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ELE is a peer-powered community where people leaders don't just reframe challenges — they leave with decisions, next moves, and 30/60/90-day commitments to move real work forward.&nbsp;For 22 years, leaders from Fortune 1000 companies have brought their hardest problems here — and left sharper than they arrived.

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Bring a real bottleneck. Name what's stuck, what's at stake, and why it matters now.

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Signal what matters most. Your vote shapes what this community tackles next.

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Find the peer conversation that moves your work forward.The right exchange builds better leaders, closes capability gaps, and cuts through what internal meetings can't.

Figure out if ELE is for you. Straight answers on what ELE is, who it’s built for, and how contributing members actually work together. Still have a question? Contact us.

Get answers about how Executive Learning Exchange (ELE) works — peer-powered leadership development that fixes real work issues, reverses burnout, and accelerates business value. No programs. No vendors. In the flow of work.

Real conversations from people leaders tackling today's toughest talent challenges -- captured live, ready to apply with your teams when it fits your schedule, and connected to what's happening right now.

Insights on Talent Challenges | Captured Peer Conversations | ELE

Real challenges. Real peers. Clear next moves.

This is where people-leaders get sharper.

Want ELE to come to you? Propose a local gathering — the community decides what gets scheduled.

Alter Domus

Scout

<div style="font-family: 'Calibri', 'Candara', 'Segoe UI', 'Optima', Arial, sans-serif; color: #333; line-height: 1.6; max-width: 800px; margin: auto; font-size: 1.1rem;">
Recognition isn't a poster on the wall. In AI-culture transformations, recognition is the signal that tells people: experimentation matters, smart risks get rewarded, and your best ideas get resourced.
This Design Charrette puts that to the test — Shark Tank style.
Small groups will build a 3-minute pitch for an internal AI prototype that solves a real, manual workflow task. The Sharks — Angie, Chris, and Jen — will listen, ask the hard questions, and pick a winner. The CEO is putting $500 on the table for the best idea, with a real shot at budget to build it.
How it works:

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; font-family: 'Calibri', sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">Anton opens with his own 3-minute pitch to set the bar</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">Small groups ideate using ELE's Action Work Plan</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">Each group delivers a 3-minute pitch to the Sharks</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">One winner walks away with $500 and possible build budget</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">Group reflection and celebration to close</li>
</ul>
The behaviors that unlock AI-culture transformation — experimentation, peer learning, making good work visible — only stick when leaders recognize and resource them in real time.
Come ready to pitch.

<blockquote style="border-left: 4px solid #990000; margin: 20px 0; padding: 10px 20px; background-color: #f8f9fa; font-style: italic; color: #555; font-family: 'Calibri', sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem;">What happens next? This post captures our live framework. In a few days, we will update this page with the real-time breakthroughs, questions, and insights shared by our executive peers during the conference dialogue. Stay tuned!</blockquote>
</div>

Design Charrette | Leveraging Recognition to Unlock an AI-Culture Transformation

Engagement &amp; Culture

Future of Work

angie.zeigler

chris.olson

anton.maletich

strategic alignment

corporate culture

behavioral change

workforce engagement

experimentation culture

collaborative problem solving

wise2026

Design Charrette

peer-powered decisions

insights-wise-2026

recognition programs

ai-culture transformation

innovation pitches

internal prototyping

action work plan

shark tank format

business challenge

workflow automation

resource allocation

risk reward

live ideation

pilot budgeting

CNA Insurance

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions

Session Focus: Harnessing AI to Connect Learning with Strategic Business Execution (Use Case: Zurn/Elkay Culture Building Post M&amp;A)


This ELE Experience offered senior HR and talent leaders an immersive, hands-on look at how generative AI—specifically Microsoft Copilot—can bridge the gap between learning initiatives and business strategy.

As organizations continue to evolve—through mergers, digital transformation, or shifts in workforce expectations—talent leaders are expected to do more than manage programs. We're being asked to deliver strategic value that shapes culture, enables leadership, and drives execution.

That’s why the theme of our May 8 AI Practical Lab, “Aligning Learning with Organizational Goals,” resonated so strongly.
<blockquote>"We’re rebalancing our efforts—performance goals matter, but how we lead matters just as much." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jenny-heitman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenny Heitman</a>, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions</blockquote>
We were especially excited to welcome <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jenny-heitman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenny Heitman</a> from Zurn Elkay, who shared a real-world case study on rebuilding engagement and leadership alignment post-merger. Her example, paired with The Capability Blueprint from our Insights archive, created a simple but powerful framework for strategic alignment:

<img class="aligncenter" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Capability-Blueprint.jpg" alt="" width="793" height="558" />

As we prompted Copilot using The Capability Blueprint, the combination became a practical guide to drive focused action and business impact.

For those who couldn’t join us live, here are three questions we encourage you to explore with your team:
<ol>
 	<li>What do we want to be? -- Clarify your business strategy—your north star that defines purpose and direction.</li>
 	<li>How do we get there? -- Look at it through multiple lenses:
<ul>
 	<li>People (culture, organization, and competency)</li>
 	<li>Process (workflow and efficiency)</li>
 	<li>Technology (tools, applications, and delivery vehicles)</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>How do we know when we’re there? -- Define meaningful performance metrics that demonstrate impact and progress.</li>
</ol>
Let’s keep the momentum going. If you'd like to dive deeper into any of these areas.

This wasn’t a theoretical discussion—it was a practical lab. With support from Jason Davis, Behati Hart, and Peter Hogaboam, participants learned how to:
<ul>
 	<li>Use Microsoft Copilot to structure a learning strategy,</li>
 	<li>Align behaviors with values across job families, and</li>
 	<li>Generate measurable outcomes that matter to the business.</li>
</ul>
As Peter reminded us, success with AI starts with a mindset shift:
<blockquote>"Try things. Be curious. Upload a document. Ask how AI would approach the problem. That’s where the value shows up." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/peter-hogaboam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Hogaboam</a>, CNA Insurance</blockquote>
<h2 class="" data-start="1895" data-end="1939">🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways for HR Talent Leaders</h2>
<ol data-start="1941" data-end="2488">
 	<li class="" data-start="1941" data-end="2093">
Behavioral Alignment Is the Real Culture Work Strategy alone isn’t enough—behavioral consistency across roles is what brings change to life.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2095" data-end="2296">
AI Enhances Strategic Clarity and Speed Generative AI, when fed with the right context, can accelerate the creation of blueprints, surface KPIs, and shape actionable learning interventions.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2298" data-end="2488">
Inclusion + Peer Collaboration Drive Sustainable Change Engaging employees in co-creating expectations and collaborating across companies fuels belonging, creativity, and buy-in.
</li>
</ol>

<hr class="" data-start="2490" data-end="2493" />

<h2 class="" data-start="2495" data-end="2538">🛠️ 5 Practical Actions You Can Take Now</h2>
<ol data-start="2540" data-end="3530">
 	<li class="" data-start="2540" data-end="2735">
Reinforce Core Values at Every Level Map how your values show up in each job family. Use AI tools to draft behavioral guides tailored to functions like marketing, operations, or tech.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2737" data-end="2950">
Train Teams on Prompting and Contextual AI Use Encourage your HR and L&amp;D teams to experiment with uploading docs and using AI to synthesize strategic plans, build personas, and generate learning paths.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2952" data-end="3156">
Use ‘How Might We’ Questions to Drive Engagement Reframe initiatives as design prompts (e.g., “How might we build accountability into everyday work?”) to spark ideation and shared ownership.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="3158" data-end="3336">
Co-Create Success Metrics With Business Leaders Define what winning looks like with key stakeholders first, then build learning solutions that support those outcomes.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="3338" data-end="3530">
Host Peer-Led AI Practice Labs Create safe, vendor-free spaces for your team or community to test tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude. Share results, iterate together, and grow.
</li>
</ol>
This session underscored a vital shift in our field: the future of learning and development isn’t just about content or delivery—it’s about orchestrating behavior change at scale. AI can help, but it’s still the human insight that drives impact.
As HR talent leaders, we’re at a unique inflection point—where the tools are powerful, the expectations are high, and the opportunity to lead through innovation has never been greater.
Are we ready to challenge our understanding and integrate AI in ways that not only meet but advance our strategic goals?
Let’s keep learning—together and share your journey on <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ELE Idea Exchange</a>.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42837" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/For-The-Culture-Book-Cover.jpg" alt="For The Culture (Collins, 2024)" width="348" height="522" />
<a title="I Bullseye Tactics For Non-Technical Business Leader" href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/for-the-culture">For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be</a>

<blockquote>"You shouldn’t be afraid of AI taking your job, but you should be afraid of someone who knows how to use AI taking your job." - <a href="https://www.learningexecutive.com/members/mike-kester">Mike Kester</a></blockquote>

✨ AI Practical Lab: Aligning Learning with Organizational Goals

future of work

Strategy

Digital &amp; AI

dirk.tussing

upskilling

jason.davis

leadership development

talent development

Adding Value

employee engagement

betty.hart

organizational effectiveness

learning and development

jenny.heitman

peter.hogaboam

learning trends

ChatGPT

AI tools

HR Innovation

HR future

AI in HR

GenAI

Strategic HR

Workforce Strategy

generative AI

talent-talk

ai practical lab

Build a book

erin.joslin

Business Alignment

Culture Transformation

2Q2025

laura.sandera

rhonda.sharp

LAK Group

This keynote provided a thought-provoking perspective on building change resilience in teams and organizations. Mike Grubich argued that while processes and tools are essential, lasting resilience requires tapping into the underlying cognitive and psychological factors.

Three Key Takeaways:
<ol>
 	<li>Understanding Physiological Experiences: Developing change resilience requires a deep understanding of the physiological experiences that shape people's beliefs and mindsets around change. These experiences significantly influence how individuals perceive and respond to change.</li>
 	<li>Focused Practice and Personal Ownership: Shifting ingrained narratives and expectations, coupled with fostering personal ownership, is crucial for hardwiring new habits around resilience. Focused practice helps individuals internalize new behaviors and adapt more effectively to change.</li>
 	<li>Leadership's Role in Change: Leaders play a pivotal role in helping people understand their part in the change process and how their experiences are fundamentally shifting. By directly addressing these aspects, leaders can guide their teams through transitions more effectively.</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>"Change resilience comes from the experiences that shape our beliefs and behaviors." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/michael-grubich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Grubich</a></blockquote>
Rather than just deploying change management techniques, this keynote emphasized the need to create opportunities for meaningful experiences that can start reshaping beliefs at a deeper level. From there, new behaviors and resilient habits can take root through repetition and buy-in.

By making change more than just a process, but an identity shift flowing from personalised experiences, organizations can better navigate the increasing change fatigue and lack of emotional commitment highlighted in workforce trends today.

Design Charrette | Leveraging Recognition to Unlock an AI-Culture Transformation

✨ AI Practical Lab: Aligning Learning with Organizational Goals

The Dynamic Workplace Requires Change Resilient Teams

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