Top 10 Takeaways: What Chief Learning Officers Care About in 2023

Written by?Brittany Gunter, Head of Marketing, North America,?Tigerhall.

Hello everyone,

I'm Brittany, your insider at this year's CLO Exchange event in Austin, Texas. Last week I had the privilege of diving deep into the vibrant world of learning and development (L&D) with some of the industry's leading chief learning and talent development officers. Reflecting on the sessions, panel discussions, and informal chats I've had, I wanted to share my top 10 takeaways, revealing what truly matters to CLOs in 2023.

1. Embracing Change & Collaboration:

Attending this event really brought home to me how vital it is to adapt quickly to changes. The need for collaboration over siloed strategies was a recurring theme, emphasizing role-specific learning paths rather than department-centric ones.

That’s why we, at Tigerhall, believe that incorporating the "social" aspect into Social Learning is crucial. This can be achieved by engaging in learning trails with smaller cohorts, discussing ideas, and figuring out how to convert these ideas into actions.

2.? Emotional Intelligence & Culture:

The focus on emotional intelligence and the role of culture in learning resonated deeply with me. It underscored the necessity of creating an environment where learners feel valued and understood.

Many organizations we work with begin by developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence (EQ) in their leaders. This improvement then spreads to the rest of the team, positively impacting team culture.

3. The Rise of Just-In-Time Learning:

The shift towards just-in-time learning made a significant impression on me. Providing employees with the information they need exactly when they need it can significantly increase efficiency and effectiveness.?

By providing tools where team leaders can assign insights in the moment when a team member is tackling a challenge or tools that allow an employee to quickly search for a solution that they can find out about in less than 10 minutes, there’s a sense of actionability that pushes momentum towards achieving goals.?

An example would be someone who is becoming a first-time manager. They might be assigned this trail, For First Time Leaders to support their preparation and growth along the way.

4. The Importance of Human Skills:

One of my favorite takeaways was the reframing of "soft skills" as "human skills." The emphasis on fostering empathy, communication, and other interpersonal skills in our workplace was a powerful message.

Here at Tigerhall, we've not only noticed an uptick in interest around these areas over the past few years, but we've also been proactive in response. We've crafted specific learning trails and curated content designed to hone these essential "human skills".

• For first-time leaders [Trail]
• Being the best leader you can be [Trail]
• Practice Your Active Listening Skills [Video]
• How to Practice Empathy as a Leader [Video]
• Becoming an inclusive leader [Trail]
• Building a diverse workforce [Trail]
• Unpack & overcome your biases [Trail]
• Embracing & Navigating Change [Trail]

5. The Learner is in Control:

A shift towards learner-centric education was a major theme. The focus has moved towards facilitating behavioral change, rather than merely completing training modules. CLO’s use a combination of surveys, one-on-one feedback, case study gathering, and overall organizational impact assessments to gauge behavioral change.?

6. The Significance of Social Learning:

The in-depth conversations surrounding social learning were truly enlightening. Even the main keynote speech touched a lot on Social Learning. It’s evident that an increasing number of companies are recognizing and aiming to harness the power of peer learning, both in formal and informal settings. However, while many are trying to develop internal social and microlearning programs, they often struggle to achieve success. (Spoiler: Tigerhall can help with that!)?

7. Measurement & Metrics:

The shift from completion rates to proficiency and behavioral changes was a revelation and the direction most organizations are moving in. It's clear that we need to use data to personalize and improve learning experiences.

8. The Evolving Role of L&D:

The evolution of L&D's role stood out to me. This group is increasingly perceived as strategic enablers and performance consultants as opposed to purely tactical contributors.?

This can be seen in a drive to align learning goals to business goals across key functions within an organization. L&D teams are now involved in strategic planning processes and contribute recommendations based on development trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.

9. Aligning Learning with Business Needs:

It was inspiring to learn about the importance of leading with learning design rather than technology. Understanding the business's needs first and then using technology to facilitate learning is a more powerful strategy.?

10. Use of Technology & Experimentation:

The importance of experimenting with new technologies and strategies was highlighted at the event. Creating cohorts to test new tools and measure their effectiveness was a common suggestion.?

I hope these insights inspire you as much as they've inspired me. I'm excited to bring back what I've learned to our team at Tigerhall and continue to drive our mission of providing the best possible social learning experiences for our clients.

Thank you, Austin, for a fantastic event!