The Business of Learning, the award-winning podcast produced by Training Industry, features in-depth conversations with co-hosts Michelle Eggleston Schwartz, CPTM, Training Industry’s editor in chief, and Sarah Gallo, CPTM, Training Industry’s senior editor, and industry experts on current trends, challenges and opportunities related to the business of learning.

How to Listen to The Business of Learning

Use the podcast players on this page to listen to The Business of Learning, or you can find our podcast on Apple iTunes Podcasts, Google Play and on Spotify. Or, point your favorite podcasting app directly to our feed at trainingindustry.com/podcast and you’ll always have the latest episode at your fingertips.


EPISODES

Episode 77: Elevate Employee Engagement With L&D 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by Wisetail, we spoke with Josiah Pledl, CPTM, founder of 45 Degrees Leadership Consulting, and Dr. Britt Andreatta, author and CEO of Brain Aware Training, to learn how L&D can improve employee engagement and drive business outcomes as a result.

Click to listen. 

Episode 76: L&D Lessons Learned — Career Advice for Training Professionals

In this episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by Edstutia, we spoke with two “accidental trainers” — Jen Recla, leadership coach and trainer at Recla Coaching and Consulting, and Annie Lee, Ed.D., senior director of organization and talent development at PepsiCo Beverages North America — to hear about their L&D career journeys and their advice for others in the field.

Click to listen. 

Episode 75: Building Business Acumen as a Learning Leader 

In the 75th episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Dr. Keith Keating, author of “The Trusted Learning Advisor” and chief learning and development officer at BDO Canada, to learn more about how to build business acumen as a learning leader.

Click to listen. 

Episode 74: Leading and Working Across Generations 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, brought to you by Wisetail, we spoke with Ryan Jenkins, a Wall Street Journal best-selling author and thought leader on working and leading across generations, about navigating the multigenerational workplace.

Click to listen. 

Episode 73: The State of DEI Training in 2024

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Deanna Singh, co-founder of Uplifting Impact, a training and education workplace inclusion firm, to learn more about the state of DEI training.

Click to listen. 

Episode 72: What’s Next in Learning Tech? Exploring Learning Technology Trends and Innovations

In the first episode of The Business of Learning’s seventh season, we sat down with Dr. Stella Lee, chief learning strategist at Paradox Learning, and Elizabeth Greene, global senior director of L&D at LAM Research, to learn more about current — and future — learning tech trends and innovations.

Click to listen. 

Episode 71: Learning Reinforcement — Delivering Training That “Sticks”

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Elena Agaragimova, a talent development specialist, author and podcaster, and Rachel Walerstein, CPTM, senior manager of learning and talent development for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, to learn more about learning reinforcement strategies and best practices.

Click to listen. 

Episode 70: Harnessing the Power of Competency Modeling

This episode of The Business of Learning offers expert advice that can help you begin building custom competency models for your organization. Listen now for insights from Dr. Amy DuVernet, CPTM, director of training and development at Training Industry, Alyssa Kaszycki, learning product manager at Training Industry, Brian Blecke, founding partner and senior learning strategist at Actio Learning, and Kelly Smith, partner and senior performance consultant at Actio Learning.

Click to listen. 

Episode 69: Building a Digitally Fluent Workforce 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Shauna Begley, founder of ModernWork and current program head of the business information technology management program at the Business Columbia Institute of Technology, and George Hanshaw, director of digital learning solutions at Los Angeles Pacific University, to learn more about building a digitally fluent workforce.

Click to listen. 

Episode 68: Skills Mapping — Your Business’s GPS for Future Readiness

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Rose Cartolari, founder and CEO of RC Consulting, and Lisa Paulson, CPTM, L&D manager at Nesnah Ventures, to learn more about skills mapping, and how it can help improve workforce readiness.

Click to listen. 

Bonus Episode: AI in L&D — 5 Things You Need to Know

Training Industry’s CEO, Ken Taylor, and Dr. Tom Whelan, director of research, recently sat down to discuss how AI is bringing both challenges and opportunities to the L&D field. Their conversation offers greater clarity for learning leaders around the future of L&D in the age of AI. In this bonus episode, we outline five things you, as a learning leader, need to know about AI and its potential to impact corporate training as we know it.

Click to listen. 

Episode 67: Modalities Matter — The Evolution of Training Delivery Methods

Determining which delivery modalities are best for your programs can be a challenge — especially as advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) continue to bring innovative delivery options to the market. In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Lauren LePage, a learning designer at Chick-Fil-A, Jeffrey Dyer, CPTM, a senior technical training manager, and Valerie Marsh, CPTM, director of learning and development at Jushi, for tips that can help.

Click to listen. 

Episode 66: Demystifying Training Measurement — How to Prove L&D’s Business Value

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.

Click to listen. 

Episode 65: The Employee Experience — What’s L&D Got to Do With It?

In this 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, manager of training and knowledge management at Cisco, to learn more about L&D’s role in the employee experience.

Click to listen. 

Episode 64: One-size-fits-none — The Rise of Personalization and Learning Pathways

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we sat down with Parker Donnafield, 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.

Click to listen. 

Episode 63: Going Global — Training an International Audience 

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.

Click to listen. 

Episode 62: Women’s Leadership Development — Common Challenges and Actionable Solutions

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.

Click to listen. 

Episode 61: L&D’s Role in Supporting Career Mobility

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 about L&D’s role in supporting internal mobility for employees.

Click to listen.

Episode 60: Leading Learning in 2023

In the first episode 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 high-performing training function in 2023.

Click to listen. 

Episode 59: Building a Strategic Training Function

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.

Click to listen. 

Episode 58: Learning Tech, Simplified – How to Select and Manage Learning Technologies and Tools

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 about learning technology selection, implementation and management.

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Transformative Learning in the New World of Work

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 learn more about transformative learning and development.

Click to listen.

Episode 57: Thrive in the Age of Digital Transformation With Training and Development

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Dr. Kim Tran, vice president and head of talent management at Allstate, and Stephanie L. Woerner, principal research scientist and director of MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research, to learn more about how training and development can support organizations in the age of digital transformation. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: L&D at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs – An Inside Look

This episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by KPMG Learning Services, offers an inside look at how the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (the “V.A.”) created a culture of learning and growth by partnering with KPMG Learning Services.

Click to listen. 

Episode 56: Learning Across the Employee Lifecycle – How Training Can Improve the Employee Experience 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Dana Baker, Degreed engagement manager at Cisco, and Andy Schuster, CPTM, senior training manager at Growmark, to learn more about delivering training across the employee lifecycle.

Click to listen. 

Episode 55: How Training Can Support a Human-centered Workplace 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Jen Dudeck, chief people officer at RedHat, and Bayan Qoul, CPTM, learning and development (L&D) specialist at Expedia Group, to learn more about how training can support a human-centered workplace. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 54: Learning Leader or Undercover Detective? Identifying Training Needs

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Training Industry’s Training Needs Assessment Certificate course instructor and learning and development (L&D) consultant Dr. Kate Hixson, along with Alexandra Kubebatu, CPTM, an instructional designer at USAA and Gifty Abagre-Laryea, CPTM, U.S. training manager at World Relief, to learn more about training needs assessments. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Deliver Future-forward Training With AI 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by CYPHER LEARNING, we spoke with Graham Glass, founder and chief executive officer of CYPHER LEARNING, to learn more about AI-powered learning.

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Leadership Coaching and Development 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by Sounding Board, Inc., we spoke with Lori Mazan, co-founder, president and chief coaching officer at Sounding Board, Inc., to learn more about leadership coaching and development. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 53: Training at Your Fingertips – Enabling Learning in the Flow of Work 

In this episode, we spoke with Steve Young, global head of employee experience and leadership assessments at Caterpillar, and Heer Kansal, global technical L&D leader at Novelis, to learn more about learning in the flow of work. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 52: Pioneering Change – The Power of Equitable Learning and Development 

To learn how training can help drive a more inclusive future of work, we spoke with Anson Green, senior manager of economic opportunity at Tyson Foods, Lori Spicer Robertson, vice president of DEI at Saks Fifth Avenue and founder and chief joymaker at Wundher, and Alaina Doyle, learning and development director at Wells Fargo. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode – The “New Learning Economy”: How L&D Can Help Businesses Stay Ahead of Change 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by ExecOnline, we spoke with Stephen Bailey, chief executive officer of ExecOnline, to learn how L&D can help drive and sustain business growth during times of change. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 51: Continuous Coaching and Feedback 

To learn how learning and development can help build a culture of continuous coaching and feedback, we spoke with Erin Goldman, manager of people development at ZipRecruiter, Sharon Delaney McCloud, director of corporate communications at UNC health system, and Ellie Soccorsy, L&D advisor at edyn. 

Click to listen.

Episode 50: Hybrid Learning Is Here. Are You Ready?

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Dr. Grace Chang, associate director, learning research and development at EY Americas, EY, and Vidya Krishnan, chief learning officer and global head of learning and development at Ericsson, to learn more about hybrid learning. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Digital Adoption Challenges and Solutions 

In this special episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by CrossKnowledge, we spoke with Jan Rijken, learning director at CrossKnowledge, to learn how L&D can support digital adoption across the enterprise. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 49: L&D’s Role in Retaining Talent During The Great Resignation 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Julian Malnak, global director of L&D at Goodyear, and Julie Winkle Giulioni, a columnist for Training Industry Magazine, consultant and author, to learn how training can help retain talent during The Great Resignation.

Click to listen.  

Episode 48: Beyond Training – L&D’s Role in Building Company Culture 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Joe Scarfone, a global learning and development consultant at Lenovo, and Megan Joecks, director of talent, culture and organizational effectiveness at Charter Steel, to learn about training’s role in building company culture.

Click to listen. 

Episode 47: How to Support and Measure Employee Performance

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Dr. Paul Leone, an author, course instructor for Training Industry’s measurement certificate course and founder of MeasureUp consulting, and Michael Ventura, founder and former chief executive officer of Sub Rosa, a strategy and design consultancy, and author of “Applied Empathy,”  to learn more about supporting and measuring employee performance.

Click to listen. 

Episode 46: Ready, Set, Pivot — Building Agile Learning Programs 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Marjorie Van Roon, a Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) and senior manager of learning and development at Best Buy Canada, to learn how learning leaders can build Agile learning programs that set their organizations up for success … no matter what roadblocks lie ahead. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Measure to Prove. Measure to Improve. 

In this special episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by GP Strategies, Bonnie Beresford, director of performance and learning analytics at GP Strategies, answers our most pressing questions about training measurement.

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Your Virtual Training Questions, Answered

In this special episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by Sales Gravy, we spoke with Jeb Blount, chief executive officer of Sales Gravy, to learn more about virtual training.

Click to listen. 

Episode 45: Building Business Acumen as a Learning Leader 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Emily Ricco, senior manager of learning design in global enablement at Salesforce and Micah Jacobson, director of learning design in global enablement at Salesforce, to learn how training professionals can build their business acumen and improve the impact of training as a result. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 44: How to Bounce Back – Training’s Role in Building Resilience 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with  Gavin Sutton, head of learning and development at Ogilvy, and Tricia Inderhees, learning and development consultant leader at the Cincinnati Insurance Companies and an Agile-certified HR and L&D professional, to learn more about training’s role in building resilience. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 43: How to Become an Effective Internal Consultant 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Susan Kish, an education and training advocate for The Superior Group, and De’Lisa Stringer, a project manager and diversity and inclusion practitioner, to learn how L&D leaders can build internal consulting skills.

Click to listen. 

Episode 42: Building Psychological Safety in Learning Programs 

In this episode of The Business of Learning, we spoke with Dr. Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School and author of The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth,” to learn about building psychological safety in learning programs. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Anatomy of Adaptive Learning in a Workforce Context

In this episode of The Business of Learning, sponsored by Realizeit, we spoke with Manoj Kulkarni, chief executive officer at Realizeit, to learn more about adaptive learning. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 41: Engage Your Learners With Blended Learning

We spoke with Jamie Breshears, senior manager in Deloitte Consulting’s learning and leadership practice, and Lynn Leadley, a certified professional in training management and senior vice president at Pax8 University, to learn how blended learning can drive engagement and, as a result, business outcomes.

Click to listen.

Episode 40: Supporting Social Learning in the Workplace

We spoke with Kacie Walters (head of global professional development at Northern Trust Corporation), Linda Cai (an experienced learning and talent executive and author of Share: How Organizations Can Thrive in an Age of Networked Knowledge, Power and Relationships”), and Nicole Lembo (manager of academic programs at JetBlue Airways) to find out how learning leaders can enable social learning in the workplace. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 39: Developing Modern Leaders 

To learn more about modern leadership, we spoke with Laura SmitDunaief, CPTM, an experienced learning leader and an instructor for Training Industry’s continuing professional development programs, and Mark Herschberg, chief technical officer, professor and author of “The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You.” 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Virtual Learning Engagement in 2021 

We spoke with Matt Giegerich, chief executive officer of The Inception Company, and Shaun Urban, president of The Inception Company, for expert insights on engaging virtual learners in 2021 and beyond. 

Click to listen. 

Episode 38: Experiential Learning: How to Support “Learning by Doing” 

To learn more about experiential learning, we spoke with Meghan Castillo, principal learning experience designer at HubSpot, and Hasti Mehta, learning and development operations specialist at HubSpot.

Click to listen.

Special Episode: The Future Workforce: Developing Lifelong Learners

To learn more about what the future workforce will look like, and training’s role in developing it, we spoke with Keith Keating, senior director and global learning strategist at GP Strategies. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: How to Measure and Maximize the Impact of Training 

To uncover the secrets behind effective training measurement and evaluation, we spoke with Asha Pandey, founder and chief learning strategist at EI Design.

Click to listen. 

Episode 37: Reflecting on 2020 and Preparing for 2021

To reflect on 2020’s impact on learning and development (L&D) and hear predictions for 2021, we spoke with Tiffany Poeppelman, director of LinkedIn’s business leadership program, and Amy Contreras, head of L&D at Uber Freight.

Click to listen.

Episode 36: L&D’s Role in Change Management

To learn more about learning and development’s role in change management, we spoke with Loren Sanders, enterprise manager of L&D at CVS Health, and Scott Nutter, who worked with Delta Airlines for 22 years managing its pilot training programs.

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Leadership Skills for the Digital Workplace 

Today’s leaders need refined digital skills to lead their teams through continued transformation and change and into the future. To learn more about digital leadership, we’re speaking with Anja Emonds, expert research manager at CrossKnowledge.

Click to listen. 

Episode 35: 15 Years in the Training Industry: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

The learning and development (L&D) field moves at a fast pace, as societal shifts and emerging technologies continue to impact the business of learning. In honor of Training Industry’s 15-year anniversary, we spoke with Ken Taylor, president and editor-in-chief at Training Industry, to reflect on what’s changed over the last decade and a half and what to expect in the future of the corporate training.

Click to listen. 

Episode 34: Giving Feedback in a Remote Workplace 

L&D must ensure leaders have the tools they need to set their remote employees, and their organizations, up for success. We spoke with Sergey Gorbatov and Angela Lane, human performance thought leaders and co-authors of “Fair Talk: Three Steps to Powerful Feedback,” to learn more about giving feedback in a remote workplace.

Click to listen. 

Episode 33: Great Training Starts With Strategic Alignment

Our recently launched research report, What Makes a Training Organization Great?”, identifies strategic alignment as the most important process capabilityWith that in mind, today, we spoke with Maggie Redling, manager of learning and development at AvidXchange, Inc., and Coleman Williams, senior manager of human resources and talent operations at AvidXchange, Inc., to learn more on strategic alignment. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Virtual Sales Training and Coaching for a Remote Sales Force

Many businesses are still operating with a remote workforce due to COVID-19, and the sales force is no different. To learn how virtual sales training and coaching can set remote salespeople up for success, we spoke with Mark Magnacca, co-founder and president of Allego. 

Click to listen. 

Special Episode: Design as a Mindset for Training Managers 

Design as a mindset goes beyond creating content — it’s a way of thinking that training managers can use to improve learning solutions and make an impact. To learn more about developing a design mindset, and leveraging it for training that drives business results, we spoke with Danny Seals, director of design and experience at GP Strategies.

Click to listen. 

Episode 32: Developing Leaders Who Can Succeed During a Crisis

Leadership can make or break organizational success. In a crisis, this is even more true. Companies need leaders who can guide them through these turbulent times and into the future. To learn more about leading during a crisis, we spoke with Maureen Metcalf, chief executive officer of the Innovative Leadership Institute and host of the podcast “Innovative Leadership, Co-Creating Our Future.”

Click to listen. 

Episode 31: Enabling On-the-job Coaching: The Role of L&D 

On-the-job coaching has become a popular topic across the learning and development field and business at large. But what does effective on-the-job coaching look like? And what does training have to do with it? To find out, we spoke with Ronda Bowman, global learning and development leader with HPE Financial Services, and Carolon Donnally, a leadership and executive coach with the Internal Revenue Service.

Click to listen. 

Episode 30: Supporting Employee Well-being With Learning and Development

As we recorded this episode, the coronavirus pandemic was impacting nearly all industries — and employees. To find out how learning and development (L&D) can support employee wellness and well-being, we spoke with Celeste Headlee, award-winning journalist, speaker, and bestselling author of “We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter” and “Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving.”

Click to listen.

Episode 29: How Training Professionals Can Help Organizations Eliminate Racism

To learn more about what learning and development (L&D) leaders can do to help eliminate racism in the workplace, we spoke with Dr. Theresa Horne, CPTM, and Dr. Russell Robinson, senior training professionals at government agencies, and Valerie Jackson, senior director of global inclusion and diversity at Procore Technologies.

Click to listen.

Episode 28: Moving Training to the Virtual Classroom

When we recorded this episode in April 2020, many, if not most, organizations had implemented remote work policies in light of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, many training managers were working to convert their in-person courses and programs into virtual training. Cindy Huggett, a consultant, facilitator and author of several books on virtual training, and Heather Schultes, CPTM, the director of global training at TransPerfect, share tips on making this transition.

Click to listen.

Episode 27: Inclusive Leadership

What makes an inclusive leader and organization? Shawnice Meador, director of U.S. strategic talent programs at ABB, and H. Wes Pratt, assistant to the president and chief diversity officer at Missouri State University, weigh in.

Click to listen.

Special Episode: Connecting Remote Teams With Virtual Meetings

Forget everything you know about virtual meetings. Imagine being able to engage with others, from anywhere across the globe, just like you would if you were sitting across the room from them. New technologies can make this happen.

Click to listen.

Episode 26: Effective Performance Reviews

Many people (both managers and team members) fear performance reviews. To help alleviate some of these fears, we spoke with Roberta Matuson, president of Matuson Consulting, and Jared Narlock, MPA, SHRM-SCP, a talent development and engagement consultant for Nemours Children’s Health System.

Click to listen.

Episode 25: The Future of Work … for All Workers

As we enter the 2020s, it’s a good time to consider what the future of work looks like — and to make sure it brings equal opportunity to everyone. Shane Kanady, vice president of workforce development at SourceAmerica, and Mika Cross, vice president of employer engagement and strategic initiatives at FlexJobs, weigh in.

Click to listen.

Episode 24: Global Training Management

Developing a global training program that has the power to improve business results presents a new set of challenges for learning leaders. In this episode of the Training Industry podcast, Jacqueline Bhavaraju, CPTM, a learning and development director at KPMG, and Jonathan Fear, vice president of Coupa University at Coupa Software, share their thoughts on managing global L&D.

Click to listen.

 Episode 23: Managing the Learning Tech Stack

Effectively managing learning technologies, especially when you’re adopting a variety of platforms and solutions, can be a challenge. In this episode of the Training Industry podcast, Jayson Maxell, CPTM, corporate director of learning and development at Six Flags, shares his advice. Plus, Ken Taylor, president of Training Industry, shares his predictions for learning technology in 2020!

Click to listen.

 Episode 22: Soft Skills as a Differentiator

More and more, we hear that soft skills are the key to success even, or maybe especially, in an increasingly automated world. But what do we mean when we say soft skills, and why are they the key to success? How do you know if your organization has a workforce with strong soft skills, and how can you develop them in your employees? In this episode of The Business of Learning, Shelley Osborne, head of learning and development at Udemy, and G. Riley Mills, co-founder and chief operating officer of Pinnacle Performance Company and author of “The Bullseye Principle,” share their insights.

Click to listen.

Episode 21: Adaptive Onboarding

Unlike traditional onboarding, which is often seen as an HR or administrative check-the-box task, adaptive onboarding is designed to meet the specific needs of individual employees. This personalized approach to onboarding can better engage, shape and retain new talent. In this episode of The Business of Learning, Melissa White, director of business operations at The Kool Source, and Nina Redding, senior learning resource consultant at Alberta Motor Association, weigh in.

Click to listen.

Episode 20: Social Learning and Content Curation

One of the most well-known and popular models in L&D is 70-20-10. Recent research by Training Industry updated the model to the 55-25-20 model and reinforced the importance of social interactions and collaborations as a part of an employee’s learning experience. How can you balance the benefits of social learning with the need to have content appropriately vetted and curated? To answer this question, we spoke with Lauren Harris, CPTM, of the University of Colorado Boulder and Juliana Stancampiano of Oxygen Learning.

Click to listen.

Episode 19: Evaluating Learning and Measuring ROI

Training Industry research has found that one of the biggest challenges facing learning leaders is measuring the effectiveness of their training. On this episode of The Business of Learning, Kevin M. Yates, a fact-finder for learning and development, discusses this challenge and his tips on evaluating learning and measuring return on investment (ROI).

Click to listen.

Episode 18: Effective Safety Training: The Product of a Safety Culture and Strategic Alignment

Effective safety training requires a safety culture and alignment with business goals. In this episode of The Business of Learning, safety training experts Bridgette Wilder (City of Memphis) and Fred Stawitz share their tips on making safety training engaging, the role of training in risk management and mitigation, and emerging technologies such as VR/AR and artificial intelligence.

Click to listen.

Episode 17: Career Pathways in Learning and Development

There are a variety of paths people take to enter and advance in the training profession. Whether L&D is their first job out of college, or whether they switch into a training role later in their career, the paths learning leaders take throughout their careers can offer insights for newer — and more experienced — professionals. Dr. Kristal Walker, CPTM, director of organizational development at Guitar Center, and Alycia Angle, senior talent management consultant at Ochsner Health System, share their career journeys so far, with takeaways for training professionals.

Click to listen.

Episode 16: Best Practices for Internal Coaching Programs

Many companies bring in external coaching consultants, but internal coaching programs are a great way to introduce coaching to an organization’s culture and to support the practice within a company. Matt Becker, coaching and mentoring manager at CareSource, shares his experience and tips.

Click to listen.

Special Episode: The Four Moments of Truth

In this episode of The Business of Learning, Dr. Sam Shriver, executive vice president of The Center for Leadership Studies, and Doug Harward, founder and CEO of Training Industry, discuss a new model for sustaining the impact of leadership training: the Four Moments of Truth.

Click to listen.

Episode 15: Developing a Request for Proposals for Training Outsourcing Engagements

In this episode of The Business of Learning, Doug Harward, founder and CEO of Training Industry, discusses how to approach decisions about when to outsource and how to manage and develop requests for proposals (RFPs) for training products and services.

Click to listen.

Episode 14: Merging Training Functions after an M&A

In the opener to season 2 of The Business of Learning, we talk to Scott Farley, group director of talent management at Komatsu, and Dave Fogleman, chief learning officer at SkillPath, about the process of managing change and merging training functions after an acquisition.

Click to listen.

Episode 13: Training Industry Trends and Predictions

In the season 1 finale of The Business of Learning, we talk to industry leaders about training market trends in 2018 and predictions for 2019.

Click to listen.

Episode 12: Developing a Learning Ecosystem for the Technical Workforce

Vidya Krishnan, global chief learning officer at Ericsson, shares her thoughts on training technical employees, the “soft skills versus technical skills” debate, and the need for continuous learning.

Click to listen.

Episode 11: Distance Learning in Corporate Training

For National Distance Learning Week, Ken Conn (past president and chairman of the board, U.S. Distance Learning Association) and Melissa Loble (senior vice president of professional services and partnerships, Instructure) share their thoughts on distance learning, what the future of online training looks like, and what corporate L&D leaders can learn from K-12 and university education.

Click to listen.

Episode 10: What Do Learners Want?

Amy DuVernet, CPTM, Ph.D., shares insights on what learners want, why we should care, and how to deliver engaging and effective training.

Click to listen.

Episode 9: The Executive Perspective on L&D

Tom Whelan, Ph.D., describes how executives see corporate training and shares strategies for L&D leaders to work with executives to develop and implement training strategy.

Click to listen.

Episode 8: Working and Training in the Age of Automation

Larry Boyer, consultant, speaker and author of the new book “The Robot in the Next Cubicle: What You Need to Know to Adapt and Succeed in the Automation Age,” shares his thoughts on how automation and artificial intelligence are impacting work and training and tells us why he calls himself an optimistic realist.

Click to listen.

Episode 7: Sales Enablement: Where Training Meets Strategy

Four experts share tips, tricks and insights on developing an effective sales enablement strategy that includes training.

Click to listen.

Episode 6: The Learner Experience

Sam Herring and Dr. Tom Tonkin define the learner experience and share tips for creating a good one.

Click to listen.

Episode 5: Creating an Engaged, Connected Organization

Michael Lee Stallard and Jay Morris share insights on employee wellness, satisfaction and engagement.

Click to listen.

Episode 4: International Coaching Week

Just in time for International Coaching Week, we speak to a panel of experts about communication, feedback, technology and coaching.

Click to listen.

Episode 3: Preconceptions of 70-20-10

Tom Whelan, Ph.D., director of corporate research, shares insights from a research report on revising the 70-20-10 model for the 21st-century learning organization.

Click to listen.

Episode 2: The Gender Gap in Leadership Training: How Learning and Development Can Help Break the Glass Ceiling

Joanna Barsh, director emerita and senior advisor for McKinsey & Company, co-chair of the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership’s Leadership Working Group and president of the Centered Leadership Project, shares her model of leadership development, tips for L&D to support gender-balanced leadership, myths about women’s leadership development, and her own female leader heroes.

Click to listen.

Episode 1: Training Manager Competency Model

Amy DuVernet, Ph.D., CPTM, director of training manager development, discusses the Training Manager Competency Model™, shares some of the competencies and provides tips for training managers to develop their skills.

Click to listen.