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Ally Batty is associate director of marketing and communications at the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She has held a variety of writing and communications roles, including associate editor of the Chicago Booth Magazine and alumni editor of the University of Chicago Magazine. Previously, Batty served as an Ohio Legislative Service Commission fellow and a legislative aide to Rep. Denise Driehaus of the Ohio House of Representatives. Batty volunteers as a writing coach for Posse scholars through the Posse Foundation. She received her BA in English literature from Miami University of Ohio.

Ally Batty

June 2019 - TD Magazine

A workbook-based, team approach to leadership development encourages individual reflection and small group discussion.

Learning to Lead Together

I believe training should be one of the most important parts of an organization. Yet training is often (not always) one of the least important (if that is just perception, or reality as well, depends on the organization,). One thing I have tried to understand is why this discrepancy.One observation I previously posted was that training promotions often lead to career ghettos.But something that I would like to explore here is the reactiveness of training. Training almost always sweeps up after the parade.There is a big crisis, it is studied, it is researched, task forces look at root causes, and THEN training is presented as an answer and implemented.A new application is developed, piloted, tested, and THEN training is developedSales people pioneer this great new technique, it is identified, vetted, and THEN training is brought in to scale it up.This constant lag drives Type-A's batty. Almost all leave the department. Some flee to vendors, but then they still have to deal with the Type-B's who are left in the training department.It is hard to know how to circumvent this, or even if it should be circumvented. But in understanding the role and profession, it is hard to ignore it much longer.

Why Internal Training Departments can't keep Type-A personalities

My previous blog post introduced the story of Tom Rush, an up-and-coming global project leader who was considering the idea of working with an executive coach to help him excel in his new role. Tom’s mentor Bill had explained how having a global executive coach enabled him to develop reflected awareness. But Tom wasn’t convinced he needed one. Now, Tom Rush is fully into his leadership position, and he is starting to see how differences in time zones, languages, and local market exceptions seem to create barriers to the team’s success.His frustration is difficult to contain as he thinks back to his previous team. When he was national sales director, his team never let him down. They had their challenges, but nobody ever dropped the ball or gave an excuse as to why they weren’t on board with the team’s decisions. With this new team scattered around the world, virtual meetings are all about explaining why the local teams can no longer implement what they had decided at the last meeting. From labor laws to unexpected delays to people calling in late on the calls, and now with summer coming to an end, Tom thinks that everyone in Europe has deserted the offices.  Didn’t they know that projects don’t take vacation?First, it was the team in Sweden who was off in June. Then the factory in France incurred order back-ups while working with a skeleton crew. And this was followed by the month of July when conference calls across Europe ended with wishes for good holidays despite the production delays. Now, October is looming on the horizon as his factories in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are planning to celebrate the 10-10 festivities.Don’t these people work for a living? Isn’t the world in the grips of one of the most severe recessions? Tom’s boss, Carlos, is constantly asking him for updates on the new lithium batteries in production. All he can answer is that they are working on it—while deep down inside the fear of not meeting deadlines eats away at him.What if they miss the window of opportunity to launch the new phones by December, which is the real holiday season?  Everyone knows that it is crucial to meet those stretch targets, especially Tom who wants to prove that he is the right choice for this career jump.What does accountability mean to these people? How is he going to motivate this team? What did he need to do to align them and start building the team spirit so necessary for collaboration? That’s when Tom’s mentor, Bill, asks him if he had ever contacted Lee Wung in HR. The idea of getting an executive coach had slipped Tom’s mind. He really didn’t have the time to sit back and think about what he should do; he knows he just has to get the people and the project off to a quick start. And honestly, Tom questions why he needs an executive coach—especially because he has a well-established mentoring relationship with Bill.What is the difference between a mentor, coach, or global executive coach?Understanding the distinction between a mentor, executive coach, and a global executive coach may help alleviate some of Tom’s reluctance to engage a global executive coach. Here’s a basic breakdown of differences.   Mentor: a person who guides a less experienced person by building trust and modeling positive behaviors. Corporate mentors typically have three or more years experience in the organization. They give advice on how to better network and understand the political and social environment of the organization.Coach: a person who does not necessarily have direct experience of their client’s formal occupational role. Executive coaches accompany professional people by asking powerful questions that help them to identify specific goals for future business outcomes, reflect on how to reach those goals, and put in place a sustainable strategy for achieving and maintaining behavorial change that will reflect that person’s attitude and values.Global executive coach: a person who integrates intercultural knowledge and experience into the reflective process so executives can explore intercultural dimensions combined with an increased awareness of their own unique personality traits, cultural influences, and emotional capital. Their clients seek to answer the question: What needs to shift in me to better align, motivate, and engage co-workers and teams across the globe?How do people develop self-awareness?Learning how to leverage cultural competencies starts by understanding how one’s own culture affects and influences who we are today: our strengths, weaknesses, assumptions, beliefs, and values. This is the foundation to self-awareness.Soliciting feedback, taking training, or pursuing coaching can help leaders develop their own self-awareness. But how do you choose between training and coaching? The best answer to that question is BOTH. Training transfers knowledge, coaching transforms people. If there needs to be a choice, focus on the outcome: understanding the complexity of culture. Referring back to Geert Hofstede’s description in Cultures Consequences, International Differences in Work-Related Values (1980, 1984, and 2001 2nd ed.) we are reminded of a model he refers to as the “Three Levels of Human Mental Programming.” In the form of a triangle, he has labelled three sections:Apex: Individual/Personality, which is both inherited and learnedMid-section: Collective/Culture, which is acquired through core valuesBase layer: Universal/Human Nature, which is the biological “operating system” of all humans.As with Hofstede and many in the intercultural field, the focus has always been on the cultural level. Learning about what is specific to a group or category of people and how these specificities are demonstrated through rituals, heroes, and symbols. This focus has the risk of developing an “Us vs. Them” mentality, as we seek to understand what makes others different.What happens next?In this blog series, we are taking an integrated approach to understanding global leadership while we accompany Tom Rush on his journey of discovery and development of who he is today and who he wants to be tomorrow. Legacy leadership starts early in a career, not at the end of it.We will continue to look at what cultural dimensions look like in everyday life, both personally and professionally. By the end of the series, you will be able to see how—as a whole—our cultural preferences impact our perception, perspective, outlook, and performance. When we are aware of this impact, we can then start to answer the question about what needs to shift in us in order to bring out the best in others.Research tells us that there are three obvious cultural preferences in Tom’s behavior, attitude, assumptions, and beliefs as he says:“\[He\] wanted to prove that he was the right choice for this career jump.”“He knows he just has to get the people and the project off to a quick start.”“What does accountability mean to these people?”“How was he going to motivate this team? What did he need to do…?”Tom most likely has preferences for the cultural dimensions known as universalism, individualism, and doing.  As he reflects on the challenges he is encountering, his assumptions are based on Universalism, which can be summarized as the one-size-fits-all, standardization, and policy approach to a set of rules and processes that clarify what needs to be done.Add to this a probable tendency to individualism, and we start to see that Tom’s expectations about each person pulling their own weight, putting the project as a priority rather than the person, which is task-orientation over relationship-orientation and may very well be provoking allergic reactions from team members across the globe. Indeed, his cultural preferences may not necessarily be aligned with his team members in Spain, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. What would you suggest that Tom do?

How Global Leaders Develop Self Awareness

Going from “only” and “dominant” to footnote and over.In case you haven’t noticed, the book publishing industry is about half of what it used to be. There is now a mad scramble by publishers to discover what tomorrow will look like.With the demise of many retail booksellers, both big and small, and the dominance of Amazon (based on ease of use, price, timely delivery, and one-click buying), the book market, as we have known it for the past 150 years, has changed forever.When I get on an airplane, everyone has an iPad or Kindle. Well, not everyone, but it’s trending towards everyone. People can now bring fifty books on the plane – on a device with a ten-hour battery that weighs only one pound and has adjustable typeface. You can even search, save, highlight and dog-ear the pages. Keep in mind that e-readers and iPads are still infants. They are under five years old and their legacy has just begun. But also keep in mind they have found their way into the hands of 100 million, literally overnight.This will not impact you as much as it will impact me.I write books, and now I have some very hard choices to make with my next book and my future books.Launching a book was simple in 2004. Get affiliates, send out a million emails, click through to Amazon.com, sell a few thousand books, and make The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists.It’s not the same today. Not even close.Now I have to ask myself hard questions:• Do I launch the e-book the same day as the hardcover book is launched?• Do I record an audio book and a video book?• Where should I make them available?• How much should I charge for the product?• Should I use a traditional publisher or self publish?My marketing and sales decisions are no different than your marketing and sales decisions. In this ever-changing, technological world, sales must change with it – your sales and my sales.In 2004, my Little Red Book of Selling launch did not incorporate social media because there was no social media. Today, you can’t launch a book without it. It’s the same with your products.Anyone (including me) who doesn’t take advantage of the marketing, branding, and selling power that business social media has to offer, is leaving money on the table. Lots of money. Lots and lots of money.For my next launch, I’ll be shooting video. Not just video of the book content, but also promotional videos, teaser videos, idea videos, and courseware videos that will compliment the book.Video trumps text. Electronic text trumps print. And for those of you sitting in a rocking chair, smoking a pipe, and telling me, “Printed books will always be there,” you are correct, but a heck of a lot less. Maybe if you changed your pipe tobacco you’d become a little more animated, and come up with some ideas that might help.Softcover books will always be there – as a minor player. Hardcover books will always be there – as a minor player. But video is the new text. It’s called YouTube, not TextTube. Schoolbooks? No, no – iPads.In your business:• Video is the new brochure.• Video is the new testimonial letter.• Video is the new proposal.• Video is the new training manual.• Video is the new instructional manual.• Video is the new letter and email.Here’s what to do (and here’s what I’m doing) to keep your business up to speed:1. Take video of something every day. I don’t care what it is. A thought, an idea, an article, a brochure, a sales presentation, a customer testimonial, or a little kid sliding down a slide.2. Make a list and create a pile of everything you have that's printed. Make a game plan to replace it with something more current than 600-year-old technology.3. Gather your best customers and have a video party. Begin asking them why they buy from you, on video. Then ask why they would recommend you, on video.3.5 Whatever it is you’re selling, take advantage of every new channel of distribution. The old ways of selling, the old ways of marketing, the old ways of promotion, and the old ways of branding are no longer applicable – other than for a history lesson. It’s all changed with 4G speed, 10-hour batteries, social media, and flat screen TVs.INTERESTING THOUGHT: As we head toward a paperless society, all the screaming environmentalists will have to find a new cause. Paper will go away by evolution, not by people screaming, “Save the Trees!”If you are looking for some kind of model, take a close look at mine, and emulate it. So far it’s working well. But be careful, and check back often, because everything will be different by next year.The best way to win in this economy is simple: stay in front of the losers.Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training, seminars, and webinars - or email him personally at salesman@gitomer.com.

Sales Moves by Jeffrey Gitomer 7-18

As senior manager for the Partnership for Public Service, Kevin Johnson II leads the strategy, development, and implementation of federal hiring solutions and services. Previously, he oversaw the strategic direction of a portfolio of leadership development programs at the Partnership for Public Service, as well as designed and facilitated sessions for a wide range of topics and federal audiences at all levels. Prior to joining the Partnership for Public Service, Johnson led all diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Battelle Memorial Institute and earned his entry into a public service career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana.

Kevin Johnson II

November 2025 - TD Magazine

Differentiate between emerging technologies that are just hype and those that can lead to business impact.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Loathe as I am to admit it publicly, when I get a new contraption, I have a hard time containing my impulsive enthusiasm to use it immediately. This hasn't changed since I was eight. Indeed, I can recall a not-fully-fleshed decision to try out my new bicycle before my dad had safely tightened the handlebars. This would not have been a problem if I had not ultimately discovered the need to, well, steer.Brand-spanking new devices are tempting to use immediately, but that isn’t always your best decision. For example, some often come with a gentle warning that their internal batteries must be fully charged for 24 hours before using the apparatus for the first tune. Unless this ritual is respectfully obeyed, the batteries from that day forward will never function at peak performance.To someone like me, taunted by the new gadget tethered to an electrical outlet, I am tempted to "round down" from the requisite 24 hour charging to maybe two hours—until a small scar on my chin acquired on my eighth birthday quietly reminds me how caving to impulse can have long term consequences that far outweigh any short-term benefits.Too many organizations act like eight-year olds. They hire a new employee, and because the work is piling up and managers are pressuring for chairs to be filled yesterday, they put an employee on the job without much more than pointing them down the correct hallway. A proper orientation is too often short-changed, or in so many cases, non-existent.Not much better are the half-hearted hooplas scheduled for the first Monday. You know what I am talking about…those events that stuff into an hour or so all the policies that are stuffable, introduce a few senior people that new employees will never, ever see again, get additional HR paperwork filled out, and often as a highpoint, show a video about the company produced in 1996. The only thing that differentiates a non-existent orientation from a highly ineffective one is that the latter takes a little longer and sometimes includes a breakfast pastry.Though there is much evidence to the contrary, some organizations still see onboarding as an unnecessary and expensive waste of time. Work needs to be done, and the sooner someone can start the better. Employees will learn what to do while they are doing it. They will pick up on the culture by being in it. That's the way we've always done it, and there is no reason to do it any differently.Yet many of the organizations that believe this do not track turnover, calculate the cost of replacing an employee, or understand that a good onboarding process can effectively cut both dramatically. Even more organizations understand the value, but believe that it is too costly or time-consuming to craft and deliver a good program. They are unaware that the process of development is not as difficult, time-wrenching, or expensive as they think, and returns will unquestionably exceed the investment.Fortunately, savvy organizations are recognizing the critical importance of a good onboarding process as a strategic and bottom-line initiative. They have seen through their own experience that new hire communications is arguably the most important and influential message an employee might ever receive. These organizations make use of that tiny window when an employee is most malleable and receptive, when enthusiasm and excitement is at their peak, and before the often-vocal naysayers have a chance to poison new colleagues with their own less-than-positive orientation.A skillful welcome will create the lens through which employees will see the company and their place in it. It will help new hires align their personal goals with the mission and values of this new and initially unfamiliar cosmos. It will teach them how to make the right decisions and how their decisions will be viewed and respected. It will affirm that coming aboard is not a one-day gala, but a process of growth and continual development. Most important, it will demonstrate that the organization and new employee are now partners in each other's success.There is a lot to be enjoyed through a good orientation process—one that may even take an employee out of the daily workflow for a few hours now and then. All the work will still get done. Trust me. But you can be sure the work will be done better, done more productively and more enthusiastically. Long term, no matter the budget, onboarding will ultimately not cost an organization a penny, but in fact, will probably save a trove of dollars every years thereafter.The most prudent decision is to take the time to charge the batteries and tighten the handlebars. If you don't believe me, checkout the batteries of some object you have in a drawer—or glance down at that little tiny scar on my chin.

Onboarding New Employees: A Story About Batteries and Falling Off Bicycles

Action is revolutionary. Too many people plan, and then they plan some more. They keep doing the same thing, just working harder. Those working in the learning industry tend to focus all their time on curriculum design, learning objectives, engaging classrooms and WBT, and assessments. Unfortunately, many L&D professionals spend very little time connecting to strategic initiatives and outcomes. But learning without action is just learning. Without the action, nothing changes. Enter opportunistic risk. When times were tough, you didn’t find Batman hiding in his Batcave. You found him fighting crime—daring to make a difference in Gotham City. As learning professionals, the learning event is our Batcave. Our organizations are Gotham City. It is time for you to get in your Batmobile and find out what matters most to your organization’s executive leaders. If you don’t already connect with your senior leaders, schedule time on their calendar and get to know what drives them. Only then can you help them succeed and add value to your organization. Riddle me this Batman was known as a great detective. This is an important factor because senior leaders may not be prepared to answer the question: How can the learning function assist in meeting the organization’s goals? So, if you can get 30 minutes of their time, act like a detective. Explore how you can help them reach success. Ask them what their goals are. Ask them why the goal is important. Ask them how they will know if they have reached their goal. It is important to note that you must speak their language, not yours. The Riddler, Batman’s archenemy, was perplexing because he always spoke in riddles.  Senior leaders are not going to take the time to decipher your language. It is wise to speak to them in business terms—not “learning-eze” or what appears as riddles to them. And respect their time by staying within your allotted meeting time. Next, thank them and let them know you will get back with them, armed with a plan to ensure performance success. This should at least pique their interest enough to review your plan.Batteries to power, turbines to speedOnce you have obtained information from your senior leaders, you can start imagining solutions. To reach strategic goals, what behaviors need to happen? Once you identify behaviors, ask what the gap is in knowledge and skills. Then, and only then, decide how to serve the learning. The next step is very important: Determine how you can best drive performance after learning has taken place. Our leaders want a comprehensive plan that focuses on results, not learning. They expect that you will supply great learning, but what they really want is performance outcomes that help them reach their goals. You must be creative on how to get things done in a way that is different from what you have done in the past. It is not likely you will get more resources, and you can’t just keep working harder and maintain your sanity. L&D professionals have to be innovative in how to get the job done in less time, with less resource, but with better results. Don’t fall into the trap that everything must be covered in the classroom. Statistics prove participants will only remember a fraction of what is presented. Today’s learners obtain information on the go. How do you reduce classroom time and increase informal learning and the availability of informal learning while obtaining the same if not better results? Can you cut some programs you currently offer that are not required by regulation or do not directly support your organization’s strategic initiatives? All programs are “good” but may not make you needed.Can you reduce content? What do learners really need to know? Are you confusing them by giving them too much content at once?Can you serve content in other ways? Learners want information at their fingertips. Can you provide content in a mobile app, in an online, just-in-time learning tool, job aids? This is a new way of thinking for L&D. We have focused on the learning event for so long. I am not only speaking to facilitators, but including curriculum designers and web developers as well. What really needs to be covered in the classroom or module? Truly examine that question. What can be made available in other ways? We have to stop designing learning and start designing the entire learning experience. Included in your design should be peri-learning. Peri-learning is those activities, learning opportunities, and behavior reinforcers that help learners succeed. This could include such things as: Information and activities that prepare students to participate in not only learning but in changes that produce performance outcomes. Let managers know their role in the learning outcomes. Use posters, pre-requisite on-line modules that set the stage for what they will be learning, presentations at staff meetings, articles in newsletters, etc.Post learning event follow-up such as reminders and reinforcement are crucial. It is a must to include post learning follow-up support that will reinforce the behaviors you are targeting that will produce results for your organization. Be creative in ways to drive performance. Can you utilize incentives, contests, manager reinforcement, peer reinforcement, job aids, facilitator rounding?Does this sound foreign, or even risky? If we keep doing things the same way we have in the past, we will not be needed. Not being needed is unnecessarily risky. Look at the opportunistic risk instead. Changing our actions to ensure outcomes is strategic opportunity. As you put your plan together remember to ask: “If I could do this any way I wanted to obtain the best outcomes, what would it look like?” Just because no one at your organization has done it that way before doesn’t mean it won’t work!Next, ask “Why not?” What is keeping you back? Is it the fear of risk? Remember, avoidance of risk creates risk.Next, ask, what is the worst thing that could happen? Can you live with that? Think through it. Plan for what might go wrong but work at making it go right.What is the best thing that could happen? Does it outweigh the outcome of doing nothing differently? Therein, you find your opportunisitic risk. Once you have a plan together that supports your company’s goals by addressing not only learning but driving performance, present that plan. Word of caution: your executives may not be receptive at first. This may feel foreign to them as well and they are not use to depending on you as a partner. You will have to earn this relationship. Calling all caped crusaders Now, if you are feeling a little outside your comfort zone, remember Batman had allies. Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s butler was one of only a few persons to know his secret identity. Alfred acted as father figure and mentor to Batman. Indeed, everyone needs a mentor—someone who knows your secret identity, grounds you, challenges you, someone that looks out for you, and helps you dream big. Who is your mentor? Is it your manager, another leader in your organization, someone trusted outside the organization, perhaps a consultant? If you do not have a mentor, get one that understands opportunistic risk. They give you the strength to don the cape (so to speak) and step out of your comfort zone. They are also there to guide you and supply a reassuring hand. Let’s explore another of Batman’s partners: Commissioner Gordon. The Commissioner was not always an advocate of Batman. As a matter of fact, he first saw Batman as a vigilante. In time, after Batman proved himself a worthy partner, Commissioner Gordon went to Batman at the first sign of need. Batman became his go-to person. Not because he left things to the way they were, but because he dared to step out. He took that opportunistic risk. And let’s not forget Batman’s trusty sidekick Robin. Who do you trust to carry out your work—to partner with you in your endeavors? Batman started out as a lone star, but he quickly added a fellow crime fighter. There is always more power in multiples. Gather your team around you to help you envision reaching performance. Gather those that will help reinforce learning and drive it to performance. This may be others in the learning arena but could also be middle managers, preceptors, or students who are early adopters. Bam! Kapow! Zlonk! Finally, it is time for you to present your plan to organizational leaders—pointing out what is different about approach. Let them know what you need from them. Highlight how you will measure your progress and document leading indicators that you are on target. Once you have presented your plan and received at least support for your plan, go for it! Put your plan in place and start working it. But be prepared that you won’t win every battle. You don’t have to win every time. Just act. When you prepared your plan, you started with the end in mind—your organization’s strategic initiatives. You uncovered the behaviors needed to ensure success. You created a solution that would ensure learning. You planned on reinforcing behavioral performance by partnering and following-up with learners. Now, you need to work your plan and measure your progress. Measure your results early and often, but don’t be afraid of the results! If you are not seeing the behaviors you expected, keep driving performance until you do. Remember, not doing anything creates risk. Driving performance, however, is opportunistic risk. Along the way, manage up your results to your senior leaders. If you haven’t quite hit the mark, be honest but have a plan to engage learning until the goal is met. If your leaders see your persistence and start to see results, they will likely give you the support you need. Holy learning, Batman! Our companies are looking for true partners that will help them reach their goals. Most of your peers are still hiding behind their classroom training programs or armed with WBT’s. What will make your plan different, gain the attention of your leaders and make you a strategic partner?Partner with your leaders. Seek to understand how to make them successful in their strategic endeavors. In other words, truly begin with the end in mind.Present a complete plan that includes peri-learning—activities before during and after the learning event that ensures success through driving performance to outcomes.Measure your progress and report your findings—good or bad. Then do something with the findings. Keep working your plan, regrouping where necessary, to reach your results. You only fail if you quit. If I have not yet convinced you to take opportunistic risk, let’s look at this in a different way. What if you choose to avoid the risk and stay in the Batcave? What if you just keep doing things they way you have always done them? Will you be perceived as valuable—or as adding value? Will you be recognized as a true partner? Will you be needed in another year? If you can’t answer yes to all of these questions, you can’t afford NOT to seek opportunistic risk. If Batman had not acted, the Joker, the Riddler, and Catwoman would surely have taken over Gotham City. Who is waiting to take over for you? Are you letting it happen because you are afraid to leave the Batcave? Without a doubt, leaving the Batcave involves some risk—but it is opportunisitic risk that focuses on outcomes, not just learning. So, what are you waiting for?

Opportunistic Risk: Signaling all L&D Professionals

Bruce Batten is currently the Director of the Program Management Office for the CSC Enterprise Learning & Talent Development organization (NYSE: CSC). In this role, he is responsible for the Enterprise Learning & Talent Development budget, global vendor relationships and contracts, executive development, and top tier succession planning. Bruce partners with the CLO and the Global Learning Officer council of CSC, which is comprised of the Learning officers from all business units to identify and develop solutions to meet employee learning needs. Bruce served as the Chair of the ASTD Forum’s Advisory Group from 2008‐09.

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