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<p>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.</p>

Abbott

For senior HR and L&amp;D leaders, the greatest challenge isn't implementing change, but managing the <b>cumulative human exhaustion</b> from <i>constant</i> change. As <b>Jennifer Rainey</b>, IT Change Management Leader at Abbott, emphasized, "Change is no longer an event. It's the environment we live in."

This session delivered a powerful, practical case study on how Abbott IT successfully navigated large-scale transformations by embedding <b>human-centered methodologies</b>—shifting focus from process compliance to <b>people adoption and empowerment</b>.
<h3>Key Takeaways for Talent and L&amp;D Leaders:</h3>
<ul>
 	<li><b>The Power of Behavioral Economics:</b> Attendees learned how to leverage behavioral science to identify the <b>specific human barriers</b> to adoption (e.g., status quo bias, loss aversion) and design targeted interventions that move people from passive resistance to active acceptance.</li>
 	<li><b>The Three Pillars of Change Success:</b> The session detailed Abbott's successful framework for managing concurrent change waves, focusing on:
<ol start="1">
 	<li><b>Sponsorship Alignment:</b> Ensuring senior leaders don't just <i>approve</i> change but <b>actively model</b> the new behaviors.</li>
 	<li><b>Stakeholder Empathy:</b> Using deep listening and feedback loops to tailor communications and training, rather than delivering generic mandates.</li>
 	<li><b>Adoption Measurement:</b> Moving beyond system completion rates to measure the <b>quality of skill application</b> and the true adoption of new ways of working.</li>
</ol>
</li>
 	<li><b>Building the Muscle of Adaptability:</b> The core insight was that the goal is not just to survive the current change, but to build organizational <b>adaptability</b> as a core, measurable capability—preparing the workforce to <b>innovate and adapt</b> continuously.</li>
</ul>
This post-session review provides the blueprint for leaders to replace generic change models with a human-centric approach that secures adoption, reduces employee burnout, and ensures strategic IT investments deliver on their business value.

Innovate and Adapt | A Human-Centered Approach to Managing and Leading Change in Abbott IT

future of work

leadership

Future of Work

Leadership

Change Management

leadership development

talent development

Learning Agility

Talent Strategy

psychological safety

reskilling

organizational change

emmployee engagement

CHIE2025

jennifer.rainey

future skills

adaptability

HR leadership

Change Readiness

hybrid work

adaptive leadership

innovation culture

Coaching Culture

human-centered design

Innovate and Adapt

Leading Change

Navigating Change

wellbeing at work

empathy mapping

ELE Group, LLC

<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap"><strong data-start="318" data-end="352">The workforce is changing fast</strong>—with an estimated 78 million new jobs expected globally by 2030, widening skill gaps, and the rise of AI as a “cognitive industrial revolution.” In this environment, adaptability isn’t optional; it’s the core of how we work.</p>

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<p data-start="581" data-end="737"><strong data-start="581" data-end="636">This video discussion provided a powerful reminder:</strong> in a world accelerating with AI, change, and complexity, adaptability starts—and ends—with people.</p>

<blockquote data-start="738" data-end="873">
<p data-start="740" data-end="873">“Even in the age of AI, we’re human beings at heart—and our work must always be human-focused.” — <em data-start="846" data-end="871"><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jennifer-rainey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Rainey</a>, Abbott</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p data-start="875" data-end="1060">Jennifer challenged us to rethink empathy not as sentiment, but as a <em data-start="951" data-end="967">strategic tool</em> for leading transformation. When teams feel seen and supported, agility follows naturally.</p>
<p data-start="1062" data-end="1433">From redefining inclusion to designing AI-enabled learning that stays human-centered, participants explored how connection and adaptability go hand in hand. This conversation offered practical, human-centered strategies for building future-ready talent systems—where empathy fuels innovation, belonging drives performance, and AI enhances (not replaces) human judgment.</p>


<hr data-start="1435" data-end="1438" />

<h3 data-start="1440" data-end="1462">🔑 Key Takeaways</h3>
<ul data-start="1463" data-end="2013">
 	<li data-start="1463" data-end="1571">
<p data-start="1465" data-end="1571"><strong data-start="1465" data-end="1496">Empathy drives performance.</strong> It’s the foundation for psychological safety, inclusion, and innovation.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="1572" data-end="1683">
<p data-start="1574" data-end="1683"><strong data-start="1574" data-end="1609">AI should amplify, not replace.</strong> Use it to personalize learning, surface insights, and scale capability.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="1684" data-end="1793">
<p data-start="1686" data-end="1793"><strong data-start="1686" data-end="1710">Connection is a KPI.</strong> Loneliness and isolation are now measurable business risks in hybrid workplaces.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="1794" data-end="1894">
<p data-start="1796" data-end="1894"><strong data-start="1796" data-end="1824">Agility defines success.</strong> Build just-in-time learning labs and iterate like product teams do.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="1895" data-end="2013">
<p data-start="1897" data-end="2013"><strong data-start="1897" data-end="1923">Inclusion must evolve.</strong> Extend belonging to neurodivergent employees, caregivers, and all who work differently.</p>
</li>
 	<li style="text-align: left;"><strong data-start="1897" data-end="1923">Transforming culture starts with being human.</strong> <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/azizeh-constantinescu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Azizeh Elias Constantinescu</a> expands on this in her latest book, which shows how servant leadership and empathy can heal toxic cultures and help people—and performance—flourish.
<img class="aligncenter" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Becoming-a-Human-Organization-book.jpg" alt="" /></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/becoming-a-human-organization-transforming-work-touching-lives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Becoming a Human Organization: Transforming Work, Touching Lives</a></p>


<hr data-start="2015" data-end="2018" />

<h3 data-start="2020" data-end="2046">🚀 Practical Actions</h3>
<ul data-start="2047" data-end="2589">
 	<li data-start="2047" data-end="2158">
<p data-start="2049" data-end="2158">Integrate <strong data-start="2059" data-end="2078">empathy mapping</strong> into change and learning design to see programs through your employees’ eyes.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="2159" data-end="2250">
<p data-start="2161" data-end="2250">Equip managers as <strong data-start="2179" data-end="2205">connection multipliers</strong> who create psychological safety and trust.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="2251" data-end="2360">
<p data-start="2253" data-end="2360">Use <strong data-start="2257" data-end="2269">AI tools</strong> like Copilot or NotebookLM to automate administrative tasks and personalize development.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="2361" data-end="2470">
<p data-start="2363" data-end="2470">Redesign “return-to-office” strategies around <strong data-start="2409" data-end="2443">purposeful moments that matter</strong>, not attendance metrics.</p>
</li>
 	<li data-start="2471" data-end="2589">
<p data-start="2473" data-end="2589">Launch <strong data-start="2480" data-end="2508">bite-sized learning labs</strong> to close emerging skills gaps quickly and keep capability building continuous.</p>
</li>
</ul>

<hr data-start="2591" data-end="2594" />
<p data-start="2596" data-end="2772">In an era when technology moves faster than people can adapt, empathy becomes a competitive advantage.<br data-start="2698" data-end="2701" />Jennifer’s words still resonate: <em data-start="2734" data-end="2770">empathy isn’t soft—it’s strategic.</em></p>
<p data-start="2774" data-end="2916">Join the ongoing conversation in the <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ELE Idea Exchange</a> as we explore how empathy, AI, and adaptability are reshaping talent development.</p>

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Innovate and Adapt: Reimagining Talent Development for a Changing Workforce

dirk.tussing

azizeh.constantinescu

edward.desrosiers

marty.murrillo

matt.sernaker

diana.anderson

erin.joslin

4Q2025

cindy.pinkstaffmiller

tonja.sasser-bonds

sam.amelio

laura.ruff

<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap" style="text-align: left;"><strong>Session Focus: </strong>Explore practical strategies for navigating, managing, and leading change in today’s environment—where adaptability isn’t optional, it’s the core of how we work.</p>

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The workforce is changing fast—with an estimated <strong>78 million new jobs expected globally by 2030</strong>, pervasive <strong>skill gaps</strong>, and the rise of AI as a "cognitive industrial revolution." In this highly dynamic environment, adaptability isn't optional; it's the core of how we work.

Access this discussion with Jennifer Rainey to explore practical, human-centered strategies for talent development. The discussion covers critical trends, from rapid job transformation to the business risk posed by loneliness in the workforce. You'll learn what these trends mean for talent leaders, including the need for programs to be agile, scalable, and future-focused.

Discover how to leverage <strong>Empathy Mapping</strong> as a strategic tool to understand your audience and build inclusive, adaptive programs. The session also details ways to use <strong>AI to enhance</strong>—not replace—human-centered design and decision-making. Learn to deliver <strong>personalized, micro-learning at scale</strong> and integrate fragmented training into cohesive development frameworks. Walk away with actionable ideas to conduct strategic workforce planning and design for connection, psychological safety, and well-being.

</div>
<div><strong>Recommended Reading</strong>
To further explore the power of human-centered leadership and organizational transformation, we encourage you to check out <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/becoming-a-human-organization-transforming-work-touching-lives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Becoming a Human Organization, Transforming Work, Touching Lives</a> by Azizeh Constantinescu. Her book offers a unique look at how principles of ancient wisdom can be applied to foster collegial respect, belonging, and growth in today's workplaces.</div>
<div><img class="aligncenter" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Becoming-a-Human-Organization-book.jpg" alt="" /></div>
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<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap">This session will offer HR Talent leaders actionable insights from industry leaders on transforming rigid structures into adaptive networks that empower employees across all levels.</p>
ELE produces this Learning Circle: <strong>Reskilling Talent Development.</strong>

<strong>ELE's <a title="ELE's Idea Exchange" href="/idea-exchange/">Idea Exchange</a>:</strong> Collaborate online with your peers.

single-event

Your Teams

Learning Circles

Complimentary

online event

complimentary event

business transformation

continuous learning

HR strategies

teaming techniques

i4cp

In an era where talent is a critical differentiator, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of internal talent mobility. Jay Jamrog's insightful presentation shed light on the crucial role of measuring and rewarding managers who develop talent, emphasizing that "<em>What gets measured, gets done. What gets rewarded, gets repeated</em>."

The session explored how high-performing companies leverage internal talent marketplaces to drive organizational success. Jamrog highlighted three key takeaways:
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">1. Internal Talent Mobility is crucial for organizational success: Companies that prioritize talent mobility consistently outperform their peers in the market. By implementing effective internal talent marketplaces, organizations can foster better skill development, improve retention, and drive overall growth.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">2. Measurement and incentives are critical for success: To make internal talent mobility work, organizations need to move beyond traditional efficiency metrics and focus on effectiveness. This includes creating incentive structures that reward managers for developing and sharing talent, rather than hoarding it.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">3. Technology enables personalization and accessibility: Modern talent marketplaces leverage AI and other technologies to create personalized experiences for employees. This makes it easier for individuals to discover opportunities and for organizations to tap into hidden skills within their workforce.</p>
Jamrog emphasized the personal nature of career development, stating, "Careers are personal. It takes leaders and Technology to maintain personalization." This underscores the need for a holistic approach that combines leadership commitment, technological tools, and a supportive culture to create effective talent mobility programs.

The session provided valuable insights for HR professionals and leaders looking to enhance their talent development strategies. By focusing on measuring and rewarding the right behaviors, organizations can create a culture that truly values and nurtures talent, leading to improved performance and competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Talent Mobility and the Internal Talent Marketplace: Talent Ecosystem & Risk Analysis

Engagement &amp; Culture

Strategy

talent mobility

jay.jamrog

career development

upskilling

career mobility

internal talent marketplace

internal talent

talent culture

CHIE2022

<strong>Session Focus: How will employee onboarding change in a post-pandemic hybrid workplace?
</strong>

The present (and future) reality of work requires organizations to rethink traditional ways of onboarding new employees. The “what” of orientation likely will stay the same.

<span class="break-words"><span dir="ltr"><strong>What changes have you had to make to the “how” of your onboarding program?</strong></span></span>

The “how” is a different story. The “how” is more challenging, both in tactics and tools

<strong>Who really “owns” the employee onboarding process and should there be a re-evaluation of this process post-COVID-19?</strong>

In this session, let’s explore together:
<ul class="pl-4">
 	<li>To what degree have the goals for your onboarding program changed since the declaration of the pandemic? If they have changed, how have they changed? If not, how might they need to change in the new reality?</li>
 	<li>What about the challenge that most companies are facing currently, surrounding virtual onboarding owing to socially isolating?</li>
 	<li>What challenges have you experienced in adapting Hybrid Work Settings?</li>
 	<li>What tactic, tool or process have you implemented successfully to improve the employee experience and be more inclusive?</li>
</ul>

Modernizing Onboarding for Hybrid Work Settings

retention

brian.watkins

kery.mortenson

nick.allen

Operations

tomas.ramirez

onboarding

culture

new hire orientation

jesse.james

agility

leading remote workers

janna.scheese

Adding Value

tricia.danielsen

measurement

employee experience

mary.vales

monica.macfarlane

karen.brenneman

jeff.gill

hybrid workplace

tracy.adams

hybrid onboarding

lisa.erlich

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<strong><span class="a-text-bold">A </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic">Wall Street Journal</span><span class="a-text-bold"> Bestseller</span></strong>

<strong><span class="a-text-bold">In a world of unrelenting change and unprecedented challenges, we need organizations that are resilient and daring.</span></strong>

Unfortunately, most organizations, overburdened by bureaucracy, are sluggish and timid. In the age of upheaval, top-down power structures and rule-choked management systems are a liability. They crush creativity and stifle initiative. As leaders, employees, investors, and citizens, we deserve better. We need organizations that are bold, entrepreneurial, and as nimble as change itself. Hence this book.

In <span class="a-text-italic">Humanocracy</span>, Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini make a passionate, data-driven argument for excising bureaucracy and replacing it with something better. Drawing on more than a decade of research and packed with practical examples, <span class="a-text-italic">Humanocracy</span> lays out a detailed blueprint for creating organizations that are as inspired and ingenious as the human beings inside them.

Critical building blocks include:

<strong><span class="a-text-bold">Motivation</span>:</strong> Rallying colleagues to the challenge of busting bureaucracy
<strong><span class="a-text-bold">Models</span>:</strong> Leveraging the experience of organizations that have profitably challenged the bureaucratic status quo
<strong><span class="a-text-bold">Mindsets</span>:</strong> Escaping the industrial age thinking that frustrates progress
<strong><span class="a-text-bold">Mobilization</span>:</strong> Activating a pro-change coalition to hack outmoded management systems and processes
<strong><span class="a-text-bold">Migration</span>:</strong> Embedding the principles of humanocracy—ownership, markets, meritocracy, community, openness, experimentation, and paradox—in your organization's DNA

</div>
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If you've finally run out of patience with bureaucratic bullshit . . .
If you want to build an organization that can outrun change . . .
If you're committed to giving every team member the chance to learn, grow, and contribute . . .
. . . then this book's for you.

Whatever your role or title, <em><span class="a-text-italic">Humanocracy</span></em> will show you how to launch an unstoppable movement to equip and empower everyone in your organization to be their best and to do their best. The ultimate prize: an organization that's fit for the future and fit for human beings.

</div>

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