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Dr. Lester Wright serves as program manager for the mentoring program for the Talent Cultivation Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He has an EdD in Education and is also certified in e-learning instructional design. He has more than 15 years of experience in training, adult education, and program management. Dr. Wright has extensive knowledge of assessments, evaluations, research methodologies, and online learning.

Lester Wright

Got Government Talent Challenges? Get Answers at ATD 2015

Lester Wright describes the Mentoring Matters program at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Mentoring Matters at NASA

Every company desires to achieve better business results. To get there, companies realize they need at least a great product and happy customers. Of course, neither of those can be successful without a skilled workforce. But company leaders also realize that it doesn’t stop there. Organizations aren’t a “set it and forget it” kind of operation. They need constant work to ensure they are increasingly successful year after year. As a result, many businesses set their sights on investing in a better experience—for their users, customers, and employees. Companies want to ensure that people positively perceive their company and that any interactions with their products, workforce, and leadership are top notch. So why do companies need to focus on learning journeys right now? And what do learning journeys have to do with improving a customer or employee’s experience at a company? Read to learn more.Companies Need to Emerge Stronger and Better From the PandemicAs the pressure increases for companies to maintain their competitive advantage in the “new normal,” they must make careful decisions about how they will invest in each of these areas to succeed in the future. “Experience” is a term we hear often these days, made even more familiar by replacing the word with the letter X. For example, user experience becomes UX, customer experience becomes CX, and employee experience becomes—you guessed it—EX. Usually, department executives receive a budget to allocate funds to initiatives that will help them achieve their business goals. Technology and engineering would handle improving UX. Customer support would improve CX, and typically HR would focus on EX. But there is another function in the organization that companies should consider as their primary focus this year if they want to achieve meaningful, measurable business results with lasting impact. And that is learning and development.Learning and Development Drives ProgressWhile some may see L&D teams simply as “the ones who do the training,” their unique set of capabilities and reach across all departments can be the difference between a company’s success and failure. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power.” Learning is something companies can and should rely on as a driving force for success in all areas of the business—including UX, CX, and EX—but not just any learning. Just as technology, engineering, and product development teams place a large emphasis on UX for the products and services they create, L&D teams should treat the learner experience (LX) with the same level of importance. To do this, they need to start thinking outside the traditional “training” box. And that’s where learning journeys come into play.Learning Journeys Have a Powerful Impact on Business ResultsLearning journeys are a far cry from check-the-box training. They are the how, when, where, and why a learner interacts with content. They bring in factors like engagement, collaboration, application, and meeting learners where they are in the flow of work. Learning journeys require a design thinking approach, and L&D teams are responsible for continuously rethinking this approach in order to offer the best LX possible.Well-designed learning journeys consist of three elements:The business. Understanding priorities and solving business challengesThe role. Improving performance in one’s direct area and the overall businessThe self. Developing experience, knowledge, competencies, and beliefsIf all three of these elements are taken into account, the learning journey can drive individual and organizational change.What Next?Would you like to learn more about designing a better learning journey and how to get started? Download our free e-book, The Importance of a Well-Designed Learning Journey.Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted from the Schoox Corporate Learning blog.

Why Better Learning Journeys Should Be Your Company’s Primary Focus Right Now

When COVID-19 arrived in the United States in early 2020 and the country was awash in questions about its origins, a relative of mine was certain that the virus was not what officials said it was, wasn’t dangerous, and probably wasn’t even real. I shared a different perspective, citing information that I believed was reliable, but she was firm in her stance. Feeling indignant, I determined I would do what most of us do when another person is skeptical of what we deem to be facts: I would bludgeon her with more facts! Being a writer, I decided to do this by letter. I began by expressing what I believed in my self-righteous stupor to be good intent: to keep her safe. Then I proceeded to school her in “The Philosophy of Logic,” “The Psychology of Belief,” and “Coincidence and Conspiracy.” These and other subheadings eventually became chapter headings, complete with bulleted lists, hyperlinks, and citations. A week later, the letter exceeded 4,000 words! I read and reread the letter aloud, trying to imagine how she might receive it. I tweaked the words over and over, hoping to tame the screed. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t imagine her receiving it with anything other than total irritation. The way I wanted to handle that disagreement is perhaps best represented by a quote by James F. Welles, who wrote, “We cannot really understand ourselves without understanding stupidity; and if we understand stupidity, we will understand ourselves.” Notice that Welles does not say “We cannot really understand other people without understanding stupidity.” Yet when it comes to our disagreements, that’s always how we imagine it—it’s only others who are capable of being so stupid. In the Crucial Conversations courses, we learn about our reptilian brain. Because we associate facts with truth, when it appears to us that someone is willing to disregard them, we experience conflict. When we experience conflict, the reptilian brain lights up, we tell ourselves convenient stories, and we (often) foolishly resort to either silence or verbal violence. So, whattayado? First, check to see if you feel indignant. If you feel some sense of disgust, you’ve most likely concluded the other person is ignorant and you’re not. While you may not be wrong in your assessment of the other person, you’ve probably overlooked your own fallibility. One lesson of Crucial Conversations, and of life in general, is that when we judge only others to be fools, we are more likely to act like a fool in our interactions with them. Next, seek mutual purpose. You may need to explore motives to find some common ground, but it might be as simple as listening or suggesting an alternative. “I appreciate what you’re saying. I’ll keep that in mind as I do my shopping.” Or, “Thanks for your input. I don’t feel comfortable revising our lessons completely without more research and discussion, but how would you feel if we took such-and-such approach for now?” Also, talk tentatively. Don’t misinterpret the alliteration—there’s no need to be timid. To forward your ideas tentatively simply means to make it clear they’re your perspective. Share the events or experiences that have led you to your conclusions. About a week after I tucked that unfinished letter away, my relative and I decided to meet for coffee and openly discuss our beliefs about Covid. I felt very vulnerable. But instead of trying to teach her everything I think I know about logic and science, I listened to her viewpoint, and then I shared mine—as a viewpoint. “Based on my experiences, this is what I think.” That was far more effective than “Well, this is just how the world is.” We didn’t see eye to eye, but we maintained our respect for each other, and we gained new appreciation for each other’s viewpoint, which is all I wanted in the first place. In time, our perspectives shifted, and in hindsight I can see it would have been futile to fight each other with facts. 

What to Do When You Disagree About “Facts”

The talent development profession is nothing if not generous. At TechKnowledge 2019, attendees partnered with Make-A-Wish Southern Florida to grant an eight-year-old boy’s wish to attend and take part in the Bobsled & Skeleton World Cup in Lake Placid, New York. More recently, ATD introduced the ATD Talent Development for Good Award (to be given out this evening), which recognizes an organization that has leveraged talent development to improve the lives of others or to better its communities or society more broadly.It is in this spirit that ATD21 provides a new community service project offering: TD for Good. There are three ways you can take part. The activities are in Hall A of the convention center.Paintfest. This fun and rewarding activity is for the Foundation for Hospital Art, a nonprofit established in 1984 that seeks to make the hospital a more soothing place for patients, their families, other visitors, and staff. Artistic talent is not required—ATD21 attendees can simply follow the colored dots to paint in pre-drawn designs. Paintfest is an opportunity to network and offers a relaxing break in the day. The completed paintings are donated to hospitals around the world.Letter writing. A second activity is the Letters Against Isolation campaign. Initiated by Shreya and Saffron, two Illinois teens, the premise is to help spread joy to seniors in homes while improving their mental and physical health. The organization now works with facilities in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Israel. ATD21 attendees can write as many letters as they would like and can focus on any message. That said, because these are meant to brighten the senior recipients’ days, attendees are encouraged to be cheerful and creative.Food kit assembly. A third activity helps provide food through the Granite Education Foundation for those who go without. ATD21 attendees are invited to support the Salt Lake County district and assist assembling food kits that will be distributed to school food pantries and be handed out to students b teachers and social workers.

Put Pen or Paint to Paper for a Good Cause

The worldwide talent development community is diverse. Our members bring a wealth of experience and insight to their work. We're spotlighting their stories.Katherine McDuffie has been a member of ATD since 2014. Here's her story in her own words.Tell us a little bit about yourself.I am an energetic talent and development professional with more than 20 years of experience as an instructor and leader. Currently, I provide quality training programs, classes, and 1:1 coaching opportunities for all employees throughout Safety National. I am goal oriented and focus on increasing company productivity, employee knowledge, engagement, and purpose in every session that is designed or delivered. Professional skills include instructor-led training, public speaking, team coaching, employee mentoring, leadership development, communication, IT, human resources, and Microsoft Office.What are your personal and professional goals?Professionally, I strive to increase my talent and development knowledge, sharpen my skills, and always be an asset to my company. Personally, I purposefully live a life filled with faith, benevolence, happiness, respect, love, and kindness.In a few words, please tell us about a “win” that you have experienced in your work?Several! I love being a resource for all learning needs and providing quality training programs, classes, and development opportunities to engage and assist associates in working smarter not harder. Recently, I developed a virtual instructor-led training session to help improve remote collaboration and reduce stress for my colleagues. It was very well received.What challenges have you overcome in your career?I think everyone faces challenges throughout their careers. In my case, besides the ever-changing world of training, I have experienced professional challenges as well. This includes a role elimination, working as a temp, being shuffled over in a merger/acquisition, losing that job, and then starting over in a lesser-titled role. However, each of those challenges has taught me so much, including to always stay focused, stay true to myself, utilize my network, be reliable, and to always be an asset to my employer.What’s the most valuable thing you’ve gained or experienced during your membership with ATD?Friendships, training trends, and networking skills.For the past several years, whether I was working or looking for work, I kept my ATD membership. The ATD membership provides so much value to a talent and development specialist because of all the offered learning events, conferences, and the invaluable shared advice from other members. I have volunteered over the years as a SIG leader and now serve on the board of directors as the VP of finance.Could you share any professional tips, specific to talent development, that you have picked up along the way?• Smile• Be creative• Respect others• Listen to all ideas• Love what you do• Be open to change• Never stop learning yourselfWhat’s a common misconception you see when it comes to talent development?I think the biggest misconception I have seen over the years, is the thought that training is not needed or it is a "one and done" deal. Learning should never end.Do you have any advice for people looking to further their careers?Be open to change, accepting of advice, and open to other people's ideas.Even if you do not agree, stop and listen to what they are saying. Really listen. It is important to hear and understand where they are coming from and the why behind their thoughts if you ever want to continue moving forward and have a working relationship.How do you stay motivated and find meaning in your work?Every morning I count my blessings and make a conscious effort to focus on the positive. When I start my workday, I do the same thing. Somedays that is not so easy because of barriers. Conversations are misunderstood, professional/personal conflicts arise, the never-ending meetings and interruptions that shift priorities, and the days where even the clock is working against you. What I do to stay motivated is identify those barriers and develop tips, mnemonics, and or classes to help myself and others reduce them. I want to help others focus on the things that are most important.The future of work is coming—and in some cases already here. In your opinion, what does the future of work look like?Bright! There are so many opportunities in the future of work to increase the power of learning. It is up to us as providers to be flexible, current, and most importantly, in tune with our learners. We need to utilize technology and AI to remove the mundane tasks so we can get the workforce back to work. I want the future's training battle cry to be, "Let's re-introduce the human value to businesses."Have your own story to tell? Share it with us.

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