Association for Talent Development

In this issue of TD at Work, Danielle Wallace shares how talent development professionals can connect learning to performance and build meaningful partnerships across the organization to support the business and help shape the organization’s future. Wallace offers guidance on how to:

• Know your business.
• Understand what matters most to business leaders and align your work to their goals.
• Develop an advisor mindset.
• Ask meaningful questions and speak stakeholders’ language.
• Collaborate early and often.
• Demonstrate business impact using metrics.
• Rebuild trust when relationships stall.
• Sustain alignment over time.

The Tools & Resources in this issue include a Conversation Guide: Align TD With Department Priorities, and a Worksheet: Business Context and External Factors. A Bonus Tools & Resources is a Checklist: Business .

Grow Your Self-Awareness, Reinvent Your Value

There’s a moment of hesitation surfacing today in organizations. Executives want middle managers to operate more cross-functionally so they can scale performance. Middle managers are waiting for permission from executives to activate their leadership voice and create more value. Written by leadership expert and coach Dan Gallagher, The Self-Aware Leader sharpens the self-awareness of middle managers to drive productivity and career growth.

Gallagher presents a model that emerging leaders, middle managers, and senior executives can use as a catalyst to grow their leadership value. Based on empirical research and more than two decades of use, the model fully integrates a deep focus on self-awareness and reinvention with the practices of servant leadership and business transformation.

This second edition includes additional thought exercises, new research on the Self-Aware Leader model and Generosity Quotient, and real examples of how increased self-awareness grows a leader’s value.

Make Learning Stick Through Reflection Activities

Employees today crave development, growth, and skill building. They also want more meaning and connection at work. When they learn to reflect on training experiences intentionally, they get all that and more. Pausing to reflect makes it easier to retain and transfer the knowledge and skills we need on the job.

L&D expert Katrina Kennedy shares more than 45 reflective learning activities that instructional designers, facilitators, and trainers can use in face-to-face and online classrooms to create more meaningful learning experiences for a variety of contexts and participants. Each activity is designed to help participants develop critical thinking skills and improve future performance by analyzing what they’ve learned and how far they’ve come.

Built around eight essential outcomes, this book will show you how to strengthen motivation, social connection, memory, and critical thinking skills through targeted reflection activities—all of which are adaptable for in-person or remote training situations. Activities include mental inventories for boosting motivation, shared learning maps for building social connection, and after-action reviews for improving performance.

Start achieving your organization’s business goals and building people’s capacities with this comprehensive reflection toolkit.

Become an Expert AI User and Strategy Leader

Artificial intelligence (AI) and performance expert Josh Cavalier shares his in-depth knowledge and skills to help L&D professionals master learning experience design by using generative AI in their employee learning and development efforts. More than just a technical manual on generative AI or a collection of best prompt practices, this book explores how AI is reshaping jobs, skill development, and human performance. Cavalier provides his Learning and Development AI Ecosystem framework as a practical road map for integrating AI into your day-to-day work and your organization.

Discover how to seamlessly incorporate AI into your existing L&D processes and broader L&D ecosystem, optimizing workflows and driving measurable results. Explore how AI-enabled L&D platforms can facilitate personalized learning paths, automated performance support, and real-time skills gap analysis. Learn how to craft effective prompts for learning design and use chatbots and AI assistants for help in the moment of need. And importantly, dive deep into the ethical considerations, from maintaining data privacy and security to mitigating bias in AI-powered learning solutions.

No matter how advanced artificial intelligence becomes, L&D professionals must remain focused on performance—both of humans and now machines. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your AI journey, this book is your essential resource to unleash the power of AI in L&D.

Demand for creative thinking is currently outpacing supply. Despite that need, creative thinking is one of the skills most lacking in job candidates. The good news is that creative thinking is a trainable skill. In this issue of TD at Work, Gerard J. Puccio and Pamela A. Szalay will:

• Explain the nature of creativity.
• Identify the four stages of the creative process.
• Present, and provide the opportunity to practice, six strategies to enhance creative thinking.
• Describe ways to facilitate creativity at individual, team, and organizational levels.
• Provide opportunities to pair creative thinking with artificial intelligence.

The Tools & Resources in this issue include a Worksheet: Diverge First Strategy, Tool: POINt Evaluation, and Exercise: Stakeholder Analysis.

Understanding the delicate balance of neurotransmitters and hormones that regulate motivation, stress, and trust is more than an interesting science lesson. It is the key to unlocking better leadership, stronger teams, and sustainable high performance. In this issue of TD at Work, Jessica Billiet will:

• Outline brain chemistry components and how they interact with each other.
• Define the four pillars of Longevity Leadership.
• Explain how the work environment affects brain hormones and neurotransmitters.
• Share practical ways leaders can foster a healthy workspace and avoid burnout.

The Tools & Resources in this issue include a Worksheet: Growth Ritual Design, Inventory: The Motivation Method, and Matrix: Stretch and Support.

Strengthen Your Acquisition and Retention Efforts Through Everboarding

Traditional onboarding is a relic of the past. That frantic sprint to get new hires “up to speed,” followed by a deafening silence, often falls short. What if, instead, you could create a seamless, ongoing journey of growth and development from the day an employee starts and throughout their tenure—an everboarding experience?

Employees say they need to develop new skills to be successful at their jobs, and many will look for another job if not offered development opportunities. In this book, leading HR talent strategy and everboarding expert Amber Watts offers solutions to help you shift your organization’s mindset that onboarding has an exit day and embrace a culture of continuous learning. It guides you through building a dynamic everboarding strategy that fosters long-term employee engagement, accelerates performance, and strengthens your talent acquisition and retention efforts.

Inside, you’ll discover how to personalize and elevate the onboarding experience, move beyond generic checklists, and create customized journeys that resonate with individual needs, jobs, and roles. Smooth the transition out of onboarding by defining clear expectations and creating a seamless handoff process to ensure ongoing support. Equip managers to be continuous development partners and provide them with the tools and resources they need to effectively coach, mentor, and guide their employees throughout their careers. Cultivate a growth mindset, encouraging new hires and existing employees to embrace lifelong learning and growth. This book also includes three case studies that explore how an everboarding strategy solves key challenges and delivers business results, while offering ideas for how to implement it yourself.

Perfect for HR and L&D leaders seeking to transform their onboarding and employee development programs, this first-ever book on everboarding provides actionable strategies and practical advice you can apply immediately. Stop treating onboarding like a graduation and start building an everlasting culture of growth and success.

Make Employee Skills the Currency Within Your Organization

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations are recognizing the critical importance of employees’ skills as a catalyst for organizational success. This is a fundamental change from focusing on job titles, position credentials, org charts, and reporting hierarchies when considering organizational talent. Meanwhile, workers and job seekers desire better opportunities to showcase their unique abilities and greater career mobility. Now, organizations have the opportunity to meet their business and employee needs by tapping into the existing skills of their workforce and developing the skills their employees need to remain agile and competitive.

While the transformation process to a skills-based organization is complex and may seem overwhelming, skills expert and visionary Koreen Pagano offers a blueprint for making the shift and achieving success. She shows how to build over time, emphasizing that you do not have to overhaul every HR, learning and development, and management process and program to see the benefits of skills. Start small and wherever it makes the most sense for your organization to begin the skills journey.

In this book, explore the different components of a skills-based organization—hiring and recruitment, organizational culture, performance management, and career development—as well as strategies for continuous improvement at the people, process, and system levels. Learn to understand the current potential for skills, what is needed to overcome resistance to change, and how to secure buy-in from your organization’s decision makers. Examine how to plan for the collection, analysis, and governance of your skills data.

This book is perfect for HR and talent strategists who want to go beyond the theoretical and see real results, regardless of where they may be on their path to building a skills-based organization. Case studies of companies at different stages in the journey prove this isn’t just an aspirational goal—it’s one that actual companies are achieving.

C-suite personas can strengthen individual learning and growth, influence leaders, foster healthy teams, enable change at the senior leader level, and optimize strategy. Knowing the way leaders think and how they make decisions can augment TD’s approach and enhance the function’s influence in the boardroom. In this issue of TD at Work, Esther Jackson will:

• Introduce leader personas.
• Explain how they differ from learner personas.
• Describe the primary executive decision-making styles.
• Detail the benefits of understanding personas for TD.
• Outline ways to support leader development using C-suite leader personas.
• Fuse artificial intelligence and personas to enhance TD outcomes.

The Tools & Resources in this issue include a Template: C-Suite Persona and Worksheet: Pitch Preparation.

A focus on personalization and user experience is transforming technology solutions from one-size-fits-all to curated environments that cater to end users’ unique needs. Learning experience platforms play into that paradigm shift by driving effectiveness through training delivery and user engagement. In this issue of TD at Work, Theresa Decker will:

• Describe different types of learning platforms.
• Present a business case for choosing an LXP.
• Offer guidance for selecting a platform.
• Unpack a framework for implementing an LXP.
• Present change management strategies for user adoption.
• Explain how to plan for future success.

The Tools & Resources in this issue include an Assessment: Organizational Readiness.

Transform Your L&D Team Into Your Organization’s Strategic Business Partner

Most L&D pros dream of the day when stakeholders will stop viewing them as mere order takers and consider them critical, strategic partners in shaping the future of their organization. But how do you get there? In this book, veteran talent development leader Jess Almlie introduces her formula for becoming the valued strategic business partner (SBP) that leaders in the C-suite and elsewhere in an organization need and want.

Partnering effectively with stakeholders requires a new mindset and behavior, a keen understanding of the business, a willingness to collaborate, and targeted tools. Almlie provides detailed guidance on how to succeed in each of these areas and invites you to start by taking an in-depth assessment of your strengths and gaps in working as an SBP. She shares her own wins and failures along with wisdom from three dozen other L&D pros who work in small, midsize, and large organizations across a wide variety of industries.

This step-by-step guide will help current and aspiring L&D leaders understand business basics, create a playbook for team collaboration, work productively with stakeholders, and teach others to work in harmony with L&D. The final chapter offers practical advice for those who need to take small steps toward becoming SBPs in organizations resistant to change.

This book includes questionnaires, worksheets, and other tools that will help L&D leaders understand business terminology and needs, see a stakeholder’s point of view, and develop strategies for creating effective partnerships and measuring impact. You’ll be able to create a plan for developing and advocating for a team of L&D professionals who all work as strategic business partners.

When L&D professionals properly incorporate fun, it leads to positive course evaluation feedback from participants and results in reaching desired learning outcomes that align with organizational business objectives. In this issue of TD at Work, Paige Parker Salazar will:

• Explain why fun is an integral part of good facilitation.
• Outline personality styles and reveal how they affect which training activities to choose.
• Share techniques to interject interactivity, engagement, and fun into training events.
• Enumerate how to assess knowledge and skills.
• Offer ways to evaluate training.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Template: Fun and Engagement and a Worksheet: After-Training Action Plan.

Get the A-to-Z Resource on Training Evaluation

Fully revised and updated, ATD’s Handbook for Measuring and Evaluating Training is the comprehensive go-to reference for talent development professionals in need of immediate measurement and evaluation (M&E) guidance. Edited by M&E powerhouse Patti Phillips, with contributions from 30 expert practitioners, this handbook provides an essential roadmap to developing effective processes to prove the value and impact of your learning and development programs.

Training measurement and evaluation is one of the top frustrations of a talent development professional's job. At first glance, it appears to be a drain on precious time and resources, yet it is a critical function for understanding the results and proving the value of L&D programs. If not conducted properly, it can yield questionable results, lack of accountability, and stakeholder skepticism. All to say, TD professionals must have a solid foundation in measurement and evaluation to do their jobs effectively.

With this handbook, you’ll feel confident each time you face an M&E challenge, from planning the evaluation and collecting and analyzing data to optimizing results and making evaluation efforts work in your organization. You will use the data to improve your training programs and meet the standards your organization strives for.

The updated edition includes new chapters on how to tell the evaluation story to business leaders, visualize data in reports, and leverage artificial intelligence smartly as well as refreshed chapters on all the M&E fundamentals. Rich in real-life application, it offers practitioner tips, knowledge checks, and support resources and references. Your advisors along the way are an impressive array of experts from the field, each chosen for their knowledge, experience, and actual results in specific areas.

Whether you’re a trainer, manager, professor, or student of training evaluation, this handbook has been designed to meet your needs. 

Map creation is one of the most widespread and universally understood visualization techniques. Mapping out the learner’s journey establishes connections, predicts learner reactions, anticipates challenges, and reveals missing pieces. Such maps bring an instructional design to life. In this issue of TD at Work, Iuliia Algasova provides:

• An overview of learner journey maps
• Examples of mapping techniques
• Key components
• Explanations for how to improve learning design
• A change management use case

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Worksheet: Learner Journey Map and a Template: Learner Journey Map.

There are now more than 2 million valid podcasts on Apple Podcasts. Have you ever considered how podcasting can relate to your organization’s goals? In this issue of TD at Work, Shannon Martin will explain:

• What an internal podcast is
• Where to start
• Whom to include on your podcast team
• How to record and publish your podcast
• How to promote your podcast

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Podcast Launch Planning Worksheet, an Episode Checklist, and a Technology Checklist.

Unlock the full potential of your employees with effective feedback.

Providing performance feedback is one of the most challenging tasks leaders face. Feedback often sparks frustration and fear for both leaders and their teams. Why? Because there is a disconnect between what leaders think they are communicating and what employees receive.

In this essential book, leadership experts Mashihi and Nowack offer leaders their four-part Performance Feedback Coaching Model, designed to bridge this gap. After over a decade spent developing, testing, and refining their model with leaders around the world, the authors offer this powerful framework based on research in neuroscience and psychology.

The book equips leaders at all levels with practical strategies and tools to deliver tailored feedback that aligns with each employee’s unique skills and interpersonal strengths. By personalizing feedback, leaders can inspire significant improvements in employee behavior, creating a workplace where leaders achieve their goals and employees thrive—a true win-win situation. The authors share powerful stories, real-life examples, and user-friendly tips, as well as questionnaires, worksheets, and other tools leaders can apply immediately in managing today's diverse and global workforce.

With this book as your roadmap, you will have the guidance you need to improve your employees’ development, performance, motivation, satisfaction, and retention.

Incorporating the design and delivery practices of explicit instruction can greatly inform corporate L&D’s approach. To maximize value for learners, L&D professionals should incorporate active participation strategies into ILT and vILT sessions. In this issue of TD at Work, Adam Hockman:

• Details strategies to promote active and meaningful engagement in training classrooms
• Explores the concept of choral responding
• Explains how to effectively implement engagement strategies in ILT and vILT formats
• Presents observation and feedback tools to monitor, audit, and enhance trainer performance

The Tools & Resources in this issue are an Active Participation Observation and Feedback Form, Training Session Evaluation Form, and Glows and Grows Trainer Evaluation Form.

Needs assessments, a systematic process for determining and addressing gaps between current conditions and desired outcomes, have changed. Needs assessments and training needs assessments are important parts of our jobs that we must do and do well. If not, the end performance improvement product won’t meet learners’ or the business’s needs, and the assessment will be a huge waste of time, money, and trust for all involved. In this issue of TD at Work, Beth McGoldrick explains:

• How a needs assessment is different today
• How today’s workforce affects needs assessments
• How to collect data no matter where stakeholders are
• How to communicate the need for this assessment
• How to develop solutions based on the assessment

The Tools & Resources in this issue are an Adjusted Needs Assessment Tracking Sheet and a Stakeholder Information Worksheet.

Get the Toolbox You Need to Design for All Learners

Design for All Learners empowers instructional designers, trainers, and other talent development professionals to create learning experiences that are accessible to and inclusive of all people. Learn from practitioners’ vulnerable lived experiences, moving stories, and practical advice. Written with accessibility, inclusion, and L&D experts and edited by Sarah Mercier, this book will help you ensure that individuals can fully participate in the talent development and training programs you offer.

Adopt a progress-over-perfection approach. Start with shifting your mindset to consider that all learners are people who have unique experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities—and that learning design should be built for people, not just to meet compliance standards. Find what you need to know about designing for the modality you’re using to reach learners—from e-learning and job aids to training in the physical and virtual classroom. Gain a clearer understanding of requirements and standards, and then explore strategies and tactics to foster an inclusive mindset throughout your organization.

Anyone involved with the practice of design in learning and development will benefit from the wide range of perspectives and techniques offered, whether you’re a team of one or work in an organization with a variety of resources. If your goal is to become a better designer, developer, teacher, and leader, this book presents a packed toolbox to do so. It will change everything you think you know. Use it as a guide in your journey to accessible, inclusive design for all.

Turn to the Definitive Guide for All Your Consulting Questions

ATD’s Handbook for Consultants unpacks what it takes to run a successful consulting practice that delivers world-class solutions for clients all with the benefits of a self-directed work life. 

As companies and organizations become increasingly strategic with how they use employee resources, more are engaging external consultants as highly skilled temporary labor when they lack the specialized expertise to handle their growing needs. Without the staffing flexibility to complete special projects that require more employee hours and specialized skills, companies recognize the benefits of fresh perspectives, new ideas, outside opinions, and the speed and efficiency of an expert consultant who in many cases has already tackled similar challenges with other companies.

Consulting is at the top of the list of career moves for talent development professionals and others who have unique skill sets and expertise. Whether you’re considering branching out on your own, you’ve just launched and are struggling to keep yourself afloat, or you’re looking to take your business to the next level, this book will help you clarify your “why” and make your transition a soft landing. Learn to set a business strategy, write winning business proposals, and market your products and services. Gain perspectives on multiple consulting career paths—from forming an independent consultancy to joining a boutique consulting practice to consulting with a large company.

Edited by consulting powerhouse Elaine Biech, this book is broken into five parts:

• Exploring consulting: So you want to be a consultant
• Getting started: Plan your consulting future
• Delivering results: The work of a consultant
• Developing business: Find and keep clients
• Focusing on your future: Define success your way

Tap into the sage wisdom, actionable takeaways, and practical tools in this book, and set yourself apart from the competition on your journey to becoming a successful consultant. 

This turnkey guide helps you build a successful executive coaching framework and practice.

The Executive Coaching Playbook offers experienced and newly minted executive coaches a complete framework for building your coaching skills and business with proven results. Beyond offering the ultimate, proven coaching theory, this book provides the tools and templates you need to set up a thriving business—from working with your first executive clients to developing the business plan and marketing strategy for your brand.

With more than 30 years of experience as both an executive and a top executive coach, Dr. Nadine Greiner, along with talent development expert Becky Davis, shares her extensive knowledge, hard-won lessons, and practical advice covering everything from the first chemistry call with a potential executive client to closing out engagements with meaning and poise. In this book, you will learn how to be the exemplary, sought-after executive coach that leaves clients, sponsors, and yourself more than satisfied.

The perfect companion to Dr. Nadine's The Art of Executive Coaching, the playbook offers:

• 75+ downloadable templates and techniques (including email templates, worksheets, forms, and agendas) to support and to customize for your coaching endeavors
• A four-step coaching process to adopt with your clients
• Practical advice for starting and growing your business

Even though the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are obvious, a rising backlash exists against such initiatives. By adding the idea of belonging to DEI plans, organizations can take the next step to make the workplace more supportive and cohesive. In this issue of TD at Work, Charlotte Hughes shares:

• The business case for DEI
• The reasons for DEI resistance and how to deal with it
• The benefits of expanding to DEIB
• DEIB training methods and content
• The future of such initiatives

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Build a Belonging Workplace Culture checklist and a Navigate DEIB Resistance tip sheet.

Imagine a future where artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool, but an integral team member, working alongside L&D professionals to enhance learning outcomes. To fully leverage AI’s potential, it’s essential to understand how to communicate effectively with intelligent technology systems. In this issue of TD at Work, Michelle Lentz outlines:

• What AI is and the benefits of using it
• How to prepare before prompting AI tools
• A framework for creating AI prompts
• Cautions on ethics, transparency, and bias
• Examples of AI in L&D

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Problem Statement Template, an Artificial Intelligence Decision-Making Matrix, and a Structured Prompt Worksheet.

Research shows that a team’s structure does the heavy lifting when it comes to team effectiveness. Understand and facilitate team coaching, whether within the TD function or with other departments. In this issue of TD at Work, Treca Stark Bourne and Krister Lowe will discuss how to:

• Confirm that a team is real, create a compelling purpose, and determine the right talent.
• Ensure a sound team structure and identify a team coach.
• Make the case for using a science-backed team effectiveness
• Review case studies of teamwork, highlighting the six conditions of team effectiveness in practice.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Compelling Team Purpose Template and a Team Charter Template.

How can an employer train busy team members to support the business without removing them from running it? With the proper resources and training, your team members will be more motivated and better able to handle their work—now and in the future. In this issue of TD at Work, Beth McGoldrick explains:

• Who works without a desk
• How to determine which deskless employees need training
• How to choose training
• How to motivate team members to care about training

The Tools & Resources in this issue are an Identifying Deskless Employees’ Needs Worksheet and a Behavior Engineering Model Tool.

Use Marketing Strategies to Captivate and Persuade Your Audience

At first glance, marketing and L&D may seem like an unlikely combination. But on closer inspection, both fields share two core goals: getting people’s attention and influencing their behavior. Marketing involves captivating, persuading, and creating value—all of which are key to learning design. When done well, learning design grabs participants’ attention like a great marketing campaign and engages them emotionally and intellectually to make learning stick. In this innovative volume, marketing and L&D experts Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor ask: How can L&D pros make learning programs more effective by thinking like expert marketers?

To answer that question, Baumann and Taylor explore the potential of marketing-inspired L&D. You’ll discover:

• What makes marketing so persuasive and how to apply it to learning
• How to craft magnetic learner personas and journeys to pull people in
• Tactics for writing and designing content to capture attention
• Digital tools and automation strategies to multiply your effectiveness
• Ways to measure and optimize for maximum results

Whether you’re new to learning design or a seasoned pro, this practical guide will transform how you create and deliver training. Get ready to boost engagement, improve retention, and deliver learning experiences that truly resonate.

Your Road Map to Career Success

There has never been a better time to invest in your own L&D career.

No matter where you are in your L&D career, expert career coach and L&D luminary Sarah Cannistra delivers tactical and industry-specific advice for how to conduct and succeed in your next job search.

There isn’t a “one size fits all” strategy to career success, so Cannistra walks you through four L&D career success codes—her ABCDs. They will help you achieve alignment and get clarity on your career goals and L&D niche; create your personal and professional brand; network intentionally and build your L&D community around your L&D niche; and identify your interests, skills, and belief systems, which are all key to building a development plan for achieving your career goals.

Cannistra dissects job applications, resume and cover letter writing, and interview processes as well as hard topics, such as rejection and job searches after layoffs. She also explores the mindset shifts and self-awareness needed to successfully land a stable and fulfilling position. Follow along with stories of how Cannistra has helped clients secure their dream roles. Take the next step on your own with more than 40 activities, reflection questions, and worksheets.

A cover-to-cover resource for landing your next role while choosing your own path, this is a book you will turn to again and again throughout your career.

The case for designing learning aligned with the brain’s biology is strong. The L&D industry needs less ineffective learning. Learning professionals can apply research-based principles to increase the stickiness of learning. In this issue of TD at Work, Dana Alan Koch will:

• Provide an overview of the brain as it relates to learning.
• Explain the eight principles of durable learning.
• Give suggestions on creating a culture of durable learning.
• Describe the learner’s role in learning durability as they learn to learn.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Durable Learning Rubric, a set of Questions to Increase Durability, and a Reflection as a Retrieval Practice Form.

Although the road to bringing our whole selves to work in a genuine and authentic fashion is sometimes fraught with difficulties, it remains—for talent development professionals—the best path forward in blazing a trail for others to follow. In this issue of TD at Work, Emmanuel V. Dalavai, Jeanne Koehler, and Jennifer Meiss share:

• Definitions of whole-self principles
• The role of psychological safety in supporting that mindset
• The four intelligences and how they relate to whole‑self theory
• How to foster well-being with an employee-centric framework
• How to use data and internal programs to create a culture of well-being
• The enduring impact of mutual trust

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Self-Reflection Worksheet and a Pulse of the Organization Template.

To be successful in today’s work world, organizations must embrace new technological breakthroughs that enable continual improvement, including automated or AI‑powered analysis tools. The L&D team should embrace technological advancements as opportunities rather than obstacles. In this issue of TD at Work, Debbie Richards shares:

• Organizational facets to research
• Questions to ask
• Stakeholders that can help you prepare for implementation
• A big picture of governance and development
• Examples of technology projects, L&D’s role within them, and their benefits

The Tools & Resources in this issue are the Researching Technology at Your Organization Worksheet, Workplace Technology Adoption Checklist, and Project Kickoff Worksheet.

Credentials are a less-costly alternative to traditional degree programs, and they provide companies with organic marketing. Employers can harness digital credentials for recruiting and resourcing, and individuals can take advantage of such credentials for career mobility. In this issue of TD at Work, McKenzie Day explains how to:

• Establish a credentialing framework.
• Build a business case and cultivate relationships with business partners.
• Choose the best tool or vendor for your specifications.
• Harness metrics and data analytics to quantify success.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Credentialing Program Evaluation Template, a Checklist for Launching a Credentialing Program, and a Certification Program Decision Tree.

Feedback ties together performance management, employee engagement, and L&D. Leaders must ensure that feedback is continuous at every level. In this issue of TD at Work, Colin May will detail:

• What feedback entails
• Why feedback is challenging
• Different frameworks
• How to have effective conversations
• How to create an organizational feedback culture

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Feedback Preparation Checklist and CRAVE Feedback Form.

Learning designers are no stranger to using models—consider ADDIE, SAM, and Merrill’s First Principles, which are widely implemented in the L&D industry. But a less commonly discussed practice is constructing models that help inform design decisions for the learning solutions we create.

In this issue of TD at Work, Kristin Torrence:

• Outlines five L&D models
• Describes how the models facilitate an evidence-based approach to design and assessment
• Walks readers through how to develop each model in practice
• Presents case studies for using the models for data-driven decision making

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a modeling preparation checklist and a bonus competency model template.

Learning the foundations of project management practices can help you deliver results for your projects. That’s why the Project Management Institute (PMI) refers to project management skills, such as time management, communication skills, scheduling, and troubleshooting, as life skills. Project management practices help the L&D team establish a system for elevating their level of success. In this issue of TD at Work, Mary Beth Imbarrato:

• Explains the benefits of project management practices.
• Advises readers on selling such practices to the C-suite.
• Details the process of working with the project sponsor and stakeholders.
• Recommends the elements to include in a project management toolkit.
• Suggest a project management framework on which you can base your process.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Project Charter Template, Stakeholder Analysis Tool, Work Breakdown Structure, and After-Action Review Template.

Your All-In-One Guide to ISD

Known as “the man who wrote the book on ISD,” Chuck Hodell offers a comprehensive and practical handbook on core instructional systems design (ISD) practices and principles with a practitioner’s eye.

This updated fifth edition covers all the basics and many advanced tenets of ISD, walking you through each phase, including advanced concepts such as microlearning, social media, and leveraging technology. Stand-alone chapters offer crucial support to practitioners building foundational skills, while in-depth tutorials on subjects such as collaborating with experts offer rich insights to guide the credentialed designer.

This fully revised and expanded volume offers new case studies, discussion questions, and sample design and lesson plans, ISD From the Ground Up demystifies the learning design process. Whether you are just getting your feet wet or have extensive experience in ISD, this industry staple provides the essential building blocks and more for ISD mastery.

The Definitive A-to-Z Guidebook on Virtual Training

Is your virtual training getting the results you want? The ability to deliver training at any time and to any location allows maximum flexibility for organizations and learners, which ultimately means more training opportunities than in-person classes could ever provide. As more organizations switch to or increase virtual training programs, learning how to excel in designing and delivering those programs is critical.

The Virtual Training Guidebook, second edition, is a resource that will make the difference for beginners and veterans alike. It is a comprehensive and accessible manual for anyone who needs to create robust employee training solutions that solve real-world business challenges. Novices and experienced training professionals will find field-tested advice on choosing the right technology for their organization’s training needs, designing and facilitating classes that help all participants level up their skills, developing more engaging activities for learners, measuring success, and turning virtual training programs into valuable contributors to talent development and the bottom line.

The new edition includes:

• Step-by-step instructions for designers, facilitators, producers, administrators, and participants on how to enhance their efficiency and    effectiveness
• Dozens of new and updated case studies and practical checklists, templates, and worksheets
• Expanded coverage of accessibility, hybrid learning, and immersive technologies
• A look at what’s trending in global classrooms and mobile technology

Looking for a workbook on implementing key lessons from the guidebook? Be sure to check out the companion volume, Virtual Training Tools and Templates, featuring 185 checklists, questionnaires, templates, and other practical tools. These two volumes combined cover what you need to know to design and deliver successful virtual training. 

Learning in the flow of work via immersive learning is the best way for talent development professionals to meet employees where they are and equip them with the knowledge to thrive in their roles. This guide illuminates what it takes to identify, define, market, design, deploy, and sustain a robust immersive learning (XR) initiative. In this issue of TD at Work, Phoenix R. Cavalier describes how to:

• Establish a framework to get started with XR.
• Consider the partners to include.
• Think critically about the benefits of XR.
• Describe clear differences between simple and complex XR designs.
• Craft a concise impact statement.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Tracking Tools for Immersive Learning Use Case Checklist and an Immersive Learning Project Framework.

LIKE FILM SCHOOL FOR TRAINERS! Film and edit effective training videos—using your smartphone.
Whether you’re a facilitator, instructional designer, or L&D department of one, you don’t need a fancy DSLR camera or film crew to create successful training videos. All you really need is a learning strategy, a good production plan, and a smartphone camera. Informed by his 30-year career in training and media, including his time as learning executive with the BBC, author Jonathan Halls is committed to best practices in video production that will actually help your learners to learn, and without a giant strain on your resources.

With straightforward and accessible language, in Creating Training Videos you’ll get:

• The intersection of media and learning research: Uncover how your videos can effectively provoke learning.
• Best practices for instructional video: Create a smart outline for your instructional video, creatively use repetition, highlight schemas that are familiar to your audience, and more.
• Visual grammar: Learn rules of film that you can put into effect immediately, like framing your shots and selecting the best shot sizes to more powerfully support learning.
• Planning your pictures: Gain a practical framework for mapping out the elements of your video using storyboards, shot formulas, and narrative templates designed to meet various training needs. Understand how picture, graphics, spoken word, and more come together to tell your story.
• Your videographer’s toolkit: An honest discussion of essential gear, helpful gear, and the serious tools you might consider for your toolkit.
• Filming with your smartphone: Learn how to best light, stabilize, and frame your shots using the tool you already have in your pocket.
• Editing and workflow: Stitch shots together for a powerful final product that supports learning, no matter what software you decide to use (yes, even an app on your phone!), and workflow considerations that satisfy all of your stakeholders.

To accommodate hybrid workers, companies must incorporate hybrid meetings and collaboration methods—a change that presents unique challenges. Ensuring equal engagement for all participants, whether in person or remote, requires thoughtful coordination. In this issue of TD at Work, Sherri Sutton and Robert Kienzle demonstrate how to:

• Establish objectives, define outcomes, and manage budgets.
• Select the right technology, platforms, and equipment.
• Facilitate smooth meetings through effective co-leadership.
• Engage both virtual and in-person attendees.
• Evaluate success.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Checklist: Hybrid Meetings and a Template: Leader Guide.

Simulations are experiential learning tools that come in a variety of forms and mediums. They enable learners to practice procedures and operations in safe and scalable environments with less risk or waste. They provide opportunities to learn by doing. In this issue of TD at Work, Tristia Hennessey details the reasons simulations are effective. Further, she:

• Explains the types of simulations for learning
• Notes how to gain stakeholder buy-in
• Goes over the nuts and bolts of implementation
• Offers tips for evaluating simulations for learning

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a simulation design process starting guide and a quality learning simulations checklist.

To say that there is a lot riding on an upskilling program for mobility is an understatement. In this issue of TD at Work, Preethi Anand illustrates how upskilling programs can amplify internal mobility in organizations. Anand walks readers through a four-step process for creating an internal talent mobility program: prepare, design, implement, and sustain.

You will learn:

• A framework for understanding internal mobility in your organization
• How to create a blueprint for upskilling initiatives
• Practical tips to design and implement such programs
• How organizations have used internal mobility programs

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a set of questions to ask stakeholders, an upskilling program template, and an ADKAR change plan template.

The struggle to reinforce the exchange of skills or knowledge despite scant time, a distracted workforce, and growing skills needs is real. Spaced learning and drip-feed learning are the learning methods of the future, solutions that are as relevant to learners as they are helpful in today’s context. In this issue of TD at Work, Shannon Tipton will:

• Explain what spaced learning is and its connection to drip-feed learning.
• Demonstrate how drip-feed campaigns can use spaced learning.
• Outline different tools to use.
• Describe skilling use cases.
• Show how to create a drip-feed campaign.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Learning Reinforcement Prompts Worksheet, a Drip-Feed Schedule Template, and a FRAME Model Template.

Are you being asked to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the learning programs you created for your company, but don’t know where to start and have limited resources? 

Measure Learning Impact Despite Limited Resources

Year after year, talent development professionals report that lack of time, lack of support or partnership from stakeholders, and limited budgets are key barriers to measuring and evaluating their learning programs. Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring offers TD professionals a process to measure what matters to the organization with the tools and resources they have available. M&E pro Alaina Szlachta applies the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to provide guidance, quick tips, and shortcuts for making measurement easier while still demonstrating the value and impact of organizational learning.

With this book, you will learn to ask the right questions, brainstorm metrics to evaluate learning, and build a measurement strategy that fits your needs. It also guides you on integrating measurement and evaluation into your instructional design approach from the beginning as well as using and analyzing data sources you might already have. You’ll discover how to build stakeholder relationships to secure buy-in and when to look beyond your expertise for external support and technology.

The Association for Talent Development’s On a Shoestring series helps professionals successfully execute core topics in training and talent development when facing limitations of time, money, staff, and other resources. Using the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to problem solving, this series is designed for practitioners who work as a department of one; for new or “accidental” trainers, instructional designers, and learning managers who need fast, inexpensive access to practical strategies that work; and for those who work for small organizations or in industries that have limited training and development resources.

Change happens regardless of whether anyone wants it, and most people don’t like change. The change journey can be bumpy and messy. But the rewards of achieving individual and organizational goals are wonderful. To successfully meet the desired outcomes, individuals leading change initiatives must plan carefully and follow a process and structure to support those affected. In this issue of TD at Work, Scott Span defines change management, its benefits, and why it’s critical today. Further, he:

• Outlines six parts of the change journey and how TD professionals can help.
• Conveys the importance of addressing the transition and change.
• Offers guidance on communicating about change.
• Shares how to measure whether the initiative is successful.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a governance team planning worksheet and a bonus communications strategy template.

Cohort learning—whether in person or virtual—is growing in usage, and learning professionals must be prepared to implement it. In this issue of TD at Work, Rich Reitter will teach readers how to:

• Describe the benefits of cohort learning.
• Identify the appropriate cohort learning model for your organization.
• Prepare your organization for a cohort learning program.
• Execute and maintain an effective program.

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Cohort Course Development Road Map and a Selecting Key Performance Indicators Worksheet.

Expand Your Knowledge of Organization Development to Enhance Your L&D Efforts

ATD’s Organization Development Handbook is a tactical, hands-on book for those in learning and development looking to make that first step into organization development or those who are a one-person band doing both. While many books and textbooks exist on organization development—the effort to improve an organization’s capability through the alignment of strategy, structure, people, rewards, metrics, and management processes—this volume is the first of its kind to address OD from the talent development and, specifically, L&D perspective.

More than ever, L&D professionals are taking on organization development work to drive organizational effectiveness and performance. Sometimes this happens out of choice when seeking a new career challenge, and other times out of necessity when the organization adds OD to their responsibilities. In either case, L&D professionals need new knowledge and skills—as well as insight into how to utilize their analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation abilities—to become successful in creating OD solutions.

Edited by OD practitioner and expert Brian J. Flores, this volume includes in-house experts and consultant contributors from the OD field itself as well as those who crossed over from L&D to OD. Readers will learn how to apply the foundations of organization development to their multiculturalism, upskilling and reskilling, soft skill development, and succession planning processes and programs.

Design Effective E-Learning Courses Despite Limited Resources

Have you suddenly been asked to put together an e-learning course, but you have limited experience, time, or resources to do so? This happens often, and you’re not alone. E-Learning Design on a Shoestring offers talent development professionals a process for designing and developing e-learning courses, without breaking the bank. E-learning expert Marina Arshavskiy applies the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to provide guidance, quick tips, and shortcuts for creating meaningful asynchronous learning experiences.

With this book, you will learn to tap into learner motivation and engagement; create e-learning scripts, storyboards, and prototypes; and build inexpensive yet effective interactivity in your courses. It also guides you on saving time and money by auditing existing e-learning content and creating reusable content. You’ll discover how to manage e-learning projects efficiently, select technology that meets your course needs, and secure buy-in for current and future e-learning efforts.

The Association for Talent Development’s On a Shoestring series helps professionals successfully execute core topics in training and talent development when facing limitations of time, money, staff, and other resources. Using the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to problem solving, this series is designed for practitioners who work as a department of one; for new or “accidental” trainers, instructional designers, and learning managers who need fast, inexpensive access to practical strategies that work; and for those who work for small organizations or in industries that have limited training and development resources.  

Game On! Action-Based Training Designs for Better Learning

Passive learning just doesn’t cut it in today’s evolving, competitive workplace. Research demonstrates that action-first learning works because it engages the mind immediately and makes sure that knowledge and skills will stick. With a more diverse array of action-based training designs, organizations can motivate learners, provide hands-on, collaborative practice, and drive behavioral change.

In Action-First Learning, educator and tech expert Karl M. Kapp covers nine distinct types of learning experiences in one volume—from card and board games, escape rooms, and branching scenarios to augmented reality and AI-powered coaching. He explains why each design works and how to choose, plan, and execute the right kind of project for your goals. Each chapter includes a detailed case study, a design checklist, and tips on how to leverage AI in the creation of action-first learning.

The book includes a chapter by instructional designer Amy Pape about how to improve action-first learning through accessibility and another by L&D expert Kevin Thorn on the use of comics in action-first learning.

The Definitive Resource for the Talent Development Profession
The TDBoK™ Guide: Talent Development Body of Knowledge, second edition, is a comprehensive collection of TD concepts, definitions, methodologies, and examples that lays the foundation and guiding principles for those who develop talent in the workplace. Created by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), this reference sets the gold standard for the learning and talent development profession. The first iteration of the TDBok was made available in 2020 through an ATD subscription product. ATD is delighted to present this updated and revised edition in book format.

Grounded in and offering a deep dive of ATD’s Talent Development Capability Model, the TDBoK Guide goes beyond the core foundational aspects of training and development and supports the approach that—to be most effective—TD professionals need to develop personal and professional capabilities to impact organizational capability.

Covering the TD field’s 23 key disciplines (or capability areas), the TDBoK Guide is divided into three sections that align with the Capability Model’s three domains-personal, professional, and organizational. This second edition—developed by ATD in partnership with industry expert Elaine Biech—includes comprehensive updates based on feedback from the field, more than 100 subject matter expert contributors, and curated perspectives from thousands of publications.

For those preparing to obtain certifications offered by ATD—ATD CI’s certification programs, the Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD), or the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD)—the TDBoK Guide also serves as a helpful resource for exam preparation.

ATD’s TDBoK Guide is the differentiator for the field—a resource that every TD professional needs to grow in their careers, today and in the future.

Whether you are responsible for managing an L&D consultant or you are the person on assignment, the surest path to success is to understand what to expect before, during, and after a consulting engagement. Using the framework within this guide will help you to foster deeper relationships and achieve the best project results. In this issue of TD at Work, Amanda Van Der Heiden provides:

• The Global Talent Development Solutions (GTDS) Consulting Life Cycle model
• Components of pre-project, project, and postproject phases
• Manager and consultant perspectives for each element of the L&D project vendor relationship
• Questions and considerations for each project phase
• Advice based on previous experience

The Tools & Resources in this issue are an L&D Contractor-Client Template and an Onboarding an L&D Consultant To-Do List.

Building a team while guiding each individual to recognize their full potential and, simultaneously, contribute to the greater good of the team and the organization is one of the biggest challenges for leaders. Some keys to the success of any workplace team include defining a shared vision of what you’re trying to accomplish as a group, ensuring you have the right individuals on your team, and taking purposeful action that will lead to accomplishing the intended goals. In this issue of TD at Work, Laurel Schulert helps you to:

• Define your team’s vision and goals for the future
• Explore which roles belong on your team
• Interview and select the right candidates
• Lead your team to achieve visionary performance
• Retain your team members

The Tools & Resources in this issue are a Team Strategy Plan and a Goal Definition Worksheet.

A Complete & Practical Toolkit for Successful Virtual Training

Create the most effective virtual training solutions for your organization by using the right tools for the right learning situation. In this updated edition of Virtual Training Tools and Templates, online learning pioneer Cindy Huggett expands on her first edition by adding more than 80 new tools and sharing her most powerful ones to help training professionals create engaging virtual learning that leads to results. Whether you’re a training program manager, designer, facilitator, or producer, you’ll find expert guidance on selecting the right technology, working with IT colleagues, designing creative programs, developing activities, and facilitating experiences to engage and inspire learners.

The new edition includes:

• 185 checklists, worksheets, questionnaires, templates, and other training and learning aids that provide accessible, effective virtual learning for everyone
• Tips on incorporating the latest trends in hybrid, immersive, and global classrooms
• More than a dozen tools for measuring your program’s success so you can move forward with confidence
• Resources to make the behind-the-scenes work of producers and administrators more effective

For a complete reference on virtual training, see Cindy’s companion volume, The Virtual Training Guidebook, second edition, which offers step-by-step advice for planning, designing, and building high-impact programs. These two volumes combined cover what you need to know to design and deliver successful virtual training.

Design Effective Training Programs Despite Limited Resources

Instructional Design on a Shoestring offers talent development professionals a process for developing effective training programs, even with limited resources. Expert instructional designer Brian Washburn applies the ADDIE model of instructional design and the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to provide guidance, quick tips, and shortcuts for designing a range of training modalities, including in-person, virtual and asynchronous, and self-guided e-learning. 

With this book, you will learn to build the structure of the instructional design process, effective formal and informal learning experiences, and an ecosystem that supports the learning initiatives. This crash-course of a book also guides you on working with subject matter experts, supervisors, and early testers and drawing learning design ideas from unfamiliar places. You’ll learn how and when to make decisions for using tools and technologies, hiring external help, and purchasing off-the-shelf training programs to speed up the work.

Even if you don’t have a ton of time or access to a lot of money, you can still produce an effective learning experience based on sound educational theory and adult learning principles.

About the On a Shoestring Series

The Association for Talent Development’s On a Shoestring series helps professionals successfully execute core topics in training and talent development when facing limitations of time, money, staff, and other resources. Using the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to problem solving, this series is designed for practitioners who work as a department of one, for new or “accidental” trainers, instructional designers, and learning managers who need fast, inexpensive access to practical strategies that work, and for those who work for small organizations or in industries that have limited training and development resources. 

Evaluation-oriented instructional design that delivers business results.

Rethink how to design training instruction to meet bottom-line business goals. With his eight-step framework for measurement and evaluation-focused instructional design, Kristopher Newbauer offers a straightforward process for helping instructional designers and talent development (TD) leaders demonstrate and actualize their value while also transforming their attitude toward an often-dreaded practice.

With Aligning Instructional Design With Business Goals, improve your business acumen by adopting the language of your business leaders. Enhance the partnership among measurement and evaluation specialists, instructional designers, and business leaders to improve the TD function. Uncover the root cause of performance gaps to design more meaningful instruction—and thus increase ROI.

With case studies and examples to illustrate, learn to:

• Promote your TD function as a strategy for achieving business goals.
• Ensure TD programs are aligned to the company’s strategic objectives.
• Design and develop effective TD programs.
• Demonstrate to business leaders measurable added value in revenue and employee success.

Develop a Quality Management System to Support Learner and Organizational Goals
Quality management is collectively all the activities and processes that ensure your learning products meet the standard your organization is committed to. All errors have consequences that compromise that standard. Organizational outcomes are compromised if learners can’t complete e-learning courses due to navigation errors like broken hyperlinks or slides with buttons leading nowhere. Stakeholders and subject matter experts are embarrassed when learners walk away confused and with no clue how the content helps them with their job. Some learners are excluded from the experience entirely if accessibility measures aren’t in place. And so on.

In Quality Management in Learning and Development, you will learn to mitigate negative consequences. Go beyond checklists for correcting typos and incorrect branding, and instead consider the bigger picture. Define your organizational standard for quality, and learn how to create your own quality management system to support it. Explore how ultimately everyone is responsible for quality, and implement guidelines and policies that keep people accountable. Make sure everyone has the tools, templates, and support they need to support the standard’s guidelines. This book equips you with resources and insights from the field that are ready for you to adapt to your own organization.

For instructional designers and managers of the learning function, and even for the resource-strapped department of one, this book can help you step off the hamster wheel of fretful last-minute checks and re-work. Instead step into a proactive process that facilitates quality and results. Rather than agonizing over a broken hyperlink in an already-launched presentation when you’ve moved onto the next urgent project, feel confident in the quality management system that helps you and your stakeholders produce successful content from the outset.

Determine Organizational Needs Despite Limited Resources 

Needs Assessment on a Shoestring offers talent development professionals a process for addressing organizational needs and determining whether training is the solution. Needs assessment pros Kelly L. Jones and Jody N. Lumsden apply the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to provide guidance, quick tips, and shortcuts for investigating and uncovering everything you can about the organizational problem you need to solve.

With this book, you will learn to build a needs assessment strategy, gather insight through data analysis, and put forward effective solution recommendations. You’ll also pick up strategies for borrowing existing information, talent, and resources, and for making resource management decisions. Regardless of the scope of the project, the constraints of the business problem, or how you get the job done, the steps associated with needs assessments are flexible enough to scale up or down.

To conduct high-quality needs assessments, think like a detective. The detectives Sherlock Holmes, Velma Dinkley, and Hercule Poirot didn’t have large teams, unlimited budgets, or a bottomless well of resources to work with, but they succeeded by identifying who, where, and how to solve mysteries that no one else could. With this book, talent development professionals can too. This is a perfect resource for small companies—and departments of one or few—who need to get started right away.

The Association for Talent Development’s On a Shoestring series helps professionals successfully execute core topics in training and talent development when facing limitations of time, money, staff, and other resources. Using the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to problem solving, this series is designed for practitioners who work as a department of one; for new or “accidental” trainers, instructional designers, and learning managers who need fast, inexpensive access to practical strategies that work; and for those who work for small organizations or in industries that have limited training and development resources.