practitioners had to act as jacks of all trades, piecing together generalist solutions rather than leveraging specialized best-in-class capabilities. There was limited flexibility to adapt programs over time due to time and expense. And demonstrating the impact of development on performance and business outcomes was an uphill battle due to data silos.

Avoid shiny object syndrome.

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Enter the Ecosystem Economy The limitation of traditional models is driving a paradigm shift to an ecosystem approach, characterized by shared goals, open innovation and an unrelenting focus on the end customer.

Several factors are fueling this change:

Technological Advancements The exponential growth in computing power, bandwidth, APIs and cloud infrastructure is making it vastly easier for companies to share data and resources while ensuring seamless interoperability between systems. Artificial intelligence is adding fuel to the fire by enabling hyperpersonalization and extracting meaning from massive datasets.

Changing Customer Expectations In their personal lives, individuals have grown accustomed to highly personalized, integrated digital experiences — think of the way Netflix seamlessly serves up the perfect movie, or how Uber connects you to a ride with a tap. People increasingly expect this same level of tailored, frictionfree experience in their professional lives as well.

New Competitive Dynamics In the traditional economy, companies primarily competed against familiar rivals in well-defined industries. But in today’s world, competition is increasingly crossindustry and centered around capturing the time, attention and trust of the end customer or employee. To deliver compelling, differentiated experiences, companies must collaborate across traditional boundaries, bringing together unique capabilities and datasets.

The Blurring of Platform Lines As core systems have expanded their scope to capture market share, traditional boundaries between human resources (HR) tech categories like

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Case Study: BetterUp and Degreed Integration in the Ecosystem Economy The traditional competitive economic model is evolving into an ecosystem economy where companies collaborate across industry boundaries. BetterUp and Degreed exemplify this shift by integrating their platforms to deliver a seamless L&D experience.

Challenge: Organizations face challenges in providing integrated, personalized learning experiences due to fragmented systems and data silos, which hinder the ability to demonstrate the impact of learning initiatives.

Solution: The integration of BetterUp and Degreed addresses these challenges by offering: • Personalized Learning Paths: Employees can access tailored development opportunities directly within their workflow, enhancing their BetterUp coaching experience.

• Clear Pathways for Success: Degreed pathways provide employees with a structured map for success, integrating BetterUp coaching and tracking progress.

• Seamless Integration: Simple configuration with single sign-on (SSO) authentication allows BetterUp to be added to existing Degreed pathways and plans, accelerating development strategies.

Results: This strategic partnership ensures a cohesive development strategy that combines the strengths of BetterUp’s coaching with Degreed’s learning experience platform. Organizations benefit from a frictionless, hyper-personalized learner experience, driving higher engagement and better outcomes.

Conclusion: The BetterUp and Degreed integration showcases the potential of the ecosystem economy in learning and development.

By taking stock of existing capabilities, ensuring interoperability, and focusing on personalized, effective and measurable learning experiences, organizations can create new value and demonstrate the impact of their development initiatives.

human capital management (HCM), LMS, LXP and productivity suites have started to blur.

Workday customers, for example, can now handle everything from payroll to performance management to employee engagement surveys

within the core platform. Similar plays are being made by LMS/LXP vendors and workforce productivity tools. For customers, this can lead to some tough tradeoffs (e.g., choosing between the simplicity of a one-stop-shop versus accessing more innovative but fragmented best-of-breed solutions).

However, the drive toward greater interoperability and deeper partnerships between vendors is opening up new possibilities. Imagine a world where your core HR system connects seamlessly to specialized learning, performance and engagement tools — creating an integrated ecosystem aligned around developing and enabling your talent.

A New Paradigm for L&D Let’s revisit our new manager development example through an ecosystem lens. Imagine that your HCM connects to best-in-class solutions for manager enablement, tying together: • Personalized learning paths served up in the flow of work.

• Behavioral nudges and micro-actions triggered by and embedded in productivity tools.

• AI-based coaching and digital roleplays for skill development.

• Real-time manager dashboards aggregating team sentiment and performance.

• Organizational network analysis to assess and strengthen the manager’s connectivity.

• Tie-ins to the manager’s performance goals and business objectives.

By connecting these systems and data streams, you can deliver a radically

personalized, adaptive and measurable development experience at scale.

Engagement and efficacy increase as a result of hyper-relevance. Skill acquisition and behavior change are accelerated through novel touchpoints like behavioral nudges. The tie-in to business objectives enables you to clearly demonstrate the impact of development on individual and organizational performance. It’s a flywheel effect with the learner at the center.

An Action Plan for L&D Professionals To position your organization to unlock the benefits of the ecosystem economy, start by cultivating an ecosystem mindset: • Imagine the Future: Envision the art of the possible in a boundaryless world. What does a frictionless, hyperpersonalized, optimized learner experience look like?

• Build a Coalition: Engage HR, IT, analytics, legal, and infosec stakeholders to pressure-test your vision and align on an execution roadmap. You’ll need a strong coalition to drive this type of transformation.

• Partner With Vendors: Understand what your current vendors are doing today, and what’s on their future roadmaps around interoperability, partnerships and AI. Identify gaps between your vision and their existing offerings and plans. For net-new capabilities, seek out

The drive toward interoperability and deeper partnerships between vendors is opening up new possibilities.

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innovation partnerships with existing or emerging vendors.

• Be an Optimistic Skeptic: It’s easy to get enamored with flashy demos and slick user experiences. Carefully pressure-test new technologies to ensure they measurably improve learning outcomes. Avoid shiny object syndrome.

• Design for Analytics: As you connect disparate systems, ensure that data is captured and structured in a way that enables you to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of your learning initiatives. This is the key to unlocking the flywheel.

Conclusion Change is never easy, especially when it comes to dissolving long-standing boundaries between technologies, vendors and ways of working. But the transition to an ecosystem economy represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock the next horizon of innovation and impact in the field of learning and development.

While this transformation will continue to unfold over time, you can influence what vendors prioritize and build. This means that you can use your influence to ensure that these technologies and partnerships evolve to capitalize on the opportunity to make L&D more effective and personalized. By cultivating an ecosystem mindset and adopting a test-and-learn approach to partnerships, L&D professionals can position themselves at the forefront of this exciting new frontier.

Shonna Waters, Ph.D., is the CEO and cofounder of Fractional Insights and former vice president of strategic partnerships and alliances at BetterUp. Allison Gerrits is the CEO and co-founder of Longtime Sun and senior manager of product strategy for partnerships, ecosystems and alliances at BetterUp. Email authors.

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The Science of Purpose and

Meaningful Work

By Dr. Britt Andreatta

Today’s employees hunger for purpose and meaningful work at levels never seen before. Recent studies show that 70% of people define their purpose through work and two-thirds have questioned the place that work should have in their life.

While this shift is present in all working generations, millennials (who will be 75% of the workforce by 2025) are now prioritizing purpose over paycheck. They will look at company websites and want to see corporate social responsibility and a real commitment to equality and the environment. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are even more committed to these issues, so purpose and meaningful work will drive talent decisions for decades to come.

While purpose mattered before the pandemic, this worldwide traumatic experience clarified people’s priorities.

Purpose and Well-Being are Top Priorities

• Connection and community.

While purpose mattered before the pandemic, this worldwide traumatic experience clarified people’s priorities.

As many experienced high levels of burnout, they suffered from its three main components: emotional exhaustion, a lack of accomplishment and the depletion of empathy (see Figure 1).

• Mattering at work.

Burnout takes a toll on people’s physical and mental health, which naturally pushes people to focus on their well-being. A recent Forbes headline read, “The Future of Work is Employee Well-being.” Deloitte found that half of employees quit their jobs because it negatively affected their well-being.

Why Humans are Wired for Purpose

Gallup has also turned its research to wellbeing, discovering that only 21% of U.S. employees feel that their organization cares about their well-being.

The U.S. Surgeon General released a report identifying “the five essentials for workplace mental health and well-being,” which are: • Protection from harm.

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• Work-life harmony.

• Opportunity for growth.

The report includes strategies workplaces can implement to improve well-being and mental health.

Centuries ago, the observations of ancient Greek scholars identified two types of human well-being: hedonic and eudaimonic (see Figure 2 on page 28).

Today’s neuroscientists have confirmed their importance and identified that each activates different regions of the brain.

Research shows that true well-being comes from having both in the right balance.

Hedonic well-being focuses on attaining happiness and pleasure. Happiness is more immediate — that fleeting sense of pleasure or joy. For example, the temporary pleasure a person gets from a good dessert. Hedonic well-being tends

How to Create • Reduced risk for dementia (50%), Meaningful Work

to be focused on the self and is selfenhancing. A delicious treat is a form of desire, but other values that drive happiness are money or fame/status/ relevance. For example, many people get a brief feeling of happiness on social media when their story or post is “liked” by another person — that expresses our value for relevance.

• Slowed age-related cognitive decline.

Eudaimonic well-being results from striving toward meaning, purpose, potential and self-realization. Its hallmark is a longer-term, deep sense of fulfillment or satisfaction, though it is not always pleasurable. Striving for purpose or meaning often requires hard work as well as struggle. But the longer term and deeper satisfaction makes it worthwhile. This type of well-being usually pushes us to ask ourselves: How can I be of service? How can I contribute to good in the world? How can I make a difference to other people?

Having a sense of purpose at work also creates significant benefits for organizations. McKinsey found that those employees who say that they live their purpose at work are:

As a result, eudaimonic well-being is self-transcending. It takes us beyond our personal experiences and encourages us to consider the wider community and the good we can do for others. Often the values at play here are relationships, personal growth and the community.

• 1.5X more likely to go above and beyond to make their company successful.

Studies consistently show that having a sense of purpose yields all kinds of benefits for our mental and physical health. Consider these results: • Increased resilience of brain cells to injury and degradation.

stroke (72%), and heart attack (48%).

• Reduced isolation, depression.

anxiety

and

• Longer lifespans.

• 6.5X more likely to report higher resilience.

• 4X more likely to report better health.

• 6X more likely to want to stay at the company.

Deloitte’s research reveals that purposedriven companies experience significant benefits like increased innovation and retention of top talent, stating, “Purposedriven companies witness higher market share gains and grow three times faster on average than their competitors, all while achieving higher workforce and customer satisfaction.” Organizations that harness the power of purpose thrive, while others falter or fail.

When people strive to find purpose in their work, they often seek what is termed meaningful work. We can think of it as a continuum ranging from meaningless on one end to meaningful on the other. You can place various experiences on that continuum but it’s your continuum: Personal, subjective and unique to each person.

What you perceive as meaningful work can significantly differ from another person’s perspective, even if you both hold similar positions or work in the same organization. This is because the evaluation of work’s meaning is not solely an individual process but is also influenced by societal factors. In fact, there are three key societal concepts that come into play in this evaluation: • Meaning of work: How you perceive the overall concept of work.

• Meaning in work: How meaningful that work is to you, specifically.

• Meaning at work: More narrowly defined as the context of that specific job in that particular organization.

Researchers find four main factors that comprise meaningful work. Consider

Figure 1 Emotional Exhaustion The fatigue that comes from caring too much for too long.

Chronic fatigue Insomnia

Impaired concentration or forgetfulness Anxiety and depression Increased illness

Lack of Accomplishment An unconquerable sense of futility, feeling that nothing you do makes any difference.

Feelings of apathy and hopelessness Increased irritability Lack of productivity Poor performance

Physical symptoms like heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, gastro pain, dizziness, headaches, and fainting

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Depletion of Empathy The depletion of empathy, caring and compassion.

Loss of enjoyment Pessimism Isolation

Detachment, disconnection, and depersonalization Difficulty feeling care or compassion for others

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how you can boost these through training in your organization: • Job design includes the variety of assigned tasks, autonomy and working at one’s edge to develop potential and perceived significance (as opposed to being pointless).

• When we enjoy working with our colleagues, it contributes to our sense of meaningful work.

• Leaders and managers play a significant role in creating or undermining the sense of meaning that people find in their work.

Leaders need to inspire employees toward a shared vision and engage in frequent and transparent communication that builds rapport and trust.

• Finally, we have the organizational level, where work is done to benefit the greater good through a self-transcendent or purpose-driven orientation.

T-value

4

Adjusted Gray Matter Volume

Figure 2 0.60 0.55 0.50 0.45 0.40 0.35

0

1

3 5 7 Subjective Happiness Scale

Happiness/Pleasure (hedonic) Circuit between: medial shell ventral pallidum opioid neuro-transmitters (enkephalin, anandamide) orbitofrontal cortex

Not surprisingly, many other researchers find that when people have a good fit between their needs and a job, as in either person-job or person-organization fit, they experience more meaningful work.

4. ​Identify and address violations of

When our needs for meaningful work align with the opportunities we have, we are more likely to be highly attentive and engaged. However, when this alignment is off, we may experience boredom (when there’s too little meaning) or burnout (when there’s an excess of supply). This suggests the existence of a sweet spot where the balance between our needs and the supply of meaningful work is just right, leading to the most beneficial outcomes.

5. ​ Design work environments and

The concept of “fit” played out in real time during the pandemic. Health care workers are known for having a high sense of purpose in their work and, generally, a good fit with their need for meaning (the ability to help people heal) and its supply (the regular load at a hospital or clinic). However, the pandemic significantly overloaded the supply of meaning, especially in the early days before vaccines or treatments were available. Health care workers all over the world found themselves facing the extraordinarily difficult task of caring for people who were dying in record numbers and for which their everyday skills and tools were woefully ineffective.

6 Strategies to Boost Purpose in Your Organization There are several strategies organizations can use to become more purpose-driven (It’s crucial to remember that talent and training professionals are key players in these efforts; their involvement is instrumental):

1. ​ Help your people explore and Purpose/Meaning (eudaimonic) Network connectivity of: insular cortex (volume) precuneus (volume) ventral medial prefrontal cortex

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identify their sense of purpose.

2. Identify the organization’s purpose,

including the social good it does for the world, and make this information easy to find.

3. ​Help employees find alignment with

their own sense of purpose and their work at your organization.

your organization’s purpose/values as perceived hypocrisy seems to be the most damaging to engagement and retention. experiences that help people connect with their colleagues, because relationships are essential to making work meaningful.

6. ​Train leaders and managers on how

to have authentic conversations about purpose and meaningful work as well as how to cultivate it in their teams.

Gallup research found that only 1 in 10 people have the talent to manage others and, worse, organizations select the wrong candidate 82% of the time!

Give managers the skills and tools they need to succeed. The best programs include training on coaching, emotional intelligence, creating psychologically safe and inclusive environments, and empowering a sense of purpose and meaningful work. Manager training more than pays for itself in increased productivity, employee engagement and retention.

By placing purpose at the heart of our operations, we can unlock a wealth of benefits. Purpose not only serves as a guiding north star, directing strategic decisions and fostering innovation, but it also plays a crucial role in building credibility with customers, employees, partners and communities. Most importantly, purpose enhances the value of the work, transforming the way we perceive and engage with our tasks.

Ultimately, this inspires employees and customers alike.

Dr. Britt Andreatta is an internationally recognized thought leader who creates science-based solutions for today’s workplace challenges. Britt is the CEO of Brain Aware Training and former chief learning officer for Lynda. com (now LinkedIn Learning). She is the author of several best-selling books on the brain science of success and was recently awarded 2024 Thought Leader of the Year by the Association for Talent Development.

Email Dr. Andreatta.

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In today’s exceptionally competitive business environment, organizations are investing significantly in learning and development (L&D) programs to ensure their workforce remains skilled, innovative and adaptable.

L&D enable learners to better manage the constant change occurring within their environments.

Merely implementing learning programs, as you may be currently doing, however, is insufficient to prove your relevant worth and value. It’s essential for practitioners to deliver sustained, tangible results that align with their organization’s operational and strategic goals. Simply, it’s about making sure you tangibly demonstrate operational accountability for their efforts.

More specifically, it is the operational need to balance learning accountability with learning effectiveness.

Historically, L&D has been perceived as a cost to the organization rather than a strategic partner. This perception is a result of learning not demonstrating tangible operational value. To shift perceptions, focus on operational outcomes over the learning activity itself. It’s about aligning with operational metrics that matter, such as improved productivity, increased sales, enhanced customer satisfaction and reduced costs. This refocus moves L&D from being a peripheral function to a critical driver of business performance.

The connection between operational engagement and learning outcomes is dynamic and reciprocal. Learning engagement is the commonality influencing knowledge retention, skill application and performance improvement. By establishing robust connections between engagement metrics and learning results, learning practitioners and operational stakeholders can work together to create targeted interventions, design immersive learning experiences and empower employees to become active agents of their own developmental journeys.

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN LEARNING AND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

By making tangible connections from the learning outcomes to key operational performance metrics, organizations can demonstrate how training and development efforts translate into tangible business benefits. This approach helps justify the investment in L&D and secure continued support from senior leadership.

ELEVATING L&D’S ROLE

The one essential objective for practitioners is to bridge the gap between learning initiatives and operations. For stakeholders, it’s never about the “learning,” but rather about the “doing.” Simply, your learning efforts should not only be about imparting knowledge but also fostering behavior changes leading to improved job performance.

Your focus should be to elevate the role of L&D within your organizations. This is not as difficult as you think since most operational stakeholders recognize knowledge is central to strategic competitiveness and, as you ascend the organizational hierarchy, learning increasingly becomes a priority.

Operational performance metrics play a crucial role in demonstrating the value of L&D initiatives within an organization. These targeted metrics provide tangible data that illustrate the impact of learning initiatives on key performance indicators (KPIs) and business outcomes.

Read on to learn how you can make your efforts more effective while demonstrating learning accountability to operational stakeholders.

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MEASURING PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT METRICS As L&D initiatives increasingly take center stage in driving organizational success, participant engagement emerges as a pivotal force shaping the effectiveness of workplace learning.

Imagine learners who are not merely passive recipients of information but active and enthusiastic participants in their own development journey.

This paradigm shift from traditional

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QUANTIFYING LEARNING ENGAGEMENT FOR DECISION-MAKING Imagine driving a car without a dashboard showing you how fast you’re going or how much fuel you have. In the world of workplace learning, quantifying engagement is like having that dashboard — it helps organizations make informed decisions about their learning programs.

When we talk about quantifying engagement, we mean measuring and tracking how actively employees are participating in learning activities in the context of then applying it to their jobs. It’s not just about saying “many people completed the course.” It’s about understanding how deeply they’re involved — are they exploring different topics, asking questions or discussing with their peers? These insights act as signposts, guiding organizations toward understanding the effectiveness of their learning initiatives.

Quantifying engagement offers organizations a clear view of what’s working and what must improve. It’s like looking at a map during a journey: You can see which roads are leading you in the right direction and where you might need to change your route. Similarly, engagement metrics provide data-driven insights that help organizations fine-tune their learning programs to ensure they’re on the path to success.

one-way knowledge dissemination to a collaborative, engaging learning environment has the potential to revolutionize the way organizations evolve and thrive.

The essence of engagement is the connection between active participation and learning outcomes. Regretfully, many organizations, specifically their learning function, continue to apply conventional approaches for evaluating the impact of workplace learning, often relying on simple metrics like completion rates or posttraining assessments. However, these 32

metrics provide only a fraction of the story, omitting the nuances and essential data between employee learning engagement and tangible operational outcomes.

Employee engagement in the learning process is more than just making sure people participate; it’s a profound state where employees are emotionally invested in the learning process. They see it benefiting them in such a way that it excites them. When an employee is engaged in learning, they approach it with a sense of genuine interest and commitment.

The ability to quantify engagement provides organizations with a powerful tool for making informed decisions. In addition, engagement data enhances the learning experience and delivers more meaningful, impactful experiences for employees. Engagement metrics serve the same purpose as your car’s dashboard, which provides timely information to ensure a safe journey.

Organizations can use it as a compass to direct them toward learning that transforms individuals and propels them forward.

LEARNING IN RELATION TO FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Financially based performance measures will always be important in

decision-making. All organizations — profit and nonprofit — operate primarily based on meeting specific financial expectations. But while they will always be preoccupied with financial accountability, companies are moving toward nonfinancial-focused performance metrics to assess growth and viability, and underlying it all is accounting for operational stakeholder’s financial decisions. For learning efforts to be of relevance it’s important to determine the significance of financial measurement on their efforts.

Becoming both financially and operationally literate allows you to discover operational areas where your learning efforts will deliver the most value. So when actual operational results don’t live up to expectations, stakeholders will want accountability for the discrepancy and then, more importantly, want to have it addressed/ fixed. This “fix” is an organizational learning opportunity.

Discovering those affected areas is where your efforts can derive value and build credibility to foster effective, meaningful and substantive learning interventions and stakeholder trust.

Essentially, identifying operational weaknesses by analyzing internal financial metrics allows you to conduct a well-defined needs/skills assessment from the perspective of your management.

Developing this one ability will certainly get management’s attention, have them more accepting of proposed solutions, and be more aware of how learning interactions contribute to expected operational results. Looking at it this way solves more than half your battle in gaining management support for proposed learning solutions.

ADOPTING A HOLISTIC VIEW OF LEARNING IMPACT L&D often resides in the background with little attention given to it, except when it is suddenly needed. To this day, operational stakeholders, along

with learning practitioners, turn to learning only after finalizing strategic and operational decisions. Many learning departments accept this as part of their reality since they don’t see their role as an integral component of the organizational strategic decision process. Furthermore, nearly all training budgets often reside with operational stakeholders and not entirely under L&D’s control.

Here’s the reality: If you’re serious about measuring the impact of your learning efforts upon the organization, then you must align with your organization’s performance metrics. But to align with these metrics, you must appreciate the value your organization wants to deliver to the market. To do this, however, you must understand how your organization creates this value. This type of rootcause analysis will help you better target your learning efforts, foster operational learning value and build lasting credibility with operational stakeholders.

Here’s where it gets confusing: Even though learning is gaining prominence among leadership, it does not automatically gain stakeholder acceptance. You’re still going to have to prove your worth and earn your keep.

This challenge for many learning leaders is to develop the ability to transition from their current learning perspective to that of organizational systems thinking. Do this by answering some basic questions such as: • What is the purpose organization’s existence?

• What are the products services offered?

of

your

and/or

• What are the primary operational areas directly contributing to its objectives?

• Who does the organization serve?

To appreciate learning’s role within the organizational framework, you must know how your organization creates the value customers/end users expect while maintaining their strategy of long-term growth. Your stakeholders describe this operational framework as a “strategic value chain.” The value chain is why and how every organization operates and where it places its operational value focus. By deconstructing the value chain, your stakeholders devise effective operational strategies to achieve their long-term mission.

Knowing this provides opportunities to discover where to focus your learning efforts and to better identify precise/ targeted learning interventions.

BUILDING LASTING CREDIBILITY For stakeholders, learning is no longer an afterthought but rather an integral part of organizational culture expected to demonstrate tangible value toward operational performance. Reactive behavior from L&D, or being the “order taker,” is no longer acceptable. You’re now expected to step up into a more proactive and prominent role.

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You may believe that you already know some of the answers, but before jumping to immediate conclusions, speak to others in your organization and learn as much as you can to reach complete answers or to confirm what you already know.

By focusing on strategic alignment, datadriven measurement and continuous improvement, you will possess the foundational elements for transforming L&D from a supportive function to a strategic partner. In doing so, you will also help justify your organization’s investments in L&D, ensuring that your efforts contribute to their operational and strategic goals.

Ajay M. Pangarkar, CTDP, FCPA, FCMA, and Teresa Kirkwood, CTDP, are cofounders of CentralKnowledge.com.

They are award-winning performance management strategists, four-time authors, publishing their latest book, “Learning Metrics: How to Measure the Impact of Organizational Learning,” and course authors for LinkedIn Learning.

Email authors.

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As human capital professionals, we find ourselves in a new era where humancentered learning is at the intersection of technology and the consumption of knowledge. As I often say, we are in a time when humans are saturated with information and starved for insights. We are bombarded with surges of data and information, averaging the equivalent of 100,000 words heard or read, each day. This amount of information serves as a significant distraction and at the same time, provides few insights into our personal or professional lives. Signals get lost as noise clouds the most salient information to be extracted.

At this inflection point, learning leaders should aim to balance tools that accelerate the learning process and provide surgically precise information tailored to learners’ knowledge gaps. Attaining this level of precision creates complexity and downstream implications for stakeholders in every facet of the organization.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more widely available and tested for use in learning organizations, leaders must develop models that enhance and improve learning rather than detract and distract from the experience.

Specifically, the lure of using AI to design training, deliver customized microlearning or create knowledge checks can sway learning professionals to 34

deploy tools that are fast and inexpensive.

However, learning organizations must implement checks and balances that ensure the learner experience is relevant and ameliorated. Table 1 shows some of the pitfalls that learning organizations can experience, along with escape routes to help address them.

fatigue. Attention must be attenuated, but not drowned to achieve the optimal level of learner performance.

EFFECTIVE VS. EFFICIENT TRAINING Managing the intersection of effective versus efficient training is not a new problem for learning professionals.

Tantamount to the challenges we all face today, our phones, televisions and computers are all pushing information to us in a constant deluge. There is a premium for our cognitive attention and learners can quickly become immune to relevant information among the confetti of data hurled at them through multiple mediums all day long. Attention is one of the most coveted resources in modern times.

Learning professionals must leverage tools and techniques (not all of which are technology) to keep focus on content at a steady pace. When learning professionals design content with too many stimulating sounds, games and graphics, the learner’s cognitive abilities can decline from

STRATEGIC USE CASES FOR AI Leveraging the escape routes mentioned previously can help you strategically overcome some of the aforementioned challenges with AI. Integration of AI can enhance learner performance when

considered one of many learning tools rather than the dominant tool. Here are the most anticipated strategic uses of AI that can ubiquitously transform how we engage learners in the art of knowledge acquisition: • Engaging learners with AI conversation simulations that help master the dialogue and process skills on-screen simultaneously.

• Creating AI assessments based on the content for more accurate checks of learning retention.

• Aggregating cohort-level data on learning checks in simulations for a birds-eye view of individual and classroom gaps of knowledge transfer.

• Creating microlearning content from existing curriculum to address gaps without the intervention of a learning professional.

• Creating new content using AI by bringing in a developer for review while sequencing activities with lecture and curriculum.

• Scheduling training using an AI bot that scans the learner’s calendar for

the accurate amount of capacity to take training.

• Automating learning intake requests and recommending learning solutions.

While many organizations are still vetting the infrastructure and security of AI within the firewall, learning professionals can begin to construct a strategy that is “justin-time” as the utility becomes available.

There are two parts to this strategy. First, learning teams must build use cases for content, quizzes, coaching and analytics that can accelerate readiness of AI use once the technology is in place. This requires a thoughtful approach to the investment of designing an AI model, as well as the anticipated returns in performance gains, reduced labor cost and training time.

The second part of AI preparation involves assimilating learning roles into existing technology. Learning leaders should strategize on how AI will extend the reach of design and delivery roles. Leaders can encourage designers and developers to become knowledgeable about the technology, prompts and capabilities expected to be used by the learning strategy.

Sharing success stories and preparing

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teams can ensure teams understand how they should adapt to the evolving training technology to be successful.

Early socialization and communication can defray concerns and resistance to embracing this pivotal technology.

SUMMARY Rather than blindly leverage the technology, leaders can create an AI strategy for each function in the learning and development function.

Learning organizations can and should anticipate the new possibilities of emerging AI technology and become the architects of the next generation of modern learning, rather than being passive recipients. The intersection of human and AI learning marks an important time in learning history and leaders have a tremendous opportunity to write a new chapter in the annals of learning theory by thoughtfully crafting AI into the learning journey.

Allison Sadler is the chief learning officer for insurance sales and service insurance at USAA. Allison has worked in financial services and insurance for over 30 years in leadership roles and holds a Ph.D. in human capital. Email Allison.

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Developing Training for the

Neurodivergent Learner Benefits All

By Valerie Marsh, CPTM

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In

recent decades, much has been written, discussed and debated about how to teach neurodivergent learners most effectively in secondary schools.

Many post-secondary institutions are finally beginning to address the needs of these students, as well. Unfortunately, the corporate world is still far behind.

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (now the Disabilities Education Act of 2004) was enacted to guarantee education for students with physical, emotional or cognitive disabilities. Since then, public schools have been required to support all learners (though how effectively, fairly and equitably that is being done is debatable). The Americans With Disabilities Act (1990) provided similar support in the employment field — though arguably more focused on supporting physical disabilities than learning differences or disabilities.

Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist, coined the term neurodiversity in her 1998 undergraduate thesis. While the word is meant to help identify brains that process data differently from societal norms, Singer wanted the term to become a form of advocacy. An inclusive label to shift the perception of those on the autism spectrum from being “disabled” to having their neurodivergence recognized as a potential strength.

As she stated in a July 2023 article in The Guardian, “I knew what I was doing … ‘neuro’ was a reference to the rise of neuroscience. ‘Diversity’ is a political term; it originated with the black American civil rights movement.

‘Biodiversity’ is really a political term, too. As a word, ‘neurodiversity’ describes the whole of humanity.

But the neurodiversity movement is a political movement for people who want their human rights.”

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While current estimates show somewhere between 10-20% of the global population are neurodivergent, the fact that diagnostic criteria are outdated and biased toward males leads to a four times greater diagnosis for male children than females. Therefore, the true numbers are unknown and most likely, if not significantly, higher.

It also means many females are either diagnosed much later in life or are never properly diagnosed. Add to this the still all too common stigma of neurodivergence and that it is almost always an unseen disability or difference, and employees may struggle silently.

One in five employees in your workforce today is likely neurodivergent. If one in five employees used a mobility device (e.g., wheelchair, scooter, forearm crutches, etc.) you would hope that all office spaces would be modified to accommodate their needs. So, why doesn’t this apply to the learning environment? As we’ve learned in the decades since the implementation of the ADA, an inclusive, accommodating environment benefits everyone.

As learning and development (L&D) professionals, we are often programmed to create training based on criteria developed for the neurotypical. While it can seem overwhelming at first, shifting our development criteria to support neurodivergent learners can not only benefit neurotypical learners, but also improve new-hire ramp-up times, decrease employee turnover and create a more inclusive and accommodating work environment. So, where should you start?

Less “Check-the-Box” Training In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, training is often in one of two formats: Complex content with dense wording or generic eLearnings or videos from third-party providers that aren’t specific to how employees should perform within your company.

In the complex content format, new hires may be required to read and acknowledge an overwhelming amount of multi-page standard operating 38

procedures (SOPs) written by a technical writer or compliance person who defines processes and procedures, step-by-step instructions for each of those processes and procedures, detailed explanations of all safety protocols they must follow, documentation requirements, and how to dispose of any generated waste, etc.

Just as with the terms and conditions that accompany an update on our phones, the human tendency is to scroll to the end and hit accept without ever reading a single word. Nearly every employee, neurodivergent or not, will do the same with these dry, lengthy SOPs. While having their signature may cover the company in a legal suit, very little learning has actually occurred to eliminate those legal concerns and make the work environment safer for all.

Employees should be evaluated by proficiency checks on the actual required job skills and not through written assessments.

Generic third-party content, on the other hand, may be used to explain processes and procedures, product terminology and safety — but it doesn’t account for your company and how you do things. This can make the processes and procedures unclear and confusing because, upon completion, the learner then must be told all the exceptions that don’t pertain, or aspects not covered for how they will be expected to do things at your company. Now, add neurodivergence into the mix in either of these scenarios and things get exponentially worse.

To make the new-hire experience more welcoming for everyone, consider transforming existing content into shorter, easier-to-digest pieces specific to a new hire’s roles and responsibilities within your company. For example, you could start with a quick overview video that includes clear voice over, closed captions and speed control (allowing the video to be slowed down or sped up) of the foundational, company-specific knowledge, key terminology and what the expectations of the learner will be in the coming hours, days or weeks of training on that product or service.

From there, take the learner outside of your learning management system (LMS) and into the real world with scaffolded, on-the-job training (OJT) based on their individual needs, background and experiences. Begin with the employee shadowing a subject matter expert (SME) who has been trained in supporting all learners and who creates a safe space where employees can ask questions, take notes (handwritten, on a phone/ computer or via talk-to-text software) and/or record the process.

In addition to being well-trained in how to effectively train, SMEs should be empowered to determine the appropriate amount of time needed for each employee to become truly confident and competent in their role. Make simple, accessible job aids available for each process along the way and progress the training based on the complexity of the required skill and previous knowledge and experience of the employee until proficiency is reached. For some that might mean an hour of training, for others it will be longer. These differences must be fully accepted and core to the learning culture of your organization.

Less Lengthy Videos and eLearnings Unfortunately, the tools that have made training development simpler and faster (e.g., Articulate, Captivate, Camtasia, Vyond, etc.) have also perpetuated a neurotypical format. No matter how engaging we believe these tools make our programs, both neurodivergent and neurotypical employees find sitting in front of an LMS scrolling through or watching

To make the new-hire experience more welcoming for everyone, consider transforming existing content into shorter, easier-to-digest pieces specific to a new hire’s role.

cookie-cutter content for 20 to 60+ minutes overwhelming and exhausting.

Start with breaking the content into more manageable pieces and turning off regulators within your LMS that force everyone to complete content or watch videos in a neurotypically prescribed way (beginning to end at one set speed). Make all aspects of your training more flexible, consumable and supportive for everyone.

If these first two recommendations have caused your heart rate to increase, your palms to sweat, or alarms to go off in your head that scream, “but how will we know they have learned anything!?” the next recommendation may make you quit reading altogether — but hang in there.

Fewer Written Assessments, More Proficiency Checks While our education system has programmed us to believe knowledge is assessed through written assessments and L&D professionals have perpetuated this within the corporate learning environment, unless there is a regulatory reason for one (e.g., ServSafe™, OSHA10 or -30, etc.), employees should be evaluated by proficiency checks on the actual required job skills and not through written assessments.

Think about it: Training to a test doesn’t ensure any employee is competent in their role and definitely doesn’t mitigate safety risks. Even learners who pass the test may still walk into their actual work environment and mishandle dangerous chemicals, improperly process paperwork or forget important legal or regulatory requirements that place your company at risk. Instead, training to proficiency — the ability of the employee to successfully perform the required processes or procedures effectively and safely — better guarantees a highly competent employee.

Unlike written assessments that often cause anxiety in both the neurotypical and neurodivergent because of their pass/fail nature, proficiency checks allow for skill assessment throughout the training process. They help ensure those who catch on to any aspect of their job quickly get to move on and those who need more time can get more time. It can also be an excellent way for L&D professionals to assess the efficacy of the training program throughout and adjust exactly where needed without having to redo the entire program.

Done correctly, proficiency checks can be a less stressful way to determine the ability level of the employee. They become a natural aspect of a safe learning environment where mistakes (that don’t affect safety) are viewed as learning opportunities and not detrimental

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to an employee’s job status, and where any needed accommodations can be provided (e.g., visual and/or auditory aids, extended time to complete, etc.).

While these are just three places to start building a more inclusive learning environment for neurodivergent learners, nothing here is specifically beneficial only to the neurodivergent.

Everyone can benefit from role-specific training; shorter, more consumable content and from proficiency checks in lieu of written exams. Inclusion leads to diversity within our organizations, and that diversity can lead to happier, more productive team members.

Valerie Marsh, CPTM, has over 30 years of corporate training experience and is currently the director of learning and development for Jushi. Most importantly, she’s the proud mother of a multiexceptional daughter who has taught her more about the beauty of supporting neurodivergence than any class or book ever could. Email Valerie.

Book Recommendation “Neurodiversity in the Workplace: How to Create an Inclusive and Safe Environment” by Alice Hewson

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Beyond Diversity Metrics: A Framework for Measuring the Value of Inclusion and Belonging

By Cheryl Flink, Ph.D.

Organizations need a strategic measurement framework that demonstrates the impact of investments in inclusivity and belonging.

Over the past five years, views of appropriate ways to account for human capital have undergone a remarkable shift, moving from treating human capital as a cost to an asset.

Emerging guidelines from the SEC

point out that, in 1973, over 80% of the S&P 500’s market capitalization was held in tangible assets (like property, manufacturing plants, and equipment).

However, by 2020, 90% of the S&P 500 was based on intangible assets like human capital. This focus on understanding the asset of human capital has challenged all organizations — whether public or private — to think about how they measure and report on human capital, the investments in their workforce, and the impact of those investments.

measure inclusivity while demonstrating that their organizations continue to “access and develop new sources of talent, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts.”

This evolving landscape creates an imperative for human resource leaders to have a clear strategic framework for measuring belonging and inclusion and tying these data to business outcomes. That framework must include demographics, attitudinal data and business metrics with a strong focus on pattern-seeking, analytics and inspiration. Let’s explore those ideas.

Organizations are Shifting From DEI to Inclusion and Belonging Start With Demographic Data Frameworks — But Remember They are a The 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision Rear-View Mirror on affirmative action has also driven changes in how organizations frame the value of human capital. In response to that decision, many organizations moved toward focusing on metrics that

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Demographic data provide insights into whether organizations successfully develop the diverse and inclusive workforce they need to compete.

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These demographic variables are readily available and represent many social identity categories, including veteran status, age, disability status, socioeconomic status, race and gender.

They are the starting point for describing the organization’s current workforce and setting benchmarks to measure change over time.

Demographic data are foundational to understanding inclusion and belonging.

However, they tend to be lag indicators — a rear-view mirror that reflects past hiring decisions, promotions and the overall composition of the organization.

Reviewing demographic trends over time is a solid way to look at whether the organization is progressing toward its inclusion goals. However, relying solely on demographic data can hide opportunities. Supplementing demographics with other data will deepen understanding of the organization’s inclusivity culture. Below, we offer suggestions for exploring demographic data and adding new data to create insights.

Get Curious and Explore Data Patterns in Your Demographic Data Take time to explore your existing demographic data. Be thoughtful and creative in how you can slice data to find both challenges and opportunities.

Do you see different patterns of data by organizational function? By specific regions or locations? By specific managers and leaders? As you look, ask the question why: Why do some functions have greater representation than others?

What actions do some managers take that result in that greater representation?

Get curious about what is happening and investigate. Your goal is to find patterns in the demographic data so you can dig in to ask new questions.

Add Data From Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture Surveys Most companies collect employee engagement data, typically on an

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annual basis. Engagement surveys typically measure two things: 1) soft outcome metrics, for example, likelihood to recommend the company as a place to work, stay intention and engagement itself; and 2) key drivers of those outcomes, such as relationships with managers, role clarity and perceptions of pay equity.

These additional driver questions often measure perceptions of inclusion and belonging: Do employees believe their organization has created an inclusive culture? Do they feel like they belong?

Inclusion culture surveys can also measure feelings of belonging.

These attitudinal questions ground the next step of linking inclusive cultures to hard business metrics.

Tie Inclusion to Business Outcomes With the foundation of demographic data and perceptions of inclusive cultures, the framework can now extend to focus on business outcomes.

What is the impact of diverse teams (measured by demographic data) and perceptions of belonging and inclusion (measured by attitudinal data) on a specific business outcome?

You must now append hard business metrics by working with your internal human resources information system (HRIS) business partners. Only request data that answer relevant questions you have generated from your initial data explorations. Do not take unnecessary time and resources, and always adhere to your organization’s required policies and procedures for collecting and handling personally identifiable information (PII data).

Categories of hard business metrics appear below, and as you explore the metrics, you will once again seek patterns in the data: Do the business outcomes differ by demographic segment? By perceptions of belonging and inclusivity?

Begin appending and exploring the metrics that specific business functions own and explore patterns within each function. For example, sales may own “new revenue contracted” or “number of contracts in the pipeline.” Examine whether the scores for revenue and contracts differ by sales groups — and whether those sales groups differ in their demographics or measures of inclusion and belonging. What patterns do you see?

Appending business metrics can help the organization get specific on which areas of the business have opportunities to improve their hard business metrics while investing more in inclusion and belonging. These categories represent a rich suite of metrics and data that can become predictors of those outcomes — the levers of change. They form a world of possibilities for seeing the impact of diversity, inclusion and belonging on important business outcomes. Examples might include: • Sales: Revenue growth, number of new contracts, deal size.

• Technology innovation: Number of new products introduced, revenue from new products.

• Call center: Number of calls answered within a time period, customer satisfaction for issue resolution.

• Information Services: Uptime, number of tickets, time to resolve tickets.

Demonstrating how your organization’s work contributes to the global community can inspire and engage employees.

• Retail units: Foot traffic, year-overyear sales per square foot.

Inspire by Connecting Inclusion Initiatives and Outcomes to the Greater Good Most organizations have a vision, mission and/or values that state the organization’s commitment to a greater good. Many employees want to work for purpose-driven organizations: Linking your diversity and inclusion initiatives and metrics to these goals is a powerful way to make the connection between purpose and performance.

Organizations can use benchmarks and inspiring goals like the UN Sustainable Development Goals to inspire and motivate employees.

You may be surprised to know that some independent organizations provide benchmark data for inclusivity and belonging metrics, comparing companies and industries in their annual reports.

These benchmarks can provide data for comparing your organization’s results to others. Potential resources include:

• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: “Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.”

opportunities to improve and invest in inclusion and belonging — and linking those goals to the organization’s commitment to a greater good can inspire and motivate employees.

Many corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and environment, social responsibility and governance (ESG) reports can also inspire and motivate employees. Take advantage of this format to report on your workforce investments and highlight advances in creating inclusive organizations and the impact to both purpose and performance.

Cheryl Flink, Ph.D., is the director of research at the Truist Leadership Institute.

She conducts research that informs approaches to leadership development and measures organizational impact.

Email Cheryl.

In Sum Developing the framework for measuring inclusion and belonging — and its impact to the organization — requires a focused, strategic approach coupled with curiosity. The framework includes the lag indicator of demographics as well as attitudinal data and business metrics. Exploring patterns in data by leader, function, location or other views will identify both challenges and

Truist disclaimer: This content is provided to you for general information purposes only. This content does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, financial, investment, or mental health advice. You are encouraged to consult with competent legal, tax, accounting, financial investment, or mental health professionals based on your specific circumstances.

Unless otherwise specifically stated, any views or opinions expressed herein are solely those of the individual authors listed, and are not the product of, and may differ from the views of, Truist Financial Corporation, its affiliates and/or subsidiaries. We do not make any warranties as to accuracy or completeness of this information, do not endorse any third-party companies, products, or services described here, and take no liability for your use of this information.

Opinions and content represent the individual author’s judgment as of the date of this material and are subject to change without notice. We assume no duty to update any information in this material in the event that such information changes.

• Human Rights Campaign: Focuses on the LGBTQ+ community. Provides comparative benchmarks for corporate inclusion and equality and a report on healthcare equality.

• Disability Quality Index: Focuses on disability inclusion across six categories for 485 companies.

Organizations can also inspire employees by linking corporate goals for building inclusive organizations to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Demonstrating how your organization’s work contributes to the global community can inspire and engage employees. For example, the UN SDG goals that specifically relate to inclusion and belonging investments include: • Goal 4: Quality Education: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

• Goal 5: Gender Equality: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.”

Tips for Your Inclusivity Measurement Framework • Start with demographic data — but remember they are a rear-view mirror.

• Get curious and explore data patterns in your demographic data.

• Add attitudinal data from employee engagement and organizational culture surveys.

• Tie inclusion to business outcomes.

• Inspire by connecting inclusion initiatives and outcomes to the greater good.

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SPECIAL REPORT

A NEW LENS ON TRAINING EVALUATION

BY TOM WHELAN, PH.D.

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ONLY 2% OF LEARNING LEADERS FEEL MEASUREMENT ISN’T CRITICAL TO THEIR BUSINESS.

Measurement is a dirty word in learning and development (L&D). While most organizations use some form of it for employee training, the perception of measurement in L&D is not unanimously positive.

Although it’s not completely overlooked, the importance of measurement is not equally recognized across organizations.

A recent sample of learning leaders shows that only 2% feel measurement isn’t critical to their business, while 54% consider it extremely important. In other words, only slightly more than half of organizations view quantifying learning as essential, with 44% assigning it moderate importance.

This common scenario presents a unique opportunity. Since measurement in L&D is not universally embraced, there’s untapped potential for companies to leverage employee learning data. By shifting the narrative around training measurement, learning leaders can quantify the impact of their training programs, identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. However, we recognize this is easier said than done.

While L&D measurement efforts may benefit from some repair work, it simultaneously offers a golden opportunity for forward-

thinking organizations. By championing measurement, leaders can set new industry standards and shift toward truly data-driven L&D practices. This approach can transform learning programs from mandatory requirements that organizations passively comply with into mission-critical tools that drive employee upskilling and process improvement. Downstream, organizations can enhance their reputation, attract top talent, and ultimately strengthen their bottom line. What was once seen as the dirty word of measurement could become the key to L&D success.

WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING NOW So, let’s start by looking at how organizations are currently quantifying the impact of their learning programs. Figure 1 highlights the varying importance placed on different evaluation methods within organizations. It’s interesting to note that while most organizations rely on feedback from learners (55%), a significant portion does not measure learning impact at all (17%). This flags an immediate area for improvement in how organizations track their learning programs (i.e., “start doing it”).

But it doesn’t let everyone else off the hook. If organizations only gauge training impact through learner feedback, there’s a lot of pieces missing from the puzzle.

Figure 1. Current Approaches to Measuring Learning Impact (2024, N=368) Program learner feedback

55%

Business impact measures

45%

Return on expectations analysis

38%

Return on investment analysis

37%

Automated system metrics

25%

Kirkpatrick levels evaluation

24%

We don’t currently Other

17% 2%

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Similarly, we found that organizations typically use about two approaches to training evaluation. So, the picture that the data paints is that many training programs tend to collect something from learners and compare it with enterprise-level results (e.g., business impact, return on investment, etc.).

Only about a quarter of organizations are utilizing the classic Kirkpatrick model of L&D metrics, which is what most in our field herald as the “gold standard” for measurement strategy in training. But where does it come from, and if it’s such a bedrock, then why aren’t more organizations using it?

The origin of the Kirkpatrick model, with its four levels of training evaluation, can be traced back to a series of articles published

by Dr. Donald Kirkpatrick in the Journal of ASTD from late 1959 into early 1960. It was a simple and elegant set of suggestions for evaluating multiple aspects of a training program. But that’s all it was ever intended to be — a set of suggestions.

And like a proverbial snowball rolling down a hill, the influence of Kirkpatrick’s suggestions became more widespread over time until they’ve essentially been codified in the language of training professionals.

However, the original scope of this model has been embellished far beyond its intended use. “In the November

INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE KIRKPATRICK MODEL, THE 5-4-3 FRAMEWORK BUILDS ON IT, CONTEXTUALIZING THE FOUR LEVELS IN A BROADER, MORE RELEVANT WAY.

1959 article,” Dr. Kirkpatrick wrote in 1996, “I used the term ‘four steps.’ But someone, I don’t know who, referred to the steps as ‘levels.’ The next thing I knew, articles and books were referring to the four levels as the Kirkpatrick model.”

The nomenclature isn’t as important as the model’s utility, as reflected in Dr. Kirkpatrick’s comment, “I don’t care whether it is a model or a taxonomy as long as professionals find it useful in evaluating programs.” And if it is useful, it is useful. But we should not be lulled into thinking that training outcomes are not complex phenomena, or that they can be boiled down into a handful of conceptual levels while other evaluative criteria can be dismissed out of hand.

So, why aren’t more than 24% of organizations using this model? We suspect it’s because stakeholders don’t “speak” Kirkpatrick; the model is not a universal language.

Organizational stakeholders, including executives, managers and employees, often have different priorities and may not be familiar with the model’s “levels” or see its relevance to their specific concerns. Additionally, while the model’s simplicity is a strength, it may not fully capture the complexity of training processes and outcomes, especially in today’s fast-changing, digital-first business environment.

Moreover, the model may prescribe a measurement approach that doesn’t fully optimize resources or may lead learning leaders to spend time conducting less impactful analysis.

Rigidly adhering to the levels can limit the scope of training evaluation efforts while at the same time misdirecting where they go.

We’re not suggesting L&D professionals abandon the Kirkpatrick model entirely, but rather to start thinking beyond it. There is, after all, no rule against complementing Kirkpatrick with other tools and approaches. The challenge has been the lack of a clearly articulated alternative that maintains the interests of the business and enhances training experiences.

As shown in Figure 1, organizations are engaging in some form of training evaluation, but there’s room for improvement.

If the current state of training evaluation needs fixing and the Kirkpatrick model is more popular in theory than practice, how can organizations improve their measurement?

THE 5-4-3 MODEL OF TRAINING EVALUATION In 2023, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released a set of suggested standards for evaluating workplace training. We’ve dubbed the 30437 standards as the “5-4-3 Framework” for training evaluation. Based on these ISO standards, the numbers in the 5-4-3 moniker represent: • 5 types of consumers/stakeholders of training evaluation data.

• 4 reasons to evaluate training that shape the form of both the questions and answers.

• 3 classes of metrics that can be used to provide insights to stakeholders.

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Why is the 5-4-3 Framework useful? It’s specifically tailored for employee training in a business context, not higher education or other forms of training. It’s accessible to training professionals, avoiding academic theory and jargon. Instead of replacing the Kirkpatrick model, the 5-4-3 Framework builds on it, contextualizing the four levels in a broader, more relevant way that appreciably expands the applicability of measurement.

Here, we’re going to focus on the “4” of the 5-4-3 Framework, which outlines the reasons why organizations measure employee training. Before we go further, it’s helpful to leave ideas about “levels” of evaluation behind — you don’t need them. This framework uses different cross-sections of evaluation possibilities based on five different stakeholders and their contrasting interests in training, the four reasons to measure training and three types of metrics that can be used to answer questions about training. Evaluation success depends on matching stakeholder needs with the right forms of information, making “levels” irrelevant (see Figure 2).

ONLY 10% OF ORGANIZATIONS UTILIZE ALL FOUR DEPTHS OF INSIGHTS.

The ISO defines four purposes for training metrics, which can be thought of as assorted ways to frame the desired depth of insights about training.

1. Inform: Provides straightforward answers, like usage trends or number of offerings.

2. Monitor: Compares metrics to historical benchmarks to contextualize the data (e.g., How have engagement metrics changed over the last several quarters?).

3. Evaluate: Encompasses inquiries about efficiency, effectiveness and target outcomes — in other words, program evaluation.

4. Manage: Uses metrics to drive ongoing improvements in training.

While there are four reasons in this framework, they are not levels in the sense that one is better than another but rather reflect the level of specificity needed for different stakeholders. For example, senior leaders may prefer “monitor” or “evaluate” insights rather than just “inform”

details. Similarly, learners might need “inform” and “monitor” information but find “evaluate” or “manage” details less relevant or overwhelming.

The key is to match the stakeholder’s needs with the appropriate depth of measurement and metrics, rather than focusing on any idea of hierarchical levels.

AN UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH ABOUT EVALUATION So, is one depth of insight better than another? It depends on the question. Powerful insights can come from any of the four points if they align with the evaluation purpose and stakeholder needs. But what are organizations doing?

We surveyed 350 learning leaders about how they approach using different insights to inform their training strategy.

As shown in Figure 3, organizations most frequently work

Figure 2. 4 Reasons for Training Evaluation

Inform

Monitor

Evaluate

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Manage 47

Figure 3. Types of Insights Used to Make Decisions About Training Strategy (2024, N=351) Assessing achievement of efficiency effectiveness, and target outcomes of the training program Simple answers to questions about learning (current usage, number of offerings, etc.)

Evaluate (3)

68%

Inform (1)

Comparisons of metrics against a historical benchmark (e.g., tracking changes in learner engagement over time)

Monitor (2)

Using a suite of metrics to proactively drive training improvements/enhancements on an ongoing basis

Manage (4)

with insights at the “evaluate” depth (68%), and least often at the “manage” depth (41%). This might suggest that while organizations focus on outcome goals, they may be disregarding other valuable insights.

The data from Figure 3 also reveals that only 10% of organizations use all four depths of insights to make decisions about strategy, while a combined 65% use one or two. In short, the figure shows how and where L&D needs to improve. Nearly 60% of organizations don’t utilize insights at the “manage” depth, and 90% don’t engage with the full suite of reasons to evaluate their training.

As we navigate the 21st-century L&D landscape, measurement is a powerful tool for transformation and cannot be underestimated. The journey of training evaluation is one of opportunity. It offers a gateway for organizations to become industry leaders, drive employee upskilling and

54% 47% 41%

process enhancement, and contribute to their bottom lines.

It provides a chance to change the narrative about training measurement, converting it from a “dirty word” to a crucial key for business success. And most importantly, it is a vehicle to make a difference in the lives of employees by improving their skills and knowledge and empowering them to achieve their full potential.

We hope the introduction of the 5-4-3 Framework can help learning leaders begin to move beyond traditional levels of evaluation and adopt a more holistic and business-first view of training measurement.

Tom Whelan, Ph.D., is the director of corporate research at Training Industry, Inc. He studied industrial-organizational psychology at North Carolina State University, and has consulted with both corporate and government organizations on learning and assessment initiatives. Email Tom.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Measuring the impact of training is challenging. Here are some resources to help you adopt a more holistic approach to training measurement: • [Industry Coverage] ISO L&D Metrics Standards Provide Long-Awaited Framework for Training Measurement • [Article] It’s Time to Stop Oversimplifying Training Measurement and Evaluation • [E-Book] Learning Measurement for Modern Business: Making Sense of ISO 30437 • [Template] Evaluation Plan for Measuring the Impact of Training • [Course] Measuring the Impact of L&D Certificate

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STRATEGIES

BEST PRACTICES TO MAKE LEARNING STICK AND DRIVE PERFORMANCE

BY DAVE MESHKOV

A learning journey is a comprehensive process. High-stakes exams can invoke anxiety and stress, even for the most confident individuals, making it challenging to manage. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by various learning methodologies, especially when they seem ineffective.

But the journey to high performance doesn’t end with simply absorbing information. Learning and development (L&D) professionals can help employees establish healthy learning habits to improve outcomes. By incorporating these daily habits — prioritizing sleep, taking strategic breaks, incorporating movement and maintaining focus — learners can transform their learning experience. They’ll not only retain information more effectively but also approach training and evaluations with a calmer, more confident mindset, ultimately driving better performance in the workplace.

MEANINGFUL SLEEP: THIS IS HOW YOU RETAIN INFORMATION Sleep is when you lock in the day’s learning. Therefore, it is critical to get enough quality sleep every night. The importance of this is often overlooked, yet it is during the deep REM phases that your brain moves information from working memory into long-term memory, allowing you to recall it the next day. In simpler terms, it’s what allows you to recall the information when you need it, for example, on test day. Here are some sleep-related tips: • Target 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

When you begin to dip below the 7-hour mark, it compromises that day’s efforts and undermines performance for the next couple of days (yes, plural).

• Avoid screen time during the last hour (or two) before bedtime; if you are still

3 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BREAKS COUNT • Take 5-to-10-minute breaks each hour in the morning. In the late afternoon and evening, take longer breaks, around 1520 minutes.

• Rest and relax your eyes and brain. Social media is one of the most demanding activities for your eyes and brain! It’s OK to be bored.

• Get some movement in! Take a short walk outside or do some stretches.

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REFRAMING BREAKS AS AN INTENTIONAL AND ESSENTIAL PART OF THE TRAINING PROCESS HELPS MAINTAIN A HEALTHY MINDSET.

reviewing until then, do so with oldschool printed materials.

• Cold, dark and quiet environments have been shown to support deeper and better sleep.

TAKE BREAKS: INTERNALIZE WHAT YOU LEARNED Contrary to common perception, breaks are not lazy, procrastination or underperformance, but rather a way for the brain to stay focused and motivated for longer study sessions. Here are three tips to make your breaks count: • Take 5-to-10-minute breaks each hour, and in the late afternoon and evening, longer 15-20-minute breaks.

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TIPS TO AVOID HIGH COGNITIVE LOADS • Avoid multitasking, which can undermine your learning and progress.

• Disable alerts on your devices, such as social media notifications and even emails.

• Be strategic about checking emails and social media — do it during scheduled breaks so you can maintain focus and motivation.

• Rest and relax your eyes and brain.

You instinctively may jump on social media, but this is one of the most demanding activities for your eyes and brain and no break at all! It’s OK to be bored.

• Get some movement in! Step outside and relax.

Reframing breaks as an intentional and essential part of the training process helps maintain a healthy mindset during your study journey.

PHYSICAL MOVEMENT: SUPERCHARGE YOUR BRAIN Accelerate learning by maintaining an exercise routine during your study journey. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, reduces stress and releases neurochemicals that help you process and retain information. A few tips to combine exercise and learning: • Exercise in the morning. The two-hour post-exercise window exercise allows for enhanced learning because of the release of neurochemicals like Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF).

• How hard should it be? Not that hard! Take 15 to 30 minutes, ideally outside, for some “Zone 2” exercise, a comfortable low-intensity cardio workout where breathing is still comfortable.

Staying active during your study journey is one of the best strategies to ensure

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you stay fresh both physically and mentally. Frequent physical movement and exercise will further help you achieve the sleep goals discussed above.

MAINTAIN FOCUS: DON’T OVERBURDEN YOUR COGNITIVE LOAD Focus is all about your aim while doing the work. Where is your mind? Are you multitasking? Interruptions are costly. When interrupting your study, your cognitive load goes up and your retention goes down. Three tips to for focused studying: • Avoid multitasking. It undermines your learning and progress.

INTERRUPTIONS ARE COSTLY — YOUR COGNITIVE LOAD GOES UP AND YOUR RETENTION GOES DOWN.

• Disable alerts on your devices, such as social media notifications and even emails.

• Be strategic about checking emails and social media — doing it during scheduled breaks, like lunch or dinner, so you can maintain focus and motivation.

The importance of getting accustomed to working in a distraction-free environment and developing the ability to focus for extended periods is key when prepping for high-stakes exams.

This applies to both effective and efficient studying as well as replicating the actual exam when there are no distractions present.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER Mindset plays a big role in your learning journey. Believing in your positive outcome will greatly improve your confidence and your chances of achieving them.

Training and evaluations can be stressful, but taking a broader and more holistic view of the path may led to greater learning retention — and help to fill skills gaps. The strategies discussed in this article are not just quick fixes, but rather foundational habits that will elevate your learners’ overall effectiveness on and beyond workplace training.

As your learners implement these practices, they will find themselves better prepared, not only for training and knowledge retention, but for any challenge that comes their way.

The path to success is about smart, strategic and balanced preparation.

Dave Meshkov is the head of learning innovation at KM. He has been with the company for 12 years, expertly leading the creation and updating of all courses, helping students retain and apply concepts effectively. As a lawyer, ski instructor, yoga teacher, soccer coach, religious schoolteacher and father of two, Dave works with individuals in every facet of his life to help them learn, grow and perform. Email Dave.

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“I don’t have the traditional educational background that most professionals do but have an extensive training background from my time in the military. For five years, I was having a difficult time overcoming the educational gap and translating my military experience into a training position. I’m proud to say that only two months after obtaining my CPTM certification, I was offered and accepted a training position!”

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PERSPECTIVES

MOST TRAINING DOESN’T WORK: WHY WE NEED BEHAVIOR CHANGE

BY DAVID WHEATLEY

In the evolving world of professional development, and in particular, the world of leadership development, organizations are investing substantial resources in training events with the expectation that they will enhance employees’ skills and build motivation. In this article, we will look at where training programs might be falling short on delivering lasting behavior change — and what needs to be in place for true development.

Short-Term Focus

Long-Term Thinking

Traditional training can blast information at the learner and then expect impact.

This approach can overwhelm the learner, leaving them unsure where to start. Then, upon returning to work, the pressure of the day-to-day can push the ideas quickly away and prevent learners from applying the knowledge on the job.

For true behavior change to occur, learners need more than a one-time event.

That standalone conference workshop is not likely to solicit real behavior change.

Change takes time and investment.

At Humanergy, we moved our training from one or two-day events to 12-month engagements to provide time for habitbreaking and the learning and practice of new skills.

Lack of Application to the Real World

IN THE AGE OF ZOOM, TRAINING CAN BE GUILTY OF BEING PREDOMINANTLY ONE-WAY.

HOW TRAINING IS FALLING SHORT Passive Learning Many training programs rely heavily on lectures and presentations.

Research consistently shows that active engagement, where learners discuss or practice skills, leads to better retention and application of knowledge. In the age of Zoom, training can be guilty of being predominantly one-way. Finding ways to reinforce content can help improve the learner’s experience.

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When traditional training uses a one-sizefits-all approach that lacks customization, the responsibility is placed on the learner to interpret the information and apply it to their work environment.

Limited Sense of Support Many training programs are designed with the focus on the individual participants’ role in the learning process.

This can make learners feel unsupported and alone. Oftentimes, their supervisor signs them up for a training program, but doesn’t follow up to discuss how the information can be applied to their job role. Instead, the learner goes back to their natural behavior.

Clear Focus When training is focused and measurable, the more likely we are to see behavior change. Subjects like leadership can be subjective to measure, so tracking changes to behavior, such as communication or decision-making, can help demonstrate that change has occurred.

CREATE LASTING CHANGE: ENSURE EVERY FACET OF LEARNING IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION • Focus on one thing at a time.

THE BEHAVIOR CHANGE IMPERATIVE

• Accountability.

Unlike conventional training, which often isolates skills or knowledge areas, behavior change initiatives take a holistic view. They recognize that the individual’s habits and behaviors are interconnected and require a broad approach.

• Easier to do than not.

• Compelling motivation.

• Tracking.

Drip Feed Delivery Behavior change requires a slow release-building process; rather than an information “dump” on the learner. For example, Humanergy’s high-performance leadership training (HILT) has four hours of workshops each month, followed by check-ins every 10 days. Each workshop starts with reflection and learning before adding the next piece, practicing the information and identifying workplace opportunities for application.

Cohort Engagement Cohort-based learning is a social learning experience for a group of learners to build skills together. This approach allows people to engage and learn from their peers and build a learning network and relationships that can extend beyond the training program.

A Coaching Approach Group coaching can involve one or more coaches and two or more individuals. This approach can promote team building as well as self-discovery. Participants can ask open-ended questions and engage in thoughtful discussions.

Practical and Usable Resources/Material Providing bite-size tools that are readily usable and fit on a postcard or a business card allows participants to keep the material in front of them and refer to

as often as needed. These at-a-glance reminders make it easier for learners to try, learn and try again between sessions.

WHEN TRAINING IS FOCUSED AND MEASURABLE, THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO SEE BEHAVIOR CHANGE.

Use Technology to Support Behavior Change Using a platform that allows learners to engage with a combination of materials, such as journal posts related to questions and interactions with their cohort partners, can provide learners with ongoing support and accountability. Requiring participants to engage within the platform as part of the training program can ensure they use the tool.

Manager Engagement for Feedback and Evaluation Ensuring manager involvement in the training can provide employees with the support they need to apply new skills and behaviors on the job. Providing managers with key questions to ask their employees about the training, as well as providing access to the learning platform, can help to stimulate conversation about how the training can be applied in their workplace.

CONCLUSION The limitations of traditional training methods are evident in the often-fleeting impact they have on performance. To make more lasting change requires a re-focus on behavior and fostering a sustained learning and application process. To ensure this holistic approach works, every FACET of learning is taken

into consideration and summarized with a simple mnemonic: • Focus on one thing at a time — a drip feed method.

• Accountability — create relationships to ensure follow-through and support.

• Compelling motivation — engage the manager and focus on real-world application.

• Easier to do than not — create bitesized learning for learners and address the challenges of habit-breaking.

• Tracking — keep a record of progress.

David Wheatley is chief question asker and founding principal at Humanergy, a Michigan-based leadership development company. He resides in Kalamazoo.

Email David.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES • Designing Training Programs for Behavior Change Designing effective training programs requires conducting a behavioral needs analysis (BNA) to identify the gap between current and desired behaviors.

• Using Science to Create Real Behavior Change Change is a journey, not an event. It is important to map out the change process so that your learners know what to expect.

• Measuring Training Effectiveness on Behavioral Improvement Define your training’s desired outcomes and gather data to measure the impact of training, using a variety of metrics.

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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

DR. KRISTAL WALKER, CPTM

THE INTERSECTION OF D&I, L&D AND AI: A BLUEPRINT FOR EFFECTIVE MODERN-DAY TRAINING DESIGN The intersection of diversity and inclusion (D&I), learning and development (L&D), and artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly significant. As the workforce continues to expand, becoming diverse in more ways than we can count, training professionals and learning leaders will need to rethink training design strategies to remain competitive and, in some cases, even relevant. This article explores the synergy among D&I, L&D and AI and outlines a blueprint for effective, modern-day training design.

IT IS IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AI SHOULD NOT REPLACE HUMAN INSIGHT. THE SYNERGY BETWEEN D&I AND L&D While D&I’s primary focus is often on attracting and retaining diverse talent, it also plays a crucial role in shaping effective L&D programs. It would not matter which talent a company acquires if they do not provide a supportive work environment.

Here lies the synergy between D&I and L&D. D&I initiatives help identify which learning preferences are more prevalent among diverse employee groups. This allows L&D to tailor programs accordingly. Here are three unique ways to create even more synergy between D&I and L&D in your training design: 1.

Leverage diverse perspectives in training delivery: Guest speakers or panel discussions can provide different viewpoints, allowing learners to see themselves represented.

2.

3.

Conduct D&I training for L&D professionals: It is crucial that L&D professionals have a deep understanding of D&I principles and how to incorporate them into their programs to help ensure that training is relevant to all learners.

PRACTICAL BLUEPRINT FOR EFFECTIVE TRAINING DESIGN

Encourage open communication and feedback: This can help training professionals better understand their needs and preferences, leading to more effective training design.

1.

Incorporate D&I principles in every aspect: Keep diversity and inclusion at the forefront of your design process. This will help ensure your training is effective and relevant to all employees.

2.

Embrace AI as a resource, not a replacement: While AI can enhance training design, it should be used as a tool to supplement and support human-centered experiences rather than entirely replacing them.

3.

Remember why L&D exists: Training design should always aim to improve employee knowledge, skills and abilities, ultimately leading to improved performance and business outcomes.

AI’S ROLE IN TRANSFORMING L&D AI can help free up time for L&D professionals to focus on strategy.

Specific strategic initiatives could include everything from creating personalized learning paths for employees to analyzing learner data to identify areas for improvement.

However, it is imperative to understand that AI should not replace human insight.

Here are three ways AI can enhance training design: 1.

2.

3.

Efficient content creation: AI can assist in creating training content by suggesting relevant resources, generating quizzes and assessments and even creating interactive simulations.

Data-driven decision-making: AI technology can analyze learner data and provide insights into which areas of the training program are most effective and which may need improvement.

Adaptive learning: AI can personalize the learning experience by adapting to an employee’s progress and adjusting the difficulty level and content accordingly.

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There are a few nuances that can complicate the combination of D&I, L&D and AI. Here are three key considerations to include in your blueprint for effective training design:

In summary, D&I, L&D and AI may be separate elements, but they can work together to create powerful training experiences. As a training professional, you can leverage these elements to improve company initiatives by building a highly skilled workforce now and in the future.

Dr. Kristal Walker, CPTM, SHRM-CP, is the senior vice president of human resources at Sweetwater Sound.

Kristal is also a facilitator for Training Industry’s Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) program.

Email Kristal.

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BUILDING LEADERS

SAM SHRIVER & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

STICKY LEARNING MADE EASY With all due respect to the multitudes of people who have made high-quality contributions to the field of training evaluation over the years, when we think about “making learning stick,” four names leap to the front of our minds:

the direct supervisor of the individual being trained.

STICKY TRAINING HAS ITS ROOTS OUTSIDE OF THE TRAINING DEPARTMENT

KIRKPATRICK Donald Kirkpatrick authored a doctoral dissertation in the late 1950s that went on to become universally known as “The Kirkpatrick Model” (if you are reading this column … there is a strong probability that you are quite familiar with that framework).

The next generation of Kirkpatricks (Jim and Wendy) modernized the original work without altering its foundational and common-sense appeal.

In brief review, the impact of training can be measured based on the reaction of the learners to the experience, the learning that took place, how much behavior change occurred because of the training; and the bearing that behavior change had on results.

BROAD AND NEWSTROM As universally familiar as it was, there was an undeniable challenge with the way training organizations implemented The Kirkpatrick Model. They only used 25% of it! Almost everyone measured Level 1 (reaction), but precious few measured anything else.

Mary Broad and John Newstrom addressed this challenge in the late 1980s with their classic book, “Transfer of Training.” They discovered beyond reasonable doubt that making learning stick had far less to do with the successful delivery of training … and almost everything to do with the next-level manager (NLM). The NLM is

the trainee understands they will meet again (soon after the learning experience) to discuss specifics surrounding implementation.

2.

Treat Learning Like It Matters: The NLM needs to communicate to the team/department that work problems will not be the responsibility of those in training.

Teammates and peers need to both understand and respect the trainee’s immersion in training and refrain from contacting them regarding emergent challenges.

3.

Meet After: Ideally within a week after training has been completed, the NLM sets another touchpoint with the trainee. This exchange is critical to the transfer process! The trainee shares what they learned and how they will approach implementation. The NLM clarifies as needed, ensures the trainee has a workable plan and commits to supporting that plan by providing feedback and discussion opportunities moving forward.

BRINKERHOFF In the early 2000s, Robert Brinkerhoff both confirmed and accentuated the contributions of the Kirkpatricks and Broad and Newstrom. He developed a research practice referred to as The Success Case Method, and his emphasis was almost exclusively on Level 3 (behavior change) and Level 4 (results). In so doing, he established that Broad and Newstrom were well ahead of their time!

The NLM is indeed the key driver of sticky learning and has the power to enhance retention and application of learning by up to 65%.

MAKING LEARNING STICK With those as our frames of reference, we are convinced that making learning stick is a function of the advocacy and sponsorship NLMs provide for trainees.

What does that translate to? Consider these three, sequential steps: 1.

Meet Before: The NLM needs to set an expectation with the trainee that learning is an investment by the organization in the trainee’s career.

This “primer” should be brief (~15 minutes) and serve to get the trainee proactively thinking about what they need to learn, and how that learning has the potential to enhance their contribution and performance.

The NLM also needs to ensure

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We would offer in conclusion that sticky training has its roots outside of the training department. The learning event must be good (Levels 1 and 2 matter!). But sticky learning is a function of what goes on before and after the event and between stakeholders … who have jobs to do!

Marshall Goldsmith is the world authority in helping successful leaders get even better. Sam Shriver is the executive vice president at The Center for Leadership Studies. Email Marshall and Sam.

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WHAT’S NEXT IN TECH

DR. NABEEL AHMAD

MEASURE YOUR LEARNING’S IMPACT WITH A FEW SIMPLE TACTICS Several years ago, I led the learning and development (L&D) function for a big four accounting firm’s business development strategy, where I helped consultants improve their client relationships. In many industries, L&D is widely viewed as a necessary evil. People feel learning is a distraction to doing their real work, but know they need it to maintain industry certifications. To win the minds of these learners, I developed a learning video series on the neuroscience of trusted business relationships.

The idea was simple: Use brain science to show how you and your client’s brains react when interacting with one another and use that insight to establish a trusted relationship.

Through a combination of subject matter experts, animations, actorled scripted scenes and supporting facts and figures, we were able to create several teachable moments and track the learning’s short- and long-term impact. This approach contrasted with past “soft science” learning interventions such as using psychology, which often relies on what we think is happening inside someone’s head.

How can you measure learning impact from an intervention like this?

LAGGING TO LEADING INDICATORS Learning measurement often focuses on lagging indicators because they are easy to measure and tie to compliance.

Course completion rates are one example. Another is weight loss in a nutrition program. Leading indicators are in a learner’s control and can lead to the outcome they’re looking for.

Attending live courses and frequently logging into the learning management system (LMS) are examples of leading indicators, as well as exercise and calorie intake.

CHUNK CONTENT The neuroscience learning series consisted of 20 minutes of video content. With more microlearning content and short videos on social media (often under 60 seconds), it’s less likely that learners will consume a 20-minute video in one sitting.

So, we tested how many learners consumed the 20-minute video versus the same video split into five 4-minute videos. We discovered that the mere chunking of content greatly influenced video views.

RANDOMIZE CONTENT ORDER Is there a set path that learners must follow, or can they choose their own?

If the latter, consider randomizing the order of content when it is presented to a user. For the neuroscience learning series, the five 4-minute videos could be consumed in any order. During testing, we found that the first two videos on the learning webpage had far higher view rates than the remaining three.

We suspected it was because those were the first two videos listed. We created a simple script to randomize the order whenever someone visited the learning webpage. After looking at the webpage analytics, we found that the views among all the videos were more balanced, meaning that each video had the same likelihood of being displayed at the top of the list.

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MORE USE = BETTER LEARNING Accessing more learning content does not necessarily mean that the learning is effective. Let’s say there is a learning module on how to properly execute bodyweight exercises. You see that several learners keep going to a certain video that shows how to perform a burpee.

You might think this is good because the burpee exercise training is popular, though you notice that it’s the same group of users repeatedly accessing it. You may infer that those learners are confused by the video and lack a clear understanding of how to do a burpee. If they already learned to properly do a burpee, then why are they returning to that video?

ACCESSING MORE LEARNING CONTENT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE LEARNING IS EFFECTIVE. A MOVING TARGET Measuring learning impact will evolve as the needs of your organization and learners change. Always keep a pulse on what you’re measuring, how you’re using that insight and what you need that you’re lacking today. Do this and you’ll hit a bullseye even when the target changes.

Dr. Nabeel Ahmad is an authority on learning sciences and technology. He leads the people and organization practice at changeforce.ai, authors the Four Minute University and teaches at Columbia University. Email Nabeel.

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CONGRATS TO THE FOLLOWING CPTM

GRADUATES WHO HAVE BECOME ALUMNI

SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE.

Congrats to these graduates from the same company!

McKee Foods David Stewart Jeffrey Greene

Watervliet Arsenal Jennifer Walkley Marleen Townsend

Texas DFPS Andrea Bautista Heather Baker Marissa Ortiz Richard Geiselhart Samuel Nunez

Zurich Insurance Group Anika Wendt Michaela Leschber Stefan Katz

Aamir Khawaja Tashelat

Callista Powell Chugach Government Solutions, LLC

Eric Thompson ANTHC

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Charlene Armstrong CUNY SPS

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Alycia Ehlert Security First Insurance

Claire Hayner Arevon Energy

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Amanda Helpap Community First Credit Union

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Amy Hagan Newcomer Funeral Service Group, Inc..

Crystalyn Phinney Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute

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Daniel Bell MTY Group

Greg Jones Anywhere Real Estate, Inc.

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Jennifer Halfacre HCSC

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Melissa Ferrer Globus Family of Brands

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Michael Hansen Molson Coors Beverage Co

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Suzanne Lao Broward County GovernmentTransportation Department Tamara Richards Dryden Mutual Insurance Company Tamie Urie Lakeside Book Company Tammy Holland SPATCO Energy Solutions Tara Simmons Chadwell Supply Thomas Harris UEC Holdings Tricia Richardson Balcan USA Tyler Sutton Man in the Mirror Yenaidy Garcia Verra Mobility Yvonne Banzali Los Angeles County Dept. of Health Services Dana Echert Scott Schneider

Your accomplishment places you amongst an elite group of learning and development professionals. We cannot wait to see how you will lead the change!

Visit trainingindustry.com/cptm to learn more about how you can earn the CPTM credential and join over 2,000 CPTM graduates.

CLOSING DEALS HOW D2L IS SIMPLIFYING CONTENT CREATION AND DRIVING BETTER “LEARNING MOMENTS”

BY SARAH GALLO, CPTM Global learning technology company D2L has been on a clear mission since CEO John Baker founded the company 25 years ago. The company is committed to transforming learning through the authentic use of technology to drive greater global access to high-quality education, says Stephen Laster, D2L’s president.

“That’s what John thought about in his dorm room 25 years ago, and that’s what we’re doing today.”

D2L is focused on the “learning moment,” when a learner’s proverbial light bulb turns on and key concepts click. It’s also using innovative technologies to deliver personalized, just-in-time learning and to better understand how learning is supporting both the learner and the learning professional. All of D2L’s products “work to that North Star,” Laster says.

Let’s consider how D2L’s recent acquisition of H5P Group (“H5P”), an open-source, interactive content creation software provider, is supporting its overarching mission.

JOINING FORCES D2L “knew the H5P team for a while,” and both organizations hold shared values, Laster says. “We understand the power of the [open-source] community, and we understand the power of commercial software, and we think we bring the two together really well.”

The acquisition will help make D2L’s courseware “hyper-engaging,” Laster says. With over 60 different interactive content types (“interactives”) available (e.g., videos, branching scenarios, surveys, quizzes, etc.), H5P has “a really 64

easy approach” to course authoring that will help improve engagement and impact.

Acquiring H5P “just made sense,” Laster says, “so we joined forces.”

INTEGRATING H5P’S CONTENT CREATION TOOLS WITH D2L’S TECHNOLOGY SUITE D2L users can expect to see H5P’s content creation tools integrated into its Creator Plus authoring toolset. “We’re equally committed to accelerating the usage of H5P in non-Brightspace experiences,” Laster says. So, H5P’s functionalities will be available through a standard space integration.

Within Brightspace (D2L’s learning management system), H5P’s content creation tools will be natively integrated.

“We believe deeply in interoperability.

We also believe deeply in usability, and any time we can help the technology to fade into the background and for learning to live in the forefront, we’re going to do that, both in learning design and in learning delivery,” Laster says.

AI CAPABILITIES AND ADVANCEMENTS Like other major learning providers, D2L is incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its product suite. The company recently announced Lumi, an AI feature designed to support better training content, assessments and learning activities.

H5P is bringing additional AI features to D2L’s technology suite. Its Smart

Import Tool uses AI to analyze content from an uploaded file and then creates a piece of content (e.g., a survey, quiz, video, etc.) based on key concepts and information.

Both the Smart Import Tool and Lumi share the same philosophy: To “keep humans in the center” and use AI to enable learning professionals and learners, not to replace either of them, Laster says.

Users can expect D2L to continue to build on its AI capabilities “in ways that are natural to the learning moment” (for example, to send nudges and reminders to learners) and to save course developers’ time.

FUTURE PLANS Looking ahead, focused on:

D2L

will

remain

• Increasing ease of use, engagement and efficiency in courseware.

• Leveraging AI to support usability.

• Delivering more interactive content.

“We’re really optimistic at this moment in time,” Laster says, as state-of-theart technology is enabling greater access to high-quality learning. It’s also helping training professionals optimize their time and resources so they can focus on what Laster says is “inherently a deeply human endeavor” — to help people learn and transform.

Sarah Gallo, CPTM, is a senior editor at Training Industry, Inc., and co-host of “The Business of Learning,” the Training Industry podcast. Email Sarah.

COMPANY NEWS

ACQUISITIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS Schoox, the learning management and talent development software provider, announced a partnership with Go1, the most diverse learning content aggregator, to integrate Go1’s library within the Schoox platform. Featuring courses from more than 250 industry-leading providers, Go1’s addition is set to expand and improve Schoox’s LMS offerings.

D2L Inc., the leading global learning technology company, announced its acquisition of H5P Group, the leading provider of interactive content creation software for global educators and organizations to increase engagement and boost learning by creating and enriching course materials. This acquisition is set to enable D2L to expand its learning platform offerings.

Omniplex Learning, the complete learning and development solution, announced its acquisition of Matobo, the company that offers award-winning cybersecurity eLearning and that has been serving prestigious private and public sector clients since its inception in 2012. The acquisition expands Omniplex’s already-impressive suite of digital learning products and services.

OpenSesame, the robust and diverse online skills training platform, announced a publishing partnership with SAI360, the leading risk management firm.

This agreement is set to bolster OpenSesame’s course marketplace with SAI360’s award-winning training material in areas such as compliance, risk management, governance and ethics.

Skillsoft, the leading platform for transformative learning experiences, announced a comprehensive generative AI (GenAI) skilling program developed in collaboration with Microsoft. The program will upskill workforce to more effectively use Microsoft AI — including offerings like Copilot and Azure Open AI — and GenAI technology more broadly to drive improved business productivity and innovation.

Accenture, the leading global professional services company, completed its acquisition of Udacity, the digital education pioneer specializing in the development and delivery of proprietary technology courses. The acquisition is part of Accenture’s ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of its clients amid a changing workforce.

INDUSTRY NEWS ETHICS FOR A NEW ERA Learning Pool, the smarter learning technology company, unveiled a suite focused on ethics and compliance, titled “Taking Your Code from Policy to Practice.” This offering is set to empower employees to practice challenging workplace conversations with AIgenerated characters — preparing them to act with integrity and confidence in realworld scenarios.

AI TOOLS FOR HIGHIMPACT LEARNING NovoEd, the leading global workforce transformation learning platform, announced the launch of NovoAI, a collection of AI tools designed to deliver global learning experiences at scale while putting people first and protecting sensitive and proprietary data. NovoAI

is intended to help learning leaders scale feedback, practice, application and social learning.

NEW OUTSOURCING AND PLACEMENT STAFFING SOLUTIONS AllenComm, the provider of innovative, effective learning experiences, has added outsourcing and placement services to its staffing solutions for corporate L&D. These services are intended to help customers who have multiple roles to fill, including those who need to build a team of instructional designers or outsource administration.

complex training by over 95%, while improving training outcomes by 15%.

The creator is built with an eye toward security and safety, featuring a closedloop system to protect sensitive data.

INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING COMPANY NEWS? PLEASE SEND TO EDITOR@TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM

AI CONTENT CREATION Arist, the learning leader specializing in SMS, Slack and Teams chat, announced Arist Creator, an AI creation tool that is set to reduce launch timelines for

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