AXIOM Insights - Learning and Development Podcast: Recent Episodes
AXIOM Learning Solutions - axiomlearningsolutions.com
Let's talk about how to drive organizational performance through learning. The AXIOM Insights podcast features learning and development leaders who share their experiences, insights and advice about how organizational development can support the goals and growth of the organization. We discuss learning program needs analysis, project management, instructional design, e-learning, learning technologies, learning sciences, and everything related to corporate training.
In this episode of the podcast, we explore the process of using e-learning to support the growth of professional development learning, through the experience of education non-profit HILL for Literacy. In the most recently completed school year, HILL for Literacy has supported the professional development of more than 8,500 teachers and school administrators, with learning content which helps teachers apply scientifically-grounded literacy instructional techniques in the elementary school classroom. Through this professional development learning, HILL has affected the education of more than 184,000 students.
HILL for Literacy’s professional development programs were developed to be delivered through in-person workshops. Since 2019, HILL has undertaken a transformative initiative to expand their reach through virtual delivery of their content, with a combination of virtual coaching and synchronous and asynchronous virtual delivery (e-learning).
In this episode, we are joined by HILL for Literacy’s director of research and development, Cindy McGurl, and marketing director MarcyKate Connolly.
Cindy McGurl served as a consultant and coach on state, district, and school projects for more than twenty years, including implementing whole district/school literacy change models, using data to drive instruction, adopting instructional practices that support diverse learners, and program evaluation. As the Director of HILL Online, she now drives the process of developing tools and applications to make those projects more efficient, scalable, and sustainable.
MarcyKate Connolly served in marketing roles at several nonprofit arts organizations before landing at HILL for Literacy, where she found a mission she was passionate about—teaching children how to read—that matched with her skillset and dovetailed perfectly with her work as a children’s book author.
In this episode, we discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for learning and development. Tools like ChatGPT and other large language model (LLM) and generative AI tools can be a transformative element of workflows, including in the creation of text and visual learning content. But the adoption of AI goes deeper than learning content, and as AI is integrated across the enterprise, it represents a digital transformation which can position learning and development as a strategic partner in the business.
In this discussion, we hear from three experts in the theory and application of transformation technologies. Judy Pennington is a Management of Technology Fellow and the James J. Renier Chair in Management of Technology with the Technological Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota. Judy's career has focused on the intersection of people and technology, specializing in IT workforce transformation, IT leadership development, IT learning and development, culture, and change management. She was previously Managing Director and CIO Fellow with Deloitte Consulting and a member of the faculty and leadership team for the CIO Next Generation Academy.
David Nguyen, Ph.D., is a Management of Technology Senior Fellow and the Edson W. Spencer Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship with the Technological Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota. David has a background in the startup world by way of research in human-computer interaction (HCI), and in the innovation space, has published numerous articles on novel technologies and interactions. As an inventor, he has filed or issued more than 40 patents. He earned his doctorate in Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.
Susan Nabonne Beck is Vice President, Learning Design and Strategy with AXIOM Learning Solutions. An experienced and expert learning and development practitioner, Susan specializes in e-learning design, development and strategy. Susan has extensive experience creating custom learning with an emphasis on user/learner experience and measurable outcomes, and her career includes roles leading learning and development teams for multiple Fortune 50 companies.
In this episode of the podcast, we take a look at the pressures and opportunites in workforce development and learning in the healthcare sector, a highly regulated sector that has faced extreme pressures over the past five years. How can healthcare organizations support their workforce needs, especially in the face of demographic pressures which forecast significant shortages in skilled healthcare roles?
Our panelists for this discussion are Dr. Lamata Mitchell, vice president and Chief Learning Officer with AdventHealth; Hillary Miller, vice president and Chief Learning Officer with PennState Health; and Geoffrey Roche, Director of Workforce Development, North America with Siemens Healthineers.
In order to maximize the impact of training, it’s critical that learning programs are aligned with the intended behavior change and your organization’s goals. While L&D professionals understand this, achieving this level of strategic alignment and collaboration can be difficult and in many cases elusive, as learning professionals are pushed into the role of “order takers” rather than strategic partners.
In this episode of the podcast, we speak with chief learning officer, speaker and author Dr. Keith Keating, to explore the guidance and tools he has compiled in his new book, “The Trusted Learning Advisor.” In the book, Dr. Keating shares why learning professionals must evolve to earn and maintain the much-desired seat at the table, but also presents tools and templates to help you get there.
Developing an effective leader development strategy and program is a powerful ingredient in your organization's future success. In this episode, we're joined by two leader development experts to explore the factors you should consider and the process you should follow when developing a leader development program for your organization, from developing a clear understanding of your needs to selecting the participants and evaluating outcomes. This episode's guests are Susan Franzen, vice president of strategy and leadership at AXIOM Learning Solutions and the head of AXIOM's Strategy and Leadership Practice, and David Hosmer, a Principal Consultant in AXIOM's Strategy and Leadership Practice.
This article refers to two articles written by Hosmer and Franzen as published by Training Industry:
"Growing the Internal Leadership Pipeline," appearing in the Fall 2023 issue of Training Industry Magazine, and
"Leadership Development: Buy or Build?," published on TrainingIndustry.com.
Links to both articles can be found on the podcast episode page:
https://axiomlearningsolutions.com/podcast
The headline trend in the workplace continues to be volatility, and this also affects learning and development professionals as they manage their teams and their own career paths.
With that in mind, this episode of the AXIOM Insights Learning & Development Podcast brings together three learning leaders for a discussion about what they look for when they are evaluating candidates to join their teams or their projects.
Our guests are:
Pam Moyer, Director of Learning and Enablement, Origami Risk
Dan Collier, Senior Director of Talent and Leadership Development, Suffolk Construction
Tammy Sena, Senior Director of Talent and Client Services, AXIOM Learning Solutions
Demonstrating results from organizational learning and development remains one of the most challenging areas for Learning and Development professionals. In this episode, we speak with two experts on the topic of learning measurement, and explore how we can gain alignment with our organizations about the intended outcomes of learning and the metrics we can use to report on results.
Our guests for this discussion are: Kevin M. Yates, the "L and D Detective" and one of the industry's best respected voices on developing and communicating meaningful results from learning, and Susan Franzen, vice president for strategy and leadership at AXIOM Learning Solutions, and an expert on developing learning and measurement strategies that are linked with behavior change.
This episode includes discussion of additional resources, which are available at the AXIOM Insights Learning and Development Podcast episode page: https://axiomlearningsolutions.com/podcast
Research has identified the relationship between organizations with cultures that are responsive to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and improved measurable business results. In this episode, we speak with DEIB expert Ken De Loreto, a consultant with Zeiberg Consulting with more than 30 years experience in learning. In this discussion, Ken explains how changing behaviors and perspectives on DEIB issues are based on neuroscience concepts, how DEIB workshops enable individuals and organizations to undertake the work needed to create change around inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging, and how to address the discomfort often associated with a workplace discussion of these issues.
This is a special episode for AXIOM Insights Learning and Development Podcast subscribers. We're republishing an episode of the "5 Minute University" podcast, a production of Minaya Learning Global Solutions, featuring a conversation between MLGS CEO Dr. Guido Minaya and AXIOM Learning Solutions president Herb Blanchard. They discuss how AXIOM supported a unique, large scale financial services training delivery rollout with unique measurement objectives.
To learn more about the MLGS "5 Minute University" podcast, visit https://minayalearning.com/5-minute-university/
How do you build a modern and engaged learning culture at the public agency that operates the oldest subway system in North America?
In this episode, we’re joined by Jay Letourneau, who discusses his experience leading learning and organizational development for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the agency which operates public transportation in Massachusetts and the greater Boston region, including the Boston subway, the “T.” Jay discusses how he has approached finding a balance between training that has to take place and the development learning that can unlock new possibilities for staff.
In this episode, we explore learning leadership with Adele Cook, the Chief Learning Officer of the State of Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), including how the agency serves and supports its stakeholders and learners.
In this interview, we explore how DES gains alignment and buy-in for learning programs, and how making the skills and expertise of the L&D team available has been able to produce alignment, trust and collaboration with business partners.
In addition, this episode explores how DES, a public agency, approaches measuring effectiveness and return on investment of its learning initiatives, and how risk mitigation and cost avoidance are key parts of their learning effectiveness metrics.
In this episode, we focus on learning leadership with an interview with Tracy Salters, the Director of Global Learning and Development at American Airlines. With a learner population of between 135,000 and 150,000 learners globally, Tracy’s team of 22 learning professionals are responsible for managing programs across multiple disciplines and topics.
The conversation explores the focus on culture, and how the learning team gathers information and outcomes data to understand the needs of the organization. The conversation also highlights a new managers’ learning program which went “viral” within the company, growing beyond the program’s initial scope and reach, driven by internal champions who recognized and advocated for its value and impact.
Delegation, the skills and practice of assigning tasks and responsibilities to others, is an important skill for managers and non-managers. Developing the skills and a practice of delegation can create growth for individuals and organizations. In this episode, we explore delegation with expert consultant Joanne Polichetti, the creator of the Delegation Bootcamp, which provides learners with a reliable process for delegating that yields the desired results.
In the past several years, knowledge workers have embraced technical skills and the realities of blended and remote work. For many, particularly those who are in people-centric sales roles, this new way of working has created new challenges to find ways to relate to customers, to manage their time, but also to manage their own mindset, attitudes and reactions.
In this episode, we speak with sales training expert Bill Walton about his experience as a salesperson, a sales trainer and an executive coach. Bill is the developer of a workshop called Energy Is The New Time, available from AXIOM through a partnership with Zeiberg Consulting. The workshop provides tools and approaches which can be used by anyone - not only people who work in sales - to manage your own energy and to be more present and effective in your workplace, and by doing so better understand and define how your work relates to the demands and recharging effects of both your work and personal life.
In this episode, we discuss the role of volunteer service in the learning and development (L&D) profession. Volunteering can take many forms - authoring articles, sharing resources on a blog or LinkedIn, speaking at a meeting or conference, and volunteer service with a professional organization such as SHRM, LPI, ATD, Training Industry, the Learning Guild, and many others.
We speak with three L&D professionals and volunteer leaders about their experiences as a volunteer leader and member of a professional community of volunteers, about the rewards and benefits of volunteer service: Lauren Sullivan, president of the Greater Boston chapter of ATD; Brian Lopes, president-elect of the Bay Colonies chapter of ATD; and Suzanne Stead, president of the Greater Philadelphia chapter of ATD.
In this episode, we discuss building a learning culture.
There’s been an ongoing conversation and focus on the ‘learning culture’ of an organization for at least the past decade, and there are many articles over that time which talk about the connection between a culture that supports individual learners’ interest in learning and connects it with the mission and goals of the organization. And over the past few years, we’re seen some statistics which suggest a learning culture is at least correlated with business performance.
This episode looks at building a learning culture through the experience and guidance of Rachel Horwitz, the global director of learning and development at Convatec.
Rachel describes how she and her team implemented a strategy to support a learning culture in the organization, structed around four pillars:
- Senior leadership partnership and sponsorship
- Curriculum
- Learning Operations
- Measurement
Most often, online classes succeed or fail based on the person leading the class, according to Kevin Siegel.
After migrating his own course content to vILT delivery, Kevin developed a train-the-trainer program to teach how to train online, which led to the creation of the Certified Online Training Professional (COTP) program.
The COTP program covers synchronous and asynchronous eLearning fundamentals, establishing instructor credibility, supporting learners in the virtual environment, and requires learners to demonstrate specific practical skills in online facilitation.
In this episode, we discuss what makes a great (and effective) online learning experience. Kevin Siegel speaks from his expertise as a Certified Technical Trainer, a Certified Master Trainer, and a Certified Online Training Professional, and his decades of experience as a technical communicator, a face-to-face and virtual trainer, e-learning developer, publisher, and keynote speaker.
Learning technical skills and management skills come "from different directions" for IT professionals, explains Eric Bloom, executive director of the IT Management and Leadership Institute. Eric is a former CIO with a deep background in information technology, an author and speaker on learning for the IT professional, including what IT professionals need to expand beyond technical skills and develop business acumen and the additional management skills necessary to lead teams or organizations.
In this episode, we learn from Cleon McClure and Enid Crystal about the process they followed to create a Learning Center of Excellence at Becton Dickinson, the global medical device company, including how they assessed the organizational need and created learning resources, structures and processes to support the organization's global teams.
Culture and language can create barriers to understanding, to team cohesion, and to organizational culture.
Lauren Supraner is founder and president of CAL Learning, a New York-based intercultural communication training, coaching and consulting company, who works with global professionals to help them communicate clearly and effectively across cultures.
In this episode, we explore how culture and language combine as obstacles to communication, and how both native English speakers and non-native English speakers can adapt their communication style to be understood and to understand more effectively.
Organizations want to have proven processes, proven methodologies and proven content for leader development programs — and want that tailored to meet their specific needs. Curated Leadership Programs are created by AXIOM to meet our clients' needs and objectives.
In this episode of the AXIOM Insights podcast, we explore how leader development programs can be developed to help organizations meet the current and future needs of their organizations — aligning leader development models and approaches around the organization's desired outcomes, including the beliefs, behaviors and mindsets that will enable their leaders and organizations to be successful in the future.
Why creating meaningful change requires a sustained effort, and what every employee can do to lead the change. In this episode of the AXIOM Insights Podcast, we're joined by diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) expert Karen Hinds.
In this inaugural episode of the AXIOM Insights podcast, we're talking about changes in the business and social climate, and the evolution of the training profession to help businesses navigate change.
We're joined by two industry leaders with a wealth of experience managing learning programs through changing business conditions. What can we learn from our own history that will help us, as learning and development leaders, lead our organizations forward?
Guests:
Doug Harward, Executive Chairman, Training Industry, Inc.
Herb Blanchard, President, AXIOM Learning Solutions