Well … Alright … Alright … Etc.!
When you are wrong … you are wrong! And for the record, I was so very wrong on Matthew McConaughey! When I saw he was the opening keynote for this year’s conference, I was skeptical. It hit me as an age-old promotional ploy: plug a famous person into a headline slot to boost overall attendance. At a minimum, you have a seasoned entertainer out there “doing his thing” with a high probability of getting the conference kick-started in the right direction. Who cares if he doesn’t know much (or perhaps even care much) about talent or training? I suppose operating under that premise I viewed the selection by ATD as some combination of disingenuous and/or self-serving.
Well … guess what? McConaughey was the perfect choice! He was both entertaining and informative. He gave people what they came for (background and insight into his distinguished and fascinating career as an entertainer) along with a whole lot they had no idea about (his foundation’s support of after-school training and support for kids who struggle to grasp the basics the first time around).
Beyond that, when you consider the degree of emphasis our industry places on traits and skills like authenticity, risk-taking, adaptability, resiliency and failing forward … could there have possibly been a better keynote selection? My bad!
They Built This City!
The EXPO Hall at ATD rarely disappoints, and this year was no exception! The spectrum of booths featured suppliers from every conceivable corner of the talent development industry and the diversity of designs ranged from “simple and straightforward” to “extravagant and comprehensive.” We (The Center for Leadership Studies) were both surprised and honored to receive recognition from ATD as the 2024 Island Booth Award Winner!
And as we occupied our award-winning confines, we had opportunity after opportunity to meet and introduce ourselves to interested prospects, reconnect and thank existing customers and “walk down memory lane” with several industry dignitaries who we welcomed as they roamed the EXPO.
Three worth mentioning were Jack Zenger, Anne Herrmann-Nehdi and Marshall Goldsmith. If you are unfamiliar, do some Googling! Few (if any) have had a more significant impact on the growth and ever-expanding value proposition of training, coaching and talent development. We were honored to have them stop by for a visit.
High Tech–High Touch … Revisited!
How many times have you turned to your news outlet of choice intending to get an update on something you care about only to find out that even though your topic of interest is the lead story, there really isn’t anything new being reported? As far as I could tell, it appears that was the case at ATD 2024 regarding “late breaking news” on the proliferation and potential impact of all things “Artificial Intelligence.” There were multiple sessions, and most were certainly well attended. By all accounts the presentations and discussions were knowledgeably and professionally facilitated, but “net-net.” Here’s where we still find ourselves:
- Threat/Downside – AI can and does create training content “quickly” and literally anybody can become a designer almost immediately. The resultant effect is an ongoing and exponential increase in available options, but those options will have massive disparities in quality. As several experts put it, “What once was a garden hose … is now Niagara Falls!”
- Opportunity/Upside – If you start with proven content (time-tested track record, relevant and reliable), AI will afford you the opportunity to enhance the quality of that program/curriculum quickly and cost effectively. Think about things like text creation, testing, translations, customization and tailoring. We have in fact arrived at a juncture where we can leverage AI to personalize meaningful development.
On the other side of all this high-tech enablement is the ongoing need for leadership in organizations that helps people turn their unique potential into performance. In that regard, Sharon Andrews and Suzie Bishop conducted a workshop on behalf of CLS entitled Human Centered Leadership. The session addressed the need for increased human connection moving forward in a world that will increasingly be impacted by AI.
Probably now more than ever leaders at all levels need to connect with those they influence on their personal and professional priorities, interests, motivators, challenges, fears and well-being. Why? Because AI has (and will continue to) introduced disruptive change into everyone’s lives. And who not only survives but likely prospers amid that inevitable uncertainty? Those who have leaders who have made those connections and established trust-based relationships.
THIS … Is Who We Are!
I will close out here with a CLS-specific story that I believe embodies both the spirit and the makeup of the overwhelming majority of those who attend ATD.
Our team was in our hotel lobby bar after day two of the conference grabbing an adult beverage before heading out to dinner. The place was packed. Noisy. Tough to navigate. Not enough bartenders or servers. That sort of thing.
A member of our team (Chelsea) made it to our packed table comparatively late. She squeezed in and wound up sitting directly next to me (probably not her preference … but it was the last seat available!). We flagged our waiter, he took her order, and scurried off. When he returned, he tried to reach and get Chelsea her margarita … and came up short! Every single drop of the drink, and each of the ice cubes, landed directly in her lap. In that moment, here is what Chelsea had to say before the waiter could apologize … or any of the rest of us could finish our gasps or hand her a napkin:
- “… That’s OK … not a problem … happens all the time … I’m fine … don’t worry about it!”
As the waiter scurried to the bar to get more napkins, Chelsea turned to me and offered:
- “… waiting tables is such a hard job!”
That incident clearly left a mark. And I think that mark is this:
- Most of the fine people that have wound up in the training industry are other-centered, empathetic, wired to help and at their very core just plain decent!
So, as I reflect upon ATD 2024 I’d like to thank everyone that organized it: Matthew McConaughey, Jack Zenger, Anne Herrman-Nehdi, Marshall Goldsmith, Sharon Andrews, Suzie Bishop, and Chelsea von Kaenel (and everyone like her that I didn’t get the chance to sit next to!).
