I am pleased to announce the debut of CTDO magazine's newest column, View From the Top. Starting with the Winter 2018 issue, each of these soapbox-style feature articles, bylined by ATD's CTDO Next members, will unpack a trending talent development topic. In the inaugural piece, "Back to Basics," Tim Tobin, vice president of franchisee onboarding and learning at Choice Hotels, advocates for honoring the fundamentals of learning above all else. He writes, "There is so much focus today on the pace of change, increasing demands on people, and technological advances. Are we forgetting—or at least not giving enough consideration to—the fundamental human processes associated with learning?" Tobin continues by outlining a cycle of learning—acquiring new information, acting, reflecting, and providing feedback—that stands the test of time and trend.

Yet, as time moves on and industries evolve, talent development must drive necessary change in organizations. Discover how Michael Arena, chief talent officer at General Motors, and this issue's Spotlight, helped transform the company's culture by creating networks of people who facilitate agility and innovation across the organization. Branded GM 2020—and built on adaptive space and network theory—this voluntary and self-organizing group of 5,000 strong is tasked with disrupting and reinventing GM's culture.

"These people have become a tremendous catalyst for change across the company," Arena explains. "They're challenging us to think about the future of work and what it means to be innovative and agile. They look at everything from space configuration to where we should invest resources to what type of culture we want."

Also in this issue: Confessions From the C-Suite reveals one executive's lessons learned in resiliency. Career Hacks offers tips for garnering professional development benefits as a mentor. And in Debate we duke out whether gamification is more effective than e-learning.

Thank you for your interest in CTDO magazine, full of essential insights for leaders like you who are on a journey to make work better. As always, I'd love to hear your feedback about this issue. What article was your favorite? Which column is most beneficial in helping to inform your role as a talent development executive? Contact me at any time with your thoughts.

Ann Parker

Senior Content Manager

Senior Leaders & Executives

[email protected]

Read more from CTDO magazine: Essential talent development content for C-suite leaders.