Katy Chandler, the VP of Talent Management at DuraServ, developed an internal credentialing program to train her industry’s frontline technicians more efficiently and effectively. Katy shares how the program evolved to become a talent recruiting and retention tool by creating a visible career path for both new and experienced employees. She reveals the lessons she’s learned and the progress made with each new iteration— from creating flexibility for different skill levels and adding new technology to avoiding scope creep, assessing the capability to sustain the program, and achieving stakeholder buy-in and end-user satisfaction. Resources:  Katy Chandler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-chandler DuraServ Website: https://duraservcorp.com/  DuraServ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/duraserv/   

Cortney Marchetti, HR Director at OverDrive, and Lindsey Levinsohn, Team Lead for OverDrive’s corporate market, join the podcast to discuss how digital libraries can enhance strategic alignment for organizations. Cortney and Lindsey break down the inherent value of creating alignment, on both small and large scales. They share stories and examples of integrating digital libraries into work and team environments, including how to foster a diverse culture of perspectives, create shared spaces of community, and instill common vocabulary that helps set a unified vision.  Resources:   OverDrive Website: https://www.overdrive.com   Cortney Marchetti on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortney-marchetti Lindsey Levinsohn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-levinsohn-b9931922 Books covered in the discussion:   Upstream by Dan Heath: https://heathbrothers.com/books/upstream/   Radical Candor by Kim Scott: https://www.radicalcandor.com/   Matthew McConnaughey: https://greenlights.com/   Daniel Pink: https://www.danpink.com/books/   Venus Williams: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Venus-Williams/author/B001ITTU8U?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true   Karie Willyerd: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karie-Willyerd/author/B003297IT2?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true  

In an era of technological disruption, the skill gaps craze continues to grow for many organizations. Bob Mosher, CEO of APPLY Synergies joins the podcast to offer an alternative way to think about skill building.  In this episode of Accidental Trainer, Bob discusses how aligning on the definition of “skill” is a crucial first step, the undervalued role of applying upskilling into the context of the work, and the advantage of a performance-first mindset. Bob also shares the lessons learned from the competency-based model trend and how to increase skill application post-training.  Resources:   Bob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmosher  5MomentsofNeed.com 

Global leaders agree that many people across the world are feeling the impact of a “loneliness epidemic.” Speaker, author and thought leader Devin Hughes discusses the state of human connection and how loneliness affects employee productivity on this episode of the Accidental Trainer Podcast.   Devin offers solutions for leaders struggling to approach the topic of loneliness with their team, how L&D can foster opportunities for connection, and improve the psychological safety of the organization’s culture. Check out the podcast for more insight into overcoming loneliness.   Resources:  Devin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/   Devin’s Website: https://devinchughes.com/   Devin’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/DevinCHughes   Devin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinchughes/?hl=en  Devin’s Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Devin-C.-Hughes/author/B008MEKDXU?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true  

Elaine Lin Hering is a facilitator, communications coach, and author of the newly released Unlearning Silence. An expert on using your voice in the workplace, Elaine unpacks several major themes from her book, common challenges facing trainers, cultivating awareness around learned silence, and empowering others to speak up.  Elaine offers practical advice for finding your authentic voice and navigating and mitigating direct speech. She also shares the basics of her “Three Buckets” framework and Little Experiments Method and how to implement them into a team’s culture. Listen for Elaine’s thought-provoking ideas to dismantle your own learned silence. Resources:  Elaine Lin Hering on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainelinhering/   Elaine’s website: https://elainelinhering.com/   Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully: https://elainelinhering.com/book/  Elaine’s Newsletter: https://hello.elainelinhering.com/newsletter   Elaine’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elainelinhering/  

Greg Harmeyer is the co-founder and CEO of TiER 1 Performance and the author of Impact with Love: Building Business for a Better World. On the podcast, Greg offers insight on how to shift an organization toward a modernized operating model, with the goal of intentionally creating a healthier work environment.   Greg details how clarity, consistency, and trust are essential to this process, the benefits of leaving traditional systems behind, and tips for instilling agility into a company’s workforce. The discussion also covers the six elements of a fulfilling role, the five pillars of a dynamically distributed authority organization, and the four levels of a hospitality minded culture.  Resources: Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregharmeyer/  Impact with Love: Building Business for a Better World:  https://tier1performance.com/impact-with-love/  Points of Impact Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/points-of-impact-7099343384342908929/   TiER1 Performance: https://tier1performance.com/  Greg’s ATD Blog Post- "How Are You Really Doing? Using Self-Reflection to Achieve Fuller Engagement, Performance, and Impact": https://www.td.org/atd-blog/how-are-you-really-doing-using-self-reflection-to-achieve-fuller-engagement-performance-and-impact   

Holly Burkett is the principal consultant of HB Consulting and Evaluation Works, a performance consultancy in Northern California, and the author of Learning for the Long Run. She joins the podcast to discuss change fatigue, where it comes from, and how TD professionals can help organizations overcome common change fatigue challenges.   Holly reframes change management as energy management and offers suggestions to embed wellness into organizational culture. Her 4-R framework will alter how L&D tackles change fatigue, and how leaders view capacity and capability within their employees.   Resources:  Holly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-burkett-phd-sphr-2672062/   HB Consulting and Evaluation Works: https://hollyburkett.com/   Holly’s TD article: https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/combating-change-fatigue   Holly’s Book, Learning for the Long Run: https://www.td.org/books/learning-for-the-long-run   More from Holly at ATD: https://www.td.org/user/about/HollyBurkett-000002   Holly’s Change Management chapter in ATD's Organization Development Handbook: https://www.td.org/book/atds-organization-development-handbook  

Karl Kapp, well-published author and professor, shares L&D trends for the year and his method for finding the latest fads. He discusses the future of AI in instructional design, the value of soft skills for leaders, the potential of the four-day work week, and the importance of staying updated with technology in the field. Connect with Karl on LinkedIn and YouTube for more insights.

Katrina Kennedy is a talented master trainer who’s been leading train-the-trainer for over 27 years. She joins the podcast to reveal how she puts evidence-based learning strategies into practice in her training programs. Katrina passionately shares practical examples and tools you can use to facilitate retrieval practice and reflection for your learners. Katrina also discusses the value of spaced retrieval, and how to strategically incorporate feedback into your learners’ practice. Check out the episode for tips, tricks, and resources that will make implementing active learning strategies easier in both in-person and virtual training. Resources: Katrina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinakennedytraining Katrina at TK: https://atdtk24.eventscribe.net/speakers.asp?pfp=Browse%20by%20Speaker Katrina’s website: https://katrinakennedy.com/ Katrina’s ATD content profile: https://www.td.org/user/content/KatrinaKennedy Katrina on ATD YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ATD_Official/search?query=katrina%20kennedy Tools mentioned in the conversation: Kahoot: https://kahoot.com/ Mural: https://www.mural.co/ Miro: https://miro.com/ Google Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/create Scrumblr: http://scrumblr.ca/

Impassioned speaker and author of Leading Imperfectly, James Robilotta, shares how tapping into the power of curiosity can transform communities. James breaks down his framework for cultivating curiosity and reveals how starting with better questions will lead you to more authentic connection and loyalty at work and in your personal life. Tune in for more advice on disrupting your patterns with others, resetting difficult relationships, and a phrase that may be better than any active listening question. Resources:  James’ Website: https://jamestrobo.com/ James’ Book, Leading Imperfectly: https://jamestrobo.com/book   James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/   James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo/?hl=en   James on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamestrobo   James on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesTRobo   James on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesTRobo/