Session Descriptions

Keynote: Cognitive Diversity - Understanding Different Thinking Styles

8:30-9:20am

Lei Comerford, Executive and Leadership Coach, Facilitator, and Keynote Speaker

• What is Cognitive Diversity? How can I utilize this skill to be more effective? In this session, Lei Comerford will introduce Herrmann’s Whole Brain Model and four unique thinking styles. You will have the opportunity to identify which is most dominant for you and learn how to pick up on clues that others give off. This session offers you the ability to improve your own self-awareness and begin working more effectively and efficiently with others when you implement these new skills.
  
  Session Objectives:

• Learn why Cognitive Diversity is the key to successful communication and relationship
• Introduction to four different thinking styles and discover which is your most dominant
• Understand how to identify “thinking style” clues in the people you work with every day
• Identify an action plan to improve your communication

Session 1: Design Thinking Meets Artificial Intelligence

9:30-10:20am

John DeMarco, Executive Coach

This session explores how design thinking and generative AI intersect for innovation, problem-solving, and sustainable growth and provides insights into how these are used to tackle complex problems, enhance user experiences, and drive strategic decisions.

Learning to use generative AI is critical for talent management, talent development and L&D professionals in our rapidly changing world. This session will discuss how you can inject generative AI and design thinking into your work in the following ways:

• Personalized Learning and Development: AI analyzes learning styles and progress to deliver customized training programs.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: AI tools analyze HR data to identify trends, predict workforce needs, and inform decisions, helping develop targeted L&D programs and retention strategies.
• Innovation in Talent Development: Design thinking and AI foster innovation, with AI enabling immersive learning experiences through VR and AR, making training more effective.
• Addressing Skill Gaps: AI assesses current skills and predicts future requirements, while design thinking creates tailored training solutions to ensure competitiveness.
• Continuous Improvement: Design thinking's iterative nature aligns with continuous improvement in L&D programs. Regular feedback and AI analysis refine initiatives, making them more effective.

Breakout 1: Storytelling in a Business Context

10:30-11:00am

Adam Pingel, Vice President of Global Clients / Facilitator

Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging audiences, forging relationships and influencing action. And, as the world buzzes with excitement over AI, one thing becomes clear: human connection is more important than ever. Learning how to connect through stories will continue to be one of the best ways to stay relevant through change.

In this introductory workshop, we'll explore how you can build this skill and use it effectively in a business setting. By the end of our time together, participants should be able to:

• Understand the power of using storytelling as a tool to inspire, motivate, and communicate.
• Be intentional about the way they want their audience to feel, and understand how to use their voice and body to that end.
• Follow a pattern for using a story in a business context.

Breakout 2: Listening IS Learning

10:30-11:00am

Rebekah Osteen, Associate Director of Graduate Enrollment

Julia Osteen, Adjunct Professor

Listening is foundational to both personal and organizational development. As Larry King famously stated, “If I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.” Effective listening is the starting point for all learning and communication. By listening to understand others, we set aside our own perspectives and biases, allowing new insights to inform our decisions and guide us through change management processes.

In this session, participants will engage in a 90-second listening experiment and complete a listening self-assessment. These activities will help you develop practices for effective interactions and reflect on incorporating key listening elements into your daily communications.

Participants will learn to differentiate between listening to understand and listening to respond, evaluate their personal listening tendencies, and explore tools for effective communication both personally and within teams. By the end of the session, participants will create a plan to engage in positive, effective interactions.

Session 2: From Stale to Stellar: Enhancing Organizational Climate through Learning

11:10am-12:00pm

Lauren Kiproff-Downer, Organizational Development Consultant

Organizational climate refers to the current feeling or atmosphere within a company, reflecting how employees perceive their work environment and engage in their work. The success or failure of a training, coaching, or related talent initiative often hinges on how employees perceive it and their willingness and capacity to engage.

This presentation will provide a basic understanding of organizational climate, empowering trainers, instructional designers, coaches, and other talent professionals to identify and respond to the current organizational climate, thus enhancing their effectiveness.

By leveraging organizational climate insights, you’ll be able to:

• Identify training needs, adjust training approaches, predict training outcomes, and support continuous learning.
• Build trust, encourage risk-taking and innovation, and promote employee well-being.
• Foster a positive work environment, drive culture change, and advocate for the value and ROI of your training and coaching initiatives.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your professional impact and contribute to a culture of continuous learning and growth within your organization.

Keynote: Understanding Authenticity and its Positive Impact on Meaningful Learning Experiences

1:10-2:00pm

Kelly L. Knowles, Leadership Coach, Keynote Speaker, Training Facilitator

Authenticity is one of today’s buzzwords. We hear it implied in phrases such as “Bring Your Whole Self to Work” or “Vulnerability is a Superpower” or “Be yourself, the world will adjust.”

Yet, as training and development professionals, is this really our mandate? Is this the best way to provide meaningful learning?

Being authentic is not like hitting the “Easy” button (a reference to that big red button from Staples). The painful truth is that we would often rather be liked than be real. In this presentation, we’ll dig-in to how you can develop authenticity in your practice that serves your learners and allows you to be your most genuine self.

In this presentation, you’ll discover:

• What authenticity is—and what it is not
• Why it matters and is a critical concept for the talent development industry
• What data reveals about authenticity

Participants will develop an understanding of their own authenticity and how to engage it in their work. We’ll discuss strategies and tools to utilize authenticity to create more meaningful learning, help you connect with learners to better deliver the concepts and information being taught, and how to help learners better connect with each other.

The result of Talent and Development professionals using authenticity is better self-awareness, consistency, and the ability to reach and connect with our learners and clients. Being truly authentic is hard. But, it is worth it.

Session 3: From Order Takers to Game Makers: Strategies for Building a High Impact L&D Team

2:10-3:00pm

Kiffin McCoy-Albert, Learning and Talent Development Consultant

The L&D function is responsible for helping upskill the people of an organization to be able to meet the goals of that organization. Every organization's needs are different, and creating a successful L&D team is not a one-size-fits-all process. With multiple models, frameworks, and process maps for how to create a dream team, get a seat at the table, and avoid just being order takers,  it may be difficult to decide where to start.

During this session, we will look at 3 areas to assess and improve the success of your team whether you are starting from scratch or have a large team already in place. You will leave with questions to ask and actions to take to start making an impact right away related to these three areas: Roles, Alignment, and Relationships. 

Breakout 3: Three Practical Exercises to Facilitate a Feedback Workshop

3:15-3:45pm

Ken Smith, President

Feedback is a gift. Giving feedback is a necessary skill for leaders at every level of an organization. As Talent Development specialists, we are often asked to facilitate a workshop helping leaders become more effective at giving feedback.

This workshop will demonstrate three practical exercises that will bring your training to life. Your participants will be engaged, excited, and have fun while taking away critical insights to giving feedback. You will learn:

• The value of open-ended questions that create dialog vs. no interaction and/or closed ended questions.
• The proper way to ensure that the message you sent is the message they received.
• Understanding that all affirmations are just as invaluable as all corrections and how balanced feedback will serve your team best.

Breakout 4: Overcoming Technology Challenges for Adult Learners

3:15-3:45pm

Julie O'Bryant, Senior Learning Consultant

Have you ever wondered why some adult learners could be taking advantage of your training, but they aren’t? In our world of training and development, technology is seen as an ally. It’s a way to make learning interactive, inviting and fun. And it is.

But what happens when we assume that each and every learner is equally skilled and comfortable in using the technology we employ? And how can we become more conscious trainers, willing and able to adapt training for differing levels of technological readiness and comfort?

Our session will identify, explore and challenge some assumptions regarding technology readiness for some adult learners. By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the assumptions that you may hold regarding assessing learners who are “technology-ready.”
• Identify conditions that may hinder an adult learner from being able to participate fully in training that relies on technology (i.e. self-directed learning or virtual classrooms).
• Create programs that allow for adaptations in learning formats, as well as considering ways to equalize comfort and readiness for all learners in the world of technology-based training. 

Session 4: Thriving in a Changing World: Leading with Curiosity and Creativity

3:50-4:40pm

Magda Krych, Learning and Development Project Manager

When is the last time you made the time to be intentionally curious and creative? Curiosity leads us to explore, ask questions, and innovate. Creativity allows us to develop something new with our discoveries.

Creativity isn’t just for the writers and artists, it is an important skill for everyone to have, including leaders. Creativity is also about finding new ways to problem-solve and think critically. Who wouldn’t want that?

In this workshop, we will dive into how we can further develop our curiosity and creativity in a changing world. Tools like ChatGPT may be useful to help us fine-tune our ideas, but what about diving into our own creative and curious capabilities?

In this hands-on, interactive workshop, you will:

• Brainstorm on what creativity means to YOU, and identify what creative outlets will allow you to develop your creative muscle.
• Develop a creativity plan to implement as part of your life-long learning.
• Identify ways that you can apply your curiosity to continue to develop personally and professionally.

Meet the Board

5:00-5:30pm