Alfredo Castro of MOT answers questions relating to the content of his ATD 2015 International Conference & EXPO session. This is part of the Global HRD Featured Speakers blog series.

What is the title of your presentation?

Developing Talent Using Strategic Storytelling (M209)

Why is this topic important for learning and talent development professionals?

The session will feature storytelling principles, real experiences, and best practices that a 70-year-old company used to develop talent as a large, global organization. The speaker will share modern techniques on storytelling in the corporate world. Real case studies will demonstrate to attendees the vital principles of talent development and how to integrate resources such as storytelling, social media tools, gamification, and formal and informal learning into their training methods.

What will be the top three takeaways from your presentation?

1. Discover how to continually update development programs to create a strategic and robust talent development plan.

2. Understand the principles of corporate storytelling and learn practical techniques for management development programs.

3. Apply the principles of corporate storytelling and learn practical techniques to generate effective business results.

What is your experience with the ATD International Conference & Exposition?

I attended the conference for the first time in 1995. Since then, I have attended the conference each year, and I’ve actively worked in different committees and interest groups at the association.

What do you expect to get out of this year’s ATD 2015 International Conference & Exposition?

Learn new trends, search for new ideas on how to develop talent, and meet interesting colleagues from the United States and around the globe.

What are some suggestions you have for attendees to get the most out of their experience at ATD 2015?

I will share three suggestions:

• Carefully read the program and select two to three concurrent sessions so that you can plan your experience in advance (and have one to two options for the same time slot).

• Visit the Global Village—quite an outstanding experience—and network, network, network.

• Dedicate at least four hours for visiting the EXPO, and be prepared to get some great new ideas as you walk the aisles of the largest conference of its kind.

Have fun!