The Talent Development Hot Seat podcast - The #1 podcast for Learning and Development (L&D), HR, Career Development, Organizational Development, and Leadership Development professionals

Andy welcomes Dr. Frank Nguyen to this episode of The Talent Development Hot Seat. Frank is an author, speaker, and executive who specializes in transforming learning organizations through strategy and technology. He has led enterprise learning for Fortune companies, including a large well-known retailer, American Express, and Intel. He’s published extensively on the intersection of e-learning, instructional design, and performance support.Frank Nguyen is also a recipient of The Learning Guild Master and the ISPI Distinguished Dissertation awards. His work on compliance training learning strategy, business transformation, and technology has been recognized by Brandon Hall and Chief Learning Officer. Frank has served on a variety of learning industry committees for Adobe, ATD, B-JET, Brandon Hall, eLearning Guild, and ISPI.In this episode, you’ll hear:How Frank Nguyen landed in learning and development from the IT sector and discovered his niche.Why streamlining training can lead to more confidence and competency at work.How gaining influence within the company can help build a business case for your learning and development strategies.What Frank did to scale training using the systems he implemented during a hiring rush in the middle of the pandemic.The three components he uses for internal talent development and how you can apply those to your organization.His TENC model and how he applies it in the workplace.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Frank Nguyen:LinkedInEmailMentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Andy welcomes guests Tim Hagen and Massimo Backus to the show. Tim, Massimo, and Andy have all built businesses, and they decided to do this episode together to talk about the keys to building a successful business in the learning and development and talent development worlds.Massimo Backus was previously a practitioner in corporate L&D and organizational development and left his job two years ago to go out on his own as an executive coach and leadership development consultant.Tim Hagen is the head of progress coaching, which is a company that works with organizations to help get their people to do better coaching. Tim is a coach, but he’s focused on how to get your managers coaching better. Tim’s been running his business for more than 25 years.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why Tim Hagen decided to start his own coaching business and how Massimo made the transition to entrepreneurship.How interactions with internal colleagues matter even before you start your own business.The reason you can’t be afraid of selling when you own your own business and why sales are vital to your success.What telling the truth can do for the reputation of your business along with the power of storytelling.The current environment of the coaching industry and how Tim and Massimo differentiate themselves in that space.Massimo and Tim’s advice to keep in mind when starting your own business in this industry.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Tim Hagen:LinkedInConnect with Massimo Backus:LinkedInWebsiteMentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Andy welcomes repeat guest Massimo Backus this week on The Talent Development Hot Seat. He is an executive coach, speaker, and author of an upcoming book on compassionate leadership. Massimo has spent several years as a learning and development practitioner in multiple companies. He recently left the employee world to become an entrepreneur as a leadership development coach and facilitator.In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:6. Massimo Backus’ greatest career accomplishment and why he’s so proud of it.7. His biggest career mistake and what he learned from not trusting his instincts.8. What he views as one of the biggest challenges to overcome in talent development today.9. Why he’s so excited about the use of VR in talent development.10. His favorite recommended reading.11. Massimo’s advice for continuing to grow and advance your career path.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Massimo Backus:LinkedInWebsiteTDHS Episode 197Mentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Andy welcomes repeat guest Massimo Backus this week on The Talent Development Hot Seat. He is an executive coach, speaker, and author of an upcoming book on compassionate leadership. Massimo has spent several years as a learning and development practitioner in multiple companies. He recently left the employee world to become an entrepreneur as a leadership development coach and facilitator.In this episode, you’ll hear:How Massimo Backus defines compassionate leadership and why the concept of self-compassion is important to good leadership.The three main components of the principle of self-compassion and why they are especially important for leaders.Why past successes aren’t indicative of future success as a manager and why management skills are usually learned through trial by fire.How you can find the right people to talk to about personal or professional issues and find the courage to be vulnerable.What self-kindness can do to help you bring your best at work.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Massimo Backus:LinkedInWebsiteTDHS Episode 197Mentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Andy welcomes Tom Bowen to this week’s Talent Development Hot Seat. Tom leads Learning and Development at Gem, a talent engagement platform. Tom has 15 years of experience in L&D and spent more than a decade abroad, mostly in Seoul, South Korea with shorter stints in India and Europe.As the first L&D hire at his past five companies, Tom Bowen thrives on the zero-to-one phase of building an L&D strategy and its platforms. When he isn’t building programs, Tom can be found spending his time exploring California with his partner, three young kids, and a sheepadoodle.In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:7. Tom Bowen’s greatest career accomplishment and what makes it stand out.8. His biggest career mistake and what it taught him.9. What he sees as one of the biggest challenges in talent development today.10. The talent development trend he’s following and what makes it exciting.11. Why he recommends the books Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter and Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall.12. The technology he’s excited about using as it evolves.13. Tom’s advice for advancing your career.14. How the Talent Development Think Tank Community can provide value to your career.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Tom Bowen:LinkedInMentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Andy welcomes Tom Bowen to this week’s Talent Development Hot Seat. Tom leads Learning and Development at Gem, a talent engagement platform. Tom has 15 years of experience in L&D and spent more than a decade abroad, mostly in Seoul, South Korea with shorter stints in India and Europe.As the first L&D hire at his past five companies, Tom Bowen thrives on the zero-to-one phase of building an L&D strategy and its platforms. When he isn’t building programs, Tom can be found spending his time exploring California with his partner, three young kids, and a sheepadoodle.In this episode, you’ll hear:Tom Bowen’s experience in the L&D world, some trends he’s noticed in L&D during his career, and what younger generations want from their employers.His approach to starting a new L&D role at a company and why that requires a business needs analysis.Why sales enablement is important even for those who work in L&D and how to assess what’s important for the needs of the business and what isn’t.What you can do to understand the business and gain influence within the company.How you can convince people within an organization to take time for learning and development and impact the company.Why Tom loves design thinking and how he’s used it in his work.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Tom Bowen:LinkedInMentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

In this solo episode of The Talent Development Hot Seat, Andy is sharing some tips for building your personal brand. He strongly believes there are benefits to being mindful and intentional about it, and leveraging a strong personal brand can help build a brand with your company. It can even help attract and retain talent at your organization. A personal brand is particularly important for entrepreneurs and growing a business.In this episode, you’ll hear:What a personal brand is, why you need one, and how being mindful of that brand can allow you to become more successful long-term.The factors that impact your personal brand and why that affects how people perceive your personal brand.How social media and your online persona contribute to your personal brand and form impressions of you even before someone meets you.Why building your personal brand as an expert on your topic can lead to more career opportunities and success.How your legacy is affected by your personal brand and what you’re known for. Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Mentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Competency models are at the core of HR practice from the talent development standpoint. However, companies are increasingly finding them irrelevant and even confusing as succession planning puts more emphasis on specific things that make a person suitable or unsuitable for a certain position. Joining Andy Storch today is Susan Schmitt, the CHRO of Applied Materials, who presents a comprehensive model of what she calls the “suitability model.” The suitability model is composed of four broad categories which can be used to effectively assess a person’s potential for a position or their performance in a current position. Susan also talks about her upcoming book with co-author Martha Finney, Healing at Work.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Susan Schmitt Winchester here:LinkedInMentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Andy's guest on The Talent Development Hot Seat this week is Travis Dommert. This week’s episode is a recording of the call that Travis recently conducted in the Talent Development Think Tank Community. Travis is the SVP of Talent at OneDigital. OneDigital is a company that brings together insurance, financial services, and HR consulting to help more than 100,000 businesses. They have about 2,400 employees and are based in the Atlanta area. During his tenure at OneDigital, Travis Dommert has helped transform the culture and turn leaders into talent magnets.In this episode, you’ll hear:How Travis Dommert landed at OneDigital and why his position has been perfect for him in this season of life.Why attracting and retaining talent has become such a priority for organizations and how leadership development ties into this topic.The reason you need to have a development plan in place and how your talent’s personal brand becomes a part of that.What talent marketing is and why it isn’t just advertising available jobs at your company.Why rigor attracts top talent when the talent can be pickier about where they go.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Travis Dommert:LinkedInMentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/

Andy welcomes Dr. KimArie Yowell to this week’s The Talent Development Hot Seat. KimArie is the Chief People Officer for Rocket Central, a Detroit-based professional services company. She oversees the teams responsible for creating and implementing training initiatives, talent development, and organizational effectiveness strategies. She joined Quicken Loans as a Leadership Coach with over 20 years of experience in client service, sales, and corporate education. KimArie has an intense passion for team member development and helping organizations thrive. She firmly believes that one’s ability to effectively lead a team and make an impact rests on their ability to be inclusive, build trust and create a dynamic, high-performing team.KimArie Yowell has received several awards and accolades, including being named one of Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence (2020), Savoy Magazine’s “Most Influential Women in Corporate America” (2019), and “40 Under 40” by the Michigan Chronicle for her exceptional achievements and community service (2018). She serves on Siena Heights University’s Board of Trustees.In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:7. KimArie Yowell’s biggest career accomplishment and why it stands out.8. Her biggest career failure and what she learned from that mistake.9. Why time is the biggest challenge in talent development today.10. The trend she’s paying attention to in the talent development world.11. Why the book Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes resonates with her.12. How you can begin to accelerate your own career by being curious.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Dr. KimArie Yowell:LinkedInMentioned in this episode:Think Tank conferenceGet your tickets now for the Talent Development Think Tank Conference https://tdtt.us/conference/