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Maura Kennedy is a 2016 summer communications intern with the Association for Talent Development. She is a rising senior at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA and is studying communications with a minor in business administration.

Maura Kennedy

ATD developed the talent development framework and puzzle to help practitioners understand the different components of talent development, and how organizations can build their own frameworks to address their unique needs. This blog series explores each component of the talent development framework, why it’s important to the field, and what resources ATD offers to practitioners who want to learn more.Instructional DesignThe goal of instructional design is to create formal and informal learning solutions using a variety of methods, so learners gain knowledge or skills more successfully than they would without the instruction. The designer works to restructure content with the learner in mind while incorporating an array of learning strategies, tools, and approaches to appeal to learners. Instructional design puts a focus on outcome over content and interaction over questions, and aims to maximize both learner motivation and learner application. An instructional designer must also keep in mind the ever changing trends, conditions, and pace of the global workforce. Instructional design is evolving in the technological age. While traditional classroom learning is still the most prominent kind of instruction used, e-learning and mobile content delivery are on the rise. These present new challenges, such as figuring out how to make content interactive and appealing without in-person instruction. Competency in different instructional approaches makes this transition from in-person to online easier on the designer and the learner.The ASTD Competency Study (Updated now to ATD Talent Development Capability Model™) identifies skills that talent development professionals need to be competent in instructional design:• Conduct a needs assessment.• Identify an appropriate learning approach.• Apply learning theory.• Collaborate with others.• Design a curriculum, program, or learning solution.• Design instructional material.• Analyze and select technologies.• Integrate technology options.• Develop instructional materials.• Evaluate learning design.Good instructional design is an essential component of effective training that engages, motivates, drives learning retention, and creates business impact.We’ve assembled some additional resources to explore:• Check out this research report on instructional design in the modern age.• Stay up-to-date on current trends and skills for fresh content delivery.• Expand your abilities as a mobile learning designer.• Boost learner motivation with seamless e-learning design.• Step into the new age of instructional design technology.• Refresh your design skills to keep learning interesting.• Keep up with the pace of change and technology for instructional design.• Learn about the three kinds of instructional design prototypes.• Templates for Managing Training Projects by Willis H. Thomas• The Accidental Instructional Designer, 2nd Edition by Cammy Bean• ISD From the Ground Up, 4th Edition by Chuck Hodell• ASTD Handbook, 2nd Edition (Updated now to the TDBok™ Guide, 2nd Edition) • Take a deeper dive into instructional design and enroll in ATD’s E-Learning Instructional Design Certificate Program.

The ATD Talent Development Framework: Instructional Design

ATD developed the talent development framework and puzzle to help practitioners understand the different components of talent development and how organizations can build their own frameworks to address their unique needs. This blog series explores each component of the talent development framework, why it’s important to the field, and what resources ATD offers to practitioners who want to learn more.Evaluating Learning ImpactEvaluating learning impact involves the use of learning metrics and analytics to measure the effectiveness of learning solutions. In Utilization Focused Evaluation: The New Century Text, Michael Quinn Patton defines evaluation as “the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs to make judgments about the program, improve program effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future programming.” Evaluating learning impact has long been considered a daunting task. And, as a recent ATD study shows, only 35 percent of talent development professionals “reported that their organizations evaluated the business results of learning programs to any extent.” A different approach is needed. First talent development professionals who want to evaluate learning impact must know what specifically they want to measure and how they want to measure it. According to learning expert Patti Shank, the biggest mistake many make in evaluating the impact of learning is just testing recall. Just because people have learned something does not necessarily mean that they’ll apply it or understand its importance on the job. Real assessment comes from observation, providing feedback, and evaluating results. There are several models to evaluate learning, such as Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels and Phillips’ Evaluation Model. Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels is likely the most commonly known evaluation model, with a four-level program that follows a path of reaction, learning, behavior, and results. The fourth step is the most important, because the results show outcomes and overall effect of the learning in practice. Regardless of the evaluation strategy used, when collecting data, it is also important to use a variety of tools such as surveys, interviews, and analytics to get a full picture. To be competent at evaluating learning impact, the ASTD Competency Study (Updated now to ATD Talent Development Capability Model™)  identifies skills that talent development professionals need to exhibit:• Identify customer expectations.• Select appropriate strategies, research design, and measures.• Communicate and gain support for the evaluation plan.• Manage data collections.• Analyze and interpret data.• Apply learning analytics.• Make recommendations to aid decision making.Measuring learning impact encourages higher-quality work, resource prioritization and allocation, and accountability. Measurement data are invaluable to organizations that are strategically using talent development efforts to achieve growth and efficiency objectives. Competency in evaluating learning impact is imperative to becoming a real business partner in the organization.We’ve assembled some additional resources to explore:• Use analytics to improve your organization’s evaluation of learning. • Discover new ways of measuring learning. • Learn how improving performance management can help learning impact. • Measure learning using evaluation and not testing. • Consider a new way to look at Kirkpatrick’s four levels. • ATD Research: Evaluating Learning: Getting to Measurements That Matter•Evaluating the Impact of Training by Scott B. Parry• For more information on training delivery and other major components of talent development, check out the ASTD Handbook, 2nd Edition (Updated now to the TDBok™ Guide, 2nd Edition). • Take a deeper dive into evaluation with ATD’s Evaluating Learning Impact Certificate Program.

The ATD Talent Development Framework: Evaluating Learning Impact

ATD developed the talent development framework and puzzle to help practitioners understand the different components of talent development, and how organizations can build their own frameworks to address their unique needs. This blog series explores each component of the talent development framework, why it’s important to the field, and what resources ATD offers to practitioners who want to learn more.Employee EngagementEmployee engagement is a critically important topic for talent development professionals. Gallup’s engagement survey shows that only 13 percent of global employees are engaged. This leaves 87 percent unengaged, indifferent, or actively disengaged. Statistics like this are alarming, especially when considering that employee engagement may determine the eventual success of a company. Gallup’s research shows employees who are actively engaged bring more discretionary effort to their work and contribute more in terms of innovation and growth. A culture of engaged employees may result in lower turnover, fewer safety incidents, lower absenteeism, and higher productivity, to name a few benefits. ATD’s research for the talent development framework shows that employee engagement is a core component for talent development efforts in many companies. Employee engagement grows when there’s one objective in mind: to put the employee first. Employees who are treated with respect and loyalty feel valued by the organization. Understanding the top five barriers to engagement is beneficial for talent development professionals. According to Andrew Graham of Forum Corporation, unappreciative or unhelpful management is the single most demotivating factor in the workplace. When employee engagement is a known strategic goal for the company, working toward it becomes a daily objective. Engagement first comes by acknowledging basic needs such as belonging, enjoyment, and recognition, and then overcoming them through education, balance, and demonstration. Investing in employee engagement and talent development practices may have a more cost-effective and meaningful result than new compensation and benefit plans, according to an ATD study. We’ve assembled some additional resources to explore:• Learn why employee engagement is so essential to your organization. • Take the first step in creating a world-class and engaged workforce.• Take the steps to overcome barriers to employee engagement. • Calculate the return on investment for your employee engagement program.• Evaluate your employee engagement strategy.• Measuring the Success of Employee Engagement by Patti P. Phillips, Jack J. Phillips, and Rebecca Ray• The Manager's Employee Engagement Toolbox by Peter Garber• Coaching Employee Engagement Training by Peter Garber• Motivating Employees in the Digital Age by Sharlyn J. Lauby• Creating Engaged Employees by William J. Rothwell• For more information on training delivery and other major components of talent development, check out the ASTD Handbook, 2nd Edition (Now TDBoK™ Guide, second edition).

The ATD Talent Development Framework: Employee Engagement

ATD developed the talent development framework and puzzle to help practitioners understand the different components of talent development, and how organizations can build their own frameworks to address their unique needs. This blog series explores each component of the talent development framework, why it’s important to the field, and what resources ATD offers to practitioners who want to learn more.ComplianceCompliance is adhering to mandatory workplace regulatory training as required by law or professional governing standards. Different from other learning initiatives through talent development, it is not need-based. Rather, it is mandatory, and if it is ignored or done improperly it can result in fines levied against an organization. Compliance training is often not given the same focus and design as other learning programs. With an aim to “check the box” and move as quickly as possible through compliance learning to get to a “better topic,” opportunities can be missed to enrich the learning experience and drive more impact. Compliance training is necessary in many environments, and making it part of a broader learning culture achieves better results for the workforce and the organization. To build effective compliance programs, it is important to understand the law and the audience. Going to the source of regulations may uncover surprising information. Providing context for why the training matters helps workers better learn and retain knowledge. Additionally, understanding the learning audience is important. The same regulation may be presented differently in two organizations. Travis Waugh provides insight into why this matters, saying, “If you are creating a required sexual harassment course, your learner needs might be very different in an elementary school environment, where female teachers are typically more prevalent, than in the video game industry, where vastly outnumbered female workers may face real issues of inequality.” Understanding the audience and the environment in which they work will engage learners better and bring real change. Spending appropriate time and resources on compliance training may be the difference between a group of rule-following employees and a motivated and committed team. We’ve assembled some additional resources to explore:• Learn about the effectiveness of compliance training through e-learning.• Connect your compliance culture with your learning culture for more effective development.• Foster an environment of commitment before compliance.• Distinguish between rules and ethics to foster open-minded compliance.• Focus on compliance e-learning with an online course.• Improve your e-learning compliance program.• Read Safety Training That Transfers.• For more information on training delivery and other major components of talent development, check out the ASTD Handbook, 2nd Edition.

The ATD Talent Development Framework: Compliance

 ATD developed the Talent Development Framework and the TD Puzzle to help practitioners understand the different components of talent development, and how organizations can build their own frameworks to address their unique needs. This blog series explores each component of the talent development framework, why it’s important to the field, and what resources ATD offers to practitioners who want to learn more.CoachingCoaching as a component of talent development is growing in popularity and acceptance. In the workplace, coaching may be done by a number of people, from a professional coach to a manager or a more experienced colleague. Coaching, when effective, results in improved performance. According to the ATD Competency Study, coaching applies a systematic process to improve others’ ability to set goals, take action, and maximize strengths. According to Annabelle Reitman and Sylvia Ramirez Benatti, coaching is formally focused with somewhat narrow perspectives toward specific goals or results. While managers can certainly develop coaching skills, a professional coach’s job is to equip the person receiving coaching with tools to develop their performance and empower them to achieve specified results. It is a systematic process for continual improvement. The ATD Competency Model identifies 11 coaching skills talent development professionals should possess:• Establish coaching agreement.• Establish trust and intimacy with the client.• Display coaching presence.• Demonstrate active listening.• Ask powerful questions.• Use direct communication.• Create awareness.• Design learning opportunities.• Develop goals and plans.• Manage progress and accountability.• Meet ethical guidelines and professional standards. Coaching can completely revitalize a work environment. Using coaching techniques, measurable improvements can be observed within a company. The measurements—whether steps toward a goal or skills that have been improved on—are mile markers against which to measure upcoming successes. This is critical because the data reflect growth in value and skills. Employees who achieve goals they set and see improvement as a result of coaching stay motivated to continue improving performance. Coaching is a valuable process for talent development that can drive real value in organizations. We’ve assembled some additional coaching resources to explore:• Learn the difference between mentoring and coaching.• Try a new approach using questions as a coaching method.• Take a closer look into performance coaching in the workplace.• Improve your human capital by learning how to train and coach leadership teams.• See how coaching can lead to visible success for your company.• Listening more intently can help coaching efforts.• Coaching Certificate• ASTD Handbook, 2nd Edition. • ATD’s Best On Coaching by ATD Press• Coaching Training by Lisa Haneberg• Coaching Basics, 2nd Edition by Lisa Haneberg• Measuring the Success of Coaching by Jack J. Phillips, Lisa Ann Edwards, and Patti P. Phillips• The Coaching Approach: A Key Tool for Successful Managers by ATD Research

The ATD Talent Development Framework: Coaching

 ATD developed the Talent Development Framework and the TD Puzzle to help practitioners understand the different components of talent development, and how organizations can build their own frameworks to address their unique needs. This blog series explores each component of the talent development framework, why it’s important to the field, and what resources ATD offers to practitioners who want to learn more.Change ManagementAccording to The ATD Competency Model, change management is the ability to apply a systematic process to shift individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired state. It entails guiding those affected by a change to engage with and commit to the change, and involves developing the ability to predict and prepare for change. The emphasis on process is critical; a Towers Watson survey found that most change initiatives fail because companies see change as a one-time event. Companies require change-ready employees and change-able managers. When planning for change, managers should first ask, “Why change?” Holistically understanding the need for and components of change helps communication throughout the process. Employees will not follow a change plan unless they know why the change is necessary and view it as beneficial. According to learning and development manager Joshua Berkstresser, when employees know that the change will affect them and others in a positive way, they will more likely be committed and engaged, and the change initiative is more likely to be successful.The ATD Competency Model identifies change management skills that talent development professionals need to exhibit:• Establish sponsorship and ownership of change.• Build involvement.• Create a contract for change.• Conduct diagnostic assessments.• Provide feedback.• Facilitate strategic planning for change.• Support the change solution.• Encourage integration of change into organizational culture.• Manage consequences.• Evaluate change results.We live in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, and the need for effective change management is imperative. According to organization development expert Peggy Greenberg, the ability to adjust to change makes companies exponentially more likely to succeed and grow. In other words, the more successful a company’s change management strategy, the more agile and sustainable it is against changing demands and expectations of customers. With new challenges to face daily, change management is an essential part of a successful talent development strategy. Here are some additional change management resources to explore:• Assess and rate your change management skills.• Learn about the impact of change on employees and their day-to-day work.• Avoid unsuccessful change initiatives with these helpful insights. • Help pinpoint the “why” to get employees on board with new changes. • Adjust your mindset about change.• Read more on appreciating the effects of change and rewarding them appropriately.• ASTD Handbook, 2nd Edition.• 10 Steps to Successful Change Management by George Vukotich.• TD at Work, “Change Management” by Stella Cowan.• Change Management Training by Elaine Biech.• The Change Book: Change the Way You Think About Change by Trish Emerson and Mary Stewart.If improving change management is at the forefront of your educational goals, consider enrolling in ATD’s certificate program to become an effective facilitator of change.

The ATD Talent Development Framework: Change Management

Julie O'Mara specializes in diversity and inclusion using an OD approach. She is a thought leader who has steered many to advance D&I throughout the world. With Alan Richter and 80 expert panelists, she is the co-author of the open-source Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks: Standards for Organizations Around the World sponsored by the nonprofit The Diversity Collegium. She serves on the board of Berrett-Koehler, a mission-driven, B-Corp certified publishing company that focuses on "creating a world that works for all" and is an active member of the SHRM D&I Standards Task Force. She co-authored Managing Workforce 2000, one of the first bestselling books of the emerging D&I field. She has written numerous chapters and articles on D&I and training and development topics. A skilled facilitator and program designer, Julie served as a past president of ASTD; is an ATD Award reviewer; and has taught T&D courses at UC Berkeley Extension, John F. Kennedy University, Golden Gate University, and others.

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