The Business of Learning

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.

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.

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.

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.

From navigating gender bias to dealing with systemic issues like the pay gap, women have long faced challenges in the workplace. These challenges and more have led to what’s commonly known as the “women’s leadership gap,” or the underrepresentation of women in leadership, most notably in the C-suite. In honor of Women’s History Month, in this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Cathrin Stickney, founder and CEO of Parity.org, and Dr. Theresa Horne, CPTM, a speaker and government leader, to learn more about the women’s leadership gap — and how learning and development (L&D) can help.

LinkedIn Learning’s 2023 Workplace Learning report found that the C-suite’s top priority is keeping employees motivated and engaged. Their second highest priority? Giving employees opportunities to move into different roles within the business. We wanted to find out more about how learning and development (L&D) can help organization support internal career mobility. So, in this episode, we spoke with Megan Dillon, senior manager of L&D at Q-Centrix, Rebecca Gaboda, CPTM, organizational development manager at Skyward, Inc., and Chris Massaro, CPTM, manager of learning and professional development at Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice, to learn more. 

To kick of season 6 of “The Business of Learning,” we spoke with Kristin Davis, CPTM, training supervisor for the Wake County Government, Lauren Harris, CPTM, assistant director of training and development at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Amber Hancharick, CPTM, education and training manager at Northwest Bank, to learn what it takes to manage a thriving training function in 2023. Tune in for expert insights on: How the training manager job role has evolved in recent years. The skills learning leaders need to manage training in 2023. How to mitigate burnout and prioritize your well-being as a busy training manager.

Ongoing Training Industry research has found that strategic alignment is the most important process capability of great training organizations. The training function is expected to support the business by delivering programs and initiatives that improve human performance and, as a result, business outcomes. However, building a strategic training function can be a challenge, especially as business needs shift and evolve. In this episode of The Business of Learning, we sat down with Heather Balcerek, talent development program manager at Amazon, and Michael Poll, an experienced learning and development professional who has led learning functions in industries including pharmaceuticals, insurance, technology, oil and gas, and higher education, to hear what it takes to build a strategic training function.

Navigating the world of learning technologies can be daunting, to say the least. From tried-and-true learning management systems (LMSs) to virtual and augmented reality solutions, there’s no shortage of learning technologies on the market. However, selecting and managing learning technologies remains a challenge for even experienced learning leaders. In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Kim Davis, CPTM, senior manager of comprehensive and innovative faculty development programs at the American College of Surgeons and an instructor for Training Industry’s Managing Remote Learning Certificate course, and Ted Schmitz, LMS program manager at Alight solutions, to learn more on: How to evaluate and select learning technologies strategically. The LMS integration process. How to gain buy-in to purchase a new learning technology.

The world of work has transformed over the past few years, and the pace of change facing businesses around the world shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. In order to support employees in this new world of work, it makes sense that we need to transform our learning and development offerings, too. But how can learning leaders evolve their offerings to support modern learners, and what role does unlearning play in setting them up for success? In this episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by Canvas, we spoke with Bruce Landry, managing partner and chief experience officer at Canvas, and Dr. Susan Gray, chief creative officer at Canvas, to find out the answers to these questions and more.