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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>

Alter Domus

HumanSide

In last week’s ELE <strong>hands-on AI Practical Lab</strong>, a simple truth kept surfacing: when a team can’t <strong>see</strong> the work clearly, they can’t <strong>change</strong> the work confidently.
That’s why so many learning initiatives stall—not because the idea is wrong, but because the story is unreadable. The value stays invisible. Leaders move on.
Dustin Brewer put it bluntly in a way most talent leaders will recognize immediately:
<blockquote><strong>“</strong>If the C-suite won’t read, they have to <em>see</em> it first.<strong>”</strong> — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/dustin-brewer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dustin Brewer</a>, HumanSide.</blockquote>
In other words: if your “insight” can’t travel in a glance, it won’t survive the week.
But the lab didn’t stop at getting attention. It pushed into the harder question: what makes people trust the message enough to act on it? That’s where Nicole DeFalco grounded the group with the reminder that capability doesn’t transfer through outputs alone:
<blockquote><strong>“</strong>It still has to land—human to human.<strong>”</strong> — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/nicole-defalco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicole DeFalco</a>.</blockquote>
AI can speed the draft. It can’t replace the relationship.
<h5><strong>Three insights for leaders designing team-based learning experiences</strong></h5>
<h6>1) Legibility is a capability strategy</h6>
Teams don’t adopt what they can’t quickly grasp, repeat, and share. A crisp one-page visual, a clean infographic, even a “cover story” mock—these aren’t marketing flourishes. They’re <strong>capability tools</strong>, because they compress complexity into something a team can align around.
If your experience design ends with “we trained them,” you’re done too early. The real question is: <em>what will the team use together next Tuesday when the pressure hits?</em>
<h6>2) Story isn’t fluff — it’s the operating system for alignment</h6>
In the lab, “story” wasn’t treated as creativity. It was treated as structure: <em>What changed? What’s at stake? What choice are we asking leaders to make? What proof would they trust?
</em>That’s what makes work <strong>decidable</strong> in the room. And that’s what makes a team-based learning experience feel like real work—not a field trip.
<h6>3) AI changes roles — and raises the bar for human value</h6>
<p data-start="2021" data-end="2258">A helpful reset surfaced as a throughline in the <strong data-start="2070" data-end="2087">February 12th</strong> lab: the real shift isn’t “AI is going to take my job.” It’s that AI changes <em data-start="2165" data-end="2170">how</em> value gets created—and makes the human worker more indispensable when the work matters.</p>
<p data-start="2260" data-end="2653">Ed brought in a quote from Shyam Sankar (CTO of Palantir) that set a new standard for how we talk about AI and work: <strong data-start="2303" data-end="2431">“The American worker will wield AI to do more with less—and become more productive and valuable as a result.”</strong><br data-start="2431" data-end="2434" />That’s a stronger standard for how to view AI’s role in the workforce: not as a replacement narrative, but as a multiplier—where humans become higher-impact by focusing on judgment, clarity, credibility, and connection.</p>
<p data-start="2655" data-end="3122">The lab reinforced what that looks like in practice. AI can accelerate drafts and options, but humans still own the parts that create trust and movement—especially verification and delivery.</p>

<blockquote><strong>“</strong>We’re not putting the person out of the loop. I’m going in there and verifying.<strong>”</strong> <strong data-start="2881" data-end="2986">— </strong><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/edward-desrosiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edward DesRosiers</a></blockquote>
AI increases speed. Human ownership increases responsibility. And that’s exactly what makes the human worker more valuable, not less.
<h5>✨ What to do Monday: four moves that build team capability in real work</h5>
<strong>Run a 45-minute story prototype sprint.</strong> Pick one live initiative—new workflow adoption, manager friction, AI integration—and build a one-page artifact plus a 30-second talk track that answers one question: <em>what decision should a leader make differently after seeing this?
</em><strong>Use a simple rhythm to keep the work moving:</strong> Clarify → Co-Create → Customize → Commit. Clarify the decision and audience. Co-create a first draft with peers and AI. Customize it to stakeholder reality. Commit by piloting it in the flow of work and capturing what changed.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-44484" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Four-Step-Model-for-AI-Workflows-ELE-4-Cs.jpg" alt="ELE's 4 C Model for AI Workflows" width="781" height="439" />

<strong>Make iteration explicit.</strong> Your first version should be fast—and imperfect—so people can react to something real instead of debating abstractions. Two quick feedback loops (peer + end-user) will teach your team more than a “perfect” deck ever will.
<strong>Treat prompting and verification as part of the experience design.</strong> Prompting isn’t a personal party trick; it’s stakeholder translation with constraints. Verification isn’t optional; it’s what makes speed safe. Give your team a repeatable checklist (sources, SME review, human sign-off) so credibility scales with adoption.
<h5><strong>Continue the conversation</strong></h5>
If you’re working on the <strong>toughest talent challenges</strong>—and you want capability that shows up in real work (not just course completions)—join the continuing thread on the ELE Idea Exchange:

<a href="https://community.ele.llc/t/2026-feb-ai-lab-pre-chat-post-chat/5767">2026 FEB: AI Lab Pre-chat &amp; Post-Chat</a>

✨ AI Practical Lab: From Insight to Influence — Telling Stories with Business Impact

Future of Work

Digital &amp; AI

dirk.tussing

tracey.wik

jean.ryan

edward.desrosiers

leadership development

anton.maletich

missy.gonzales

colin.hahn

business impact

stakeholder alignment

AI tools

AI in HR

ai practical lab

Workforce Transformation

susan.c.guest

nicole.defalco

performance enablement

capability building

roberto.seif

talent development strategy

1Q2026

AI in L&amp;D

dustin.brewer

manager enablement

AI reskilling

executive communication

team capability

learning in the flow of work

human-centered ai

Storytelling for Influence

Clarity to Commit

Co-Creation

Practical Learning Design

Culture of Experimentation

ELE Group, LLC

Journyz

<p data-start="1655" data-end="1799">This video discussion made one thing unmistakably clear: <strong data-start="1712" data-end="1799">our organizations don’t have a reskilling problem — we have a work clarity problem.</strong></p>
<p data-start="1801" data-end="1944"><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/marty-murrillo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marty Murrillo</a> captured it in one line:</p>

<blockquote data-start="576" data-end="660">
<p data-start="578" data-end="660">“Most reskilling efforts teach courses instead of transferring capability into the flow of work.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p data-start="1946" data-end="2250">That distinction matters. Work is shifting daily. AI is reshaping tasks faster than career systems can catch up. Yet the response in many organizations is still: <em data-start="2108" data-end="2127">add more learning</em>.<br data-start="2128" data-end="2131" />Leaders aren’t asking for more learning — they’re asking for <strong data-start="2192" data-end="2250">capability that shows up in the work tomorrow morning.</strong></p>
<p data-start="2252" data-end="2345"><a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/mike-hoyt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Hoyt</a> named the core issue:</p>

<blockquote data-start="576" data-end="660">
<p data-start="578" data-end="660">“Training often misses the work it’s meant to improve.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p data-start="2347" data-end="2551">And even before skill-building begins, there’s the human layer. As <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/susan-c-guest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Susan Guest</a> reminded us:</p>

<blockquote data-start="576" data-end="660">
<p data-start="578" data-end="660">“People can’t learn new skills until their fears about AI are addressed. Mindset comes before reskilling.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p data-start="2553" data-end="2679">That combination — unclear work, misaligned learning, and unmanaged fear — is exactly why scaling reskilling feels so complex.</p>

<h3 data-start="2681" data-end="2739"><strong data-start="2685" data-end="2739">Here’s the shift senior talent leaders are making:</strong></h3>
<h5 data-start="2741" data-end="2796"><strong data-start="2745" data-end="2794">1. Start with job design, not content design.</strong></h5>
<p data-start="2797" data-end="2962">Teams aren’t struggling with skills; they’re struggling with unclear expectations for the work ahead. Reskilling becomes simpler the moment the work becomes clearer.</p>

<h5 data-start="2964" data-end="3027"><strong data-start="2968" data-end="3025">2. Put managers at the center of capability transfer.</strong></h5>
<p data-start="3028" data-end="3147">Not as course recommenders — but as partners in task redesign, strengths alignment, and day-to-day development choices.</p>

<h5 data-start="3149" data-end="3228"><strong data-start="3153" data-end="3226">3. Treat L&amp;D, OD, and change management as one integrated discipline.</strong></h5>
<p data-start="3229" data-end="3351">Reskilling isn’t a “program.” It’s work architecture + behavior change + communication + learning, all happening together.</p>

<h5 data-start="3353" data-end="3399"><strong data-start="3357" data-end="3397">4. Make simplification the strategy.</strong></h5>
<p data-start="3400" data-end="3550">Leaders aren’t looking for another competency model. They’re asking for practical tools that help them navigate shifting work without adding friction.</p>

<h5 data-start="3552" data-end="3604"><strong data-start="3556" data-end="3602">5. Use strengths to accelerate transition.</strong></h5>
<p data-start="3605" data-end="3705">When work evolves, strengths give employees a faster, more confident path into new responsibilities.</p>
<p data-start="3707" data-end="3890">The Sprint now moves into design mode, where ELE’s cohort will build <strong data-start="3776" data-end="3799">manager-ready tools</strong> that make reskilling more connected to the work, simpler to navigate, and easier to scale.</p>
<p data-start="3892" data-end="4050">If you’re thinking about what this means for your own teams, bring your thoughts to the <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ELE Idea Exchange</a> — it’s where the next wave of ideas takes shape.</p>
<p data-start="3892" data-end="4050"></p>

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<p data-start="1798" data-end="1995"><strong data-start="1798" data-end="1813">What’s Next</strong><br data-start="1813" data-end="1816" />Following this initial ideation, ELE will recruit <strong data-start="1866" data-end="1881">4–6 members</strong> to participate in our <strong data-start="1904" data-end="1929">first Solution Sprint</strong>—a design-thinking journey to co-create the Reskilling Playbook.</p>

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🔁 <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qFs__kIJsCLH6ynAeNopOsz6PHEpub9ntpAmvuJt588/edit?mc_cid=e7686c688f&amp;mc_eid=621cbc8540&amp;slide=id.p1#slide=id.p1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ELE Solution Exchange Overview</a>

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<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-43696" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Card-WorkLife-Exchange-Blueprint.jpg" alt="Work/Life Exchange Blueprint" width="1500" height="1071" />
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Kick-off ELE Innovation Sprint: Simplifying Reskilling/Upskilling to Scale

Integrated Talent Management

talent mobility

nick.allen

matthew.eade

upskilling

azizeh.constantinescu

dave.dessart

adrienne.guerrero

marty.murrillo

marsha.love-morrow

continuous learning

reskilling

future skills

Change Readiness

maggie.lowenberg

4Q2025

michelle.eide

cindy.pinkstaffmiller

deepa.kartha

ELE Solution Exchange

christine.hass

upskilling strategy

mike.hoyt

reskilling to scale

capability transfer

flow of work learning

strengths-based development

job design

task redesign

AI and talent development

work transformation

mindset for learning

L&amp;D and OD integration

practical talent tools

manager–employee conversations

simplifying talent development

ELE innovation sprint

<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap"><strong>Session Focus: Utilizing Data to Transform Talent Development and Improve Employee Engagement</strong></p>

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<p data-start="114" data-end="685">In today’s shifting workplace, it’s not enough to track learning activity—we need to turn insights into outcomes. In Learning and Development, data is no longer just a resource—it’s a roadmap for enhancing the employee experience and aligning talent strategy with business priorities. At our recent ELE peer discussion, we explored how leading organizations are embracing a data-driven strategy to personalize development, elevate the employee experience, and align learning with what the business truly needs.</p>

<blockquote>"Our data-driven adaptive learning strategy helped us pinpoint what learners didn’t know—and deliver only what they needed." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/yolanda-mangram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yolanda Mangram</a></blockquote>
<p data-start="687" data-end="1049">Whether you're using adaptive tech or building insights through 1:1 conversations, the message is clear: we’re no longer just tracking progress—we’re transforming how we develop and engage our people. Now is the time to interconnect data-driven strategies with talent development to drive business impact where it matters most.</p>
<p class="" data-start="1120" data-end="1237">These insights emerged as top priorities for HR and talent leaders looking to create impact through smarter data use:</p>

<ol data-start="1239" data-end="1678">
 	<li class="" data-start="1239" data-end="1377">
<p class="" data-start="1242" data-end="1377"><strong>Data is a strategic tool.</strong><br data-start="1283" data-end="1286" />Learning data should guide decisions—not just reflect them.</p>
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1379" data-end="1527">
<p class="" data-start="1382" data-end="1527"><strong>Personalized learning drives engagement.</strong><br data-start="1421" data-end="1424" />Targeted development increases relevance, confidence, and speed to proficiency.</p>
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1529" data-end="1678">
<p class="" data-start="1532" data-end="1678"><strong>Qualitative insights count.</strong><br data-start="1575" data-end="1578" />Listening systems like focus groups and 1:1s can surface what surveys miss—and drive culture.</p>

<blockquote>"The dashboard made it easy to see where learners were struggling with unconscious incompetence—and where to focus coaching or redesign." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/yolanda-mangram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yolanda Mangram</a></blockquote>
<img class="aligncenter" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ADAPTing-to-a-new-way-of-learning.jpg" alt="" width="769" height="432" /></li>
</ol>
<p class="" data-start="1731" data-end="1816"><strong>🛠️ Three Actions to Bring This to Life</strong></p>

<ol data-start="1818" data-end="2225">
 	<li class="" data-start="1818" data-end="1960">
<p class="" data-start="1821" data-end="1960"><strong>Use data to shape learning priorities.</strong><br data-start="1863" data-end="1866" />Connect learning to KPIs like mobility, retention, and performance.</p>
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1962" data-end="2090">
<p class="" data-start="1965" data-end="2090"><strong>Build listening into your strategy.</strong><br data-start="2004" data-end="2007" />Code feedback from real conversations to spot trends and blind spots early.</p>
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="2092" data-end="2225">
<p class="" data-start="2095" data-end="2225"><strong data-start="2095" data-end="2131">Connect learning efforts to business outcomes.
</strong>Make talent development part of strategic planning—not an isolated function.</p>

<blockquote>"Listening became the data strategy." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/ben-warner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Warner</a></blockquote>
</li>
</ol>
<p class="" data-start="2232" data-end="2421"><strong data-start="2232" data-end="2249">The takeaway?</strong><br data-start="2249" data-end="2252" />A data-driven strategy only delivers value when it's connected to business goals. Now is the time to interconnect talent development with business impact—and position HR as a true driver of enterprise success.</p>
<p class="" data-start="2423" data-end="2584"><strong data-start="2423" data-end="2482">How are you using data to elevate your talent strategy? -- </strong>Share your thoughts in the <strong data-start="2512" data-end="2533">ELE <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Idea Exchange</a></strong> and continue the conversation with fellow leaders.</p>

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Data-Driven Talent Development: Leading Indicator for Elevating Employee Experience

✨ AI Practical Lab: From Insight to Influence — Telling Stories with Business Impact

Kick-off ELE Innovation Sprint: Simplifying Reskilling/Upskilling to Scale

Data-Driven Talent Development: Leading Indicator for Elevating Employee Experience

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