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Justin Lake is co-founder and CEO of Skyllful (formerly Venado Technologies), a provider of a mobile digital adoption platform (MDAP) that helps frontline workers use enterprise mobile apps more efficiently and effectively.With more than 25 years of industry experience, Lake has deep expertise in mobile technology and field deployments as well as decades of experience working with frontline workers. A lifelong early adopter of new technology, Lake’s enthusiasm for innovation and how to use it in ways that empower people have driven forward his career as a problem solver who likes to build things.

Justin Lake

October 2021 - TD Magazine

It’s a surefire way to achieve higher digital adoption rates.

Use Technology to Teach Technology

 Volunteering involves providing your knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as your time and energy, without establishing an employment relationship and usually without any monetary compensation. Employees who take on volunteer roles are able to build new skills and practice existing skills in a different setting from their day-to-day job.Via volunteering, employees can try something different from their usual work, and bring back new skills to the workplace, thereby adding value to their employer by improving their current job performance. They may even enhance the succession management efforts of their employer, because they become ready to move into positions of greater responsibility faster and more effectively than they would have had they not taken on the volunteer role.The best part about this employee development strategy is that it doesn't cost the organization nearly as much as sending the employee to costly training workshops or hiring a coach. In fact, it often costs the organization nothing.In my ATD Press book, Employee Development on a Shoestring, I describe 11 different methods for developing employees outside the classroom. The chapter on volunteering explains: who should try volunteeringhow volunteer projects benefit learners and the organizationwhat competencies volunteering can develophow to establish volunteer efforts. The chapter concludes with a case study that depicts the success PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) enjoyed as a result of offering this type of development method. PwC’s Project BelizeProject Belize, an initiative that partners PwC employees with schools in Belize City, is primarily focused on financial literacy and environmental sustainability. Specifically, some 200 PwC volunteers—partners, staff, and interns from across the United States—traveled to Belize City, Belize, in the summer of 2011. The PwC team connected with more than 1,200 students in 10 schools in some of Belize’s poorest areas and focused on hosting a youth financial literacy camp, leading a scholar's mentoring program for current and former Belizean students, providing financial and technology training to teachers. According to the project’s website, “since its inception, \[they\] have contributed 30,000 pounds of school supplies, awarded approximately 765 high school equivalent scholarships so these students can continue their education, and delivered our financial literacy curriculum to 6,412 students with the help of 1,609 talented and enthusiastic PwC interns, partners, and staff.” In addition, volunteers built “Learning Landscape” playgrounds using repurposed materials. PwC volunteer Justin Suissa explains that “the experience \[building learning landscape playgrounds\] was valuable on so many levels.” Suissa shares that he was out of his element—construction is not where his expertise lies. What’s more, the team had a tight deadline, as well as many pitfalls and unexpected obstacles to overcome. But clearly defined deliverables—build six playgrounds in five days for the children—helped the team pull together through pouring rain and intense heat and humidity.  Working through these challenges, says Suissa, helped him improve core leadership and teambuilding competencies. He describes how figuring out new technical skills in an unpredictable environment developed his flexibility and agility. “While I did not expect it, it was like a learning playground for us, the volunteers. With high stakes and a tough deadline, my teammates and I had to solve problems creatively and let go of pre-established hierarchies in this new environment.” For another PwC volunteer-employee, Jack Teuber, this experience meant a change in his environment and operational mode. He went from working as a competent managing director who leads a team of experienced adults to a novice middle school teacher in a foreign country, working with children and a brand-new and mixed team of associates and interns. Teuber understood that his challenge was “to get out of people’s way and encourage them to grow, solve problems, and develop their leadership skills.” Doing so helped him develop collaboration and coaching skills. In other words, he and his team cultivated their abilities to support the success of those working around him—building relationships, establishing empathy, communicating, and partnering. These skills are “extremely important back in the PwC environment because they help us serve our clients better and be better leaders and team players to our colleagues,” says Teuber. Finally, he believes that the volunteer experience helped him gain tremendous partnering and networking benefits. According to Teuber, “The team members still keep in touch after returning home and all of us have developed greater access to and understanding of other areas of the business, which serves to break down barriers, especially the hierarchical ones. Belize affected my self-awareness and has caused me to want to do this for my own team \[at home\].” Practical Application While Project Beleize describes a large and generous company taking on a big expenditure, the same principles can be applied to any volunteering effort. Organizations can start volunteering projects in their local communities (no international flights needed) by sending either individual employees or workforce teams to connect with other members of the wider community on volunteer missions. The learning that took place for Project Belize volunteers could happen in your local neighborhood. I hope you give it a try! Employee Development on a Shoestring provides plenty of additional tools, checklists, self-assessments, and other supports to help you implement the various development methods, consider some of the objections you might encounter, and outlines ways to overcome challenges. It’s a comprehensive tutorial for all managers, supervisors, trainers, human resources (HR) personnel, coaches, and other professionals who are involved in developing employee competence efficiently and cost-effectively.

Project Belize: Volunteering as an Employee Development Tool

AI is once again an area of focus at ATD26. There’s no denying that AI has dominated interest in the talent development field for the last three years. Our field is not alone in this, as nearly every industry is exploring how AI can streamline processes, create efficiencies, and do more with less.No matter your expertise level—whether you’re an early adopter or still AI-hesitant—ATD26 has something for you to continue to build your AI expertise. Build AI Sessions into Your ScheduleThis year, we’re proud to offer 35+ education sessions focused on AI. Those sessions are scattered across our various content tracks, but upon reviewing all the titles and descriptions, three strong themes emerge in what they cover.AI for Learning Design and Training Innovation: These sessions focus on how you can utilize AI in your training design and how AI can support performance at the moment of need.AI Strategy, Capability, and Organizational Readiness: These sessions look at AI through the strategic, organizational lens. They cover topics such as AI implementation and will help guide your organization through AI adoption.AI for Leadership and Workforce Development: These sessions focus on leadership skills, coaching, onboarding, career personalization, and team design.For a full list of AI-related sessions, visit: https://atdconference.td.org/program/Explore AI Solutions in the Expo HallIn addition to sessions, there are other opportunities to explore AI at ATD26. Last year, we had more than 60+ companies offering AI solutions. I expect 2026 to be no different. Executing on your AI strategy will likely entail working with a supplier partner—whether you’re looking to speed content creation, scale a coaching or leadership program, or automate and streamline tasks—ATD26 will have the top suppliers in the talent development space. Even if you’re not interested in purchasing a new solution, it’s important to explore the expo floor to see the latest trends and features.Practice Application and Earn an AI CertificateFinally, if you’re looking for a true deep dive into using AI and prompting for L&D, check out our three-day, “Applying AI in L&D” certificate program. Designed and facilitated by author and AI expert Josh Cavalier, this immersive program will both deepen your understanding of AI usage and trends and provide hands-on experience using AI tools, preparing you to apply your new skills.

AI at ATD26

Most new managers dread the idea of having to give feedback…and so they don’t. When it comes to giving feedback, it doesn’t matter how skilled you are or how polished your words are if there is one thing missing: trust. If your employee doesn’t trust your intent, believing you have their interests at heart, they won’t listen—period. This is the essence of psychological safety. To provide feedback that improves results, you will need to do so in a way that invites them to willingly reveal how they’ve missed the mark and sincerely reflect on ways that lead to improvement. Without safety, they’re more likely to distort and defend than reveal and reflect. But there’s a problem you’ll need to address: The brain doesn’t need a stark display of hostility to feel threatened. In moments of vulnerability, it only needs subtle, seemingly neutral cues—the slight raising of an eyebrow, a simple crinkle of your nose, or a break in eye contact can send a strong signal to the brain that it’s unsafe. Your job when delivering feedback is to generate evidence to the other person that they are safe. And you don’t accomplish that by beating around the bush or watering down the truth. Safety and truth are two independent variables. Don’t try to accomplish one by shorting the other. While your truth—the feedback you want to give—might still cause hurt, the pain from that feedback can become growth when others feel safe with you. People rarely get defensive about what you’re saying. People get defensive because of why they think you’re saying it. It’s their perception of your intent that provokes defensiveness, not the sensitivity of the content. If they believe your intent is to embarrass, critique, or shame, they will feel—and act—unsafe. They’re unlikely to reveal all relevant information and reflect sincerely on what they need to do to improve. If, on the other hand, they think that your intent is to find the truth, improve results, and even strengthen a relationship, then there’s a reasonable chance you can lay out the truth as you see it and be fully heard. Once you’ve done the hard yet worthy work of creating a trusting and safe relationship, here are some practical skills that will help you deliver feedback effectively. Share Your Good Intent Expressing good intent does not mean flattering or trying to appease the other person with irrelevant compliments. Expressing good intent means making it clear to the other person that you care about them and their interests. Sharing your good intent sounds like this: “First, I want you to know that I think you are doing a nice job in your role. I also want you to see you grow in this agency and have the success you want to have. I want to share some ideas I think will help you do that.” Share the Facts When it’s time to give the specifics of the feedback, start with facts. Share what you have observed before you share your interpretation of what you’ve observed. You want to stay external by describing what’s happening outside your head (“You cut the person off mid-sentence”) as opposed to what’s happening inside your head (“You’re rude”). Facts are less controversial than opinions and feelings. Facts are more persuasive. Be Brief and Direct Be careful not to let your desire for improvement become a desire to lecture. Even if you use the first two skills, you can destroy safety by turning a simple statement into a drawn-out diatribe. We often use ten words when three would do, deliver long meandering openings, and share random and disconnected compliments. If you’ve created safety, be clear, succinct, and direct. In the end, don’t isolate feedback to rare occasions that have some formal tradition surrounding them. Instead give short, honest, and helpful feedback on a regular basis. If you combine this feedback with consistent praise of excellent performance, you’ll not only help people improve, but you’ll quickly become one of the best bosses people have ever had in their career. 

How to Deliver Feedback Effectively

When we feel like we’re being micromanaged, there’s usually one of two possible reasons for your coworker’s behaviors:They don’t fully trust you because you aren’t consistently reliable.They are stressed because of pressure being put on them, and they’re transferring that stress to you.Regardless of the reason, however, here are some tips to help you manage the situation:Reflect on Your BehaviorOrganizations are littered with people who think they are high performers and yet are perplexed why they don’t get promoted as quickly as they believe they should. Such employees commonly feel they are being slighted and wronged. And yet most of them have a career-limiting habit that they don’t see or aren’t willing to see.Are you consistent at doing what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it? If trust is what makes or breaks a team, then getting stuff done is the currency of trust. I’d challenge you to dig deep and ask yourself:What’s my role in this?Do I see a pattern of people in my life checking up on me?Am I constantly making excuses for why I can’t finish commitments?Let me be clear—I’m not saying this IS your issue. But I’m not sure that it isn’t either. I don’t say this to try to demean you, but to wake you up to a new view of yourself. We all need this in our lives. I once received feedback that my tendency toward persuasion was abrasive for many of my colleagues. Tough news to hear, but it was vital tough love.Master Your Stories and Bring It UpIt’s better to address the pattern you’re experiencing than continue to suffer through it. But you need to start by checking your emotions; your frustration is likely coming from a story you’re telling yourself that this coworker is micromanaging you. Since the problem of coming up with ugly stories takes place inside your own mind, that’s also where the solution lies. Those who are best at holding Crucial Conversations tell themselves a more balanced story. Instead of asking, “What’s the matter with that person?” they ask, “Why would a reasonable, rational, and decent person do that?”By asking this humanizing question, you should gain a few other possible explanations for the checkups, and you’ll be more effective talking about the issue.Once you’ve checked your story and calmed your emotions, just be candid. Say something like, “Hey Juan, I’ve noticed with the last few assignments I’ve taken on for you that you check in on me almost every day, even though we agreed on a due date. I had every intention to finish by the date we agreed. But when you check in on me, it makes me wonder if you think I will finish on time. Can you help me see your side of things?”Use Checkups and CheckbacksSometimes, the other person is so stressed that their worry drives them to become a nag. They may trust you, but the stakes are so high for them that they want to guarantee nothing goes wrong. While it’s understandable that someone might get to this point (we’ve all acted ineffectively because of stress), it’s also detrimental to others. So, to those who are giving the assignments, you need to know the difference between a checkup and a checkback and use them correctly.Do a checkup when you’re giving the assignment and are nervous or have questions. Say something like, “Since this is such an important project, I’m wondering if we could meet next Wednesday at 10 a.m. to review how it’s going.” In this case, you are in charge of the follow-up.Use a checkback when the task is routine and has been assigned to someone who is experienced and reliable. Now that person is in charge. He or she offers suggestions, “How about we follow up at our next scheduled meeting?” or “The deadline is two weeks from today. Could we meet next Thursday, fifteen minutes before our team meeting, to touch base?”To get results AND maintain healthy relationships, both checkups and checkbacks can be helpful.

What to Do When You Think You’re Being Micromanaged

Rare is the workplace where you don’t have one or more sensitive coworkers. The reasons for such sensitivity are endless, and some are even valid, but when such sensitivity is combined with emotional displays, they can especially be a challenge! Such reactions are one of the main reasons people don’t hold others accountable. As we discuss how to work with sensitive, emotional employees, there are two questions I want to address: Why do people get defensive? What can you do? When I teach or coach leaders, I find that many of them believe that employees get defensive because they simply don’t want to hear “the truth.” As far as the manager is concerned, the employee got caught in their mistake and their guilt is driving them to emotion. So, their response sometimes is to get tough and say unhelpful things like, “Let’s not get emotional, let’s keep this professional,” or “No need to get defensive, let’s stay on topic.” While it may be true sometimes that people get emotional because they feel guilty, our experience suggests something else. When people get defensive, it’s because they don’t trust your intent. They’re leery that you either don’t respect them or don’t respect what they care about (shared goals). When one or both are lacking, or the other person perceives a lack of respect, you see a spike in emotional responses. See, our brains are always scanning our external environment for threats. The moment we perceive a threat, our fight-or-flight response is triggered. We react. Defensiveness is the attempt to restore safety in response to a perceived threat. And some employees may have been shut down, mistreated, or disregarded by previous bosses, contributing to extra sensitivity that needs to be considered. So, what do you do about it? You need to make it clear to the other person that you DO respect them and care about their goals. This can’t be accomplished with trite phrases when you’re in a bind. You’ve got to truly care. The way you treat them outside of crucial moments may do more for your Crucial Conversations than how you respond during them. I love what the late Stephen Covey said. “You can’t talk your way out of something you’ve acted your way into.” If you don’t show respect for their time, their work, or their unique personality, no amount of flowery language will ease their defensiveness. I think you could have a conversation with this person to address this dynamic between the two of you. You might begin, “Hey Gabriel, I’ve noticed a pattern between us that I want to talk about. When I bring up a concern about a commitment you didn’t complete, you often raise your voice or start crying. I’d like us to be able to talk about things in a way that allows both of us to feel heard and find a solution. But I’m wondering if I’ve done something—or not done something—that’s provoking your response. How do you see it?” That may not be a perfect opening statement, so adapt it to work for you. But please see the principle in the details. Be honest about the issue. Don’t let them off the hook because they get emotional. Show them you care AND address the issue. Ask how you can show you care. Keep talking. 

Working With Sensitive, Emotional Employees

If you’re not communicating in a way that invites others into the conversation, the result may be tacit agreement in the moment, then later gossip, complaining, distrust, lack of engagement, and a host of other organizational illnesses that kil

Why Should I Cater to People Who Are Afraid to Speak Their Mind?

If you can manage and respond to email more effectively, treating it like the work it really is, you can dramatically improve your productivity and significantly reduce your stress.

Seven Deadly Sins of Email

When you couple the inherent challenge of communicating remotely with uncertain and turbulent times, creating a cohesive and successful remote team can feel like an uphill battle.

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