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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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This is where people leaders get sharper — and their teams get smarter.ELE is a peer-powered network of people leaders who accelerate business results through shared intelligence and real-work collaboration. Learn more below about why ELE has been the trusted choice for leaders building high-performing teams for over 20 years.

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What if Learning &amp; Development stopped reacting—and started reshaping what’s next?
That challenge took center stage at the Milwaukee Talent Development Conference 2025, where <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/janice-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janice Simmons</a>, <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/guillermo-gutierrez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guillermo Gutierrez</a>, <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/michael-hruska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Hruska</a>, <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/kelly-wojda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kelly Wojda</a>, <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/nicole-defalco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicole DeFalco</a>, and <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/inna-conner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inna Conner</a> made one thing clear: the future of L&amp;D isn’t coming—it’s already here. And it demands a different mindset.
<img class="aligncenter" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/WISE2025-Future-is-Now-CLO-panel.jpg" alt="" width="719" height="405" />
Today’s most effective L&amp;D leaders aren’t behind the curve; they’re shaping it. That means no more order-taking, no more siloed solutions, and no more waiting for “perfect.” Instead, they’re embedded in business conversations, fluent in data, and focused on co-creating value across the enterprise.
Key Strategies That Stand Out:

<ul data-start="1012" data-end="1777">
 	<li data-start="1012" data-end="1185">
⚡ Design disruption on purpose. The best L&amp;D teams don’t brace for change—they launch it. Think less “training as usual,” more “learning as innovation infrastructure.”
</li>
 	<li data-start="1186" data-end="1323">
🤝 Cross-functional partnerships are a competitive edge. Building shared ownership for change reduces resistance and scales impact.
</li>
 	<li data-start="1324" data-end="1484">
📊 Data isn’t a dashboard—it’s your language of influence. Showing clear, business-relevant outcomes transforms L&amp;D from cost center to strategic enabler.
</li>
 	<li data-start="1485" data-end="1619">
🛠️ Prototype boldly. Don’t wait for polished programs—test, learn, and iterate like a product team. Agility is the new quality.
</li>
 	<li data-start="1620" data-end="1777">
🌟 Be the learner you expect others to be. Future-ready teams start with L&amp;D owning its own development—curiosity, creativity, and AI fluency included.
</li>
</ul>
Panelists shared real examples: scaling inclusion programs through ERGs, challenging managers to rethink requests before training launches, and using data to predict—not just explain—impact. These aren’t just tactics. They’re signs of a function claiming its strategic seat.
If L&amp;D wants to lead, not lag, it’s time to shift: from support to strategy, from reaction to anticipation, from perfectionism to progress.
The takeaway? Don’t wait to be invited into the future—design it.

The Future is Now: Transforming L&D for Tomorrow's Challenges

future of work

Strategy

Future of Work

dirk.tussing

learning culture

inna.conner

janice.simmons

leadership development

Talent Strategy

employee experience

guillermo.gutierrez

continuous learning

organizational agility

learning and development

kelly.wojda

cross-functional collaboration

HR Innovation

Workforce Transformation

data driven HR

michael.hruska

nicole.defalco

wise2025

Strategic L&amp;D

business-aligned L&amp;D

proactive learning design

baryons.aimentor

Alter Domus

What does it really take to implement a global LMS in a complex, matrixed enterprise? According to <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/carlos-velazquez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carlos Velazquez</a> (Caterpillar) and <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/anton-maletich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anton Maletich</a> (Alter Domus), success isn’t just about adopting Workday Learning—it’s about redefining how organizations scale learning with security, data, and business accountability at the core.

<blockquote data-start="720" data-end="800">
“We’re moving from a compliance-based checklist to a data-powered, skill-focused ecosystem.” -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/carlos-velazquez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carlos Velazquez</a>
</blockquote>
At Caterpillar, 120,000 employees across 18 languages complete 1.5 million learning activities annually. That kind of scale demands more than a system—it calls for a governance model with structured learning roles, regional ownership, and data that drives action.
Anton echoed the risks of unchecked decentralization: messy content, inconsistent quality, and potential compliance issues. His solution? Role-based permissions, curated admin training, and strict oversight balanced with business agility.
📊 Power BI dashboards built on Snowflake now guide smarter decisions—from content investments to campaign timing. 🔐 Security roles don’t just protect data—they shape culture, clarify accountability, and safeguard learning integrity. 🛠️ MVP thinking beats full-suite fantasies—start small, adapt fast, scale what works.
While Workday Learning is still maturing, both leaders believe its integration potential is worth the bet. The real differentiator? A cross-functional learning ecosystem where IT, HRIS, and L&amp;D co-own outcomes.
If your LMS strategy still revolves around completion rates, it’s time to rethink what learning success looks like in a skills-first world.
👉 Want to explore how others are navigating this transformation? Continue the conversation on ELE Idea Exchange—where forward-thinking talent leaders unpack what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next.

Transforming Workday: Practical Lessons from Enterprise Implementations

learning strategy

Integrated Talent Management

digital transformation

carlos.velazquez

Change Management

talent development

anton.maletich

learning analytics

skills-based learning

HR Technology

Data-Driven Learning

Learning Ecosystems

Workday Learning

Enterprise LMS

Learning Governance

Role-Based Security

Global Learning

Most talent leaders aren’t suffering from a lack of data—they’re facing either data overload or data blind spots. In this session, <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/angelica-janina-stilling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angelica Stilling</a> and <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/ben-warner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Warner</a> shared how they moved from analysis paralysis to strategic action—and transformed both employee experience and business outcomes along the way.

[caption id="attachment_43044" align="aligncenter" width="736"]<img class=" wp-image-43044" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Data-Driven-Talent-Processes-with-BenW-and-AngelicaS.jpg" alt="Harnessing Data to Enhance Talent Development and Elevate Employee Experience" width="736" height="405" /> Harnessing Data to Enhance Talent Development and Elevate Employee Experience[/caption]
📉 At a fintech firm with minimal HR data, Ben used leader-led focus groups and embedded review prompts to uncover what surveys missed. These qualitative insights reshaped onboarding, engagement, and retention strategies in real time.
🏭 Angelica’s story at ITW started on the opposite end: overwhelming amounts of disconnected data. By integrating HR, demographic, and operational machine data, her team discovered that 60% of operators were nearing retirement. That triggered a fast-track training program—reducing onboarding time from two years to just three months and expanding the hiring pool.

<blockquote data-start="1577" data-end="1709">
“Listening became conversation—not just data. That built bridges across silos and a foundation we could scale.” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/ben-warner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Warner</a>
</blockquote>

<hr data-start="1711" data-end="1714" />
🎯 Key Takeaways for Senior HR Talent Leaders:

<ul data-start="1768" data-end="2336">
 	<li data-start="1768" data-end="1867">
Get Creative in Data Deserts: Qualitative insights can be just as actionable as dashboards.
</li>
 	<li data-start="1868" data-end="1969">
Break the Silos: Operational and people data must work together to reveal talent risks early.
</li>
 	<li data-start="1970" data-end="2050">
Act on Imperfect Data: Waiting for perfect data is a missed opportunity.
</li>
 	<li data-start="2051" data-end="2165">
Design for Agility: Rapid upskilling reduces dependency on niche experience and builds future-ready teams.
</li>
 	<li data-start="2166" data-end="2252">
Build for Belonging: Culture isn't a “nice-to-have”—it’s a retention strategy.
</li>
 	<li data-start="2253" data-end="2336">
Keep it Iterative: Feedback loops are essential for scalable, lasting change.
</li>
</ul>

<hr data-start="2338" data-end="2341" />
Forward-thinking HR teams aren’t just collecting data—they’re using it to build systems that are predictive, inclusive, and built to scale.
➡️ What untapped data could you activate to drive real change in your talent strategy? Share with us on <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ELE Idea Exchange</a>.

Harnessing Data to Enhance Talent Development and Elevate Employee Experience

Engagement &amp; Culture

employee engagement

people analytics

HR transformation

HR Strategy

data storytelling

Workforce Agility

ben.warner

angelica.janina.stilling

predictive workforce planning

listening culture

Quad/Graphics

In this session, you will walk away with practical ways to use skills data in moments that matter in the employee journey. We will explore how skills data can be used to identify and prioritize these critical moments in an employee's journey. We will discuss use cases for skills data, such as:
<ul>
 	<li>Onboarding: How can skills data be used to personalize the onboarding process and ensure new employees have the necessary tools and resources to succeed in their new role?</li>
 	<li>Recognition and Feedback: How can skills data be used to provide personalized recognition and feedback to employees based on their strengths and improvement areas?</li>
 	<li>Career Development: How can skills data be used to identify career development and training opportunities that align with an employee's interests and skills?</li>
 	<li>Work-Life Balance: How can skills data be used to help managers understand their team's workload and identify opportunities for flexible schedules or time off?</li>
 	<li>Team Building: How can skills data be used to build strong teams by identifying complementary skill sets and facilitating cross-functional collaboration?</li>
</ul>
Through this roundtable discussion, we will explore these use cases and share best practices for leveraging skills data to create a culture of engagement that supports employees at every stage of their journey.

Moments that Matter Skills Data

engagement &amp; culture

Analytics

career development

serena.huang

darren.boyce

insights-wise-2023

skills data

employee journey

moments that matter

work-life balance

In the talent space, we often spend months (or years) debating a new initiative, only to launch it and find that employee adoption is lukewarm at best. What if you could compress months of deliberation into a single week of high-impact action?
This is the power of the Design Sprint. Written by veteran practitioners, this guidebook outlines a five-phase process—Understand, Diverge, Converge, Prototype, and Test—designed to move a team from a messy problem to a validated solution in record time.
For an HR or L&amp;D leader, a "Design Sprint" isn't just about pixels and code; it's about Strategic Agility. It’s a framework for cross-functional collaboration that forces stakeholders to stop talking and start building. By using these tools, you can prototype a new talent strategy or a digital learning tool, test it with real "users" (your employees), and iterate before you’ve spent a single dollar on a full-scale rollout.
This book provides the practical toolkit to stop guessing and start proving what works for your people.

Design Sprint: A Practical Guidebook for Building Great Digital Products

Digital &amp; AI

design thinking

experiential learning

newton.moore

innovation

rapid prototyping

Mike.Slepikas

mike.kester

azizeh.constantinescu

missy.gonzales

katrina.williams

jenny.heitman

problem solving

brian.gold

L&amp;D innovation

agile HR

deepa.kartha

ali.glaser

jerry.oliveira

design sprint

product mindset

user experience

team alignment

strategic decision making

<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #333; line-height: 1.8; max-width: 850px; margin: auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 18px;">
<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">The Efficiency Trap in a Volatile World</h4>
For over a century, organizations have been engineered for efficiency, relying on rigid silos, top-down command structures, and highly optimized, predictable workflows. This model works beautifully when the environment is stable. But in today’s hyper-connected, fast-moving landscape, efficiency alone is a trap. When unexpected disruptions hit, tightly optimized silos break down because information cannot travel fast enough to the top and back down to the front lines.
In Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, General Stanley McChrystal maps out a profound shift in management philosophy. Drawing from his experience restructuring the Joint Special Operations Task Force to combat a highly decentralized enemy, McChrystal argues that modern enterprises must move away from the pursuit of mere efficiency and instead design for adaptability—transforming a giant hierarchy into an agile network of interconnected teams.


<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">The Blueprint: Shared Consciousness + Empowered Execution</h4>
McChrystal’s framework provides a model for scaling the agility, trust, and fluid communication of a small startup across a massive enterprise. To bridge organizational divides, talent architects must anchor their culture on four pillars:

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">From Silos to Interconnection: It is not enough to have high-performing teams if those teams act as isolated islands. True organizational agility requires building a "team of teams," where deep trust, mutual respect, and collaborative relationships extend across cross-functional borders.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Shared Consciousness: Organizations must maintain absolute transparency by sharing data and contextual insights across all departments in real time. When everyone understands the total strategic landscape, they can instantly see how their local actions impact the broader corporate mission.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Empowered Execution: Decisions should be pushed down to the lowest possible level—straight to the front-line talent who possess the immediate, real-time data to act. Leaders shift from micromanaging daily operations to clearing roadblocks and fostering systemic alignment.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Leading as a Gardener: The role of the executive changes from a master engineer controlling a machine to a patient gardener nurturing an ecosystem. The modern leader focuses on designing the environment, establishing the cultural guardrails, and cultivating the trust necessary for decentralized teams to thrive.</li>
</ul>

<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">Why It Matters for the ELE Community</h4>
For senior HR, talent, and L&amp;D executives tasked with preparing organizations for permanent complexity, Team of Teams changes the architecture of capability development:

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Dismantling Corporate Silos: HR leaders can use this framework to design cross-functional rotational programs, joint talent initiatives, and collaborative workflows that shatter regional or departmental boundaries, turning competitive silos into an integrated network.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Redefining Leadership Development: It changes the goal of leadership training. Instead of preparing individuals to control specialized teams, L&amp;D programs must train executives to build open networks, facilitate transparent information streams, and confidently manage decentralized execution.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;">Accelerating Organizational Pivots: When markets shift or new technologies disrupt operations, hierarchical companies freeze. By anchoring your talent strategy in shared consciousness and empowered execution, you build a workplace resilient enough to adapt to changes organically.</li>
</ul>

<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<div style="font-style: italic; color: #444; background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 30px; border-radius: 12px; border-right: 5px solid #cc0000;">Thriving in a complex, volatile world is not about creating a more perfect, rigid plan; it is about building a highly adaptive human network. When we develop the structural courage to tear down internal silos, share strategic context transparently, and trust our front-line talent to execute, we transform our legacy hierarchies into dynamic living ecosystems. Let’s stop engineering for predictability and start designing for agility.</div>
</div>

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