Engaging Disengaged Learners | Summer 2024

ENGAGING DISENGAGED LEARNERS

MICHELLE EGGLESTON SCHWARTZ, CPTM

THE ROLE OF L&D IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

We’ve all heard the reports: Employee engagement rates are low, and maintaining alignment between the needs of the business and the personal needs of employees is a struggle. While this isn’t new information, it’s an ongoing challenge that continues to plague organizations globally — a challenge that deserves our attention as learning and development (L&D) professionals. Low employee engagement can create a domino effect of negative implications for companies, contributing to reduced productivity and motivation, increased absenteeism and ultimately, turnover.

and engaging learning experiences that unlock creativity, motivation and purpose for all employees. Articles in this edition address many factors that contribute toward learner engagement, including mental health and employee well-being, creating inclusive learning programs and materials, using immersive technology to bring training to life, making learning more memorable through storytelling and overcoming training fatigue.

MAINTAINING A BALANCE BETWEEN MEETING THE NEEDS OF LEARNERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS IS A CHALLENGE.

L&D can play a key role in improving employee engagement. Research shows that organizations are recognizing that today’s employee value professional development and, in turn, are investing in L&D initiatives to support and retain their teams. Engaging learners necessitates a multifaceted approach, requiring L&D to deliver relevant information when and where employees need it most.

Let’s face it: Today’s employees are overwhelmed. Employees are juggling a multitude of priorities stemming from changing business goals, the emergence of new technologies and tools and meeting the rising expectations of customers and clients — all while completing their daily work responsibilities. How can organizations help cut through the noise and support their workforce? The answer: intentional learning.

This issue of Training Industry Magazine examines how L&D can create relevant

As the role of L&D continues to evolve, learning professionals must ensure that their programs are not only engaging but also lead to real behavior change and business results. Maintaining a balance between meeting the needs of learners and business leaders is a challenge. L&D professionals must be strategic as they plan their training programs, ensuring that they align their programs with the goals of the business and deliver it to learners in a way that achieves the best outcomes.

I hope the articles in this magazine provide you with some tips and insight into how L&D can create intentional learning experiences to nurture the growth and development of your workforce. As always, we love hearing from you, so please send any comments or feedback to our team and let us know how you are leveraging training to engage your workforce.

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.

Overcoming Training Fatigue

By Joe Padin

FEATURES

MO’OLELO: LEARNING THROUGH STORYTELLING

22 26 30 35 38 42

By Makana A. L. Agcaoili

Seek out and understand the stories of others for a more inclusive workplace.

CREATING BELONGING TO FOSTER A CULTURE OF LEARNING

By Justin Reinert, MA, CPTD, SPHR

Create a culture of learning by improving learners’ psychological safety.

OVERCOMING TRAINING FATIGUE

By Joe Padin

Grow your learners’ internal motivation for more effective learning.

THOUGHT LEADERS

FROM THE EDITOR

By Michelle Eggleston Schwartz, CPTM

LEARNING LEADER SPOTLIGHT

By Michelle Thill, CPTM

L&D CAREERS

By Amy DuVernet, Ph.D., CPTM

SCIENCE OF LEARNING

INCORPORATE WELLNESS INTO TRAINING

By Megan Bell

For a workplace wellness program to reach its full potential, L&D must be involved.

THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN INCLUSIVE TRAINING

By Courtney Sinnott, MBA, SHRM-CP, CPTM, ACUE

Adapt your inclusivity strategy to fit your organization’s learners.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST IMMERSIVE LEARNING STRATEGY AND SOLUTION FOR YOUR TRAINING NEEDS

By Dr. Conor Gaffney

Choose your strategy by understanding your specific needs, resources and capabilities.

By Dr. Nabeel Ahmad 3 9 11 13 15 53 55 57

By Srini Pillay, M.D.

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?

INFO EXCHANGE

UPSKILLING

By Steve Dion

Ground your leaders in both self-awareness and situational awareness.

HOW-TO

By Danielle Meinert

Use personality assessments as a tool for development and connection.

STRATEGIES

By Bhavneet Chahal

Elevate training from a requirement to an experience that learners genuinely enjoy.

PERSPECTIVES

By Dr. Emiley Hedberg

Empower your learners to prioritize their mental health.

CASEBOOK

By Mike Allen, CPTM

Learn how a government L&D function provides upskilling and reskilling for a global audience.

CLOSING DEALS

By Sarah Gallo, CPTM Cornerstone’s acquisition of SkyHive advances workforce readiness and agility.

COMPANY NEWS

Review the latest training news from the last quarter.

STAFF ABOUT OUR TEAM

CEO

Ken Taylor ktaylor@trainingindustry.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Michelle Eggleston Schwartz meggleston@trainingindustry.com

SENIOR EDITOR

Sarah Gallo sgallo@trainingindustry.com

EDITOR

Mike Allen mallen@trainingindustry.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Amanda Longo alongo@trainingindustry.com

SENIOR DESIGNER

Mary Lewis mlewis@trainingindustry.com

DESIGNER

Kellie Blackburn kblackburn@trainingindustry.com

DESIGNER

Cassandra Ortiz cortiz@trainingindustry.com

EDITORIAL BOARD

JUDI BADER, CPTM

Senior Director of Culture, Learning and Development Willy’s Mexicana Grill

MICHAEL CANNON, M.ED. Vice President, Global Learning and Enablement Rimini Street

BARBARA JORDAN, CPTM Group Vice President, Global Learning & Development Sims Metal Management

CATHERINE KELLY, MA, BSN, RN, CPTM Director of Learning Programs Brookdale Senior Living

SHIREEN LACKEY, CPTM

Senior Management and Program Analyst, Office of Business Process Integration Veterans Benefits Administration

SCOTT NUTTER Principal/Owner Touch & Go Solutions

DESIGNER

Rylee Hartsell rhartsell@trainingindustry.com

DESIGNER

Sha’Meire Jackson sjackson@trainingindustry.com

ADVERTISING SALES sales@trainingindustry.com

MATTHEW S. PRAGER, CPTM Executive Training Manager U.S. Government

MARC RAMOS Chief Learning Officer Cornerstone OnDemand

KELLY RIDER Chief Learning Officer PTC

DR. SYDNEY SAVION Global Learning Futurist Google

KERRY TROESTER, CPTM Director, North America Sales Training Lenovo

NATASHA MILLER WILLIAMS Head of Diversity & Inclusion Ferrara

KEE MENG YEO

Adjunct Professor Grand Valley State University & Davenport University

MISSION

Training Industry Magazine connects learning and development professionals with the resources and solutions needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.

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MICHELLE THILL, CPTM

THE LEARNING LEADER SPOTLIGHT WITH MICHELLE THILL

In this issue, we are excited to spotlight Michelle Thill, CPTM, who has been working in the learning and development (L&D) space for over 25 years. Michelle has gained experience in fields like banking, education and instructional design. Today, she works as a senior L&D manager at DaVita, a national health care organization that specializes in kidney care. Her role involves developing and executing strategies to support people and organizational development for learners in front-line and mid-level leadership roles. Michelle is a certified professional in training management (CPTM) and was awarded DaVita’s Core Value Award for Service Excellence.

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

Q: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN L&D?

A: As an operational leader, I was asked to deliver compliance training, and I loved the challenge to make the content memorable. After supporting the programming for a renowned executive banking school, I chose to develop my own skills as a trainer and instructional designer within corporate and nonprofit sectors.

Q: WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE TRAINING EXPERIENCE, GOOD OR BAD?

A: I have two: The weight of creating an “approachable” active shooter eLearning has been burned in my mind forever; and the time when the AV quit working as I was approaching the stage to deliver content to a room full of leaders, so a senior vice president began to sing my walk-up music!

Q: WHO WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR MOST VALUABLE ROLE MODEL? WHAT WERE SOME QUALITIES THAT MADE THEM GREAT?

A: A senior director has demonstrated a perfect balance of warmth and empathy with clear and direct communication. She asks great questions, delivers helpful feedback and drives progress to stand up large initiatives through strategic prioritization. She is unflappable and polished without sounding scripted.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES ON YOUR PROFESSIONAL PLATE RIGHT NOW?

A: Influencing an enterprise training model and scaling a highly effective leadership development program.

Q: WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB?

A: We operate in a very large and dynamic organization, so I find that being comfortable with managing to the tipping point of influence is a healthy tension to navigate. For example, I am always challenging the team to create training that is scalable, sustainable and sticky.

Q: WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB?

A: Developing people into their potential and transforming cultures through initiatives and influence.

Q: WHAT’S YOUR PREFERRED TRAINING METHODOLOGY?

A: It depends on the desired outcomes and constraints. An effective model is tell/show/observe/feedback, which can be effectively executed in various modalities. If I were on a deserted island and had to create content,

my default methodology would be instructor-led training.

Q: HOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME TO CONTINUE YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

A: This is non-negotiable for me. I set aside 20 minutes every morning to continue a podcast, article or course. I also set appointments with myself to learn something specific.

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

A:

• The 5AM Club – don’t knock it ‘til ya try it.

• “What Makes Training Really Work: 12 Levers of Transfer Effectiveness”

• I fan-girl crush over anything by Britt Andreatta and Cindy Huggett.

• My copy of “The Trusted Advisor” by David H. Maister is unabashedly dogeared.

• Shout out to the CPTM community, which has been a helpful peer group over the years!

Q: “IF SOMEONE WANTS TO FOLLOW IN MY PROFESSIONAL FOOTSTEPS, I’D TELL THEM TO BE SURE TO …”

A: When you hear opportunities, just say yes. Even if you fail, you’ll do it forward. Start attending vendor demonstrations and workshops; there are many great learning professionals in those spaces who are a wealth of knowledge and support. Rigorously prioritize your own skill development; don’t kid yourself that you don’t need it because you are exposed to creating content.

TELLING YOUR L&D CAREER STORY

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to lead a workshop on crafting compelling learning and development (L&D) career stories at the annual Training Industry Conference & Expo (TICE). A well-defined career story can be a powerful tool in communicating your values, goals and skills — as well as advancing your professional career. Below, I’ve summarized some of the key points and tips from the workshop to help you showcase your L&D career achievements.

WHY YOUR CAREER STORY MATTERS

Telling a compelling career story goes beyond recapping your resume; it’s your chance to highlight who you are, what makes you unique and where you’re headed. A well-crafted career narrative can help you tackle some of the most common credibility challenges in L&D. A quick, impactful summary of the value you and your team bring can signal expertise and authority with business partners, stakeholders and executives. A more detailed version that includes your future goals can help you advance your career in interviewing settings or networking events.

But the value of this exercise isn’t limited to helping you communicate with peers, potential employers and business partners. It also helps shape the way you think about your career. When you invest energy into developing your career story, you take the time to reflect on your experiences, consider your growth and celebrate (and document) your accomplishments. This career reflection can help you to identify your next career move and overcome the inevitable imposter syndrome that we all

face from time to time. By focusing on your achievements and career growth, you’ll be reframing the story you tell yourself as well.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE CAREER STORY

Your L&D career narrative should align with your professional goals and showcase your unique value. Because your goals for sharing your story will vary across settings, your story should also be adaptable so that you can tailor it to highlight the most important elements for each context. Your narrative should promote 3-4 key achievements, skills or challenges and demonstrate connections across your transitions. Finally, your story should be memorable — showcase your personality and character. Tell personal anecdotes and share parts of your story that make you unique.

TELLING A COMPELLING CAREER STORY GOES BEYOND RECAPPING YOUR RESUME.

To ensure your career story meets these criteria, organize it into significant components or chapters that can be assembled into different configurations depending on your context and the time you have to tell your story. Below are key elements to consider including:

• Current Role and Impact: Don’t just share your job title; focus on what you do and your impact.

• Early Career: Share what drew you to the corporate training field.

• Key Milestones: Highlight 3-4 major accomplishments or turning points in your career.

• Setbacks and Growth: Acknowledge challenges and how you overcame them.

• Expertise and Specialization: Emphasize your skills and areas of expertise.

• Goals: Share your aspirations and where you’re headed. This doesn’t have to mean what you want your next job or promotion be, but could, instead, be focused on your current interests (e.g., “I’ve recently been fascinated by the application of AI to the development of training”).

• Values and Passion: Demonstrate personality with stories that reflect who you are.

To help get you started with a little inspiration, you can read examples of L&D career stories here

CONCLUSION

A well-articulated career story can significantly enhance your professional toolbox. It can open doors, build connections and help others understand your unique value. But crafting your career story is just the first step. You must also practice and refine it regularly to ensure your delivery showcases your personal growth and sets you up for professional success.

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.

SRINI PILLAY, M.D.

MOTIVATING LEARNERS DURING PERIODS OF IMMENSE CHANGE AND UNCERTAINTY

When businesses undergo tremendous reorganization or change, learning is essential to adapt to these changes. On the surface, this may seem like a simple task, but in the brain, learning under uncertainty is fraught with challenges at every step, ranging from the acquisition of new skills to the implementation of learning. It is demotivating when negative emotional states thwart the enthusiasm to learn, so learning and development (L&D) would be wise to prepare learners for these challenges.

2 KINDS OF UNCERTAINTY

Although uncertainty can be understood in many ways, one distinction made by researchers is stochasticity (expected uncertainty or risk) vs. volatility (unexpected uncertainty). For example, new technology would have expected uncertainty in the challenges of adoption, but if there is a sudden industry disruption such that the competition is threatening, this volatility could dampen motivation even more.

L&D WOULD BE WISE TO FOSTER FLEXIBLE LEARNING STRATEGIES.

SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY AND L&D

According to self-determination theory (SDT), there are three factors that enhance the brain’s capacity to feel intrinsically motivated. They are autonomy, competence and social relations. This implies L&D would be wise to foster flexible learning strategies — and to promote an environment that encourages

the acquisition of new skills as well as peerbased learning. Combining all three as it relates to any new competency ranging from resilience to rapid technology deployment would be a slam dunk.

Practically speaking, how could you do this? At Reulay, an AI-based digital platform that enhances well-being for high performance, we address this through a feed that provides growth mindset tips, affirmations and random acts of kindness, as well as anxiety-reducing video experiences that are personalized. Several factors can decrease motivation ranging from overwhelm, to worry, lack of focus, bodily discomfort or feeling trapped, hopeless or uninspired. Allowing employees to select what most obstructs their motivation prevents a one-size-fits-all approach.

SOCIAL-COGNITIVE THEORY AND L&D

Social-cognitive theory highlights selfefficacy as the main motivator for action. It also points out cues that affect future self-efficacy and help with self-regulated learning. Self-efficacy, a key concept in Bandura’s social cognitive theory, is the belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations. It is shaped by four main sources: past performance, observing others, encouragement from others and physical and emotional states. Internal and external factors also influence self-efficacy.

To motivate employees to learn, L&D should focus on enhancing self-efficacy by leveraging key factors, including highlighting employees’ past successes to build confidence and provide role models to inspire them. Offering regular encouragement and creating a supportive learning environment can reduce stress and boost confidence.

Addressing internal factors involves setting realistic learning goals and offering personalized learning paths, while addressing external factors includes ensuring access to necessary resources and fostering a culture that values continuous learning. In addition, offering employees a guide to daily affirmations can contribute to enhancing self-efficacy.

In the brain, self-efficacy is enhanced when there are more fluent connections in the corresponding network (the default mode network or DMN). Creating a day structure that allows for periods of unfocus will help to turn this circuit on.

SUMMARY OF ACTION ITEMS

To boost motivation to learn under conditions of change and uncertainty, L&D leaders should help prepare employees’ brains by prioritizing the factors mentioned using the following mnemonic as a guide: GROW THRIVE, which stands for: Growth Mindsets; Role Models, Opportunities for Skill Acquisition; Well-being Support; Targeted Personalization; Historical Success Recollection; Regular Affirmations; Integration of Peer-based Learning; Valued Continuous Learning Culture; Encourage Periods of Unfocus. L&D leaders can creatively apply this mnemonic in their approach to learning with or without the support of technology.

Dr. Srini Pillay is the CEO of NeuroBusiness Group. He is a Harvardtrained 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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ANOTHER LOOK AT THE PERENNIAL CHALLENGE OF SECURING LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

I remember the day everything changed around how I perceived my role as a learning and development (L&D) professional. Early in my career as an instructional designer, I developed a training intervention for account associates in our organization. My extensive needs analysis involved focus groups, job shadowing and countless subject matter expert (SME) interviews over several months. The outcome was a beautiful program. Rich in content. Creative. Engaging. Actionable.

And completely ineffective. I couldn’t understand how, after so much attention to the training audience and its needs, I had delivered such disappointing results. After licking my wounds for a few days, I set out to discover what had undermined my implementation. Much to my surprise, the lackluster results had little to do with the account associates I’d trained — but rather their managers whom I’d ignored. As it turns out, it didn’t matter how wonderful the learning was if leaders weren’t prepared to support it.

Fast forward 30 years, and this dynamic remains a challenge. But now it’s taken on new levels of complexity as:

• Training is more customized to the individual.

• Resources are drawn from various sources, many of which live outside of the organization’s ecosystem.

• Learners take greater ownership of their learning journeys.

So, I shouldn’t have been surprised when the results of a survey I recently administered to 100+ L&D professionals felt like déjà vu. Echoing themes from

decades ago, those in the field today continue to report challenges associated with securing the leadership support required to optimize L&D outcomes. They report that the four most common barriers they battle (in this order) include leaders not:

1. Having enough time.

2. Being sufficiently familiar with the content.

3. Believing in the content.

4. Knowing what to do.

The good news is those same survey respondents also shared a variety of tactics that can help busy and skeptical managers enable teams to get the most from their learning investment.

IT DIDN’T MATTER HOW WONDERFUL THE LEARNING WAS IF LEADERS WEREN’T PREPARED TO SUPPORT IT.

Topping their list of best practices is: “Communicate the line of sight between the content and business outcomes.” Connecting the learning initiative directly to what matters most to leaders — their business goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), objectives or priorities — is a quick and effective way to capture leaders’ attention. It can also serve to put into perspective how a small act of support on their part can serve as a lever, delivering significant business results.

Those who responded to the survey also offered a variety of specific ways they make it easy for leaders to do the right — and effective — thing. Offering skimmable summaries, lists of new behaviors to watch for, and pre- and post-learning conversation guides can bring leaders up to speed and reinforce learning.

But as the volume of learning escalates in response to upskilling and reskilling demands — and as the sources of learning become more distributed — L&D professionals may need to rethink the most effective vehicle for gaining leadership support. Might this be a task better suited to learners themselves, who know what they need to learn and what’s needed to make it happen?

Ushering in a self-driven leadership support paradigm driven by learners, though, only works when people are prepared to advocate for their learning. This means arming them with skills and resources like the ability to connect new skills with critical business outcomes, describe the specific behaviors they aspire to, negotiate for resources and articulate the kind of feedback and coaching that will be most helpful.

Thirty years later, the challenge remains. But perhaps it’s time for me to again rethink my role in delivering learning outcomes — this time in a way that engages and empowers learning as partners in securing new levels of leadership support.

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

UPSKILLING

LEADING WITH AGILITY

BY STEVE DION

Have you ever caught one of those annual dog shows hosted by your local kennel club? If not, you are missing out on a super fun, family-friendly outing. The highlight for me is watching the agility demonstrations. With an abundance of eagerness and joy and a sprinkling of occasional confusion, purebreds and mutts alike weave their way through poles, dash through tunnels, leap through hoops and over hurdles and balance on seesaws to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. The giggling, enthusiastic crowd cheers them all on, dogs big and small, as they deftly (or maybe not so deftly) navigate through each obstacle, their handlers cueing each move with gestures and commands and offering a hearty belly rub and yummy treat at the end.

For leaders, the workplace often presents a similar proverbial obstacle course, requiring all manner of weaving and dashing and navigating for leaders to stay on top of their responsibilities and achieve the results expected of them. However, the dogs have several advantages — knowing and practicing each obstacle before the contest, a loving handler to keep them on track and an audience to cheer them on. Leaders? Not so much.

Jim Highsmith, one of the creators of the Agile software development methodology, has characterized agility as “principally about mindset, not practices.” Mindset describes the personal attitudes, beliefs and expectations that fundamentally shape who we are and what we do. The cognitive model of human behavior

demonstrates how our thoughts become feelings, which become our actions, and those actions yield some sort of outcome. For leaders, mindset is at the foundation of how they see, interpret and respond to situations in the workplace. As noted a McKinsey white paper, “Making the leader’s mind-set the subject of conscious scrutiny is indispensable to all leadership effectiveness.” Mindset is key to agility.

HOW DOES MINDSET IMPACT AGILITY?

Agility in the workplace is about finding a path through challenges and obstacles that can be new, ambiguous, unanticipated or changeable in order to achieve desired results. Leaders demonstrate agility all the time, in big and small ways. In practice, it takes the shape of a host of standard leadership skills, such as managing conflict and change, communication and critical thinking, among others. For that reason, some researchers have dubbed agility a “meta-competency” because it requires the application of varied skills simultaneously and with intention. This is where mindset comes in.

Indeed, the relationship between mindset and agility was a recurring theme in our review of thought leadership on the topic. For an agile leader, managing mindset is about cultivating an approach to workplace challenges that enables a response that is thoughtful and rational, and conducive to a positive outcome. Unlike the energetic, high-spirited pups dashing madly toward their reward at the end of the course, agile leaders are

best served by a mindset that supports a measured, deliberate way forward.

MINDSET AND AGILITY AS A PROCESS

Today’s business environment is marked by uncertainty, tumult and constant change. The best-laid plans don’t always go as we expect or want them to go. The habits and practices that once got results may no longer apply; the need to create, innovate and reinvent is as constant as it is stressful.

As researchers Bill Joiner and Stephen Josephs note in their book, “Leadership Agility,” “Our economy demands new personal capacities as well as new leadership competencies.” As they navigate this reality, the clients we work with consistently name agility — which

Joiner and Josephs call a “master competency” — as a skill they seek to fortify among their leadership ranks. As part of our efforts to help leaders develop this critical competency, we developed a model to represent how leadership agility works (see Figure 1).

The model outlines agility as a circular process, with mindset at its center. The emphasis is not on the details of a leader’s response to a challenge or situation; instead, it’s everything that leads up to the response (informed by mindset) that is most critical to the process. This practical, action-oriented approach, based on our analysis of the work of leadership agility researchers and practitioners, points to four key steps.

STEP 1. KNOW YOUR PURPOSE AND UNDERSTAND YOURSELF

Agile leaders are grounded in selfawareness and situational awareness, and this awareness forms the foundation of their mindset. They are clear on the organization’s purpose, goals and values as well as their own, making that information the lodestar of the work they do, from day-to-day activities to complicated, high-risk decisions. Developing this awareness is an ongoing effort based on curiosity, humility, emotional intelligence and engagement.

Agile leaders are keenly tuned in to their organization’s vision and strategy for achieving it as well as the standards and principles it strives for. This information defines their individual role, mission and accountabilities and directs where they focus their energy and effort. At the same time, they recognize their own personal drivers, strengths and limitations as well as a vision of their own professional and personal future. The alchemy of these varied insights shapes how they show up on the job. And this is not a oneand-done pursuit; agile leaders are constantly seeking data, feedback and perspective to keep their self- and situational awareness fresh.

Step 2. Check Your Mindset

This awareness sets the stage for the key part of the process: Checking your mindset. As noted previously, when leaders are actively managing what they think, they positively impact how they feel and act, providing themselves with a better chance of achieving the outcomes

they want. As powerful as this is, it’s not easy. Unlike the eager, energetic dogs bounding happily through an agility course, human leaders know how daunting, frustrating and draining dealing with obstacles can be.

AGILE LEADERS ARE GROUNDED IN SELF-AWARENESS AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Maintaining a mindset that casts obstacles as opportunities for learning and growth, for example, takes effort. This isn’t about a toxic façade of positivity; instead, it’s about cultivating a mindset that puts you in the best position to facilitate a good outcome. In their McKinsey Quarterly article, “Leading With Inner Agility,” Sam Bourton, Johanne Lavoie and Tiffany Vogel recommend that leaders “pause to move faster.” As they describe it, “Pausing in the chaos of great change is a counterintuitive action that can lead to greater creativity and efficiency. It carves out a safe space for self-awareness, for recentering yourself, for something new to emerge.”

Naturally, a leader will sometimes discover they may not be in the right headspace to effectively handle a problem. It happens, and it’s okay — that

just means a reset is needed. Stepping back from the situation and being open to new perspectives and ideas may mean reaching beyond comfort zones and embracing vulnerabilities, but it can also create the shift needed to move forward with a more appropriate approach. With a foundation of self- and situational awareness set in the first step of the model, this shift becomes easier to make.

STEP 3. RESPOND WITH INTENTION AND EQUANIMITY

Instead of simply reacting to a situation, leaders who are grounded, purposeful, self-aware and open to learning and adapting are better prepared to meet challenges and obstacles with a composed, even-tempered, deliberate response. What’s the difference? Based in our brain’s ancient fight-or-flight instincts, reactions are typically shortsighted and ruled by impulse or emotion. When stress is high or the stakes are big, those drivers can precipitate poor outcomes and regret. Responses, however, are thoughtful, rational and big-picture oriented — and therefore more likely to facilitate good results.

Step 4: Fostering Inclusive Learning Environments

Because agile leaders constantly seek to grow and improve, their process includes a practice of reflection to identify lessons learned and key takeaways. Stakeholder feedback and consideration of the impact on relationships and the workplace environment can be part of this practice. As the model shows, the

AGILE LEADERS ARE BEST SERVED BY A MINDSET THAT SUPPORTS A MEASURED, DELIBERATE WAY FORWARD.

reflection process circles back to the starting point — knowing your purpose and understanding yourself — and provides insights that inform growth as an agile leader.

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP AGILITY

Whether you are a corporate leader or a talent development professional, learning to behave in ways that are not always comfortable or intuitive takes time, patience and practice. Some situations will bring challenges that can be navigated handily. Others will be akin to being stuck in a nylon tunnel. The important thing

to remember is leadership agility is a skill that can be developed. And that’s excellent news for all of us because the changes coming our way — be it AI, new generations in the workforce or the latest unforeseen workplace complexity — will not be slowing down anytime soon.

Steve Dion is the founder and CEO of Dion Leadership. Steve has dedicated his career to understanding and improving organizational cultures through the creation and deployment of innovative assessment, leadership and team development programs. Email Steve.

The Business of Learning: Conversations With L&D Experts

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CREATING A PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT STRATEGY THAT DRIVES ENGAGEMENT

BY DANIELLE MEINERT

A personality assessment is the foundation for my remote company’s productive and trustworthy culture.

But it’s common to use them unproductively: Separating participants by their assessment’s main “color.” Assigning three adjectives to each employee without inviting discussion. Reinforcing bias instead of promoting curiosity.

As an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach and certified expert in our organization’s personality assessment, I recognize my learning and development (L&D) teammates use our personality assessment creatively. Although not perfect, an assessment tool can enable employees to foster self-awareness, build stronger relationships and adapt to colleagues’ needs. Using one as a strategic tool can boost engagement and retention. How do you do it?

HOW ONE REMOTE ORGANIZATION USES A PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT DIFFERENTLY

At my 800-employee, global, remote organization, we’ve used a personality assessment for most of our history. We have learned from our mistakes as facilitators, like talking too much and not addressing employee skepticism of our personality tool. Those insights have helped us hone our strategy. We prioritize open access, multiple ways to access sessions and asynchronous touchpoints.

Open Access

All employees get access to the assessment and their results. We prompt each new hire to take the survey at the end

USE PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND CONNECTION.

of their second week of onboarding. They receive their results and automatically receive an invite to the next “Workstyles Intro Session” to take action on their results. In these sessions, they’re given permission to:

Align their lives and work environments to better play to their strengths and interests, and to better meet their needs.

Recognize when they slip into stress and employ self-regulating behaviors that bring them out of stress.

Adapt their behaviors to better leverage their colleagues’ strengths and interests and better support others’ needs.

Facilitate and Self-Serve Sessions

We offer group coaching sessions using our personality assessment to structure the conversations. At any time during their tenure, employees can join a “Workstyles Doubles” or “Workstyles Teams” session. These one-hour focused workshops enable any group of co-workers to troubleshoot sticky relationship dynamics and plan for how they’ll work together going forward.

Participants also laugh and smile a lot — they’re given permission to talk about themselves and how they want to work

together. After a Workstyles Teams session, one employee wrote: “Having a facilitated conversation is a wonderful way to enter a nonjudgmental and safe space to get to know one another’s interests, preferences, needs, and stressors. Just attending the session and having an open dialogue built trust with my manager.”

Embedded in Our Culture

We use our personality assessment as an ongoing resource instead of as a one-time survey. For example:

Approximately 86% of employees have taken the survey and received their results. This means most team members have the opportunity to explicitly discuss their workstyles and needs with each other using this optional tool. From there, 77% of employees have attended a coachled session to reflect and take action on their results.

When an employee creates a Slack channel for a new working group or team, we use the automation tool Zapier to post a team-building activity so participants can discuss their personality assessment results.

When someone changes teams or managers, they’re prompted to share their results and discuss work norms and preferences.

During career planning exercises, employees reference their results to develop personal goals.

We’ve designed over a dozen automated touchpoints in our asynchronous culture. This enables employees to grow together without a human coach being present. We have evidence of the impact: According to our most recent engagement survey, employees who report using the personality assessment are 7-10 percentage points more engaged at the company.

ASSESSMENTS AS A TOOL, NOT AN END

Our goal is to design a more effective workplace, not to disseminate irrelevant information or reinforce bias.

This is why we avoid using personality assessments prescriptively. They never influence hiring, promotions or transfer decisions. Because the assessment is only a tool, we encourage employees to share statements they agree with — and why — plus any they’d like to replace. We end every activity by discussing the question, “How will this conversation influence how you work together?” This drives action.

These approaches yield higher engagement with the assessment and create more meaningful conversations in our group coaching sessions. When employees own their development tools, they use them with more fidelity and earnestness.

Another employee shared a testimonial after their Workstyles Session: “This session provided an insightful analysis of my results where I could better comprehend how my innate self shows up at work (and in life). I walked away with an enhanced understanding of things that I am intrinsically motivated by, which is powerful information to consider when building my schedule/workflow. I also have insight now into how to identify some risk factors for overwhelm and burnout.”

HOW TO GET STARTED

Your organization can use a personality assessment to drive engagement and meaningful relationships. Start with a few small steps:

Use assessments as a tool : The goal isn’t for your employees to understand how your assessment works or to read all results without taking action. The goal is to use it as a tool for development and connection. Instead of explaining all the tool’s terminology and theory, help your employees understand the core philosophy. Then design interactive trust-building activities that help you meet your organization’s goals, like driving higher engagement and retention.

Expand access across teams : who can take the assessment today? Consider expanding to as many employees as you can. This supports an equitable, organization-wide l&d strategy that respects each teammate’s abilities and needs.

Asynchronous tools . Once you’ve offered live coaching to your employees about their results, assess when they’re in a state of flux. When a senior leader leaves, for example, teams are looking for stability. A personality tool helps employees connect and reflect during these moments of change

Using personality assessments across three companies has led me to understand that:

Personality assessments aren’t “set it and forget it.” Results are easily misinterpreted unless you support a thoughtful, curious and open culture.

Any personality assessment requires intentionality to enable productive work relationships.

These tools can positively transform any working environment whether in person, remote or hybrid.

You can drive a productive, trustworthy culture at your organization using a personality tool to promote reflection and action. How will you drive engagement in your organization?

6 STEPS TO DESIGN A PRODUCTIVE AND TRUSTWORTHY USER EXPERIENCE

When reviewing these example steps to implement a personality assessment, consider how you’d adjust for your organization’s culture.

1. SURVEY: Automatically assign the assessment during new hire onboarding. To encourage honesty and a feeling of safety, include a statement about how results are used.

2. RESULTS: Automatically and privately share results with each employee. Include a reminder about how results are used and what action to take next.

3. WORKSTYLES INTRO SESSION: After an employee takes the assessment, automatically invite them to the next Workstyles Intro Session for new hires. A trained facilitator should guide the group through nonjudgmental reflection activities. End the session by helping participants take action on their results.

4. GROUP COACHING: Offer virtual workstyles sessions for duos (like a manager and their direct report) and for teams. Participants should have the ability to sign up at any time and receive reminders to participate during periods of change or stress.

5. EVERYDAY WORK: Embed selfserve resources to help teammates build their relationships during group and 1:1 meetings. For new teams and within weekly meeting agendas, automatically post appropriate icebreaker questions that are based on your personality tool.

6. EVALUATE WHAT’S WORKING: You know your organization’s culture best. Adapt based on employee feedback and needs.

Danielle Meinert loves to help people grow and learn. She’s supported learning and development at companies like Zapier, Dropbox and Guild. Email Danielle.

Mo’olelo, or storytelling, provides a vehicle to help people understand information in a manner that allows for better long-term retention.

Mo’olelo

Learning Through Storytelling

By Makana A. L. Agcaoili

“It’s time for a break,” my grandfather grumbled to himself leaving his workbench and walking into the house. I was a teenager at the time, playing outside and watching him fix our family car under the humid heat in Hawai’i. The car’s ignition wasn’t working, and after hours of reading and tinkering, he seemed to have made zero progress.

As I watched him enter the house, I inspected the car. As a teenager with grand bravado, I was certain I could find the solution. Going over the numerous sketches of wiring, pieces of metal hanging around, and the bizarre puzzle that is a car engine, I realized this was not a problem worthy of my time.

After 20 minutes of playing volleyball, my grandfather picked up his tools and began to work at a silent and meaningful pace. Though I was determined to practice my serve, I couldn’t help but be pulled in by how quickly he was moving at his age. He moved gracefully between operating giant metal contraptions and soldering wires.

By the end of the day, the car was working again, and I had been slammed in the face multiple times for not paying attention to the ball. While my friends departed laughing, I walked over to help my grandfather clean.

My grandfather wasn’t a mechanic. While he drove buses in the past, he never fixed them. However, he had achieved something in a single day that people dedicate years of their lives to accomplish. We silently worked, and as we finished, I asked, “How did you figure out what to do?”

He looked at me with soft eyes before smiling and saying, “If you take the time to plan where you need to go, you won’t get lost on your journey there.”

Mo’olelo

Mo’olelo, or storytelling, has been an integral part of my identity. Throughout my career, I’ve worked in universities teaching students and on corporate learning and development (L&D) teams at global companies. I saw the power of storytelling, whether I was teaching students how to create an effective elevator pitch or training a group of managers how to lead effective oneon-ones.

Storytelling provides a vehicle to help people understand information in a manner that allows for better long-term retention. Let’s explore my opening story as an example.

Why Stories Are Memorable

Many people in the training industry know the power of storytelling and backward planning. A stakeholder comes to you with a problem and you utilize your consulting skills to identify the root cause. You start with the behaviors that need to be developed and then work backward to create the training solution. Throughout the process, you create storyboards and project plans, and map out what needs to be done and by when.

However, the lesson, “planning is important” isn’t simply memorable because we were told it in a classroom setting. We remember this lesson because we had a lived experience. All of us have a memory of how improper planning or rushing into something leads to errors and chaos. When we recall why “planning is important,” we don’t see those words in a book in our minds, we relive the memory that taught us that lesson. For some, it was their first time failing an exam because they didn’t study properly. Others may have had a difficult conversation at work for failing to meet expectations. For myself, it’s the story of my grandfather.

That’s the power of storytelling. It allows us to make knowledge personal, and that is the key to unlocking true change. When we’re able to understand why information is meaningful and connected to our lived and learned experiences, information translates into memory and thus into action.

Building an

Inclusive Workplace

While the magic of storytelling is becoming more of a science as it

Actively seek out and understand the stories and experiences of others.

becomes more recognized for the powerful impact it has on our minds, a new phenomenon is appearing: Acknowledging what stories we might be missing.

“We can’t fumble this.” “This is an easy home run for us.” “We’re putting you on the bench for this project.” I can’t count the times I’ve sat in a meeting and listened to someone share one of these variations of the same sports analogy. As a tennis and volleyball player, I don’t mind the allusions myself. I have resonated with them many times before. However, I’m not the only person in a meeting.

In one meeting, I had two colleagues join me to talk to a senior executive. We were discussing a new program we wanted to launch to support employee engagement when the commonly heard “home run” phrase was thrown out. I nodded my head in agreement, but saw

my colleagues look confused. I quickly responded by sharing, “I agree. This program is an easy win for us with our employees,” which immediately led to nods and smiles from the other two.

After the meeting, they both came up to me and thanked me for my translation. Neither of them had heard the term before and weren’t sure whether the person we were meeting with liked or hated the idea we had been working on for months. We made some jokes and went our separate ways. However, as I walked back to my office, I couldn’t help but feel a pit in my stomach.

While sports analogies can be empowering and easy ways to express one’s thoughts, they can also create a feeling of being “othered” for those who can’t understand the point. People go to great measures to protect their self-perceptions and work to develop a personal brand they can be

proud of. When you don’t fully understand what’s going on, you can begin to question your self-worth.

I remember the first time I sat down at an executive meeting with other directors. As we all took our places around the table, I couldn’t help but notice I was the only Indigenous person in the room. It was the middle of summer, so as we prepared for the meeting to start, folks were talking about their travel plans: “I’m heading to my condo by the shore this weekend. I haven’t been there in months.” “My kids and I are excited to head to our vacation home, too!” “Makana, I’m thinking of renting a house in Hawai’i next month. You’ll need to tell me everything I should do.”

I grew up in a small town on the Big Island known for farming. I didn’t go on family vacations, and after growing up in Hawai’i, my first time outside of the islands was in Ohio when I went to graduate school. I remember times as a college student when I would count change to see if I had enough to pay for a meal. Needless to say, I did not feel like I was sitting at the right table in that meeting.

My colleagues didn’t intend to make me feel othered. These were their lives, and

they were speaking from what was normal to them. However, the impact of being in a space where my story didn’t match led me to feel disengaged. I struggled to feel psychologically safe, which made me spend more time wondering how to prove I belong than doing good work — and I’m not the only one who has gone through this situation.

That is why I advocate for us to move from being storytellers from our personal experiences to being story explorers, who assess the needs of our community and share stories that will resonate with those around us.

Storytelling Exercises

In early education, there’s a theory of mirrors and windows. A window is an experience that allows people to understand differences. A mirror is a way for someone to see themselves in the work they’re doing. For example, as a Native Hawaiian, a mirror for me is when people greet me with “aloha” when they see me. A window I can provide to others about my culture is talking about ho’oponopono when leading a mediation between employees. I

recommend taking a moment when creating a training to think about the mirrors and windows you can create.

Second, you need to actively seek out and understand the stories and experiences of others. The reason why I chose the word “explorer” and not “curator” is because you will never own the stories of others. However, you can experience them with others, and then respectfully honor those stories when you share them.

Whenever developing a training, I meet with many different people to understand their views. I ask permission to share their stories and understandings with others so I can honor their experiences and model the way for others.

Anyone can become a better storyteller with some practice. I encourage you to begin your journey today. Ask questions, be curious and always honor the stories you have the privilege of being a side character in. You never know when a story will be the shift that helps someone blossom.

Makana A. L. Agcaoili is a curious storyteller with a passion for helping others discover their purpose and overcome barriers to success. Email Makana.

BEING A STORY EXPLORER

Being an explorer of stories is more about emotional intelligence and empathy than public speaking. The first step to diversifying the stories you share during training is to become aware of the stories that you have not lived or learned about already that would resonate with your community.

There are many ways to reflect on the stories that you may be unaware of or missing. Here are a few questions to use:

• Who are the people I am going to train?

• What similarities do I have with them?

• What differences do I have from them?

• Do I understand what it means for me to be different?

• What can I do to help people see themselves in my training?

By Justin Reinert, MA, CPTD, SPHR

Remote work and the digital economy have shifted how people work across every sector. Organizations that prioritize belonging and a culture of learning will flourish, because these priorities can make employees feel safe, empowered and motivated to take risks and generate new ideas. Belonging also plays a key role in developing a culture of learning.

McKinsey & Company recently reported that “Employees who feel more connected are 150% more likely than their peers to report being engaged at work.” That connection comes in the form of belonging. While belonging can result from inclusion efforts, it is determined as much, if not more so,

through an employee’s own thoughts and attitudes about their belonging.

DEFINING BELONGING THROUGH THE CREATING BELONGING MODEL

Employers can nurture and promote a sense of belonging in many ways. The Creating Belonging™ model positions belonging at the intersection of authenticity and acceptance. Individuals start with self-reflection and selfacceptance, leaning into authenticity. They then advance to a radical acceptance of others, even when they don’t understand or approve of them. It requires individuals to recognize and

accept that not everyone follows the same set of values.

In this model, when both authenticity and acceptance are low, learners can find themselves in a place of reclusiveness. They don’t show up with much of themselves and don’t take much time to get to know or interact with others.

When authenticity is high and acceptance is low, the individual is in a place of overbearing. They assume everyone sees the world in the same way they do. They lack empathy for others’ lived experiences.

On the other hand, when authenticity is low and acceptance is high, the individual is in a place of minimization. They mute or mask their identity, to their own disservice, to make others feel comfortable.

Finally, when both authenticity and acceptance are high, individuals find themselves in a place of belonging. It’s when they are comfortable to show up as their authentic selves — not what they feel others expect, but who they truly are. They feel accepted and simultaneously accept others.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BELONGING AND LEARNING

In their 2019 research, “Belonging at Work: The Experiences, Representations and Meanings of Belonging,“ Cathrine Filstad, Laura Elizabeth Mercer Traavik and Mara Gorli explore the relationship between belonging and a culture of learning. They explain that belonging at work is linked to the possibility of sharing practices in a community — creating meanings, participating in common goals, and learning through participation — which are also important to a culture of learning.

They argue that learners struggle to engage when they don’t conform, or don’t want to conform, to a group’s identity. In summary, a culture of learning is influenced by the practices and places in which belonging materializes and community forms. Belonging is seen

as a dynamic and situated experience influenced by social interactions, materiality, emotions and aesthetics.

According to Dr. Britt Andreatta, humans are wired for three things: to survive, to belong and to become. These occur chronologically, as without survival individuals can’t move into belonging, and so forth. Since learning is part of becoming — becoming our best selves — individuals must first feel they belong.

To feel a sense of belonging, individuals need psychological safety. Amy Edmondson popularized the concept of psychological safety as a “belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.”

What is learning, if not exploring innovative ideas, asking questions, relaying concerns and making a lot of mistakes? Psychological safety and belonging reinforce each other, and an absence of either can negatively impact the other.

3 Elements of Creating Belonging

1. Space: The décor, layout, symbols, imagery and more that make up the physical and virtual spaces where work occurs.

2. Representation: Diversity among employees and leaders that allows individuals to see similarities with their colleagues and feel a sense of belonging.

3. Shared Experiences: Intentional, collaborative learning opportunities that ease communication and accelerate forward movement.

To feel a sense of belonging, individuals need psychological safety.

HOW TO CREATE BELONGING, AND WHY IT’S THE KEY TO A CULTURE OF LEARNING

There are things organizations can do to create belonging and foster a culture of learning. These include the spaces where work is done, the people engaging in the work and how those people interact day to day.

SPACES

The spaces team members occupy are often overlooked. The décor, the layout and what symbols exist (or don’t exist) can all impact feelings of belonging. The environment should aim to be inclusive of all rather than catering to any one population.

For example, at one end of the spectrum might be an all-pink space with fluffy pillows and motivational quotes in curly script on the walls. At the other end might be a workplace decked out in a sports theme, with games throughout and the March Madness bracket all over the break room.

When the environment caters to just one group, the rest may feel unwelcome. To create belonging, aim for an inclusive space with broad appeal. Balance out the football game by having a reality show on a second TV.

CONSIDER:

• How inclusive are your spaces?

• How safe do your employees feel?

• How can you make your spaces more inclusive?

With many individuals working remotely, virtual spaces also influence belonging. The workplace has crept into their personal space and vice versa, so it may be important to consider how people show up for video meetings.

Virtual backgrounds can mask undesired backgrounds, but they can also suppress individuality. Although using authentic backgrounds offers employees an opportunity to demonstrate their personality, the unfortunate side effect might be visuals that create a hostile or unwelcoming environment.

CONSIDER:

• What policies or practices do you have for environments in video interactions?

• How can you encourage authenticity for others in their remote environment?

• How can you discourage exclusionary or hostile elements in remote environments?

REPRESENTATION

Individuals find belonging when they see themselves represented in the workplace. Do other team members or leaders look like them, have similar interests or come from similar backgrounds? It’s impossible to represent all facets of diversity within an organization, especially a smaller one, but an intentional effort should be made during recruiting, hiring and promoting.

CONSIDER:

• Can employees see themselves in the organization?

• In leadership?

• How can you elevate underrepresented populations?

Similarly, how well does your training collateral create representation? While content and imagery shouldn’t be inauthentic to the organization, consideration should be given to using

a diverse array of characters, even if it is aspirational.

For example, when developing an eLearning course, create a persona map illustrating a diverse mix of characters to include. Not just their ethnicity and gender but who they are and the experiences they’ve had. While this may not be directly called out in the script, it will inspire instructional designers to include the diverse aspects of the characters as they build the training storyline.

CONSIDER:

• When an employee completes a learning experience developed by your team, can they see themselves in it?

• What other abilities or facets of identity might you consider adding to your training experiences?

SHARED EXPERIENCES

When it comes to building a culture of learning, it’s best to be intentional and create the desired experiences. When learning happens in isolation, it is less likely to align with the organization’s mission and values. This is why creating shared experiences is critical to integrating belonging into a culture of learning. Shared experiences also lead to shared meaning, which eases communication and can accelerate forward movement.

CONSIDER:

• What do shared experiences look like in your organization?

• What can you do to create more shared experiences?

• Are your shared experiences inclusive?

LEADERSHIP’S ROLE IN CREATING BELONGING AND A CULTURE OF LEARNING

While the training team influences the creation of belonging and a culture of learning, leaders also play a role in

helping or hindering these two elements. Training teams need to consider how they equip leaders to play a positive role in modeling and fostering psychological safety, create belonging by nurturing an environment of acceptance and participate in the learning experiences of their team members.

CONSIDER:

• What tools do your leaders have at their disposal to create belonging and foster a culture of learning?

• What expectations are set by the most senior leaders in the organization?

• How clearly are those expectations communicated down the organization and embedded in practices?

STEPS LEARNING LEADERS CAN TAKE

Training leaders have a responsibility to understand the mission, vision and goals of the organization to ensure alignment of training solutions. Additionally, training leaders must identify and push back on threats to psychological safety, belonging and ultimately the culture of learning. An organization’s ability to grow and adapt is directly impacted by its culture of learning.

“The single biggest driver of business impact is the strength of an organization’s learning culture,” Josh Bersin stated.

CONSIDER:

• How aligned are your training solutions to the mission, vision and goals of the organization?

• What are current threats to belonging and the culture of learning?

• How can you tackle those threats head-on?

CONCLUSION

Our workplaces will continue to shift and do so at a rapid pace. The organizations that will survive and thrive are those that embrace a positive learning culture

The organizations that will survive and thrive are those that embrace a positive learning culture and create belonging for all who walk through their doors.

and create belonging for all who walk through their doors, whether physical or virtual. It’s within the power of leaders and training teams to ensure this happens effectively. While the steps in this article are not exhaustive, they are great first steps for many.

Justin Reinert, MA, CPTD, SPHR, is an experienced talent leader with 20 years of corporate learning experience and the founder and principal of Performance Accelerated Learning. In 2022, he published a book, “Creating Belonging,” that describes the Creating Belonging™ model he developed. Email Justin.

L e a r n i n g

S o l u t i o n s

Overcoming Training Fatigue

By Joe Padin

The American workforce finds itself at a curious point. Between the acceptance of hybrid and remote work, concerns about career confidence and conflicting reports of overall job satisfaction, workers have a lot to consider when it comes to their professional skills development and future with a company.

Employers know this, and their efforts to develop engaging and effective training and professional development have been called into question through notable data on training fatigue.

CompTIA’s Workforce and Learning Trends 2023 report examines the current climate and found that 58% of human resources (HR) professionals have expressed concern about employee training fatigue and overtraining among their employees. The report notes, “This is unsurprising, given that the pandemic pushed workers to spend more time online and increased mandatory training and compliance requirements.”

But in a world where employee priorities are shifting, how can employers best prepare and accommodate for this shift to avoid the ramifications of training fatigue?

TODAY’S WORKFORCE LOOKS DIFFERENT, HERE’S HOW

Employers recognize that today’s workers seem to value different priorities than workers from previous generations. This should influence how employers approach training and development as the learning goals shift when a worker’s priorities shift.

Today’s workers don’t show the same commitment to staying with a single company for the long term. A Lending Tree study which looked at data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that job tenure dropped nearly 11% from 4.6 to 4.1 years in the last decade between 2012 and 2022. Unsurprisingly, the biggest drop (12.5%) was among workers aged 25 to 34 whose average time spent with a company dropped from 3.3 years to 2.8 years.

There are many reasons why worker views on tenure have shifted. Weakening benefits, waning pension plans and the influence of emerging technology have all been pain points that push employees to consider the future of their careers.

Upward mobility, both in position and pay, is a natural motivator for many workers. When workers don’t see growth opportunities within their company, they tend to look elsewhere.

Employee burnout is another influencing factor responsible for low employee satisfaction and declining tenure. Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace shows that employee stress remains high, with 44% of employees saying they experienced a lot of stress during their previous workday.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Today’s workforce is different, and with that comes the need for employers to adapt. Perhaps one of the most influential ways adaptations can happen is through thoughtful, intentional and purposeful training and development.

It is no longer enough for an employer to simply provide opportunities for training and upskilling. Instead, many employers

recognize the importance of having training buy-in from the top down.

Training buy-in looks different for all employees, but more companies recognize the importance of having a workforce that feels personally fulfilled in their roles. That personal fulfillment often comes in the form of employees having genuine buy-in where they work. This can include employees:

• Knowing they are receiving training that develops practical, transferable skills.

• Working toward clear and purposeful objectives.

• Being valued for their contributions, whether through feedback, promotions or other means.

It’s no secret that when learners are treated as stakeholders within an organization, their buy-in is much stronger.

INCREASE BUY-IN AND OVERCOME TRAINING FATIGUE

In prioritizing employee buy-in, it’s important to refocus your training program so content is employeecentered. After all, learning is more effective when there is internal motivation.

Let’s look at how organizations can transform redundant training modules into effective avenues for upskilling, professional development and most importantly, fostering a positive work culture. We’ll explore the latest methods, including:

• Offering employee choice.

• Providing opportunities for learning that employees actually value.

• The power of gamified training.

• Personalized learning through AI.

If your organization does not currently have the capacity or the resources to build or provide this type of training, consider looking to training organizations to bridge that gap.

Employee-centered training programs will look different from one organization to another. But no matter the industry, employers can tap into the power of employee choice. Absorbing new content occurs most effectively when you allow employees to choose a training modality that works for them. This can include selfservice formats such as:

• Podcasts.

• Webcasts.

• Video conferences.

• Books and literature.

• Self-paced eLearning modules.

• In-person activities.

• Instructor-led training that also offers opportunities for networking.

Providing training options can combat training fatigue because employees have a level of buy-in that is supported by their ability to control their own career path. When employers offer

relevant and personalized learning opportunities, employees feel empowered to take control of their careers, a concern many workers vocalized even before the pandemic.

For some employees, a particular training modality can help them build skills they find valuable — skills another employee within the same company might not necessarily prioritize.

According to CompTIA’s marketplace survey, for an overwhelming 88% of job seekers, those critical skills include digital skills, and not just for techrelated roles, but for all roles in the workforce.

WHAT ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS?

It’s important to note that employeecentered training does not mean that an organization’s goals and objectives are set aside. After all, the purpose of training is to create a culture of growth, innovation and community — this is best established when there are clear and defined objectives.

The traditional top-down approach of delivering training that aligns with a company’s goals can only go so far. Employees generally complete

the training but often walk away with lackluster motivation.

When that motivation is intrinsic, the outcome of training can be more impactful. Employees who develop their skills with purpose will naturally carry the benefits of upskilling into their everyday work. Even if an employee’s career prospects don’t include your organization in the long run, your company can benefit from their renewed training in the short run.

Over time, employees who recognize their organization values this buy-in are more likely to reinvest their energy and desire to stay with that organization.

Gamified courses can improve learning’s impact on a learner’s engagement, motivation and retention of information. Gamification is successful because problem-based learning encourages a learner to be proactive and resourceful in seeking an answer, rather than having a solution presented to them.

Short-term goals and objectives are also easier for learners to meet and understand. Plus, progress can be measured through rewards, badges and other tokens, allowing learners to have tangible satisfaction in their successes.

Although still in its early phases, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in training and professional development can have a profound impact on how employees engage with content and apply it in a manner that builds employee buy-in. According to a 2024 CompTIA survey of 500 organizations in North America, upskilling employees in AI is a moderate or high priority for 85% of them. AI is going to be a large part of the present and the near future and CompTIA is developing a range of certifications and training offerings spanning the complete career arc including the future needs of AI.

AI can help instructional designers create flexible, adaptive courses that meet the unique needs of every employee. This automation brings with it several benefits, including:

• Adjusting to an employee’s learning preference.

• Delivering content that aligns with specific skills an employee wants to develop.

• Real-time content adjustment to meet an employee’s unique needs.

• Seamless transitions from practical knowledge to virtual, hands-on simulations.

• Gamification of content so that delivery is novel, engaging and purposeful.

Working with a training partner can be a good way for your organization to supplement current training efforts.

If your organization does not yet have the capacity for HR or training services, working with a training partner is an optimal solution.

Joe Padin is senior vice president of government and partnerships at CompTIA, bringing over 19 years of expertise to the role. He has dedicated himself to developing and expanding government and commercial training partner programs. Joe’s efforts are centered on creating positive learning experiences and contributing to the growth of the global IT workforce. Email Joe.

Wellness is not a fitness craze or some marketing gimmick. It is a concept grounded in the connection of mind and body, the multi-dimensional aspects of an individual’s environment — and it’s influenced by external factors outside one’s control. Wellness matters for everyone, and that includes learning and development (L&D) and the learners they work with.

The Global Wellness Institute defines Wellness as: “the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.”

A workplace wellness program may include:

• On-site fitness rooms or discounts to area fitness centers.

• Healthy food choices in employee breakrooms, vending machines and cafes.

• Mental health days within paid time off options.

• On-site nutrition and fitness consultations.

• Training on wellness topics such as stress management, meditation and healthy cooking.

While hybrid and remote work environments may not include an onsite fitness room, organizations can implement other means to promote wellness, such as step count challenges,

downloadable playlists for meditation and virtual wellness classes.

WHY DOES EMPLOYEE WELLNESS MATTER?

Employees who miss work frequently, struggle with anxiety and stress that limits their work performance or leave work due to burnout are examples of why wellness matters for companies. Being unwell can mean that you struggle with work or cannot work — peers and teammates may, in turn, experience stress over worrying about the unwell employee.

An individual’s environment influences their wellness, and unhealthy employees have higher health costs and lower productivity. By investing in workplace wellness, companies can enrich their culture and support their workforce.

Workplace wellness matters for employers as they need their workforce not to be distracted by worries outside of work but to be fully present, engaged and capable of performing their jobs at the required level. Enabling wellness at work benefits both employees and the employer by fostering:

• Higher employee retention.

• Easier employee recruitment.

• Higher productivity.

• Strong employee morale.

• Lower employee health costs.

Workplace wellness programs address the connection across employee health, health costs, engagement, productivity and retention.

HOW CAN TRAINERS INCORPORATE WELLNESS INTO TRAINING?

Corporate trainers significantly influence corporate culture, norms and work environments. They are influencers by the very nature of their job and often engage with teams across the company. For a workplace wellness program to reach its full potential, L&D must be involved.

Wellness can be incorporated into training in multiple ways. The most common is a wellness curriculum, with training classes on healthy habits, physical fitness, mental health and wellness.

Yet, a wellness curriculum is only one of the ways trainers can incorporate wellness into training. Any class’s training design and delivery can incorporate wellness tips and practices.

BEGIN TRAINING WITH WELLNESS ELEMENTS

Trainers can include wellness reminders within the training expectations provided beforehand and at the start of the class.

• Class introductions: Add a wellness topic to the typical name, job title and

how long you have worked at the company exercise (e.g., what is your favorite fruit, favorite place to walk, or other relaxation tips).

• Class guidelines: Be clear that it is a “screens down” environment and that the learner’s full attention is needed. Creating a focused environment can help clear thoughts and help employees be more open to learning.

• Positive reinforcement: Incorporate the employees in positive reinforcement of each other’s progress. Ask each participant to write a note of congratulations or encouragement on index cards at the start of the class. Throughout the training, empower learners to give index cards to peers when they get the correct answer, learn something new or add comments to the discussion. If a class is online, ask people to write down one of the phrases, and when they get a question right later, call on the person to read their note or use chat functions to show support.

INCORPORATE WELLNESS ELEMENTS INTO CLASS BREAKS

As wellness is holistic, it should be incorporated into training experiences. Within training, consider these options:

• During breaks, replace the “check your email” message with “Let’s take two minutes to reflect quietly and collect our thoughts.”

• Leverage office locations for breaks, including a walk around the building or outside.

• Begin the class after lunch with two examples of desk stretches that employees can take back and use daily.

• Use “bio breaks” to encourage drinking water. For the online class, ask everyone to show their fun mug or bottle on camera.

INCLUDE WELLNESS IN TRAINING WRAP-UP

Learning is like wellness: It is achieved through an active, continuous mindset.

Include wellness in your training wrapup and post-class communications. For example:

• When you go around the class, ask each employee what they learned about wellness that day.

• Incorporate wellness resources and tips in the post-training communication, key points and learning resources.

• After class, send learning points and include tips for adding wellness into your workday.

Workplace wellness is critical to the workforce — and corporate trainers can use their position of influence to incorporate concepts into the training catalog and training best practices.

PRIORITIZE THE WELLNESS OF THE TRAINERS

Trainers and training managers are employees, too, with all the challenges and stresses of the workforce. Incorporate wellness practices to support trainers in train-the-trainer

programs and within your trainer team culture:

• Design trainer manuals and guides to include reminders for drinking water, doing desk stretches and taking breaks from staring at a monitor.

• Provide wellness training for trainers that includes breathing exercises, meditation techniques and stress management.

• Include wellness moments in trainer team meetings and, if possible, include walks or meetings in different areas outside the training classrooms for variety.

• Ask how the trainer is doing! Knowing others care about you is critical to achieving wellness.

L&D’s ability to create a productive learning environment and to be high-energy and engaging for employee classes is directly impacted by their wellness.

WELLNESS IS HOLISTIC AND THE APPROACH MUST BE AS WELL

Incorporating wellness practices and tips in training should be one part of a holistic approach to company culture and wellness. To realize all the benefits of a workplace wellness program, there must be supported policies, engaged leadership and ongoing programming communication with the workforce. Wellness should be baked into each step of the employee experience — recruitment, onboarding, training, mentoring and job performance.

CONCLUSION

Corporate trainers are uniquely positioned to directly contribute to employee wellness. A better understanding of employee wellness tips, resources and practices can be an incredible resource across the training catalog and offerings to benefit all.

Megan Bell’s career journey includes leadership roles in business operations, corporate training, higher education and creative agency settings. She blends creative storytelling, project management skills and problem-solving to meet business goals while fostering an inclusive work environment. Email Megan.

IS THE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN TRAINING MANAGEMENT (CPTM™) PROGRAM

RIGHT FOR ME?

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• Obtaining a promotion or moving into a new role.

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The Role of Language in Inclusive Training

By Courtney Sinnott, MBA, SHRM-CP, CPTM, ACUE

In today’s rapidly evolving and diverse world, inclusive language has emerged as a powerful tool in creating training materials that resonate with a wide range of learners and foster an environment of equity and inclusion. Language reflects our society, and it holds the power to shape our perceptions and beliefs.

In the realm of training materials, language plays a pivotal role in creating a welcoming and supportive learning environment. Inclusive language goes beyond mere words; it is a means of ensuring that every learner feels seen, heard and respected. By recognizing the significance of inclusive language, organizations can unlock a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond the realm of training.

Inclusive language can have a profound impact on learner engagement and success. Incorporating inclusive language

within training materials is crucial to ensure that the content remains universally relatable and applicable to all learners. It ensures that the language used in training materials is respectful and accommodating to the diverse identities, backgrounds and experiences of learners. This entails recognizing and acknowledging the various dimensions of diversity, such as gender, race, disability, sexual orientation and more. When individuals undergo training, it’s important that they perceive the subject matter as relatable to their own experiences and circumstances.

Elements of Inclusive Language

Gender Neutrality

One of the fundamental principles of inclusive language is gender neutrality.

It involves the use of language that doesn’t reinforce traditional gender roles and expectations. Instead of assuming a binary understanding of gender, inclusive language accommodates diverse gender identities. For instance, using genderneutral pronouns like “they/them” or addressing people by their chosen name and pronouns is a simple yet powerful way to foster inclusivity.

Person-First Language

Person-first language centers on the individual, emphasizing the person before their condition or characteristic. This approach is particularly important when addressing disabilities or health conditions. For example, saying “a person with a disability” rather than “a disabled person” conveys respect for the individual’s humanity beyond their condition.

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity in language acknowledges and respects the rich tapestry of cultural backgrounds and traditions among learners. It avoids cultural stereotypes and generalizations, ensuring that all learners’ experiences are validated and appreciated.

Disability Inclusivity

Inclusive language regarding disabilities involves avoiding derogatory terms or euphemisms and using terminology that is respectful and empowering. It also means considering different levels of ability and ensuring that training materials are accessible to all, regardless of physical or cognitive challenges.

LGBTQIA+ Awareness

Acknowledging and respecting diverse sexual orientations and gender identities is a crucial aspect of inclusive language. It includes using the appropriate pronouns and terminology, as well as depicting LGBTQIA+ individuals and relationships positively and accurately in training materials.

Strategies for Creating Inclusive Training Materials

An integral aspect of fostering such inclusivity lies in providing examples and scenarios that resonate with learners on a personal level, enabling them to empathize and engage more deeply with the material at hand. Conversely, instances wherein the examples presented fail to align with the diverse backgrounds and identities of learners can impede comprehension and hinder the learning process.

Therefore, the implementation of inclusive language in training materials serves to enhance accessibility, comprehension and overall effectiveness, fostering an environment that provides equal learning experiences for all participants. But most often, inclusive language involves the intentional avoidance of language that could hurt certain groups by reinforcing stereotypes, marginalizing and misrepresenting their experiences or ignoring the historical meaning behind certain terms. This does not mean language should be policed or censored,

but it does mean that there should be awareness and acknowledgment that language can be interpreted differently depending on individual backgrounds and cultural contexts.

To summarize, language shapes our perception and can impact a learner’s engagement and success. It’s important for learners to feel included and see examples that they can resonate with, which in turn will make them feel represented and valued. Just as importantly, there needs to be a mindful approach to words that are used, and intention to avoid language that could reinforce stereotypes or marginalize certain groups. It’s also crucial to keep in mind that language is always changing. What’s considered “inclusive” differs from person to person and evolves over time. To truly embrace inclusivity, content creators and trainers must be proactive in their approach.

Employees who feel respected and included are more likely to stay with an organization and contribute to its success.

Here are some strategies for implementing it effectively in training materials to help achieve this:

1. Educate Your Team

Begin by educating your content creation and training teams about the importance of inclusive language. Provide resources, workshops and training to help them understand and implement these concepts effectively. Encourage open discussions and questions to foster a culture of learning and improvement.

2. Review and Revise Existing Materials

Take a close look at your current training materials. Identify areas where language could be more inclusive and revise accordingly. This might involve rephrasing sentences, altering visuals or changing examples to better reflect diversity.

3. Seek Input From Diverse Voices

Incorporate input from diverse individuals and communities to ensure that training materials are culturally sensitive and respectful. Consult with experts or individuals who belong to the communities you aim to represent to gain insights and perspectives that can help in shaping your materials.

4. Use Inclusive Language Guides

Utilize comprehensive guides and resources on inclusive language. Many organizations and experts have created guidelines and glossaries to assist in using inclusive language effectively. These resources can serve as valuable references for your team.

5. Proofread and Test

Thoroughly proofread your training materials to ensure that inclusive language is consistently used. Test the materials with a diverse group of learners to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments.

As of late, there has been considerable attention directed toward the importance of addressing individuals in a manner that promotes inclusivity and ensures a sense of belonging for all. Embracing inclusive language in training materials may encounter resistance or challenges. However, it is imperative to distinguish between the principles of inclusivity and the notion of universal accolades. The intention to ensure adequate representation and inclusivity transcends mere token gestures. We’re simply at a point where the notion of respect extends beyond a mere expectation: Rather, it stands as an indispensable pillar for societal cohesion and progress.

Measuring the Impact of Inclusive Training Materials

To truly understand the impact of inclusive language on training materials, it’s essential to measure and assess the outcomes. Here’s how you can do it:

Learner Satisfaction Surveys

Collect feedback from learners through satisfaction surveys that specifically inquire about the inclusivity of the training materials. Analyze the responses and look for patterns to identify areas of improvement.

Employee Retention and Morale

Track employee retention rates and morale to see if there is a correlation between the use of inclusive language and these metrics. Positive changes may indicate the positive impact of inclusive language on the workplace.

Compliance With Legal and Ethical Standards

Ensure that your training materials comply with legal and ethical standards related to diversity, equity and inclusion. This is not just about avoiding legal issues but also about aligning with best practices and societal expectations.

Organizational Impact

Implementing inclusive language in training materials carries a host of positive impacts on the organization:

Increases Learner Engagement

Inclusive language creates a more welcoming and relatable learning environment. Learners feel valued and seen, leading to increased engagement and motivation to participate actively in training programs.

Improves Learning Outcomes

When learners can relate to and understand the training materials, they are more likely to retain the information and apply it effectively. This leads to improved learning outcomes and a more skilled workforce.

Enhances Cultural Competence

Incorporating inclusive language in training materials fosters cultural competence among learners. They gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse backgrounds, leading to more inclusive and collaborative workplaces.

Boosts Employee Morale and Retention

Employees who feel respected and included are more likely to stay with an organization and contribute to its success. Inclusive language enhances employee morale, leading to higher retention rates.

Compliance With Legal and Ethical Standards

Implementing inclusive language helps organizations meet legal and ethical standards regarding diversity and inclusion, reducing the risk of legal issues and ensuring they are viewed as ethical and responsible entities.

The use of inclusive language in training materials is not merely a trend; it is a fundamental shift toward a more equitable and inclusive society. By understanding and embracing inclusive language, organizations can create training materials that resonate with diverse learners, leading to increased engagement, improved learning outcomes and enhanced cultural competence. Learning and development has the opportunity to be

Using Inclusive Language

One of the key elements of inclusive language is gender neutrality. How do we stay gender neutral and inclusive in our language? Refer to these examples from “The Art of Public Speaking,” by Stephen E. Lucas.

One way to do this is to avoid the use of the generic, “he” when referring to people in specific roles:

• Ineffective : “Each time a surgeon walks into the operating room, he risks being sued for malpractice.”

• More Effective : “Whenever surgeons walk into the operating room, they risk being sued for malpractice.”

Another way to do this is to avoid the use of “man” when referring to more than one gender:

• Ineffective : “If an asteroid struck Earth, it could destroy all of mankind.”

• More Effective : “If an asteroid struck Earth, it could destroy all human life.”

at the forefront of this transformative change, making education and professional development accessible and welcoming to all. It’s time to make the shift toward inclusive language and empower learners from all walks of life to reach their full potential.

Courtney Sinnott, MBA, SHRM-CP, CPTM, ACUE, is a director of training as well as an adjunct professor, teaching interpersonal communication and public speaking. Email Courtney.

What’s considered “inclusive” differs from person to person and evolves over time.

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Does your training content need to be understood by people with differing languages and cultures?

At RWS, our mission is to ensure your content resonates with everyone, everywhere.

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How to Choose the Best Immersive Learning Strategy and Solution for Your Training Needs

By Dr. Conor Gaffney

After a pilot is finished, as with any learning strategy, the emphasis should be on iteration.

Immersive learning is a hot topic — and for good reason. It can engage learners, hold their attention and lead to true behavior change. And if you’re using the right technology, skills data can be captured as the learner goes through the experience.

So, how can you choose the right tech platform for immersive learning? There is no single leading technology or methodology, since so much depends on the type of knowledge and skills your teams need to develop, your budget, and the size and geography of your organization.

There’s reason to choose immersive learning as an overarching principle for engaging your learners and improving training outcomes. However, immersive learning means different things to different people. To some, it means donning a high-tech headset for virtual reality (VR); for others, it means realistic video scenarios. For those new to the technology options, here is a primer on the different immersive learning methods. The options for simulating a realistic environment each have their own pros and cons.

The best place to start when weighing your options is with a framework for deciding which platform best meets your organizational needs and goals.

Start With a Needs Analysis

There isn’t a universal choice for immersive learning, since the optimal strategy for any organization relies on several factors, such as learner population size, available funding and learning goals.

Frequently, entities tend to concentrate initially on the technology and its deployment instead of first identifying the learning challenge and examining potential solutions for it. Before focusing on technology, it is best if organizations review their existing learning needs analysis procedure and other learning implementation processes to ascertain if they can be used to pinpoint where an immersive learning experience might be useful.

What Training Issues Need to Be Addressed?

Just like creating any training solution, a thorough learning needs analysis should be done to ascertain the challenge that needs to be addressed, explore potential approaches and decide on the right solution. This should include any evaluation requirements and whether an immersive learning solution should cater to this training need. It may be that it can be managed in the existing system, such as a learning management system (LMS), separate from the immersive experience.

What is the Organization’s Tech Capability?

Even if your learning and development (L&D) team does not have the necessary resources to launch an immersive learning technology solution, there might be an opportunity to source support from another department that has already experimented with new technology. The talent development team might have already tapped into platforms that are measuring skills data and could join forces with the learning team.

The most effective approach and technology for you will always depend on the specific needs, resources and capabilities of your organization.

It’s valuable to determine if a complex immersive approach is needed for a learning issue or whether a simple experience like compelling storytelling with video can sufficiently address the learning requirement.

In addition, consider the initial cost of investing in any hardware and the expense of maintaining any equipment, especially if employees are geographically dispersed.

What is the Organization’s Size and Type?

You might also consider whether your organization should solicit external assistance from a company that specializes in creating immersive learning content … which leads to the next crucial question.

As stated earlier, it’s important to assess whether the learning advantages and outcomes justify the investment, in terms of both time and finance, needed to develop the experience.

What’s the Budget?

Is there a budget available to launch an innovative learning solution or do you, as a learning leader, need to advocate for an additional budget to implement an immersive learning strategy?

For smaller organizations, the business case for immersive learning technology may not be as strong. This ties back to the balance between benefit and effort, and the nature of the organization and learning context.

For instance, if an organization focuses on training in safety-critical tasks like construction, mining or technical work heavily reliant on machinery, then immersive learning with VR or augmented reality (AR) through the use of headsets can be highly effective. Providing learners with a safe learning environment is one of immersive learning’s main advantages.

For soft skills, like leadership and management, or dealing with scenarios related to diversity and inclusion, then AR/VR hardware may be overkill and reduce accessibility — especially for

large and disparate teams. In cases like these, online simulations to practice dealing with scenarios may be much more practical and effective.

What Technology Is Available?

In each situation, thorough research is vital. It might be useful to benchmark against other similar organizations to discover which immersive learning technology they’ve adopted and what has (and hasn’t) been effective.

It’s also valuable to understand why another organization has chosen a particular immersive learning strategy or technology. Was it simply because this was available with pre-packaged content to address a specific learning requirement or has this other organization conducted research in this area?

What Skills Data Do I Get From the Experiences?

Immersive learning is high impact but can also come at a higher cost. This puts a greater spotlight on the investment, so measuring impact is critical. It is important to understand what data you will obtain over and above traditional completion and engagement data.

Experiences that involve realistic skill application have the potential to measure learning impact and upskilling. Look at the available data and how you

What is Immersive Learning?

There are many definitions of immersive learning both from academic and industry sources. In a corporate context, Learnovate defines it as a:

“User-centered technology-enabled simulation and experience-based learning approach aiming to provide engaging & effective learning in an authentic context.”

How immersive an experience is should be measured by how engaged the learner is and how effective it is at simulating a real-world scenario. Immersion in a virtual environment fosters a state of flow. When learners are fully immersed, they can perform tasks and learn without relying on external motivation. In selecting an immersive learning solution consider its power to engage learners, engender flow and simulate the moments that matter to you.

The Role of Emotions in Learning

Emotions significantly influence our cognitive processes, including engagement and learning effectiveness. Conventional eLearning often fails to create an emotional connection with learners.

By facilitating emotional reactions in learners through immersive experiences, we can enhance learning effectiveness and achieve desired outcomes. Whether it’s a challenging simulation or a humancentered discussion, emotions leave lasting imprints, shaping how we engage with information.

Acknowledging and leveraging emotions in immersive experiences can lead to powerful skills development that empowers learners to apply knowledge effectively. As learning leaders, let’s create emotionally resonant learning environments that optimize cognitive outcomes.

can use this to demonstrate learning effectiveness and return on investment.

Can the Organization Run a Pilot?

Conducting a pilot test with a smaller group of learners and collecting feedback is one of the most effective ways to ensure the solution is suitable. Constructive feedback, defining your learning metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) ahead of time, and checking if they have been met will assist in building your business case and deciding on the strategy.

Numerous organizations have deployed immersive learning strategies and technologies to address a specific highvalue need and learned a great deal from an initial deployment.

After a pilot is finished, as with any learning strategy, the emphasis should be on iteration, enhancement and addressing a further learning challenge to assess if immersive learning is a good fit for general programs.

Can the Learning Program Scale to Larger Audiences?

Another point to consider is the scalability of the immersive approach. If the pilot proves successful, consider

how the approach can be expanded to other areas of the organization. Is the technology capable of being scaled up to thousands of learners? Will it meet peak demand periods around mandatory training? Will it require additional resources, support or infrastructure?

Could We Build More Experiences Ourselves?

Assuming you scale immersive learning to more learners and programs, what is the longer-term plan for developing experiences? Are you looking for generic content or the ability to customize it to the unique needs of your organization? Who will do this work if you want to customize it: Your vendor or your instructional design team? If you plan on building your own experiences, you must also evaluate the available tools. How quickly can you go from script to experience and what support will you need?

How Accessible is the Immersive Learning?

This is another critical factor to consider. Is the immersive learning technology easy to use for all learners, including those with disabilities? It is essential to ensure that technology does not create barriers to learning

— but instead enhances the learning experience for everyone.

Don’t Set and Forget

Evaluate and iterate. Post-implementation, it is important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your immersive learning approach. Has it achieved the intended learning objectives? How has it impacted learner engagement or skill acquisition? Use this information to continuously refine and optimize the training experiences.

In Conclusion

There’s no single recommendation for choosing the best immersive learning solution, as the most effective approach and technology for you will always depend on the specific needs, resources and capabilities of your organization. However, by taking a systematic, thoughtful approach and considering key questions, you can make an informed decision that best supports your organization’s learning objectives and maximizes your training ROI.

Dr. Conor Gaffney is the chief product officer of ETU. He leads the product team working with customers and the internal engineering team to map the product and solution roadmaps for the business. Email Conor.

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All sorts. Two-way convo coaching, sentiment analysis, bias awareness training– lots of reallystuff!cool

The SweetRush Turing test? Um…well… how about if we just exchange some data?

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MAKING LEARNING IRRESISTIBLE: HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY ENGAGE EMPLOYEES IN TRAINING PROGRAMS

BY BHAVNEET CHAHAL

Building learning and development (L&D) programs isn’t simple or straightforward. However, one key action sets companies up for success: Adopting a learner-centric design approach. For corporate training to be successful, it should be designed around the learner. This means getting to know how they learn best and what makes them stick around.

CAN PERSONALIZED, ENGAGING LEARNING EXPERIENCES BE SCALED? ABSOLUTELY.

HOW TO ENGAGE ADULT LEARNERS

Engaged learners are more likely to enjoy training, finish it and get real value from it. So, the key question is, how do we engage them? The starting point is understanding what makes your employees (i.e., adult learners) unique.

Adult learners are characterized mainly by being:

• Self-directed.

• Intrinsically motivated by value drivers other than money.

• Drawn to learning things relevant to a real-life context.

• More engaged in learning that is centered around problem-solving.

These traits underscore the need to create relevant and practical learning experiences and empower employees to direct their own educational journeys. With this in mind, let’s explore the strategies that have proven the most successful in boosting learner engagement.

1. Personalize the Learning Experience: The days of onesize-fits-all are decidedly behind us. Now, it’s all about crafting bespoke learning paths and content recommendations that align with each learner’s unique needs and aspirations.

2. Embrace Microlearning and Gamification: Shorter lessons, practical exercises and gamification features like points, badges and leaderboards can turn learning into a captivating experience.

3. Encourage Social Learning: Fostering interaction and collaboration among learners can boost engagement and builds a stronger learning culture within your organization.

4. Provide Self-Paced Training: This approach accommodates different learning styles and schedules, typically resulting in a more effective experience.

5. Assess: From short quizzes to realworld challenges and immediate

feedback, evaluations serve as a key tool for gauging progress and refining training initiatives.

6. Be Agile and Data-Driven:

Quick adaptation is key in L&D. Leveraging data and certain technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), allows for the continuous refinement of learning strategies and ensures the delivery of the right content to the right person at the right time.

FEATURES THAT SUPPORT LEARNER ENGAGEMENT

While learning management systems (LMS) have traditionally been the go-to for delivering, tracking and administering training programs, putting learners at the forefront often demands other capabilities. That is where learning experience platforms (LXP) come into play. An LXP is a digital platform that prioritizes the learner’s experience and engagement, enabling them to take the steering wheel of their professional development.

The most forward-thinking learning platforms combine the robust administrative capabilities of an LMS with the modern, learnercentered approach of an LXP. This hybrid model ensures that training not only meets organizations’ necessary requirements but also deeply resonates with and empowers their learners.

In that sense, if you are evaluating learning platforms with the goal of ramping up learner engagement, make sure to check the following features:

1. Personalized Learning Paths : Create custom journeys for individual learners or teams.

2. Content Recommendation Engines: AI-powered algorithms can provide personalized content recommendations based on the learner’s preferences and past behavior.

3. Robust Content Library: A collection of high-quality, off-theshelf courses, complemented by the ability to source content from external platforms like YouTube or Wikipedia, personalizes and diversifies the training, making it more effective.

4. AI-Powered Course

Authoring Tool: Trainers and learners can easily create custom courses and thus facilitate the sharing of specific knowledge with their peers, teams, customers or other stakeholders.

5. Social and Collaborative Features: Discussion forums, community spaces like Slack channels and collaborative projects enhance knowledge exchange and build a sense of community.

6. Gamification and Microlearning: Single-topic lessons, quizzes and interactive exercises, combined with game-like elements, are powerful tools for boosting knowledge retention and motivation.

7. Clean and Smooth UI: A platform’s look and feel can really make or break engagement. A slick user interface (UI) that lets learners move smoothly through the platform and quickly do what they came to do will keep them coming back for more.

8. Comprehensive Analytics and Reporting Tools: The right tools can provide key metrics (e.g.,

BOOSTING LEARNER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS IS CRUCIAL, BUT IT’S JUST ONE FACET OF CULTIVATING A STRONG LEARNING CULTURE.

learner performance and course engagement) at the individual, course or team level. Richer data enables continuous refinement of your training.

AI POWERED TOOLS AND THE FUTURE OF LEARNER ENGAGEMENT

Focusing on engaging learners greatly benefits companies, but many encounter a significant hurdle: scalability. Can personalized, engaging learning experiences be scaled? Absolutely.

But it requires embracing technologies such as AI, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) — a prospect that can sometimes feel daunting. Designing Learner Experiences

A good first step for those yet to incorporate AI into their training initiatives is to identify the areas where AI can directly contribute to enhancing learner engagement:

• Course generation to speed up content creation.

• Personalized content to tailor the learning experience to each employee’s context, background and performance.

• Automated grading to provide instant and accurate feedback.

• Predictive analytics to identify trends and skills gaps, predict performance and spot improvement areas.

• AR/VR to create immersive experiences.

CONCLUSION

Engaging employees in learning programs is paramount for both their development and the organization’s success. By adopting strategies that prioritize the learner, utilizing modern learning platforms and leveraging AIpowered tools, companies can make training an irresistible part of their employees’ work lives.

Boosting learner engagement with the right tools is crucial, but it’s just one facet of cultivating a strong learning culture. Complementary efforts, including recognition, benefits and leading by example, also play a key role. Together, these strategies can elevate training from a basic requirement to an experience that learners genuinely enjoy and value.

Bhavneet Chahal is the co-founder of GoSkills, an award-winning training platform that combines an LMS, a course library and an AI-powered authoring tool. Email Bhavneet.

LEAD WITH CONFIDENCE AND DRIVE RESULTS IN YOUR TRAINING FUNCTION

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CULTIVATING MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY: EMPOWERING THE WORKPLACE THROUGH EDUCATION AND SUPPORT

BY DR. EMILEY HEDBERG

In today’s dynamic work environment, the importance of mental health in the workplace has never been more pronounced. Employees encounter many stressors, from relentless deadlines to navigating complex interpersonal relationships, all of which can take a toll on their mental health. It has become increasingly evident to employers that mental health is not just a peripheral concern, it is a top priority of their workforce.

The findings from the APA’s 2023 Work in America Survey show that 92% of workers insist that an organization’s commitment to their emotional and psychological well-being is important to them. Rates of loneliness, stress and burnout are on the rise, with 76% of U.S. workers reporting at least one symptom of a mental health condition.

Amidst these challenges lies an opportunity for employers to enact proactive measures that champion mental health and cultivate psychologically thriving workplaces. Embracing a comprehensive approach to learning and development (L&D) is not just about checking the box, it’s about investing in mental health education, supportive structures and initiatives to decrease stigma. By investing in these areas, organizations can foster a sense of belonging and connection to create a culture that supports the holistic wellbeing of employees.

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

The term mental health may conjure images of mental health disorders

or severe illnesses. However, it’s essential to recognize that mental health encompasses much more than that. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological and social well-being — a holistic framework that influences feelings, mindset and actions.

Mental health is not just about diagnosable conditions and symptoms; it’s a spectrum of experiences that includes everything from everyday stressors to grief and burnout. Acknowledging the full spectrum of experiences can challenge barriers and reduce stigma. Mental health is more than the absence of conditions: It is also about maintaining well-being and neglecting mental health can hinder the ability to reach one’s full potential, personally and professionally.

MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY

One approach to supporting mental health in the workplace is through improving mental health literacy. Initially understood as equipping

individuals with the knowledge, skills and resources necessary to identify and address mental health challenges before they escalate, it now also includes strategies for obtaining and maintaining good mental health. This approach not only promotes awareness but also empowers individuals to cultivate healthy coping mechanisms and build a foundation for long-term mental wellness.

L&D’S ROLE

L&D professionals play a crucial role in enhancing mental health in the workplace by developing tailored programs and resources. These initiatives empower employees and leaders to recognize signs of mental distress, access support resources and promote help-seeking behaviors. By collaborating with human resources (HR) and organizational leaders, L&D can integrate mental health components into existing training programs, including onboarding, leadership development and ongoing professional development courses. This ensures mental health literacy is ingrained in organizational culture, prioritizing employee well-being throughout the employee lifecycle.

LEADERS SET THE TONE FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND OPEN DIALOGUE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH.

L&D CAN CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EMPLOYEES FEEL EMPOWERED TO PRIORITIZE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.

INCREASING MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY

• Individual level: Equipping employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to identify and address mental health challenges is an important first step. Comprehensive mental health education programs can include training sessions and workshops such as mental health first aid or mental health awareness training. These provide employees with information about early warning signs and self-care strategies, enabling them to proactively manage their mental well-being.

In addition to simply educating individuals on signs and symptoms, education needs to also be paired with promoting help-seeking behaviors and access to interventions. This includes information about how to access employee assistance programs (EAPs), mental health resources and employee resource groups (ERGs). Consider the employee lifecycle when designing training, being thoughtful to include in onboarding and throughout their tenure with the organization. As policies and procedures change, so should communication with the employees.

While awareness campaigns provide value, skill-building is also important. Training centered on resiliencebuilding, emotional intelligence and stress management can be beneficial. Other important topics include time management, setting

and communicating boundaries and managing up

Consider adding mental health themes in role-specific training. For example, while learning about customer service, there could be elements of navigating conflict, coping with difficult customers and how to elevate concerns to their leader. By promoting these types of training, employees feel empowered with the skills to navigate challenges while teaching ways to advocate for their needs and capacity.

• Organizational level: By integrating comprehensive education programs, fostering a supportive culture and garnering leadership support, L&D can create an environment where employees feel empowered to prioritize their mental health. Providing regular check-ins, employee surveys and feedback mechanisms gives opportunities for employees to contribute to and shape the future of support and change within the organization.

Through early intervention efforts, resilience-building initiatives and effective leadership practices, workplaces can cultivate a culture of well-being that not only enhances employee satisfaction and productivity but also fosters a sense of community and belonging. As organizations continue to recognize the importance of mental health in the workplace, investing in preventive education and addressing employees’ needs will

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

If you’re interested in learning more about mental health literacy and enhancing psychological well-being in the workplace:Consider time zones: If you have a global audience, account for after-hours delivery to ensure international audiences feel included.

• American Psychiatric Association Foundation –Center for Workplace Mental Health

• Mental Health First Aid at Work

• Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being

undoubtedly yield long-term benefits for both employees and the organization as a whole.

TAKING THE NEXT BEST STEP

Now is the time to prioritize preventative mental health training for employees and leaders. Organizations should take action to implement holistic interventions for mental health in the workplace, starting with small steps. Initiating resilience-building workshops, mental health awareness training or supportive leadership practices can make a significant difference. By taking these first steps, organizations move closer to cultivating a culture of wellbeing, leading to a healthier and happier workplace for all.

Dr. Emiley Hedberg is a licensed psychologist and serves as a senior consultant with The Lumin Group, a firm specializing in team and leadership development. Email Emiley

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

MIND YOUR TRAINING BIAS

Imagine attending a train-the-trainer session as a participant. The session is facilitated by a seasoned training professional — let’s call her “Kristal.” Kristal has designed a new diversity and inclusion workshop for you and the other participants because of your desire to be more inclusive in your training design. Excited in her approach and confident in the many years of experience she has in the subject, Kristal quickly impresses the crowd with her relevant experience as she facilitates an impactful ice-breaker. As the session progresses, however, she notices that some of the attendees seem disengaged and uncomfortable. Her instinct leads her to believe it is time for a stretch break. She uses this time to elicit feedback from a colleague and learns that she had overlooked key perspectives and experiences, which inadvertently caused some attendees to feel alienated.

THE BEST WAY TO MITIGATE BIAS IN A TRAINING EXPERIENCE IS TO EMPLOY OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK MECHANISMS.

This experience not only exposed Kristal’s missteps, but also revealed a truth often overlooked by seasoned trainers: The subtle impact of unconscious and explicit bias. Training professionals must learn how to interrupt their personal biases, particularly when designing, developing, delivering and dissecting their training initiatives.

Bias — unchecked — can seep into every aspect of training from design to evaluation. It can shape content,

interactions and outcomes, ultimately influencing and impacting the learning experience. This article aims to equip readers with practical strategies to uphold the integrity and impact of their training initiatives.

“BEFORE THE TRAINING” STRATEGY

One of the most effective ways to mind your bias in training is to consciously diversify the content, tools and examples used in your training. Most training professionals miss the mark here because they rely too heavily on routine training processes. In all fairness, certain process designs are routine for consistency and even mandated by the structure of our training organizations. However, we must be careful not to let the status quo cause us to become stagnant.

As you design your next training, consider using a range of experiences and perspectives that might resonate with the anticipated audience. This might include incorporating different case studies or scenarios. It might require additional prep time as you familiarize yourself with the content in a way that maintains its integrity while making it your own. Diversifying your content can challenge you and your participants to leverage skills like critical thinking, empathy and emotional intelligence.

“DURING THE TRAINING” STRATEGY

Minding your training bias requires more than just diverse content — it also requires open dialogue amidst the training experience. The dialogue does not always have to center on “safe” topics. Sometimes, interrupting biases means inviting them into your discussions head-on.

DR. KRISTAL WALKER, CPTM

For example, if we were to revisit the fictitious story shared at the beginning of this article, Kristal might have regained the confidence of the audience by inviting the attendees to reflect on what made them uncomfortable and disengaged. This requires a level of confidence and mastery in facilitation skills, but when done correctly, it can actively engage participants and lead to impactful learning outcomes.

“AFTER THE TRAINING” STRATEGY

The best way to mitigate bias in a training experience is to employ objective feedback mechanisms. These feedback mechanisms might include tools like peer-review observations, selfassessments or surveys.

When analyzing feedback data, carefully identify patterns of bias or disparities. This insight should help you make specific revisions that result in a more inclusive experience for everyone involved.

As learning leaders, it is our responsibility to champion equitable learning opportunities from inception to evaluation. We can only do this if we are consciously engaged in our efforts and the expectations of our training participants. When we are intentional about minding our biases, we not only enhance the quality and impact of our training but also contribute to a more diverse, inclusive and respectful work culture.

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.

SAM SHRIVER & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

LANGUAGE AND LEARNING: WORDS ARE PACKAGES OF IDEAS

Learning and development (L&D) is dependent on clear and compelling language to get through to learners. If a picture is worth a thousand words, two or three absorbing and instructive words strung together in a thoughtful and intentional sequence might well be worth a whole lot more than that.

Let’s take a look at three examples:

1. Crucial Conversations® — Kerry Patterson is a co-author of this communication classic that has sold millions of copies around the world. Given its ongoing popularity, Kerry has found himself in countless conversations with random people throughout the years who introduce themselves by saying they “loved the book.”

When he has time to do so, Kerry thanks them and politely asks what their favorite chapter was. More often than not, whomever he is speaking with can’t remember. So, he asks a wellintended follow-up question or two in an effort to get a general sense of the content that resonated.

What he has uncovered is that, in a significant number of these unplanned discussions, the person who initiated them really hasn’t even cracked the cover of the book! They may have bought it but had never actually gotten around to reading it … or they simply saw the title the last time they were in a bookstore or scrolling through a list of recommendations.

Uncomfortable though it may seem, Kerry presses on and typically

winds up in a meaningful exchange grounded by the intuitive reality that some conversations are defined by unescapable anxiety, conflict and tension. And sometimes just seeing the word crucial right next to the word conversation is enough to get people to prepare for, and execute, those discussions differently!

2. Situational Leadership® — Along the same lines, we would offer that anyone who has ever attended a Situational Leadership® training program over the last 50 years knew exactly what they were getting into long before the training ever started:

• There is no one best way to lead people … it depends!

• Every style of leadership works … and doesn’t! It depends!

• Effectively leading people is a function of the leader adapting to everemerging circumstances, as opposed to hoping those circumstances will consistently align with the leader’s strengths and preferences.

Again, two words, placed side by side, immediately morph into something distinctive when it comes time to develop leaders.

3. Stakeholder-Centered Coaching®

— For decades, executive coaching was almost exclusively defined by a confidential contract between the person being coached and the person doing the coaching. And since they were the only people who really knew what was going on, they were the only

people who could speak to any impact that was being made.

When you put stakeholder-centered in front of the word coaching, you describe a process that is altogether different. It is a process that is governed (from start to finish) by the people in the best possible position to define what the person being coached needs to work on and how that progress will be measured. And those people are the peers and associates of the person being coached!

L&D IS DEPENDENT UPON THOUGHTPROVOKING LANGUAGE.

Words are packages of ideas. We believe this to be true for authors, program designers and trainers alike. Our community of learning and development is unquestionably dependent upon thought-provoking language and it always has been. Because words create or evoke imagery. And imagery has the potential to both induce and ignite emotion. And emotion fuels intent. And intent (especially if it receives periodic reinforcement) can direct profound changes in both behavior … and outcomes!

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 the authors.

HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN FOSTER A CULTURE OF BELONGING

You probably work with someone who once wanted to tell leadership what they really thought about a particular initiative or decision they didn’t agree with. Perhaps it didn’t happen because they never spoke up. That’s understandable: Speaking up in this situation could backfire and derail your work or career. Sound familiar?

The reality is that organizational culture greatly influences how comfortable employees at any level in an organization are in speaking up. Things like reporting structure, power dynamics and office politics all have a real effect on how we go about our days.

What can we do to help overcome these cultural challenges?

FROM INCLUSION TO BELONGING

Many organizations focus heavily on inclusion. They want to ensure that employees have a seat at the table to understand what’s going on. While great in theory, inclusion efforts often come up short. What inclusion offers in access, it often lacks in influence and authority. Belonging focuses on valuing each voice, even if what’s being said is different from your own beliefs or actions.

While belonging is important at the organizational level, it’s even more critical for teams. Most of our work happens in teams, which influences our perception of workplace culture. Let’s explore two important characteristics for creating successful teams:

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is related to trust. Teams with high psychological safety speak freely without fear of being punished for speaking up.

Team members openly disagree in an intellectual and productive manner. They speak up without intimidation. With trust, you give the benefit of the doubt to others when they take a risk. With psychological safety, others give you the benefit when you take a risk. Cultures of belonging have high levels of psychological safety.

IT’S BETTER TO MAKE DECISIONS ON A LINE THAN ON A POINT.

Cognitive Diversity

Teams whose members approach the same problem from different perspectives are cognitively diverse. Their multiple viewpoints help account for blind spots in decision-making. They think differently from one another and the sum of their thoughts creates multiple perspectives. With cognitively diverse teams, you are more likely to account for potential problem areas before it’s too late.

Teams high in psychological safety and cognitive diversity are often the most successful.

TECHNOLOGY FOR BELONGING

So, where does technology fit in to improve psychological safety and cognitive diversity? Use these practical insights to create a culture of belonging through technology:

• Anonymous Feedback: People are far more likely to give honest feedback when they know that it can’t be tracked back to them. Yet most organizations either ask for or track personal information. Use an anonymous feedback tool to ensure no personal information is captured.

What you lose in tracking is made up by the wealth of insights you get.

• Focus at the Team Level: Instead of asking employees to self-assess, consider having them evaluate their team. A team can be defined in many ways, from those reporting to the same person to those working on the same project. Gain authentic feedback by asking how someone feels about their team.

• Report Aggregate Findings: You probably know someone who looks at “anonymous” survey results and tries to figure out who said what. It’s human nature to do it. Avoid this by reporting findings at the team level and discussing areas of strength and challenge areas.

• Connect the Dots: It’s better to make decisions on a line than on a point. Instead of taking action after looking at one data point, wait until you can connect multiple data points into a line and act on that trend. Pre- and post-assessments with prescribed activities in between are a useful way to achieve this.

A WORK IN PROGRESS

Building a great organizational culture and creating successful teams takes time and is a continual process. Use technology to help foster a culture of belonging: You’ll know how well it works next time you speak up on a topic.

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

CASE STUDY: HOW USAID ENGAGES LEARNERS AROUND THE GLOBE

Learning and development (L&D) initiatives are complex — effectively upskilling and reskilling employees, proving the effectiveness of your training and securing a budget are not simple processes. In organizations with learners across the globe, that complexity can be multiplied a thousandfold. Still, there are L&D professionals who thrive in this environment of complexity and constant change.

I talked to Stephanie Fugate, CPTM, the division chief of the professional development and training (PDT) function and acquisition career manager (ACM) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to learn how she stays ahead of shifting compliance requirements while making sure a global workforce has the skills they need to drive organizational excellence on the world stage.

L&D AT USAID

USAID is a federal agency responsible for dispersing foreign aid and development assistance, with the goal of providing disaster relief, poverty relief, and socioeconomic development globally. Active in over 80 countries, USAID has a staff of more than 10,000 across the globe. The PDT team is responsible for managing the Office of Federal Procurement Policy’s federally mandated acquisition certification and training programs

BY MIKE ALLEN, CPTM

within USAID, including publishing guidance, determining content and approving curriculum. They also manage assistance training programs, for example, programs related to grants or cooperative agreements.

Fugate’s job as the division chief for the PDT division and as USAID’s acquisition career manager is to not only find opportunities to help develop the organization’s acquisition and assistance workforce but also to focus on training requirements, both government and agency-specific, gap analyses and developing learning and development (L&D) strategies.

This requires her to secure funding, support her staff so they can provide customer service for USAID staff worldwide and manage training programs and learning management system (LMS) accounts. “I also find myself on calls,” says Fugate, “at conferences or physically overseas to collaborate and partner with other agency bureaus, overseas missions and organizations external to the government such as associations and the private sector.”

Fugate’s PDT team consists of 14 members, including subject matter experts, procurement analysts and contracting specialists. They also work with several vendors who bring large pools of instructors to the table, as well as instructional designers and content specialists.

A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS LEARNING

Fugate says that USAID’s learning culture is one that fosters continuous learning. “Acquisition and assistance is such an iterative field,” she says, “so the learning never stops.” There are many initiatives within the agency that focus on incorporating learning into how learners work every day. “USAID’s mission allows us to problem-solve, innovate and engage worldwide,” says Fugate, “so it is only fitting that we focus on how we can consistently gain more insight into a problem or issue so we can learn from it.

KEY CHALLENGES IN A GLOBAL WORKFORCE

One significant challenge that Fugate’s team has faced has been the transition back to in-person training after the pandemic. “With a resurgence in demand for face-toface interactions, we found our prepandemic setup inadequate to meet the current needs.” To address this, they increased the frequency of inperson sessions and are exploring larger venues to accommodate more participants.

Additionally, current global events are posing challenges to training delivery at USAID, particularly for teams in geopolitically sensitive areas. To navigate these complexities, Fugate’s team has employed adaptive

management techniques, which involve flexible planning and the ability to quickly pivot strategies as situations evolve. “This approach has been instrumental in ensuring that our training programs are resilient,” says Fugate, “and responsive to changes, enabling us to deliver quality education no matter the circumstances.”

Fugate’s team has also been embracing new advancements in learning tech to enhance their training. The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into their programs is a prime example: “By incorporating AI tools,” she says, “we’ve enriched our entry-level project management course, equipping our learners with cutting-edge skills to utilize AI for efficient project management.” This ensures that their curriculum stays relevant and empowers staff with practical tools to enhance their productivity and decision-making capabilities, while presenting them with real-world scenarios.

GAINING STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT

When it comes to securing a training budget, alignment with organizational goals and effective communication with stakeholders are key. This has proven true for Fugate’s team at USAID: “First and foremost, it’s important that I understand the agency’s priorities and goals,” she says. “Once I have that understanding, I can then develop a strategic plan. With the support of my team, we work through these ideas and align them directly with the overall agency priorities and goals.” This has proven effective in attaining funding for her learning initiatives, enabling her to convey the importance of specific initiatives to senior leadership for approval and implementation.

ENSURING ACCESS TO TRAINING

USAID employees use learning management systems (LMSs), knowledge libraries and an agency intranet to access their training materials.

To further ensure the alignment of training to the needs of learners,

Fugate’s team does a training assessment each Spring. “Sometimes these are off-the-shelf,” she says, “but many are internally developed and customized just for the group requesting it.” Their courses are also tweaked for specific overseas missions, ensuring that the learning falls within the contextual environment their learners are working in.

AI-ENABLED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

In response to increasing demand from staff, Fugate’s team is expanding their offerings in project management training, enhancing the content to address current and future needs with a particular focus on integrating AI. Recognizing AI’s transformative impact on project management, courses now include modules on AI-driven analytics for project tracking, machine learning for risk assessment and AI tools for stakeholder communication and engagement. “These enhancements are designed to equip our team with fundamental project management principles,” Fugate says, “as well as cutting-edge technological skills, ensuring they are well-prepared to leverage AI technologies to enhance project outcomes and overall productivity.”

Fugate’s team is also in the early stages of creating an Acquisition Workforce Certification Fellows program with Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The program, which was launched in January 2024, is designed to empower both undergraduate and graduate students with the skills they need to excel in the world of acquisition and assistance. Another model that Fugate’s team is piloting focuses on the needs of full-time students, combining traditional learning with opportunities to meet and collaborate with acquisition and assistance professionals at USAID and throughout the industry. The goal of these initiatives, according to Fugate, is to “foster a sense of continuous learning in the field.”

TRAINING IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE AT USAID.

PROVING EFFECTIVENESS

“Training is a critical component of organizational performance at USAID,” says Fugate, “directly contributing to our ability to innovate, adapt and efficiently carry out our mission.” By continuously upgrading the skills and knowledge of their staff, they ensure that their workforce stays current with industry standards and best practices while also equipping them with the necessary tools to tackle the unique challenges presented by USAID’s global initiatives.

As part of USAID’s fiscal year 2025 strategic plan, Fugate’s team is focusing on creating a data analytics strategy that enhances training effectiveness and organizational performance. “This strategy involves identifying key data points related to training and organizational outcomes,” says Fugate, establishing methods for capturing this data consistently and setting up simple processes for analyzing these data sets.

THE FUTURE OF LEARNING AT USAID

“Learning for the acquisition and assistance workforce is trending towards experiential learning, Fugate says, “as well as on-the-job and other non-traditional activities.” An increasingly learner-driven mindset enables organizations like USAID to find new ways to implement mandatory training, while supplementing those requirements with additional skills that cannot be learned in the traditional classroom.

Mike Allen, CPTM is an editor at Training Industry. Email Mike.

CONGRATULATIONS CPTM GRADUATES!

Congratulations to all of those who became Certified Professionals in Training Management (CPTMs™) in the past three months. We would like to recognize 94 graduates from diverse industries and roles around the world. Your accomplishment places you amongst an elite group of learning and development professionals. We cannot wait to see how you will lead the change!

Accenture

Christine DeMartini

Corina Haywood Elizabeth Cantrall

Crews Banking Corporation

Andrew Hughes

Cheryl Hendry

General Motors

Kevin Jackson

Melanie Perras

Allison Kidd Sanofi

Congrats to these graduates from the same company!

Grant PUD

Brandi Opheikens

Joe Marcoux

Lousiana Economic Development

Mario Vaccari

Paul Helton

Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks and Bus

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Thomas ET

Red Hat

Chad Tramp

Jana Gutierrez Kardum

Craig LeBlanc Farmer's Insurance

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Braeden Cabrera Avepoint

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Charlotte Leftwich American Heart Association

Chelsea Shelburne Kids Voice of Indiana

Daniel Pardue Essity

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Deborah Callaway Motiva

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Texas DFPS

Amanda Smyers

Elizabeth Berg

Jamie Carrington

Joy Suarez

Julie Jacobson

Zach Tarver

WebHelp Portugal

John Luz

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Georgina Zirbes Zankou Chicken

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Heather Harrington ECS Group of Companies

Hope Knowles Priority Technology Holdings

Inna Link Werfen

Jahnvee Goswami Suncoor Energy Inc.

Jeffrey Tyree USAA

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Jessica VanNatta Permuta Technoligies

Joanna Bell Bonnell Aluminum

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Jose Perez Capitol Bridge

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Lana Frankenfield Department of Veterans Affairs

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Rupa Ailam 8x8

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

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Stephanie Kuhar OneAZ Credit Union

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CLOSING DEALS

CORNERSTONE ACQUIRES SKYHIVE TO ADVANCE WORKFORCE READINESS AND AGILITY

Many businesses today struggle to keep pace with rapid market shifts and technology advancements — particularly in the realm of generative artificial intelligence (AI).

As needs evolve, so do the skills that employees need to thrive, leading to a widening workforce readiness gap. Research by Cornerstone, in partnership with Lighthouse Research, found that 63% of enterprise leaders surveyed don’t believe their workforce is adaptable to change. The research also found that less than half (45%) of employers know of existing skills gaps and fully address them in their talent development strategies.

Given the prevalence of this business challenge, it makes sense that we’re seeing corporate training providers team up to address skills shortages and drive workforce readiness.

Let’s consider how Cornerstone’s recent acquisition of SkyHive Technologies Holdings Inc. (“SkyHive”) is positioned to help companies build a highly skilled, future-ready workforce.

THE “WHY”

Cornerstone has steadily acquired innovative organizations to help further establish its position in the market as a leading workforce agility solutions provider: In 2020, the company acquired Clustree and Saba Software; in 2022, it acquired EdCast and SumTotal Systems, and this year Cornerstone acquired Talespin in March, followed by SkyHive in May.

Karthik Suri, Cornerstone’s chief product officer, says that Cornerstone’s acquisition of SkyHive, an AI-powered skills intelligence platform, made sense for a few reasons. First, SkyHive’s AI capabilities will help “turbocharge” Cornerstone’s own

BY SARAH GALLO, CPTM

skills engine, which is powered by AI and machine learning.

It will also help organizations begin the (challenging) process of workforce upskilling and reskilling by providing a data-driven skills structure and increased visibility into key gaps and strengths. “We found that this is the right time, at the right moment. The industry is at an inflection point, and [the acquisition] perfectly aligns with the launch of our workforce agility category” of solutions, Suri says, which includes Cornerstone Galaxy, its recently launched AI-powered workforce agility platform.

INCREASING VISIBILITY FOR FUTURE READINESS

We’ve established that many companies struggle to both identify current skills gaps (and strengths) and to predict future ones.

By parsing through terabytes of global workforce, labor market and economic data, SkyHive provides organizations with greater visibility into emerging, critical skills they’ll need to develop to stay competitive. It does this by plotting emerging and existing trends and mapping them against internal company data to help bridge the gap between “the skills desired and the skills held,” Suri says. Formulating a talent strategy around these insights “forms the basis of addressing the workforce readiness gap.”

Through data-driven skills intelligence, combined with comprehensive talent development programs, Cornerstone can point organizations toward “strategic workforce planning,” Suri says, which is the key to staying ahead of change.

FOCUS AREAS MOVING FORWARD

Looking ahead, Suri says there are five “massive innovation opportunities” that

Cornerstone is focused on leveraging:

1. First and foremost, Cornerstone is focused on providing actionable, skillsbased insights through its Cornerstone Talent Intelligence platform.

2. Through its acquisition of Talespin, Cornerstone launched Cornerstone Immerse — a suite of virtual and extended reality solutions, which is an opportunity to help users deliver more engaging, immersive learning experiences.

3. Cornerstone is “committed to being an open platform,” Suri says. With Cornerstone Extend, an open system of partners, integrations and application programming interfaces (APIs), users can seamlessly integrate their technologies.

4. Cornerstone’s generative AI tool, Cornerstone Companion AI, is set to “completely reimagine” workflows for both employees and talent development professionals, Suri says.

5. Through the acquisition of SkyHive, Cornerstone remains focused on delivering “skills transformation services” that can help bridge the workforce readiness gap and drive agility, Suri says.

The pace of change facing businesses, and the market at large, is unlikely to slow down soon. However, AI-powered, data-driven solutions like Cornerstone and SkyHive can help organizations proactively upskill and reskill employees to stay competitive — no matter what challenges lie ahead.

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.

ACQUISITIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Rise Up , the leader in integrated learning solutions with over five million active learners, announced its acquisition of Domoscio, the French learning tech company that specializes in adaptive learning. The strategic acquisition will provide a more effective option for organizations looking to reduce their learners’ timeto-skill with personalized learning.

Cornerstone OnDemand , the leading provider of workforce agility solutions, announced their acquisition of the workforce skills intelligence capabilities and a team of specialized domain experts from SkyHive Technologies Holdings Inc. The acquisition accelerates Conerstone’s reskilling capabilities by unlocking predictive labor market intelligence, automated job architecture management, skill proficiency detection and more.

The Training Associates (TTA) , the leading global provider of L&D talent and solutions, announced a strategic partnership with InSync Training. The collaboration leverages InSync’s capabilities in creating custom, learnercentric virtual training experiences, to enable both companies to offer an expanded portfolio of services, including strategic learning design, technology upskilling, full-time placement and more.

Simplilearn , the leading online bootcamp provider, strengthened its partnership with Purdue University to announce the launch of its Generative AI for Business Transformation program. The expanded partnership will provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications across business functions.

INDUSTRY NEWS

ENABLING MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS

The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS), the global home of the Situational Leadership® Model, announced the release of Situational Conversations™, a flexible, multimodal program that enables leaders to drive success and engagement through meaningful conversations with their teams. CLS’s new offering enables leaders to improve skills through performance conversations that foster trust.

GENERATING PERSONALIZED MICROLEARNING

Qstream, the global leader in microlearning and knowledge reinforcement technology, released a new AI microlearning content

generator. The offering aims to help L&D teams quickly create and deliver engaging microlearning experiences across the business. Qstream AI enables learning leaders to create AI-generated questions, repurpose existing training materials and more.

LEARNING MANAGEMENT AI ASSISTANT

Litmos, the leading corporate learning solution that reaches over 4,000 companies and 30 million learners, announced the expansion of its learning management portfolio with the upcoming launch of the Litmos AI Assistant. The tool leverages generative AI to improve knowledge sharing, recall, summarization, clarification, course recommendations and more.

Schoox , the leader in learning management and talent development solutions, announced the launch of its AI-driven skills-mapping feature, made possible by an integration with Visier Skills Intelligence. This feature will empower organizations to personalize employee learning experiences, helping them reskill upskill and fill skills gaps.

GP Strategies , the provider of organizational and technical performance solutions, announced a partnership with Uplimit, the AIpowered online learning platform. This collaboration merges GP Strategies’ expertise in developing leadership skills with Uplimit’s cutting-edge platform and social, cohort-based approach to upskilling learners in an AI-driven world.

FOSTERING INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES

Traliant, the innovator in the field of online compliance training, announced a new series of courses to offer guidance on fostering workplace inclusivity. The courses include Creating Inclusive Workplaces, Inclusive Management: Hiring and Onboarding and Inclusive Management: Managing Diverse Teams. The courses aim to enable L&D to make workplaces better for every learner.

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