Organizations today treat complex problems as if they are complicated, like trying to solve employee engagement issues with a checklist,” said Aaron Dignan, author of Brave New Work, during his keynote address at the CTDO Next program during ATD21. CTDO Next is a gathering of the world’s top talent development executives who are shaping the future of the profession.

Dignan defines complex problems as those in which the relationship between cause and effect is perceived in hindsight, compared to complicated problems in which the relationship between cause and effect requires analysis and expertise.

As founder of the Ready, a global organizational transformation and coaching practice, Dignan believes organizations need to adopt a new operating system—foundational beliefs, assumptions, principles, and practices that shape their way of working. “We need to change how we change,” he charged the 20 talent development executives who participated in the session. He explained that TD leaders must drive this new way of operating and include everyone in their organizations in the process of experimentation and organizational design.

Dignan joined the meeting virtually, along with half of the attendees. The other half gathered in person in Salt Lake City for this first-ever CTDO Next hybrid meeting. ATD used the meeting as a testing ground for hybrid program best practices such as shorter sessions, more frequent breaks, and time devoted entirely to conversation. All speakers provided content presentations asynchronously for participants to review at their convenience. Then each presenter joined the meeting to answer questions and lead discussions.

Remote and hybrid work expert Jennifer Britton, author of Reconnecting Workspaces, kicked off the meeting with a discussion about how to create remote-work experiences that are people first, build trust, and cultivate connection. She shared practical examples of how TD leaders can encourage inclusion and belonging in their new virtual workplaces.

Participants ended their day with a conversation with Tony Bingham, ATD president and CEO, who joined the meeting in person. He encouraged executives to continue to shape the future of learning by choosing one or two areas of focus and creating high-impact deliverables for the field. “For example, what should the CTDO role look like in the near future?” Bingham asked. “Get really clear about your position and drive some strong outputs for the profession.”

Several program participants will share the tested best practices and lessons learned from this session during an ATD webcast on September 17 at 2 p.m. ET. Visit ctdonext.td.org to learn more about the CTDO Next network.