The start of fall is a reminder that change is in the air — and what better way to embrace it than by learning something new? This October, take advantage of our list of free webinars to spark new ideas and learn something valuable. Whether you’re looking to boost your professional toolkit or simply follow your curiosity, these sessions are a great way to stay engaged and productive as we transition into the cooler months.

Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: Bridging the AI Digital Divide (Free for ATD members)
Generative AI is shaping up to be as transformative as the internet itself, but without fair access to AI tools and training, it could also widen existing digital divides. This session will dig into how AI is changing the day-to-day work of tech employees, identify where training gaps are, and help organizations see the advantages of continuous training. During this event, Graham Glass, Founder, CEO and CTO of CYPHER Learning, will cover:

• How employees view AI in the workplace and its effect on their job roles and skills.

• Where training gaps and inequities exist, especially for women and older workers using AI in the workforce.

• The role of continuous training in bridging the AI divide by delivering personalized, learn-in-the-moment training, helping all workers adapt to tech changes and upskill quickly.

Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: High Impact Evaluation: A Breakthrough Model to Drive Training Impact, Not Just Measure It
Join Centre for Learning Impact’s Allan Bailey, CEO, and Dr. Lynette Gillis, Executive Director, and learn why a growing list of Fortune 500 leaders have adopted High Impact Evaluation (HIE)’s quality assurance and proactive tools to red flag, analyze and fix problems through all stages of program development. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll learn how HIE triggers critical conversations between the learning teams and senior leadership. Powerful tools like Impact Mapping, for example, help all stakeholders cut through the fog of metrics to create a clear line of sight from the training, to job performance and, ultimately, bottom-line results. 

Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: 360 Feedback: Lessons from 30 Years in the Business
360 feedback is an assessment that has been used for over three decades, but not every organization has had success with it. Attend this webinar, presented by Meredith Bell, Co-Founder and President of Grow Strong Leaders, to find out how to ensure the best possible outcome from your 360 projects. Whether you’re new to 360 or a veteran user, you’ll get valuable tips for successful implementation. You’ll learn:

• What 360 feedback is and why it’s important for leadership development.

• Differences between 360 and psychological assessments.

• How to manage the process for best results.

• Why 360 is just the beginning.

• What to look for when evaluating 360 tools.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: L&D Meets Change Management: Capabilities for Success
For learning programs to drive demonstrable behaviour change, L&D professionals can turn to approaches used by change management professionals. In turn, change management professionals increase their success when they borrow approaches form behavioural psychology and learning science. Research over the last 18 months by Larry Mohl, Founder of Rali Solutions, has uncovered four validated change capabilities that are measurable and predictive of change initiative success. These capabilities are being used as part of Rali’s Change Experience solution as they work with organizations.
In this session, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss these capabilities, review company use cases and assess one of your own initiatives. 

Thursday, October 3, 2024, 8 a.m.–9 a.m. PT: Know Thyself: A Simple Scorecard for Clarifying Your L&D Strategy
As a learning and development (L&D) professional, do your efforts truly align with your organization’s broader goals? In this session, you’ll discover an intuitive tool designed to help you evaluate your L&D team’s priorities, capabilities and overall impact. Ellen Burns-Johnson, VP of Learning Strategy at ELB Learning, will introduce the L&D Strategy Scorecard — a practical resource to help you assess your team’s alignment with business goals. Ellen will guide you through assigning values to critical team and environmental attributes, providing you with clearer insights on skills, priorities and overall effectiveness. 

Thursday, October 3, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: Now That AI Can Talk: Making Sense of the New AI Voice Capabilities
In this webinar, Margie Meacham, Founder and Chief Freedom Officer at Learningtogo.ai, will dive deep into the world of AI voice technologies, exploring how these advancements are revolutionizing the creation of voiceovers, podcasts and other vocal assets for learning. You’ll examine the strategic implications of integrating AI voice into your L&D initiatives, discuss tactical approaches for implementation and navigate the ethical considerations that arise when using synthetic voices. Through live demonstrations, you’ll witness firsthand the capabilities and potential of these AI tools, gaining practical insights into how they can enhance your learning content and streamline production processes.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: The Secrets to Engage the Quiet Quitters
Although Quiet Quitting is all the rage, speaker Bob Kelleher, Founder of The Employee Engagement Group, first introduced the concept in his YouTube video, Who’s Sinking Your Boat (1.3 million views). In this dynamic and multimedia presentation, Bob will share studies that show that an individual’s level of engagement or disengagement can be directly linked to a variety of factors. Bob will walk through key steps to reverse disengagement, while energizing and engaging your “quiet quitters.” 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT: Driving Development from Day 1 (Free for ATD members)
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a cookie-cutter program you could implement to see employee engagement, motivation and performance skyrocket? It would be a dream come true. The truth is your employees are all unique — with individual wants, needs, preferences, learning styles and goals, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Personalized development is revolutionizing how organizations approach employee engagement while improving the employee experience and creating a culture of continuous learning. Join Macy Hartman, Senior Manager of Sales Development at BizLibrary, as she discusses: 

• The importance of offering a variety of personalized learning and development opportunities organization-wide.

• Strategies for gathering feedback and getting to know what employees really need.

• How to successfully combine traditional training, coaching, career pathing and goal setting.

• Finding the right balance between program implementation and the time and resources needed.

• Ways to motivate your teams through learning initiatives. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: You Want It This Way. “I Want It That Way”: Winning Negotiation Strategies for Leaders
You want it this way; I want it that way. It’s been said that negotiation is the art of “letting the other side have your way.” But just how skilled are we at practicing the day-to-day art of negotiation at work? Although there are times when we’d give just about anything to gain the upper hand on the job, what we say and how we say it can make or break us in the long run — and often, in the short run, too. As always, our communication skills are on the line. Dr. Constance Staley, Professor of Communication at the University of Colorado, will explore practical strategies for negotiating with your subordinates, your boss and your team.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PT: Maximizing Training Impact: Leveraging Business Metrics and KPIs for Effective Learning Initiatives
Join this session for an engaging roundtable on Impact Driven Training. You’ll explore the benefits of using business metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to enhance corporate and extended enterprise training initiatives. The expert panel will discuss how aligning training programs with organizational goals through strategic use of KPIs can lead to measurable improvements in performance and productivity. This roundtable aims to provide insights into best practices for implementing Impact Driven Training. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT: Leadership Training Is Broken. What Needs to Change. (Free for ATD members)
Have you invested in leadership training that didn’t deliver the results you wanted? You’re not alone. With 75% of leadership development programs rated as ineffective and a mere 19 percent of organizations saying they are “very effective” at developing leaders at all levels, it’s time to rethink how we train our leaders. Join Russ Hill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Lead In 30, for a dynamic and engaging webinar where he’ll reveal the four critical flaws in today’s training approaches and introduce a practical and actionable leadership framework that aligns leadership development with business outcomes.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: Leveraging AI for Faster and Better Course Development
Discover how AI can transform the entire course development process, making it faster and more efficient overall. In this webinar, Garima Gupta, Founder and CEO of Artha Learning Inc., will explore the latest AI tools and techniques that streamline the instructional design process, from content analysis to writing and storyboarding. You’ll learn how to leverage AI to produce high-quality, engaging courses with reduced development time. Through practical examples and hands-on activities, you’ll gain the skills to integrate AI into your instructional design workflow, enhancing both speed and quality. By the end of the session, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to harness AI for creating impactful elearning experiences efficiently. 

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 8 a.m.–9 a.m. PT: Where Is Your L&D Team on the AI Adoption Curve?
This webinar will explore how AI can enhance learning creation, delivery, consumption and analytics. Using real-world stories, Rachel Walter, Chief Innovation Officer at ansrsource, will discuss practical applications of AI-driven tools and delve into the challenges AI brings to L&D, including ethical concerns, privacy considerations and readiness gaps. Gain insights, prepare for the future and learn what obstacles you may face. Rachel will talk to a panel of AI and accessibility experts, who will share their knowledge, expertise and helpful tips on the best way to use AI in the L&D space. 

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: Creating the Conditions for a Powerhouse Team
Did you know that 81% of working professionals say their team isn’t operating anywhere near its full potential? If you’ve ever heard, “We can’t seem to make a decision,” “No one will step up” and “We can’t seem to have a good, healthy debate,” you’re not alone. In this interactive and engaging talk for leaders, managers and team members alike, Kathryn Landis, Founder of Kathryn Landis Consulting, will share the research-based indicators of a high-performing, functional team and the six conditions that must be met to get there.

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. PT: A Framework for Short-Cycle, Work-Integrated Talent Development (Free for I4PL members)
The decreasing shelf-life of technical skills, the increasing pace at which employees are required to reskill and upskill, and traditional upskilling models have created a business imperative for learning leaders and senior professionals to explore a new talent development model. By attending this session, presented by Nathan Walsh, Senior Manager of Performance and Learning at KPMG Canada, you’ll acquire an evidence-based framework for effective short-cycle upskilling solutions to today’s disruptions, for application at the strategic/enterprise level.

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT: The Modern Virtual Classroom: Create Engaging Learning Experiences (Free for ATD members)
Even though virtual training has been around for over two decades, everything has changed over the past few years. The virtual landscape has evolved, and participant expectations have increased. Therefore, designers and facilitators alike need to update their toolset and skillset to create engaging virtual learning experiences. Cindy Huggett, Principal Consultant at Cindy Huggett Consulting, LLC, will show you how to create an engaging online learning experience that captures and keeps participant attention, and more importantly, leads to learning transfer. Discover the five key elements of interaction to include in every virtual program. You’ll leave with a set of tools and templates that you can immediately use in your virtual classes. 

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: Avoiding the Dark Side of Gamification in Employee Training
Gamification can be a powerful tool to engage and motivate employees, but when used improperly, it can backfire — leading to burnout, unsustainable productivity and even exploitation. In this webinar, presented by Karl Kapp, Ed.D., CFPIM, CIRM, Director of Institute for Interactive Technologies at Bloomsburg University, learn the key mistakes to avoid when implementing gamification in your employee training programs. You’ll explore how to ensure your gamification strategy promotes meaningful learning, rewards quality over speed and respects employee well-being. Discover real-world examples and best practices to create an ethical and effective gamification plan that aligns with both employee motivation and business goals. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PT: Empowering L&D: AI Use Cases That Actually Work
As the L&D industry rushes to embrace AI for every conceivable task, it’s time to take a step back and assess: Where can AI actually have a positive impact on our learning programs? In this webinar, NovoEd’s Richard Caccavale, VP of Marketing, and Michael Straus, VP of Product, and Alan Mellish, Principal Analyst at Brandon Hall Group, cuts through the hype to discuss how organizations can strategically leverage AI to enhance their programs without compromising the human elements crucial to effective L&D. They’ll discuss why AI isn’t a replacement for human expertise, but as a powerful tool to augment and scale your learning staff’s capabilities. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PT: Upskilling a Future-Ready Workforce: A Skills-Based Success Story
Is your organization struggling to keep up with evolving skilling challenges? If you’re like most organizations, the answer is likely an overwhelming “yes”! Matt Stevens, Managing Director at Deloitte, and Sam Herring, VP and GM at Intrepid, will introduce a specific Deloitte upskilling example that aligns to each of these personas and illustrates a successful blended collaborative learning solution. You’ll receive practical recommendations on how to execute impactful upskilling programs that foster skill development, build confidence and job-readiness, and create engaging learning experiences that contribute to your organization’s sustained growth. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT: Five Tips for Successfully Implementing Academic-Style Learning (Free for ATD members)
This webinar will take the fear out of building learning programs from the ground up. Matthew Pittinsky, Ph.D., CEO of Parchment, will share the playbooks of five organizations that forged new learning paths from face-to-face programs to virtual academic-style learning — and how they enhanced program engagement. You’ll walk away with the following tangible takeaways: 

• Transitioning from traditional instruction to digital learning.

• Developing programs for a global footprint.

• Providing multilingual programs at scale.

• Servicing deskless employees.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: Learning Escape Games: Why, What, How
This session, hosted by Dr. Rachel Arpin, Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership, will explore the why, what and how of Learning Escape Games. Why would you use an escape game versus any other learning experience? What in the world’s a learning escape game? How do you build one (or at least, where do you start)? You’ll play. You’ll chat. You’ll escape this session. Three takeaways: 

• Experience playing a few escape puzzles to reveal the why of learning escape games.

• Engage in two frameworks that will help you build your next escape game: CAR and the Learning Escape Game System.

• Brainstorm puzzle ideas that will prepare you to build your own puzzle experiences.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT: What If Everything You Know About DISC Training Is Wrong? (Free for ATD members)
For too long, DISC training has focused on graphs, reports and memorizing a model. Training programs receive rave reviews as participants learn about the most interesting topic of all: themselves. However, the styles are fleeting and the training has minimal impact. In this webinar, Merrick Rosenberg, CEO of Take Flight Learning, will show you a reimagined way to teach people about themselves and others. It’s time to help people become their best selves as you learn to infuse the styles into your culture. During this event, you’ll: 

• Discover why most styles-based training is designed for short-term memory, not long-term retention.

• Learn how to reframe the message to shift the focus from learning a model to applying skills.

• Gain insight on how to deliver brain-friendly styles-based training that engages learners in the classroom and creates long-term impact.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: Canva Reimagined: A Deep Dive Into UI and Animation Capabilities
Join Danielle Watkins, Chief Learning Experience Officer at Zenith Performance Solutions, in this dynamic one-hour workshop designed specifically for instructional designers, elearning developers and trainers. Dive into the sleek new interface of Canva and unlock the secrets of creating captivating animations with ease. Whether you’re sprucing up your elearning modules or designing interactive training materials, this workshop will equip you with the skills to elevate your designs and engage your audience like never before. 

Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: Using AI Effectively in PowerPoint
AI gives PowerPoint users major FOMO (fear of missing out), but it doesn’t have to. Using AI in presentations is a fun journey you can join. In this session, Geetesh Bajaj, Microsoft PowerPoint MVP and Owner of Indezine, will explore simple, effective ways to use AI within PowerPoint and beyond, all to boost your presentation game.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PT: Future-Proofing Your Workforce with Personalized Upskilling Strategies
Upskilling has become critical for organizational success in an era of rapid technological change. Brandon Hall Group’s Upskilling and Reskilling Study found that organizations with a strong learning culture see higher employee engagement and retention, improved performance, increased adaptability, and innovation and stronger employer brand. Learn how to foster this culture through personalized upskilling approaches. Join Rachel Cooke, COO of Brandon Hall Group, and Vanessa Ogibowski, Head of Product Marketing at Absorb LMS, to discover how personalized upskilling can transform your workforce development strategy and drive organizational success in an ever-changing business landscape. 

Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 10 a.m.–11 a.m. PT: Digital Transformation: How to Tackle Learning in a Decentralized World
L&D has its ups and downs even when you’re not actively overcoming roadblocks. But what happens when your organization is a global leader with multiple brands across several industries? In this webinar, David Wentworth, vice-president and talent platform evangelist with Schoox, will be joined by Jaronika Dancy and Mike Forest, managers of HRIS operations at Amsted Industries, along with Jim Rudisill, HRIS specialist at ConMet. They’ll share how Amsted has been able to centralize and digitally transform learning.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT: Communicating with Data (Free for ATD members)
Patricia Harms, PhD, Clinical Professor of Management and Corporate Communication at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Executive Development, will deliver a fast-paced session focused on communicating with data by focusing on three key areas: First, the audience: How do the ways people process and remember things influence how they receive data-rich messages? Second, the pitfalls: What are some common pitfalls that tend to plague data-driven presentations? Third, the frameworks: What frameworks can communicators employ to bolster audience understanding and recall during data-rich presentations?

Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: Mastering Learning Experience Design: The L&D Professional’s Guide
Learning Experience Design (LXD) is in a constant state of evolution. To stay ahead, L&D professionals must continually adapt their practices to create effective, engaging and impactful learning experiences. This webinar, presented by Debbie Richards, Chief Technology Officer at Creative Interactive Ideas, will provide actionable insights into the latest trends, technologies and learner expectations shaping LXD.
Key takeaways: 

• Navigating the Changing Landscape: Explore the shifting dynamics of LXD, from the rise of new technologies to evolving learner needs and expectations.

• Staying Ahead of the Curve: Understand the latest trends in LXD, including AI, VR/AR, microlearning and personalization.

• Adapting Your Strategies: Gain practical tips for designing learning experiences that resonate with modern learners, foster engagement and drive measurable results.

• The Human Touch: Revisit the timeless principles of LXD, such as storytelling, collaboration and empathy, that remain essential for creating impactful learning experiences.

• Balancing Act: Learn how to balance the need for innovation and adaptation with the enduring fundamentals of LXD.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. PT: Seven Instructional Design Models You Need to Know
Are you looking to elevate your corporate training programs? Join Dr. Robin Sargent, CEO of IDOL Courses and a leader in instructional design, for an engaging webinar where you’ll discover the seven essential models that can transform your elearning and training initiatives. After attending this webinar, you’ll:

• Now how to effectively apply the seven instructional design models in your corporate training programs.

• Be equipped to create engaging and effective elearning experiences that drive performance improvement.

• Have practical insights to immediately enhance your organization’s learning and development efforts. 

Thursday, October 24, 2024, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. PT: Coaching for Inclusion: Elevating Diversity in Leadership through Coaching (Free for I4PL members)
In today’s ever-changing world, inclusive leadership isn’t a buzzword but a commitment to creating a truly inclusive environment. Effective coaching lies at its core, encompassing addressing biases, stereotypes and building trust with diverse coachees. This workshop equips you with a comprehensive set of practical strategies to enhance your coaching skills. These strategies encompass cross-cultural communication, trust-building and fostering effective conversations. Join Sandra Vaughn, VP of Client Success and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy at Metrix, in this enlightening webinar to explore how diversity enriches leadership within your organization. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 8 a.m.–9 a.m. PT: How to Build Future-Proof Skills: Essentials in the Age of AI
This roundtable discussion brings together industry experts and thought leaders to share their insights on navigating the evolving landscape of skills in the age of AI. Drawing from CrossKnowledge’s two decades of experience in blended learning and the latest research from the Brandon Hall Group, the speakers will offer practical advice on developing a future-ready workforce. Learn how CrossKnowledge’s innovative approach to upskilling — combining self-paced and group learning into personalized, measurable journeys — can help your organization build the capabilities needed to succeed in an AI-driven world.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 9 a.m.–10 a.m. PT: Sales Trainers: Creating Sales Presentations to Beat Buyer Indecision
When writing sales presentations, you’re normally worried about the competition. Where do you have the edge? But more sales opportunities are lost to the status quo than competitors. Why? And what can you do about it? Join Richard Goring, Director of BrightCarbon, in this masterclass to find out how to tailor your sales messaging to different types of buyers, to cajole buyers into action and to beat the status quo. Some buyers are genuinely happy with how things are, and unless you can persuade them that they have problems they aren’t aware of, they won’t change. But others know they have a problem, and still won’t change.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PT: Beyond the Workplace: Best Practices for Extended Enterprise Training (Free for ATD members)
Whether you’re supporting a reseller network, training a distributed workforce in a franchise system or educating your customers, consistency is key. PeopleFluent’s John Rockett, Product Adoption Manager, and Jim Johnson, Lead Product Manager, will explore how to design and deliver effective training for customers, partners and other external learners. Learn best practices for tailoring content, leveraging technology, boosting engagement, measuring success, and ensuring compliance to scale learning programs and drive business outcomes. During this event, you’ll learn:

• How to tailor training programs to meet the unique needs of external audiences like customers and partners.

• Best practices for boosting engagement and measuring success for training.

• How to leverage learning management systems (LMS) and technology to generate revenue from extended enterprise training.

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