The Business of Learning

The Business of Learning, Episode 85: Women at Work — How L&D Can Drive Career Growth

Despite strides toward gender equity, women in the workplace continue to encounter systemic challenges that hinder their career progression. While representation in executive roles has improved over the past decade — rising from 17% to 29% of C-suite positions, according to McKinsey — women, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, remain significantly outnumbered.  

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Neha Trivedi, CPTM, HR director, learning and development and talent development at Alight Solutions, to learn more about how L&D can help support women’s career growth. 

Tune in now to hear the conversation, where we discuss:  

• Real-world examples of programs that have had an impact on women’s career growth.  

• The importance of coaching, mentoring and sponsorship opportunities.  

• Partnering with HR and other business units to create comprehensive development strategies, ensure equitable access to leadership opportunities and embed inclusive practices across the organization. 

The Business of Learning, Episode 84: Training Vendors and Buyers — Secrets to a Successful Partnership

Organizations outsource training projects or processes for various reasons, including gaining access to specialized expertise, scaling programs efficiently and freeing up internal resources.  

Selecting the right training provider is the first step to ensuring a successful partnership, but success doesn’t stop there. Building a strong relationship between providers and buyers is essential for delivering learning solutions that align with business needs. 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we sat down with Kelly Lake, chief strategy and innovation officer at Sweetrush, and Tiffany Vojnovski , CPTM, senior learning strategist at SweetRush.    

Tune in now for their insights on:  

• Questions to ask when selecting a training vendor. 
• Communication and feedback strategies for effective partnerships. 
• Measuring the success of partnerships with training providers.  

The Business of Learning, Episode 83: Great Training Starts With a Plan: Real-World Tips for Strategic Planning

Ongoing Training Industry research has found that strategic alignment is the most important process capability of great training organizations. However, many learning and development (L&D) leaders struggle to align training with business goals.  

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we sat down with Anita Ann Mihelic, CPTM, director of learning and development at Construct Connect, and Peter Plumlee, CPTM, head of learning and development at Presence, for insights on building a strategic L&D plan.  

Tune in now for tangible best practices on:  

• Developing a strategic —and adaptable — L&D plan.  

• Partnering with stakeholders to build your strategic L&D plan.  

• Determining key metrics to consider when crafting a strategic L&D plan.  

The Business of Learning, Special Episode: Fostering Leadership at all Levels of the Business

Today’s workplace is facing increasing complexities, making leadership both more important and more challenging than ever before. To stay competitive in a volatile market, companies need to develop effective leaders across organizational levels. They also need leaders who can not only navigate uncertainty but also use it as fuel for growth and innovation. 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, brought to you by Canvas, we spoke with Dr. Susan Gray, chief creative officer at Canvas, and Bruce Landry, managing partner and chief experience officer at Canvas. Listen now to hear their insights on: 

• The current challenges leaders are facing.
• Why we need to challenge conventional notions of leadership as a role or rank. 
• The “leadership as responsibility” approach. 

The Business of Learning, Episode 82: Building Your AI Skills as a Learning Leader

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to impact how we work and learn, learning leaders need robust AI skills to leverage this innovative technology for more impactful — and efficient — training. However, with AI quickly advancing, and new AI-powered learning technologies frequently hitting the market, building your AI skill set can seem daunting to busy training professionals.

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Marc Ramos, an industry vet with 20 years of experience with Google, Novartis and Accenture, who was most recently the chief learning officer at Cornerstone OnDemand, and Melissa Brown, CPTM, learning and development leader at Holland and Hart LLP, about building your AI skills as a learning leader.

Tune in now for their insights and advice on: 

• The skills learning leaders need in an AI-driven world, and how to develop them. 
• Tips for becoming proficient with AI-enabled tools and technologies. 
• The importance of “keeping a human in the loop.” 

The Business of Learning, Episode 81: Leading Through Change — Developing Agile Leaders

In today’s workplace, it seems like the only constant is change. Organizations need agile leaders who can adapt to evolving business needs and guide their teams through uncertainty. Of course, this is easier said than done: Leaders need training and development to build key skills like resilience and agility. 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Jennifer Garvey Berger, an author and the CEO of Cultivating Leadership, and Mindy Vail, an author and the founder and CEO of The MindShift Effect, for tips on developing agile, future-ready leaders. 

Tune in now for insights on: 

• The skills leaders need to manage change. 
• Navigating the human side of change. 
• Innovating strategically to avoid burnout. 

The Business of Learning, Episode 80: Developing Human-Centered Leaders

Human-centered leadership skills, like emotional intelligence (EQ), self-awareness, communication and more, are essential for leaders looking to support and empower their teams to perform at their best.
However, many leaders struggle to develop human-centered skills. In fact, according to Gartner, 71% of employees believe that their leaders don’t exhibit human skills.

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Karolien Koolhof, an author and founder of the training and coaching business Quiet Quality, for tips on how to develop human-centered leaders. 

Tune in now for expert insights on: 

• Why human-centered leaders are critical to business success today. 
• The connection between human-centered leadership and company culture.
• The (often overlooked) power of introverted leaders. 

[Special Episode] Confidence, Tech and the Human Connection

In this special episode of The Business of Learning, brought to you by Wisetail, we spoke with Evan Melick, director of product at Wisetail, to learn more about how confidence impacts learning and performance.

Tune in now for expert insights on:

• Why psychological safety is critical for effective learning.
• How leaders can assess employees’ confidence in a given skill.
• Why confident employees are more likely to take risks and drive innovation.

The Business of Learning, Episode 79: Unpacking the ISO Guidelines for L&D Metrics

In this first video episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Tom Whelan, Ph.D., director of corporate research at Training Industry, about training measurement and evaluation. Specifically, we discussed the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO’s, latest guidance for L&D metrics, which are further detailed in the Training Industry Research e-book “Learning Measurement for Modern Business: Making Sense of ISO 30437.”

Tune in now for insights on:

• The 5-4-3 Framework.

• The three categories of metrics mentioned in the report — efficacy, effectiveness and outcome metrics.

• What these guidelines mean for the training vendor market moving forward.

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The Business of Learning, Episode 78: L&D’s Role in Supporting Employee Well-Being

Multiple studies have shown that employee well-being is declining, with one recent report revealing that over 80% of employees are at risk of burnout in 2024.

Although employee well-being is primarily a human priority, it’s equally important for businesses. In addition to burnout, low employee well-being can lead to decreased productivity, engagement and even turnover.

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Kyile Stair, chief people officer at Litmos, to learn more about how learning and development (L&D) leaders can champion well-being — and even improve their own.

Listen now for insights on:

• The manager’s role in supporting employee well-being.
• The importance of mental health awareness training.
• How to make time and space for wellness and self-care as a busy learning leader.