Surveying the L&D Landscape

Senior Associate Experience Designer with Heidi Kirby

In this episode, I sit down with Heidi Kirby to analyze her former role as a senior associate experience developer (instructional designer) at Dealer Tire.
During our conversation, we dive into:
The behaviors that she identified from her doctoral research as critical leadership skills for instructional designers;
The importance of considering alternative interventions beyond e-learning and being open to using different tools and resources;
How she developed a leadership program, aligning leadership competencies with organizational values and business goals;
AND SO MUCH MORE
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Heidi Kirby, PhD, is the co-founder of Useful Stuff (getusefulstuff.com) and host of the BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) podcast for L&D professionals. She got her start as a college English professor but has since worked as an instructional designer for NASA and an L&D leader in the tech industry, building learning programs and high-performing teams. She is passionate about helping aspiring and experience L&D professionals be their best and helping L&D teams become more inclusive and efficient by adopting useful processes to help them work.
 
WANT MORE OF HEIDI?
Connect with her at www.getusefulstuff.com
Subscribe to her podcast: https://blocpod.buzzsprout.com/
Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

The L&D Detective with Kevin M. Yates

In this episode I sit down with Kevin M. Yates to analyze his role as the L&D Detective.
During our conversation, we discuss:
How he investigates the impact of learning using facts, clues, evidence, and data;
The importance of telling the truth about the many contributing factors that influence performance;
A time he leveraged A/B testing to assess the impact of training on customer satisfaction scores;
AND SO MUCH MORE!
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Kevin M. Yates is known in the global training, learning, and talent development community as the L&D Detective. He investigates impact and solves measurement mysteries with facts, clues, evidence, and data. With 25+ years industry experience serving in diverse roles across multiple industries, Kevin examines fulfillment of purpose for training and learning. He is also founder and president of Meals in the Meantime, a nonprofit providing food support and assistance with pop-up food pantries.
WANT MORE OF KEVIN?
Find him and get connected with in all the ways below!
Website
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
GRAB YOUR L&D DETECTIVE TOOLKIT
Visit his website to explore the toolkit and leverage to demonstrate your impact in your next L&D project!
https://kevinmyates.com/l%26d-detective-kit

Organizational Development Manager with Colin J. Hahn, Ph.D.

In this episode, I chat with Colin J. Hahn, Ph.D. to analyze his role as Learning and Organizational Development Manager for Douglas Dynamics.
During our conversation, we discuss:
The importance of really understanding what your business does;
Why L&D teams can focus on mastering the various communication channels that will reach their audience;
How we can draw from continuous improvement methodologies in our work to really manage performance and impact the business;
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
In his current role, Hahn is responsible for the company’s learning strategy and people analytics, including leadership development, performance improvement, and talent development. Hahn has more than 15 years of experience in talent development and has led programs that have generated over $2MM in annual impact and attained over 90% rates of behavioral change. He is a former President of the Southeastern Wisconsin ATD chapter and now serves as an ATD National Advisor for Chapters. Hahn holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Marquette University.
 
Learning and Organizational Development Manager with Colin Hahn, Ph.D.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinjhahn/

VP of Talent Development with Dr. Mechelle Roberthon

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Mechelle Roberthon to analyze her role as VP of Talent Development for Home Bank. So much wisdom from Dr. Mechelle Roberthon in this episode!
During our conversation, we unpack: 
Different professional capabilities in the L&D landscape (as outlined by ATD): instructional design, training delivery and facilitation, knowledge management, coaching, career and leadership development, etc.;
How you can choose to pursue specialize in one of these slices or become well-versed in the whole pie;
Why kindness as a top characteristic needed for an L&D professional (but really any professional);
How she successfully created and deployed a training strategy for a new company acquisition;
Her processes for regular communication with various departments and stakeholders;
AND SO MUCH MORE!
 
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Dr. Mechelle Roberthon is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD). Her background includes training delivery, performance improvement, and managing learning programs. She received her Doctor of Education degree from Baylor University and holds a Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Training and Performance Improvement. Dr. Roberthon is also an experienced career and professional development instructor. She has taught over 500 corporate courses with her evaluations consistently earning high ratings. Her dynamic teaching style has become a favorite amongst learners.
 
WANT MORE OF THE GUEST?
Connect and follow her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mechelleroberthon/
 

Learning and Development Manager with Adam Spacht

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Spacht to unpack his role as Training and Development Manager at Igus Inc, a global manufacturing motion plastic company that seeks to have a carbon-neutral footprint and be the easiest company to work with.
During our conversation we unpack: 
How Adam's journey from sales to L&D began when he recognized the need for captivating and non-boring trainings within his organization;
Why he invests significant time in the analysis and development phases of the ADDIE Model to ensure he addresses the right problems and utilizes effective methods in his solutions;
How he keeps it simple by embracing discernment and an operations mindset to get the job done effectively, rather than relying on the latest gadgets and gismos;
AND SO MUCH MORE!
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Adam started in sales and sales management but found a passion for training. By day he is a corporate Training & Development manager. By night, he posts content under the No Boring Training brand to help those new to training and those tired of the blank stares during their sessions.
 
WANT MORE OF ADAM?
I highly recommend you go follow his content - No Boring Training by following him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adamspacht/
 

Sr. Manager of Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity with Carlo Morante

In this episode, I chat with Carlo Morante to analyze his role as the Senior Manager of Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) where he focuses a significant amount of his work to professional learning within his organization at Education First.
 
During our conversation we unpack:
How a DEI professional utilizes principles in both change management and adult learning to inform their work;
Practical ways of building psychological safety and removing barriers to DEI work;
And how it’s essential to make intentional connections between the learning content and job responsibilities.
 
We even spend a bit of time thinking about the recent push in the business world towards ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) values and goals and whether or not that furthers the work of DEI professionals.
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Carlo has a dedicated career to social justice, leadership, sustainability, community engagement, and animal rights work within higher education, K-12, corporate social responsibility, and the nonprofit sector. He is currently working at Education First Consulting as the Senior Manager of Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity where he leads the DEI and race equity strategic efforts and supports the consulting and internal sides of the firm.
Prior to Education First, Carlo served as DEI & HR Director at Generation Vegan and led global strategic efforts to diversify narratives in vegan spaces and build an intersectional movement. He also served as the Vice-Chair for Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Sustainability for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation WLC where he built the organization’s DEI and sustainability efforts to expand HOBY’s commitment to inclusion and social impact. Carlo’s passion lies in facilitating social identity and leader identity exploration for people in order to develop culturally aware, active citizens.
Carlo is a two-time Florida State University graduate where he earned a Master of Science degree in Higher Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Media/Communication Studies. Carlo is originally from Peru and moved to Miami at the age of 10. He now lives in beautiful Los Angeles where he is a swimmer and competes for an LGBTQIA+ swim team, trains Crossfit, and loves to spend his free time at the Farmer’s Market.
 
WANT MORE OF CARLO?
Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlomorante/
 

Learning Content Manager with Chris Skees

In today’s episode, I sit down with Chris Skees to analyze his role as the Learning Content Manager at Cisco.
We unpack the different pillars of his role:
Content governance: how to provides structure for a learning team to be creative and produce quality and consistent work within bounds;
Content stakeholdering: how to project manage the development and continuous improvement of course content taken from various SMEs and teams and prepare that content for Instructional Designers to implement;
Learning metrics: How to obtain and analyze different learning metrics from various sources including the organization’s development tool and the LMS / how to look at internal team metrics as well as the business outcomes the team is influencing.
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Chris Skees is a leader in the learning and development space. His focus is on building relationships and bringing out the best in people. Chris has experience developing award-winning learning experiences, scaling up development programs, and constantly seeking smarter ways to work. Chris is also a proponent of work-life balance / work-life integration. He has been fully remote since 2014 and a four-day workweek advocate.
 
WANT MORE OF CHRIS?
Follow and connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-skees/
 

Head of Learning and Leadership Development with Ryan McCrea

In this episode, I sit down with Ryan McCrea to analyze his role as the Head of Learning and Leadership Development at Ameren, an electric and gas company that services Missouri and Illinois. 
During our conversation, we discuss:
How skills in marketing, data analytics, and project management are critical for an L&D professional;
How to leverage the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation as a tool to assess learning interventions;
Why an important metric to consider is the reputation of an L&D team and how the team builds relationships across the organization;
AND MORE!
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Ryan McCrea is focused on making an impact by helping organizations maximize and develop talent through creative people solutions. He’s passionate about helping others own their career and providing thought leadership on strategic talent management, leadership development, mentoring, team dynamics and culture building.
In his current role at Ameren, Ryan leads a team focused on corporate learning and development programs. Prior to Ameren, Ryan was Vice President – Manager of Talent Development at Commerce Bank. In this position, he launched a corporate-wide professional development program, while overseeing the strategy around people and leadership growth.
Ryan has certifications in Situational Leadership, 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, DiSC, MBTI and is also a Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach. Ryan received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Ryan lives in St. Louis with his wife, Susan, and two adorable cats, Zooey and Coco. He loves music, movies, fashion, pop culture and art. Ask him about any of these topics and you may never get away.
 
WANT MORE OF RYAN?
Connect with him on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rmccre
 
ADDIITONAL RESOURCES:
What is The Kirkpatrick Model? / Kirkpatrick (kirkpatrickpartners.com)
Project management in L&D: Part 2 | Mind Tools for Business (mindtoolsbusiness.com)
 

Director of Leadership Resident and Internship Programs with Tim Olaore

In this episode, I chat with Tim Olaore to learn about his role as the Director of Leadership Resident and Internship Programs at Adventis Health
During our conversation, we unpack:
How a leadership residency program can build a talent pipeline for the organization;
What it looks like to manage the full life-cycle of programs from design to management and promotion;
Why learning agility is a key component of success;
AND more!
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Tim “Mr. Meaningful Work” Olaore is the Director of Leadership Resident and Internship Programs at Adventis Health. Tim has 15 years of experience in sales, HR, and HR leadership across diverse industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, and is SPHR Certified.  Tim is also the host of the Mr. Meaningful Work: RETAIN podcast, which is available on all podcast platforms.
WANT MORE OF TIM?
Connect with Tim on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter. Check out his website MrMeaningfulWork.com and his podcast!

Community and Course Manager with Ashley LaGrow

In this episode, I chat with Ashley LaGrow to learn about her role as the Community and Course Manager at SPI Media.
 
During our conversation, we unpack:
Why "community powered" learning is the future of online courses
How working for a company with shared values can help you thrive in your professional development
The ways content development draws on both learning design and marketing skills
 
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Ashley LaGrow is a Community and Courses Manager for a startup digital media company called SPI Media. Ashley is an education professional working remotely in the midwest. She holds an MS.Ed. in curriculum and instruction as well as an elementary education degree, with 7 years of experience in public schools through 2022. In her current role, she supports entrepreneurs with all the things they need to know to start and grow their business. She also runs her own business where she creates curriculum support materials and activities for upper elementary teachers. Ashley has also created and conducted professional development training and materials on contract for education technology companies and, in her spare time, she volunteers for HOBY Illinois.
 
WANT MORE OF ASHLEY?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleynlagrow/