Chief Learning Officer’s “Learning Insights” series is dedicated to showcasing the thoughts and career journeys of chief learning officers and learning executives – the tireless trailblazers who are transforming the landscape of corporate learning and workforce development. In this Q&A series, we garner strategic insights, innovative approaches and challenges overcome from visionary leaders worldwide.
What initially drew you to a career in L&D, and how have your experiences evolved over the years?
I began as an educator who preferred helping adults learn, much of which is related to knowledge or skills needed for work. Increasingly, learning is more personalized, less company-supported, more technology-based for delivery and often self-funded (investing one’s own time and money). The pace and breadth of skill/knowledge development has changed to such a rapid pace, it is all that we can do to stay ahead by constantly learning — from colleagues, articles, videos, professional associations, networking and on-the-job learning opportunities.
What key initiatives have you implemented as a learning leader to drive employee development and foster a learning culture?
I’ve always prioritized staff learning and development as well as promoting it to colleagues and people across the organization. I routinely strive to make others aware of free or low-cost work-relevant L&D opportunities they can consider accessing — often remotely, at a time that works for them. This puts them in the driver’s seat of their own employability sustainment and career enrichment/satisfaction.
What is the most impactful learning program you’ve introduced in your organization, and how has it contributed to employee growth and business success?
Probably one of the most impactful programs I have introduced that has contributed to employee growth is emphasizing the importance of citing relevant work-related learning goals in their performance agreement to both secure support (time and/or money) where possible and to inspire and engage employees to learn more and (potentially) earn more.
“Workplace learning should be a ‘win-win’ or shared L&D goal for employees and employers.”
What is a common misconception people might have about the L&D function, and how do you address it?
A common misconception about L&D is that it is not needed and it is unattainable due to flat training budgets. I initiated a presentation and handout on cost-free and low-cost internal and external workplace learning solutions for the team and division to offer them a buffet to choose from.
What excites you the most about the future of workplace learning, and how are you preparing your organization to adapt to the changing landscape?
The future of workplace learning is boundless and puts more onus on employees to seek out L&D that is strategically aligned. This makes people more accountable for being in control of their own careers, performance, productivity and results, rather than leaving it up to their employer. Workplace learning should be a “win-win” or shared L&D goal for employees and employers. “Training,” per se, is no longer an employer-driven endeavor alone. Learning and skill acquisition happen in many contexts and are often up to the individual, not the employer, to be aware of, communicate, and fully sponsor the investment of time and money for something that is likely to enhance a person’s employability or potential for advancement.
What essential qualities or skills make a successful L&D leader, and how do you cultivate these traits in yourself and among your team?
Essential qualities for a successful L&D leader: being resourceful, embracing/exemplifying lifelong learning and skill development from various sources, being unafraid to make a mistake and learn after taking a calculated risk, and being open-minded to new career opportunities (lateral, self-employment, etc.) by investing in oneself to be more and do more to potentially have more (income, status, etc.). I cultivate these traits myself by striving to be a good role model of continuous L&D, supporting others to do the same, being willing to mentor or share knowledge and insights with others, and forgiving people who are still learning or developing in a role but make an error in judgment.
What game-changing advice would you offer if you could go back in time and mentor your younger self?
The game-changing advice I would offer to my younger self would be to seek out off-the-job and on-the-job learning opportunities more, earlier, from a variety of sources. I would also encourage more stick-to-it-ness for remaining in positions longer (where feasible) to enhance my appeal to employers. I would volunteer less with professional groups because it did not translate into job or contract opportunities as I hoped, and much of my work was unappreciated. I would have been more efficient and targeted in my studies, saving me a lot of years and time where I would have gotten down to work in professional contexts sooner, ahead of economic downturns, which diminished opportunities.
What do you feel is currently the single biggest challenge facing L&D professionals and the industry as a whole?
The single biggest challenge facing L&D professionals and the industry as a whole is knowing how to harness the power of AI to make their work more efficient and more effective by saving time and money on tedious tasks. Additionally, the L&D losses from remote work and less workplace mentoring or on-the-job learning from colleagues have significantly impacted many employees — especially younger workers. Reportedly, anxiety levels are soaring in part due to this lack of in-person connection, which fires more areas of our brains and helps create meaningful connections that pave the way for learning.
We’re always looking to showcase innovative tools and technologies. Can you share one work or learning tech product or platform that has significantly improved your work processes and why you find it valuable?
Microsoft Teams, specifically channels for projects across teams, has been one of the best and simplest tech products to support L&D by enabling shared chats, collaborative editing, polling and recording of meetings/presentations in a central place for larger projects. Teams supports organic and informal workplace learning opportunities internally.
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