The Business of Learning

The Business of Learning, Episode 71: Learning Reinforcement — Delivering Training That ”Sticks”

Without reinforcement, even the best training programs will fail to drive sustained behavior change. Delivering “sticky” learning programs that encourage learning retention over time is key to realizing the business benefits of training and development.

To learn more about learning reinforcement strategies and best practices, we spoke with Elena Agaragimova, a talent development specialist, author and podcaster, and Rachel Walerstein, CPTM, senior manager of learning and talent development for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, in the latest episode of The Business of Learning.

Listen now for insights on:

• The manager’s role in learning reinforcement.
• Leveraging technology for improved learning retention.
• How to create a learning culture in both in-person and virtual settings.

The Business of Learning, Episode 70: Harnessing the Power of Competency Modeling

Competency modeling offers learning and development (L&D) professionals a data-driven approach to understanding employee skills and abilities, and their alignment with job roles and functions.

However, building impactful competency models can be complex, particularly in large, geographically dispersed organizations. This episode of The Business of Learning offers expert advice that can help you begin building custom competency models for your organization. Listen now for insights from Dr. Amy DuVernet, CPTM, director of training and development at Training Industry, Alyssa Kaszycki, learning product manager at Training Industry, Brian Blecke, founding partner and senior learning strategist at Actio Learning, and Kelly Smith, partner and senior performance consultant at Actio Learning.

The Business of Learning, Episode 69: Building a Digitally Fluent Workforce

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies have made the need for digital skills training a top business imperative. Without digital skills, employees will be ill-equipped to do their jobs in today’s world of work — and in tomorrow’s.

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Shauna Begley, founder of ModernWork and current program head of the business information technology management program at the Business Columbia Institute of Technology, and George Hanshaw, director of digital learning solutions at Los Angeles Pacific University, to learn more about building a digitally fluent workforce.

Listen now for insights on:

• The difference between digital fluency and digital literacy.
• Why “technical know-how” is just the beginning of cultivating digital fluency.
• How to assess your organization’s current level of digital fluency.

The Business of Learning, Episode 68: Skills Mapping — Your Business’s GPS for Future Readiness

The skills employees need to do their jobs today might look quite different from the skills they'll need to do their jobs even just a few years from now. In fact, The World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs report found that 44% of workers’ core skills are expected to change in the next five years.

To stay competitive, it's imperative that organizations map the skills their employees need to be successful not only in today's business environment, but also in tomorrow's. 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Rose Cartolari, founder and CEO of RC Consulting, and Lisa Paulson, L&D manager at Nesnah Ventures, to learn more about skills mapping, and how it can help improve workforce readiness. 

 

 

The Business of Learning, Bonus Episode: AI in L&D — 5 Things You Need to Know

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are impacting nearly every industry, including learning and development (L&D). With all the hype around AI, it makes sense that L&D professionals have some questions: How will AI impact the learning leader's role? How can it be used to make their jobs easier? How will it shape the future of corporate training as a whole? 

Training Industry’s CEO, Ken Taylor, and Dr. Tom Whelan, director of research, recently sat down to discuss how AI is bringing both challenges and opportunities to the L&D field. Their conversation offers greater clarity for learning leaders around the future of L&D in the age of AI.

In this episode, we outline five things you need to know, as a learning leader, about AI and its potential to impact corporate training as we know it.

The Business of Learning, Episode 67: Modalities Matter — The Evolution of Training Delivery Methods

From virtual instructor-led training (VILT) to eLearning to virtual reality (VR), there's no shortage of training delivery modalities available to choose from. This means that determining which modalities are best for your programs can be a challenge — especially as advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) continue to bring innovative delivery options to the market. 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Lauren LePage, a learning designer at Chick-Fil-A, Jeffrey Dyer, CPTM, a senior technical training manager, and Valerie Marsh, CPTM, director of learning and development at Jushi, to learn more about: 

• How to select the right delivery modality for your programs. 
• How to create a blended learning experience. 
• How technology is impacting training delivery. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Business of Learning, Episode 66: Demystifying Training Measurement — How to Prove L&D’s Business Value

Measuring the business impact of training has long been a notorious challenge for learning and development (L&D) professionals, and rightly so: It requires a certain level of business savvy, in addition to working with stakeholders well before rolling out a program.

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with industry experts Lindsey Clayton, a learning and development consultant at Caterpillar, Dr. Allan Church, managing partner at Maestro Consulting and former senior vice president of global talent management at Pepsi Co., and Dr. Jaimie Krause, director of L&D at Indeed in global learning and enablement, for tips that can help "demystify" training measurement and prove the value of training to the business.

The Business of Learning, Episode 65: The Employee Experience — What’s L&D Got to Do With It?

Today’s employees want to learn and grow, and they expect their organization to help them do it. In fact, LinkedIn Learning’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report found that the No. 1 way organizations are working to improve retention is by providing learning opportunities.

However, integrating learning into the employee experience is easier said than done. For many training professionals, who are busy rolling out mandatory compliance programs or initiatives requested by business leaders, it sits on the (seemingly never-ending) list of “nice-to-haves.”

In this just-released episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Sydney Savion, senior director of learning services at Google and member of Training Industry Magazine’s editorial board, Thomas Fenstermacher, CPTM, learning specialist at TrellisRX, and Eric McArdle, CPTM, and manager of training and knowledge management at Cisco, for tips that can help.

Listen now for insights on:

• The business benefits of creating a culture of learning.
• How to make time and space for employees to learn.
• The importance of leadership training in creating a positive employee experience.

The Business of Learning, Episode 64: One-size-fits-none — The Rise of Personalization and Learning Pathways

Today's learners want training that is engaging and relevant to their job role — and they want to see how learning can help them achieve their career goals. In other words, standardized, check-box learning is no longer sufficient (if it ever was) when it comes to training the modern workforce.

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we sat down with Parker Donnafiled, CPTM, a learning specialist at Canvas Credit Union, and Keri Borba, L&D and talent development director at AAA Northeast, to learn what it takes to deliver personalized learning at scale: Because one size never truly fits all.

The Business of Learning, Episode 63: Going Global - Training an International Audience

Today's workforce is more globally dispersed than ever before, with some employees logging on to the same virtual meeting oceans apart from their colleagues. While globalization has brought with it numerous opportunities for organizations (and employees), delivering training to an international audience can be a challenge.

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Ken Stockman, senior L&D strategist at IBM Consulting, Melaine Mahabir, CPTM, knowledge management associate at Guardian Insurance, and Shezelle Krei, global head of learning and development at Western Union, to learn more about what it takes to train and develop globally dispersed learners.