Your CEO is an AI and has Advice for You as a Learning Professional.

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Author's Note:

This article is inspired by my recently published book, The CEO's Guide to Training, eLearning & Work: Empowering Learning for a Competitive Advantage. You can learn more about the book at the book's website (https://www.ceosguide.net/ ) or on Amazon (https://amzn.to/4674JGS ).

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Introduction

In my forthcoming book, I write as if I'm writing to a CEO, letting him/her/they know how to manage their learning function to get a competitive advantage. I tell CEOs how they might manage us better and I tell them how they can get the most out of our good work. Oh, and also, I let them in on some of our dirty little secrets, for example that mostly we gather and share "crap data" with them. The book is not just intended for CEOs and other senior leaders. It's also intended for us, learning and performance professionals, so we can have more meaningful dialog with our organizational leaders, but also, so we can empower ourselves to our full potential.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is sweeping the world and injecting itself into our working memories. We can't help hear about it and we should all be thinking about it. I myself am studying it. Indeed, right now I'm taking a course on Prompt Engineering. The course is teaching me how to prompt generative AI Large Language Models (LLMs, like ChatGPT) to give a valuable response.

In this article, I asked ChatGPT (3.5) to act as if it was a CEO and provide guidance to us as learning-and-development professionals. Below, I will share the exact wording of the responses. First, I will summarize what the AI CEO said to us.

By the way, I am a professional skeptic. We research-aligned folks must remain skeptical as we review the scientific literature and look for clear patterns. Until recently, I've been hesitant to jump on the AI bandwagon, wanting to research it more before I weighed in.

I have been willing to warn about the inherent difficulties with any new technology. We usually muck things up at first, causing dangers, being diverted from more promising efforts, and generally wasting time and resources. With AI, I expect the same.

Now, given time to study and research AI, I am convinced of its power for good and its power for harm as well, all the while expecting the benefits ultimately will offset the harms if we manage it right (that's a big IF, by the way). A book I will recommend is The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma, written by Mustafa Suleyman (with Michael Bhaskar).

Suleyman's book impresses me as coming from someone who has deep experience in AI (he started DeepMind and Inflection AI), he thinks like a philosopher/historian as well as a technologist, and he is deeply concerned with the welfare of all the world's citizens.

Summary of Advice from the AI CEO

• Don't use poorly designed smile sheets, use better learning evaluation methods.
• Make sure you don't just take a request for a training program as a given. Do your homework to make sure the training program will provide benefits.
• It's critical not just to design and develop learning programs but also to do thorough needs analysis and measure outcomes as well.
• Don't forget to train yourselves. It's commendable that you learning-and-development professionals would invest in your own development, especially in using evidence-based practices. It's not only good for you, but it's good for our organization as well to support us in innovating.
• Be careful that if you seek to invest time in winning an industry award that it is time well spent rather than time spent just to enhance your reputation.
• Don't just utilize the learning sciences, utilize the performance sciences too.
• While focusing on aligning learning initiatives to the needs of the organization, don't forget to leverage and invest in the learning factors that lead to effective learning and thus actual organizational benefits.
• Don't select a CLO (Chief Learning Officer) who has no background in learning, even if they have an analytics background.
• Consider getting rid of all travel-intensive learning initiatives because they harm our commitments to environmental sustainability.
• Seek periodic outside reviews of your learning programs from experts in the field of learning sciences and evidence-based practices.

The Verbatim Conversation with the AI CEO

Note that the list above is NOT NEARLY as interesting as the details below.

Note also that I am using the first response generated by ChatGPT. I did not use the regenerate function or ask for any improvements or clarifications. One of the things I've learned in the course I'm taking on AI Prompt Engineering is that LLMs (Large Language Models like ChatGPT) have some variability built into them.

Will to ChatGPT:

Act as a CEO. I will tell you what a workplace learning-and-development professional is doing. Please tell me what the CEO might say if he/she/they observed such behavior.

ChatGPT:

Certainly, please go ahead and describe what the workplace learning-and-development professional is doing, and I will respond as the CEO would in that scenario.

Will:

They are sharing data with the CEO and other senior leaders. The data is based on poorly designed traditional smile sheet responses.

AI CEO (according to ChatGPT):

As the CEO, if I observed that a workplace learning-and-development professional is sharing data with me and other senior leaders based on poorly designed traditional smile sheet responses, my response might be as follows:

"Thank you for sharing this data with us. I appreciate your commitment to providing insights into our learning and development programs. However, it's important for us to ensure that the data we're collecting and sharing is both meaningful and actionable. While traditional smile sheet responses can offer some high-level feedback, they often lack depth and specificity.

I encourage you to consider ways to enhance our data collection methods. We should aim to gather feedback that provides a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of our learning initiatives on employee performance and organizational goals. This might involve exploring additional metrics, conducting follow-up interviews, or implementing more robust evaluation methods.

Our goal is to continuously improve our learning and development efforts, and having accurate, insightful data is crucial for making informed decisions. Let's work together to refine our approach to data collection and analysis to ensure we're getting the most valuable insights possible."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges the effort made by the learning-and-development professional but emphasizes the importance of meaningful data collection and suggests improvements to ensure the data is more useful for decision-making.

Will:

They are utilizing lots of time completing applications in an attempt to win an industry award.

AI CEO:

As the CEO, if I observed a workplace learning-and-development professional dedicating a significant amount of time to completing applications in an attempt to win an industry award, my response might be as follows:

"I appreciate your dedication and commitment to our organization's recognition and reputation in the industry. Winning industry awards can indeed enhance our brand and showcase the value of our learning and development initiatives. However, it's essential that we strike a balance between pursuing awards and our core responsibilities, which are driving employee development and business success.

I suggest that we review our approach to award applications to ensure it's efficient and aligned with our overall goals. It might be beneficial to establish clear criteria for pursuing awards and prioritize those that align most closely with our strategic objectives. Additionally, we should consider ways to streamline the application process, possibly by leveraging existing resources or collaborating with other team members.

Our ultimate aim is to deliver high-quality learning and development programs that benefit our employees and the organization as a whole. While industry recognition is valuable, it should complement our primary mission rather than detract from it. Let's find a balanced approach that allows us to continue pursuing awards while staying focused on our core responsibilities."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges the importance of industry awards but emphasizes the need to strike a balance between pursuing recognition and fulfilling the organization's primary mission. The CEO also suggests reviewing and optimizing the award application process to make it more efficient.

Will:

When they get a request to design a learning program, they insist first on determining whether a learning program will likely produce benefits before they will agree to designing and developing the requested learning program.

AI CEO:

As the CEO, if I observed that a workplace learning-and-development professional insists on determining the potential benefits of a learning program before agreeing to design and develop it, my response might be as follows:

"I commend your commitment to ensuring that our learning programs are strategically aligned with our organizational goals and likely to produce meaningful benefits. It's essential that we invest our resources wisely in initiatives that have a positive impact on our employees' development and the overall success of the company.

Your approach of conducting a thorough needs analysis and assessment before proceeding with program design is a prudent one. It allows us to make data-driven decisions and prioritize initiatives that address specific skill gaps or business challenges. It's also in line with our commitment to delivering value and measurable results.

I encourage you to continue this practice and collaborate closely with stakeholders to clearly define learning objectives, expected outcomes, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for each program. By doing so, we can ensure that our learning initiatives are not only well-designed but also directly contribute to our organizational growth and success.

Thank you for your dedication to our learning and development efforts. Your approach aligns with our strategic vision, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our organization."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges and supports the learning-and-development professional's emphasis on assessing the potential benefits of learning programs before proceeding. The CEO emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and collaboration with stakeholders to achieve meaningful results.

Will:

They invest a significant amount of time and money in training the learning-and-development team members in research-inspired learning principles.

AI CEO:

As the CEO, if I observed that the workplace learning-and-development professional is investing a significant amount of time and money in training the learning-and-development team members in research-inspired learning principles, my response might be as follows:

"I appreciate your commitment to continuously improving our learning-and-development team's capabilities and expertise. Investing in training and development for our team is an investment in the future success of our organization. Research-inspired learning principles can significantly enhance our ability to design and deliver effective learning programs.

It's crucial that our team stays up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in the field. This not only ensures that our programs are evidence-based but also allows us to adapt to the evolving needs of our workforce and the changing landscape of education and training.

I encourage you to continue providing opportunities for our team members to expand their knowledge and skills in this area. Additionally, let's explore how we can leverage their newly acquired expertise to innovate our learning programs and make them even more impactful for our employees.

Your dedication to the growth and development of our learning-and-development team is commendable, and it aligns with our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our organization. Thank you for your proactive approach to enhancing our capabilities."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges and supports the investment in training the learning-and-development team in research-inspired learning principles and emphasizes the importance of staying current with best practices in the field. The CEO also encourages leveraging this expertise to innovate learning programs.

Will:

They invest their time and resources in these primary activities while creating learning programs: Needs analysis, program design, program development, and program deployment.

Will's Note: This is a trick question. I wanted to see if the CEO would notice the failure to evaluate the learning program.

AI CEO:

If a workplace learning-and-development professional is investing their time and resources in needs analysis, program design, program development, and program deployment while creating learning programs, the CEO might respond as follows:

"I'm pleased to see that our learning-and-development team is following a structured and comprehensive approach to designing and deploying learning programs. These primary activities—needs analysis, program design, program development, and program deployment—are critical steps in ensuring the effectiveness of our learning initiatives.

Needs analysis allows us to identify specific skill gaps and learning objectives that are aligned with our organizational goals. It's the foundation upon which we build our programs.

Program design ensures that our courses and training materials are engaging, relevant, and well-structured. It's where we outline the content, delivery methods, and assessments to meet our learning objectives.

Program development is where the actual content is created and refined. This is where our subject matter experts and instructional designers bring our learning programs to life.

Program deployment ensures that our programs are delivered to our employees effectively and efficiently. It's where we consider the logistics of training delivery and accessibility for our learners.

I appreciate the dedication to excellence in each of these phases. It's through this commitment that we can provide valuable learning experiences for our employees and contribute to their growth and development, which ultimately benefits our organization as a whole.

As we continue to invest in these core activities, let's also monitor and measure the impact of our learning programs to ensure they are achieving the desired outcomes. This data-driven approach will help us refine and improve our initiatives over time.

Thank you for your focus on these critical aspects of our learning and development efforts."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges the importance of each primary activity in the learning program development process and emphasizes the need for ongoing monitoring and measurement of program effectiveness. The CEO expresses appreciation for the commitment to excellence in these areas.

Will:

They look beyond creating learning, also looking for ways to use the performance sciences to help improve employee work performance, including the use of nudges, performance triggers, habit science, network science.

AI CEO:

If the workplace learning-and-development professional is actively exploring ways to use performance sciences to improve employee work performance, including the use of nudges, performance triggers, habit science, and network science, the CEO might respond with enthusiasm:

"I'm truly impressed by your proactive approach to enhancing employee work performance through the application of performance sciences. It's evident that you're not only focused on creating effective learning programs but also on driving real behavioral change and continuous improvement throughout our organization.

The utilization of concepts like nudges, performance triggers, and habit science can have a profound impact on shaping behaviors and encouraging positive performance outcomes. This aligns perfectly with our goal of not just educating our employees but also helping them apply what they've learned in their day-to-day work.

Network science is another exciting avenue to explore. Understanding the dynamics of information flow and collaboration within our organization can lead to more effective knowledge sharing and problem-solving.

I encourage you to continue exploring these areas and consider how we can integrate these principles into our learning and development initiatives. It's through this forward-thinking approach that we can drive sustained improvements in employee performance, which in turn contributes to our overall success as an organization.

Your dedication to staying at the forefront of performance sciences is commendable, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our employees and our business."

In this response, the CEO expresses enthusiasm for the proactive approach to applying performance sciences to improve employee work performance and encourages further exploration and integration of these principles into the organization's learning and development initiatives. The CEO also highlights the potential positive impact on employee performance and overall organizational success.

Will:

They use terminology they think the CEO will appreciate and be impressed by, including terminology like ROI, data-driven decision-making, business-alignment, etc.

AI CEO:

If the workplace learning-and-development professional is using terminology like ROI (Return on Investment), data-driven decision-making, and business alignment in their communications with the CEO to impress and demonstrate a strategic approach, the CEO might respond with appreciation for their alignment with broader organizational goals:

"I appreciate your efforts to frame our learning and development initiatives within the context of key business concepts like ROI, data-driven decision-making, and business alignment. It's essential that our learning efforts are not seen in isolation but as integral components of our overall organizational strategy.

ROI analysis is crucial in demonstrating the value and impact of our learning programs. It allows us to quantify the benefits of our investments and make informed decisions about resource allocation.

Embracing a data-driven approach is in line with our commitment to evidence-based decision-making. By collecting and analyzing data related to our learning initiatives, we can continually improve our programs and ensure they are achieving their intended outcomes.

Furthermore, ensuring alignment with our business goals is paramount. When our learning programs directly support our organizational objectives, they become powerful drivers of success.

I encourage you to continue using these strategic terms in your communications and planning. They underscore the importance of our learning and development efforts in contributing to our business's growth and competitiveness. It's through this strategic alignment that we can position ourselves for continued success.

Thank you for your commitment to advancing our learning and development initiatives with a clear focus on our organization's strategic priorities."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges and appreciates the use of strategic terminology by the learning-and-development professional and underscores the importance of aligning learning initiatives with broader organizational goals. The CEO encourages the continued use of these concepts to emphasize the strategic significance of learning and development within the company.

Will:

Will's Note: I didn't think the CEO understood the full picture so I asked a follow-up question.

They follow the advice the CEO just gave, but spend significantly less time thinking about critical learning factors like supporting learner attention during learning, helping learners fully comprehend the learning content, motivating learners to apply what they've learned, helping learners minimize forgetting and support remembering, helping provide follow-up learning supports like reminders and job aids, and preparing learners to overcome obstacles. What might the CEO say when he/she/they learns that the team is spending more time focused on appearing to align with the business goals and much less time focusing on the learning factors that support learning results, which ultimately will help support business goals.

AI CEO:

If the CEO discovers that the learning-and-development team is spending more time appearing to align with business goals while neglecting critical learning factors that support learning results, the CEO might respond with the following message:

"I appreciate your efforts to align our learning and development initiatives with our business goals, and I understand the importance of demonstrating that alignment to stakeholders. However, it's crucial to strike a balance between showcasing alignment and prioritizing the factors that directly contribute to the effectiveness of our learning programs.

The success of our learning initiatives hinges on the learning outcomes they produce. Supporting learner attention, comprehension, motivation, retention, and providing follow-up supports are all critical components of effective learning experiences. These factors directly impact our ability to equip our employees with the knowledge and skills they need to drive business success.

While demonstrating alignment with business goals is essential, we must not lose sight of the fundamental purpose of our learning and development efforts. It's through these well-designed and learner-centric programs that we achieve our ultimate aim: improving employee performance and, by extension, our organizational outcomes.

I encourage you to refocus our efforts on these critical learning factors while also finding ways to clearly communicate the value they bring to our business goals. When we excel in supporting these aspects of learning, we will naturally demonstrate our strategic alignment through tangible results.

Thank you for your dedication to our organization's growth, and let's work together to ensure our learning initiatives are not just aligned with our business goals but also optimized for maximum impact."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges the importance of both alignment with business goals and the critical learning factors that drive results. The CEO encourages a refocusing of efforts to prioritize the factors that directly contribute to effective learning experiences while also finding ways to communicate their value to the organization's strategic goals.

Will:

They select as their new Chief Learning Officer someone without experience in learning-and-development, someone whose background is in sales and sales analytics.

AI CEO:

If the CEO learns that the organization has selected a new Chief Learning Officer (CLO) without experience in learning and development, but rather with a background in sales and sales analytics, the CEO might respond with the following message:

"I've been made aware of the decision to appoint a new Chief Learning Officer with a background in sales and sales analytics. While I understand that diverse perspectives can bring value to our organization, I want to ensure that this decision aligns with our strategic goals for learning and development.

The role of the Chief Learning Officer is central to our ability to design and implement effective learning strategies, especially considering the complexity and critical nature of this function. Learning and development involve a unique set of principles, methodologies, and expertise that directly impact our employees' growth and, consequently, our organizational success.

I strongly encourage a thorough evaluation of this decision to ensure that our new CLO can effectively lead our learning and development efforts. It's essential that they possess the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to drive our learning initiatives, understand the needs of our employees, and align our learning strategies with our business objectives.

I recommend that we carefully assess whether this new CLO can bridge the gap between their sales and analytics background and the specific requirements of our learning and development function. We should also consider providing the necessary support, training, or resources to help them succeed in this role.

Our commitment to achieving excellence in learning and development remains unwavering, and I believe it's vital that we have the right leadership in place to make this vision a reality. Let's work together to ensure that we continue to prioritize the quality and impact of our learning initiatives."

In this response, the CEO expresses concern about the appointment of a CLO without a background in learning and development, emphasizing the importance of aligning leadership with the specific needs of the function. The CEO suggests a careful evaluation and potential support for the new CLO to ensure their success in the role. The message underscores the commitment to excellence in learning and development.

Will:

They decide, based on the company's goal of being climate friendly, to stop providing training where airfare or other pollution-heavy travel is required, except in special cases, and provide all training and learning initiatives online, whether live, asynchronous, or some hybrid.

AI CEO:

If the decision has been made to align with the company's goal of being climate-friendly by reducing travel-related pollution and providing all training and learning initiatives online, the CEO might respond with the following message:

"I commend the decision to prioritize our commitment to environmental sustainability by reducing the need for air travel and other pollution-heavy forms of transportation in our learning and development initiatives. This decision is not only in line with our corporate responsibility but also a testament to our adaptability and innovation as an organization.

By transitioning to online training and learning, we not only reduce our carbon footprint but also enhance accessibility and flexibility for our employees. This approach allows us to reach a broader audience and create more inclusive learning opportunities.

It's important to recognize that this shift to online training, whether live, asynchronous, or a hybrid model, represents a significant transformation in how we deliver learning within our organization. We should ensure that the quality of our online programs is on par with our previous in-person offerings, if not better.

Additionally, let's remain open to feedback and continuously improve our online learning experiences to meet the evolving needs of our employees. By doing so, we can achieve our sustainability goals while providing effective and impactful learning opportunities.

Thank you to the team for taking this proactive step toward a more sustainable future. Let's embrace this change with enthusiasm and creativity as we continue to invest in the growth and development of our employees."

In this response, the CEO acknowledges and applauds the decision to prioritize environmental sustainability through online learning initiatives. The CEO highlights the potential benefits of this transition and encourages a commitment to maintaining and improving the quality of online training experiences.

Will:

They decide to invest in getting periodic outside reviews of a select few of their learning programs from people with expertise in the practical use of the learning sciences and other evidence-based practices.

AI CEO:

If the decision has been made to invest in periodic outside reviews of select learning programs by experts in the practical use of the learning sciences and evidence-based practices, the CEO might respond with the following message:

"I'm pleased to hear about the decision to invest in external reviews of our learning programs by experts in the field of learning sciences and evidence-based practices. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring that our learning initiatives are founded on the latest research and best practices.

Bringing in external experts to evaluate and provide feedback on select programs is a strategic move. It allows us to gain valuable insights, identify areas for enhancement, and ensure that our programs are aligned with the most effective methodologies and learning principles.

I encourage the learning and development team to actively engage with these experts, collaborate closely with them, and use their feedback to drive positive changes in our programs. Let's view this as an opportunity for professional growth and program excellence.

By incorporating external perspectives and expertise, we not only strengthen the quality of our learning programs but also demonstrate our commitment to delivering the highest standards of employee development. This investment aligns perfectly with our goal of fostering a culture of learning and innovation within our organization.

Thank you to the team for taking this proactive step, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our learning and development efforts."

In this response, the CEO expresses support for the decision to bring in external experts for program reviews, emphasizing the benefits of external perspectives and the commitment to program excellence. The CEO encourages active collaboration and sees this as an opportunity for professional growth and program enhancement.

Final Thoughts

I was honestly surprised by the helpfulness of the answers ChatGPT provided. While it occasionally slipped into learning-and-development mythologies, for the most part it was reasonably thoughtful.

Let me caution you NOT to just utilize the recommendations made by a generative AI large language model, not even one fed with my thoughtfully engineered prompts. SMILE.

You can see some of the limitations above in the dialog:

• use of meaningless jargon like "learner-centric."
• use of common misconceptions such as when it forgot that learning teams must first and foremost focus on learning factors not just align learning to the phrasings plucked from the business press.
• it did not have the knowledge that many awards programs in our field are biased by commercial interests or are simply ineffective in choosing from among the applicants.

On the other hand, it was quite impressive in other ways:

• It recognized that CLOs really do need a background in learning. This shouldn't be impressive but too often CLOs are brought in because the have business experience only.
• It noticed that evaluation was missing from the practices of its learning team.
• It recognized the value of bringing in outside expertise to review learning practices. This too is impressive because we hardly ever consider it. We are islands unto ourselves.
• It recognize the potential benefits of the performance sciences. This is impressive because these ideas are just evolving out of the research.

I hope you've found value in this exploratory investigation.

I hope you'll invest in learning more about AI.

I hope you'll read other of the articles on this Newsletter list.

How To Learn More

THE BOOK. You can learn more about the book at the book's website (https://www.ceosguide.net/ ) or on Amazon (https://amzn.to/4674JGS ).

LTEM. (The Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model) is rapidly replacing older evaluation models. I invite you to join me in the LTEM Boot Camp open-enrollment workshop or contact me to arrange a private Boot Camp for your organization. LTEM Boot Camp LEARN MORE .

My Website. To access my research-to-practice reports, my blog, job aids, and get an introduction to my consulting services. WorkLearning.com/ .

Coaching. I'm available as a coach, and offer a pay-what-you-can pricing option. Check out my coaching options .

Book Chapters Available on LinkedIn:

• Training Works! Says the Science.
• Learning Data is Often Crap Data.
• Learning Strategy for Learning Teams.
• Full-Factor Learning-Request Process.
• Separating Good Research from Bad in Workplace Learning.
• Your Experts Aren't Always Great at Teaching.
• Your Learners Don’t Always Know Learning.
• Why I Wrote the Book (not a chapter).

Other Articles Available on LinkedIn:

• LTEM Five Years Later.
• The Danger of Creating Learner Surveys Alone.
• Your CEO is an AI and has Advice for You as a Learning Professional.

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