Chapter Connections

We know that one in five employees globally is experiencing loneliness at work. We see it in our sessions—the hesitant voices in breakout rooms, the careful silence when we ask for volunteers, the way people disappear the moment the virtual session ends.

And here's what's striking: We're the ones who gather people. We create the rooms (physical and virtual) where colleagues actually interact. That puts us in a unique position—not to solve this crisis alone, but to be part of the solution.

Photo by Kamil Kalkan on Unsplash

What We're Wrestling With

There's pressure to "get through the content," to justify every minute of training time with measurable outcomes. Social connection can feel like a luxury we can't afford—nice to have, but not essential.

But what if we have it backwards? What if connection isn't fluff that takes time away from learning—it's the foundation that makes learning possible?

One Technique Worth Exploring Together

We've been experimenting with something we're calling Connection Before Content. It's not groundbreaking. You might already be doing some version of this. But we'd love to share what we've learned and hear what's working for you.

This isn't a standard icebreaker. (We've all suffered through those "fun fact" rounds that make introverts want to exit the Zoom.) It's a deliberate bridge between people's lived experience and the topic you're about to teach.

Here's How It Works

The Setup:

• Divide people into groups of three (not pairs, not four—there's something about three that gets everyone talking)
• Ask a question that connects their real life to your training topic
• • If you're teaching project management: "What's one project—work or personal—that you were genuinely excited about?"
  • If you're covering feedback skills: "Tell me about a time someone gave you feedback that actually changed how you work."

The Reflection:

• Bring everyone back together
• Ask one simple question: "What struck you about those conversations?"
• Let the shared themes emerge naturally

For Virtual Sessions:

• Use breakout rooms, still in threes
• Post the question in chat AND broadcast it to breakout rooms (we learned this the hard way)
• Have people share reflections in chat or on a virtual whiteboard so everyone can see the patterns

Why We Think This Matters

When people feel safe enough to share something real before you dive into content, something shifts. They're not just attending training, they're showing up as whole people. And that psychological safety doesn't evaporate when the session ends. It ripples outward.

But here's the thing: We know a blog post isn't enough. Just like an email isn't enough to train someone on a new skill, reading about connection isn't the same as practicing it.

Let's Practice This Together

We're gathering on November 19 to go deeper into this conversation. We'll be discussing practical methods to address workplace loneliness through enhanced connection—and yes, we're going to start with this triad activity so you can experience it firsthand and decide if it's worth adapting for your context.

This won't be a presentation where facilitator Steven van Cohen tells you what to do. It's a working session where you will:

• Discover why communication is not connection

• Explain how pro-social behaviors foster connection and a culture of belonging

• Apply connection-focused strategies to enhance engagement and retention within your own learning programs.

Learn more about "Fully Connected"

Because here's what we believe: L&D professionals aren't just information couriers. We're connection architects. And none of us has to figure this out alone.

We're all familiar with the rhythm of L&D work—compliance modules, mandatory refreshers, tight deadlines. There's always another training to roll out, another competency to address. In the rush to deliver content, are we missing something fundamental about why learning happens in the first place?

I'm talking about connection. Not in the abstract "team building exercise" way, but in the everyday, human way that makes learning actually stick.

Photo by Ludmila Uleva on Unsplash

The Thing We Don't Talk About Enough

Here's what prompted this reflection: the research on workplace loneliness is pretty sobering. A significant chunk of employees report feeling isolated at work, and it's affecting everything from engagement to retention. And as L&D professionals—whether we're designing courses, facilitating sessions, or coordinating programs—we're in a unique position to do something about it.

Not by adding another module to the stack, but by rethinking what we're already doing.

What If We Started Here?

What if we approached learning design with a different set of questions? Instead of only asking "What do people need to know?" we could also consider:

• How will this learning create opportunities for people to connect with each other?

• Where could peer-to-peer interaction actually strengthen the learning outcomes?

• What moments could we create for people to feel less alone in their challenges?

Take something as straightforward as software training. Yes, it's about learning the features. But it's also about the shared experience of troubleshooting together, developing collective workarounds, and building a community of practice. What if we designed explicitly for both?

Some Possibilities Worth Exploring

There might be ways to approach this without reinventing our entire practice. Here are some ideas that could be worth discussing:

Interaction as learning, not just engagement: What if instead of ending with Q&A, we designed discussions where people have to work through problems together? In a social media post that I wish I had saved, a professor shared his realization that his students were not asking questions in his classroom, neither to him, nor to their peers. So he altered his course structure, adding a 10 - 15 minute segment in which his students:

1. Wrote down questions they had

2. Paired up with another student to discuss the question they had and identify their answers

3. Share back with the class.

Would a similar practice in the corporate classroom help people actually connect and retain what they learn?

Making feedback loops real: Could peer feedback work beyond writing courses? Even in technical training, there might be moments where learners could review each other's work or approaches. Would that build empathy and create those "oh, I'm not the only one struggling with this" moments?

The small stuff: Does starting a session with "What's one thing you're hoping to get out of today?" or "What challenge brought you here?" actually make a difference? It doesn't take much time—does it help people see each other as humans, not just participants?

Personal stories > generic examples: What happens when learners share their own experiences with the topic? Does the conversation shift? Does investment increase when things feel real rather than abstract?

For Those of Us Who Facilitate

If you're a facilitator (or working with facilitators), what would it look like to shift from "expert delivering content" to "person creating space for connection"? Some questions worth exploring:

• What happens when facilitators share their own relevant struggles or uncertainties, as Amy C. Waninger shared in her “Inside the Design” interview?

• How do we listen for threads between what different people share and weave them together?

• What does it look like to build in actual breaks for informal chat, even virtually?

• How can we use collaborative tools in ways that let people create something together, not just consume?

Let's Figure This Out Together

None of us have to have this solved. But the question feels worth asking: could weaving connection into what we're already doing make both the learning better and the workplace more human?

We often think our job in L&D is to transfer knowledge. A stakeholder identifies a problem, employees need a new skill, so we build a course. We focus on the what—the learning objectives, the slide decks, the click-through interactions.

But while we've been busy pushing content, our people have been drifting apart.

The Scale of the Problem

One in five employees globally reports feeling lonely at work frequently. This is a statistic that should concern anyone designing workplace experiences. Research suggests that when people are actively disengaged at work, their sense of isolation rivals that of unemployment itself.

This isn't just an HR problem or a "culture" issue that leadership can solve with a company-wide memo. It's woven into the fabric of how we work and how we learn.

Consider what happened during the rapid shift to remote and hybrid work. Organizations that once relied on hallway conversations and conference room training scrambled to digitize everything. The solution seemed obvious: learning management systems, self-paced modules, asynchronous courses that employees could complete "on their own time."

We didn't set out to isolate people. But in our pursuit of efficiency and flexibility, we may have normalized something troubling: we made learning a solitary act by default. We placed employees in front of screens, alone, clicking through content, and expected them to somehow still feel connected to their teams and organizations.

Photo by Mary Nguyen on Unsplash

What We Measure Is What We Get

Here's an uncomfortable question: When was the last time you wrote a learning objective about how people would feel during your training?

Most of us were trained to focus on cognitive objectives—what learners need to know or do. We dutifully apply Bloom's Taxonomy, writing objectives like "Learners will identify," "Learners will analyze," or "Learners will evaluate." These are important. But they're incomplete.

Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy actually included three domains: cognitive (thinking), psychomotor (doing), and affective (feeling). The affective domain—focused on emotions, attitudes, values, and social connection—has been largely forgotten in instructional design practice.

The result? We get what we measure. If we only design for cognitive outcomes, we only create cognitive experiences. We produce courses that inform but don't connect. Content that educates but doesn't engage. Learning that happens in isolation.

Who Should Solve This?

It's tempting to think that workplace loneliness is someone else's problem—that HR should handle culture, that leaders should be more present, that employees should just reach out more.

But L&D professionals have a unique opportunity here. We design the experiences where people spend significant portions of their work lives. We create the moments where employees could connect—or where they sit alone with a screen.

Every learning experience is a choice: Will this bring people together or keep them apart? Will this acknowledge their humanity or treat them as information receptacles? Will this build belonging or reinforce isolation?

These aren't just philosophical questions. They have practical implications for engagement, retention, performance, and organizational health.

Join In the Conversation It would be ironic if we were to provide an article that you can read in the comfort of your home or office and not have an opportunity to discuss these concepts with your peers.  Which is why we're thrilled to share that Steven Van Cohen, author of "Connectable – How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated To All In" is joining us to share how L&D can build meaningful connection at work and learn the secrets for moving team members from isolated to all-in.

Join us, then ask: What Will You Design Differently?

The next time you sit down to design a learning experience, try asking yourself not just "What do they need to learn?" but "How will they feel while learning it? Who will they connect with? What moment of genuine human interaction am I creating?"

You might find that designing for connection doesn't require more time or resources. Often, it just requires intention—a commitment to remembering that learning is fundamentally a social act, and that the relationships we build through learning matter as much as the content we deliver.

Our learners aren't just brains to be filled with information. They're whole people, navigating complex work environments, seeking not just competence but belonging.

We can give them both.

On Saturday, October 13, your 2026 Board members held a strategic planning session with Tenny Poole, founder of the West Coast Center for Positive Change.

After a half-day meeting with our incoming leadership team, we are enthusiastic to plan for a few key projects in the upcoming months! We have identified three foundational projects to focus on to support both Chapter and community.

1. Membership - President-Elect Cyndi Nagel and VP, Membership Kesha Thomas Clark will lead this team to find ways to activate our membership and make your Chapter more valuable to you!
2. Website - Upgrading our website’s user experience and content is an exciting journey—and we’ve assembled a fantastic team to make it happen! With Patrick and Denise lending their expertise in both access and firsthand experience with our site, we’re set up for success from the start. 
3. Vision Statement - There’s nothing quite as energizing as reimagining the future, and that’s exactly what we’re doing by revising our vision statement!   James Skee and his team will be diving deep to craft a vision statement that aligns our ambitions with the values and dreams of our entire community. 

As we kick off this adventure, think about your experiences with the Chapter. What’s worked well for you? Where do you think visitors can find information more easily or connect more deeply with our mission? 

We took a break from the usual lectures and slideshows and dove into the world of LEGO Serious Play (LSP). This wasn't just learning; as one attendee put it, it was about having "hard fun."

Why We Got Serious About Play

We know that great leaders need more than just theory; they need conviction. That's why we used LSP. As a reminder, this methodology was initially designed for executives to unlock creativity and problem-solving they can’t always put into words.

The focus for our session was leadership confidence. Using LEGOs, participants built models and uncovered "emerging insights in what leadership 'looks' like."

Why does this "thinking and tinkering" work? It offers a "low threshold and high ceiling" medium that forces you to bring abstract concepts to life. This allowed our attendees to get a "totally fresh look" at themselves as leaders and team members.

"I’ve always been curious about the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology in problem-solving, and here I am, learning all about it (through a leadership lens) and building models in an immersive learning environment alongside an incredible community of TD professionals at ATD Orange County!!"

LSP ensures 100% participation and forces you to move beyond abstract thoughts. Instead of talking about leadership, participants responded to a faciitator challenge by building tangible, 3D models representing their challenges, barriers, and ideal leadership styles. As one attendee shared, the process takes you into a "deeper mode of thinking: of who you are as a leader, what prevents you from exceeding, and how to navigate barriers beyond your control."

Be A Pineapple

Beyond the deep insights and the "hard fun" of collaborative problem-solving, our community connects and shares wisdom. We even learned a new leadership mantra—Lead like a pineapple!—and found ways to apply this mantra to various leadership strengths.

• Sweet on the inside (empathetic).
• Strong on the outside (resilient).
• Standing tall wearing the crown (confident and visionary).

Powerful Connections

Beyond the deep focus on leadership, the session was a vibrant space for our professional development community to connect.

We had the pleasure of reconnecting colleagues from past cohorts and forming new bonds. As one happy participant shared: "Connecting and getting new perspectives, is one of the best ways to spend a Saturday!"

Keep connected with ATD-Orange County to find out our next interactive, engaging workshop that challenges us to think deeper about our role in the talent development field.

Last week, we successfully launched our new program series, "Inside the Design," and honestly, we’re still riding that wave of excitement! This series is all about pulling back the curtain and giving everyone a front-row seat to how top L&D professionals actually build and launch their standout programs. We’re giving ourselves a well-deserved balloon for this one—because we truly believe "Inside the Design" will shine a light on new pathways to success in the L&D field. For our very first session, we had the pleasure of hosting the amazing author and speaker Amy C. Waninger.  Amy took us on a deep dive into the strategic, personal, and even emotional journey behind her program, Moving from Panic to Purpose. She didn’t just talk about the nuts and bolts—she opened up about the real-life experiences and challenges that shaped her approach. It was inspiring to see how a thoughtful, intentional design process can turn a concept into a program that truly resonates.

Curious about Amy Waninger's newest book? Check it out here!

Here is a recap of the top lessons our ATDOC community took away from the session on effective content design and strategy:

Lesson 1: Prioritize Need Over Expertise to Focus Content

"They don't need to know all of the theory, and all of the frameworks, and all of the college courses we took to get to this point. Our job is to distill it to what's relevant." Amy Waninger

A core challenge for any expert is the impulse to share everything they know. Amy emphasized that successful content design means constantly focusing on the participant: The goal is not to tell people everything you know; the goal is to help people learn what they need to know.

Amy illustrated this focus with two simple questions that govern her instructional design:

1. What do people need to know? (The core objective) .
2. Why do they care? (Connect your content to the participant's self-interest).

Lesson 2: Your Content Dump is Your Design Strength

"I might need that later is, like, my mantra." Amy Waninger

Just because content doesn't make the final cut for this program, it doesn't mean it's worthless. This strategy is tied to Amy's Input strength (a collector of ideas).

Instead of cutting valuable ideas forever, Amy maintains a section at the end of her manuscript called "The Dump". Anything edited out goes there so she doesn't "lose it out of [her] brain entirely".

This resonated strongly with attendees, with one noting:

"Amy, LOL about not throwing ANYTHING away! That trait is at once my strength (Input is in my Top 5) and my weakness!!!"

Amy doesn't view idea hoarding as a weakness, but an asset for anyone developing content in multiple mediums. What doesn't work in a book might be valuable in a live workshop, or a keynote. 

Lesson 3: Lead with Vulnerability to Address Emotional Resistance

"The feedback that I get most often is: 'Wow, you really shared a lot with us, and got us to trust you right away. Or you were really vulnerable, and that created a space where we could be too.' And I think sometimes in corporate, it's hard to be vulnerable. It's hard not to be guarded." Amy Waninger

The most difficult component in L&D is often designing for behavior change and managing the emotional resistance that accompanies it. Amy noted that L&D professionals often try to be very dispassionate and guarded, which blocks engagement.

Amy's advice for designing learning that drives real change is to lead with vulnerability:

• Share Your Learning Pain: Talk about how you learned a thing, including ways your own strengths or professional assessments (like the IDI) have been underdeveloped or initially resisted. This creates the trust necessary for others to be vulnerable, too.

• Extend Grace: Acknowledge that you may have participants who are "voluntold" to attend. For those who are emotionally stuck or need more time, offer dedicated "office hours" or a side conversation. This allows you to coach them through the emotional block and hold them accountable for growth.

Lesson 4: Be a "Balloon Giver" and Celebrate the Win

Amy shared the beautiful story of her friend Deidre, who is a "balloon giver"—someone who always asks, "How did you celebrate that?". Amy vowed to be one herself, moving away from being a "balloon popper" (a person who makes fun of you for celebrating).

As L&D professionals, it’s easy to move quickly from one project to the next. Amy's story was a powerful reminder to pause, recognize the accomplishment, and celebrate the wins—big or small.

The Takeaway: Find that peer who "gets it" and be intentional about celebrating. Or: be your own "Deidre." We certainly gave ourselves a balloon after everyone signed off.

What’s Next for Inside the Design?

We hope you found valuable insights into taking your program ideas to market!

1. What is one content design lesson you've learned on your journey from concept to market? Share your insights in the comments below!
   
   
2. Don't miss our next "Inside the Design," where we interview Paul Lopushinsky about the making of his program: "Creating Better Cultures Through The Eight Play Personalities."

With over 30 years of experience, Kevin Thorn, CNH, Ed.D, has dedicated his career to improving organizational learning outcomes and fostering lifelong learning opportunities. As an Articulate Community Hero, he shared Articulate Fundamentals with our community. Since then he has focused on visual literacy, creative thinking, and the instructional comic medium, which underscores his commitment to advancing the science and art of learning. We interviewed Dr. Thorn in advance of his upcoming LEGO Serious Play workshop to learn about his evolution in the talent development field.

You're a "CNH," which we had to ask ChatGPT to learn that it's a certification in agriculture and construction equipment. How did you make that leap?

Ha! I added the post-nominal letters, “CNH” as an inside joke poking fun of others who had more post-nominal letters than the total letters in their entire name. I suppose I could add more legitimate credentials to my name, but like this question, “CNH” is a playful conversation starter! And it aligns with my LinkedIn tagline, “Solving Problems at the intersection of creativity and play.”

So... GenAI strikes again.

Yes. "CNH" is a reference to my company, NuggetHead Studioz. I am the Chief NuggetHead, the "CNH."

When last you spoke with us, you were sharing Articulate Storyline techniques. From there, we saw you evolve into visual storytelling. And now you're engaged in Serious Play. Could you tell us about the evolution of Nugget Head Studioz and the different focuses you've had over time, leading up to your work with LEGO® Serious Play®?

Surprisingly, I still work in Articulate Storyline every day on client projects, and I continue to partner with Training Magazine teaching three different live online Storyline workshops. I also facilitate live, in-person and virtual custom Storyline workshops for organizational teams. Visual storytelling is also a large part of my work in educational comics, including contributing to two books this year illustrating visual narratives. I’m currently working on an interactive graphic novel for a healthcare provider intervention program.

I became a certified facilitator in LEGO Serious Play (LSP) methodologies in 2017. I added that service to my offerings and was making progress until 2020 when in-person learning experiences were shut down due to Covid. When things started to ease up, I went back to school and earned my Ed.D. in 2023, and LSP sat on the shelf during that time. During my dissertation research on using the comic medium for adult learning, I rediscovered the cognitive benefits in the power of play and realized it was time to rekindle LSP offerings. This time, however, I wanted to work more with kids as well as adults, and I needed my own space to hold various Lego-themed educational workshops. In 2024, we bought a Bricks & Minifigs franchise that buys, sells, and trades all things LEGO but also includes an event space for various activities.

Not counting our leadership development workshop using LSP, so far this year I’ve facilitated workshops with LSP on emotional intelligence and personal branding for educators. At my new space, I lead classes on STEM-related engineering activities, stop-motion animations, and introduction to LEGO robotics.

My boys have now identified a new career path I should follow!

We love hearing about play in learning! Research says playful learning should make people feel like they own what they're doing. What is it about LEGO Serious Play that really gives people that feeling of power and makes them want to get involved?

Unlike typical meetings where 20% of the people consume 80% of the time and everyone else doesn’t have an opportunity to be heard. LSP is designed as an immersive experience where everyone in the room participates 100% of the time. It goes right to the heart of why LSP is so effective in adult learning and group dynamics. The sense of ownership and empowerment people feel during LSP sessions doesn’t just happen by chance. The result is a methodology of application techniques carefully structured that’s rooted in play theory, constructionism, and psychology.

When people “think with their hands” – the tacit, intuitive understanding we gain through doing, reinforces ownership of thought. At the same time, it forces the brain into the flow state faster than having a collaborative discussion. When participants build LEGO models, they externalize their thoughts with abstract ideas that become visible. The physical representation of thought makes their thinking real and the act of play magnifies creative thinking where new ideas are amplified. In the end, participants don’t realize they are “playing” and often are surprised how powerful and enlightening LSP is and can be.

Looking at the promised takeaways—like developing a Personal Leadership Model and a Future Leadership Vision—it sounds like a lot of heavy, executive development work. How does a simple 'pile of bricks' actually deliver on these profound, complex outcomes?

It may feel like a simple pile of bricks, but cognitively and socially, it’s a sophisticated thinking system that uses metaphorical storytelling, constructionism, and shared storytelling to surface deep insights in ways a traditional discussion can’t.

When a participant builds what “leadership” looks like to them, they create a physical metaphor of their mental model that is something they can see, touch, and explain. That model then allows for collaborative reflection, comparison, and refinement, turning intuition into insight.

Leaders come in all forms, and not all are at the executive level. A young inexperienced manager of a small team is a leader but may know or be aware their leadership identity strengths and weaknesses. This workshop allows them to reflect what they see in themselves of who they are (current identity state) as a leader and collaboratively share with others to build the vision of the leader they want to be (future identity state). Those two points of reference expressed in a clear representation exposes a path, barriers, opportunities, and tangible next steps.

As Learning Experience Designers, we focus on helping participants engage with the content in meaningful ways. That often means discussing goals, ideas, and strategies with others in the room. These conversations become an organic way to connect with people who share similar interests.  While it’s not usually one of our stated goals to help participants make friends, it’s always fun to see them exchanging contact information or connecting on LinkedIn at the end of a workshop.

This idea of connection recently came to life for me. This year, as Past President of ATD Orange County, I also volunteered to manage the two Total Trainer University workshop series: Creating Training and Delivering Training. During our Creating Training workshops last year, I met participant Julie Stahl, Practice Operations Training Specialist at Hoag Hospital. I was immediately impressed by Julie’s enthusiasm for all things learning and development. It felt like I had found a kindred spirit. After the series ended, I asked if she’d like to join me in managing the Delivering Training series that followed. She agreed—and in the process of volunteering together, we’ve also become friends.

Now, with the next Creating Training series starting in October, Julie and I are teaming up again—this time alongside Steven Tran, another Total Trainer University graduate who shares our passion for creating and delivering training. Together, we asked ourselves: How could we add even more value to the professional development experience? Our answer: more connection, more community. That’s why we hosted our first-ever Total Trainer University Reunion.

Graduates from 2019 through 2025 joined in, and together we discovered just how much we had in common: our Total Trainer experiences, our professional goals, and even life milestones. We kept the event light and fun, celebrating promotions, new jobs, engagements, and babies on the way. It was such a success that we’re already planning to hold an in-person reunion next year. If you’re a past Total Trainer University graduate of either Creating Training or Delivering Training, we’d love for you to join us!

And if you’re considering attending Creating Training—or sending someone from your team—I hope you do. The series offers not only skill development, but also fresh insight into the learning and development challenges organizations face and how they overcome them. As an in-person program, it’s also a chance to grow your professional network and connect with others who share the drive to learn and improve. And if you’re lucky, you might even make a friend.

The next Creating Training series begins October 4th—registration is now open! Don’t just build your skills—join a community where learning, growth, and connection happen.

Here’s a look at what we learned from their discussion.

The Tools of the Trade: What Are L&D Pros Really Using?

It turns out that L&D teams are not just dabbling with one or two AI platforms. They're exploring a wide range of tools to supercharge their workflows. Our PowerMembers shared their experiences with everything from the familiar ChatGPT and Copilot to specialized tools like Beyond for video and Articulate's own AI functionality.

One interesting point came up: the interface and user experience of these tools matter. One attendee mentioned a preference for older AI interfaces, citing they offered more flexibility and control over the generated images compared to newer, more restrictive systems. This reminds us that as AI evolves, we need to paay attention not just to what a tool can do, but how it feels to work with it.

From Idea to Draft: Supercharging Content Creation

When it comes to creating content, AI isn't just for writing first drafts. Our group discussed a variety of approaches for using AI to jumpstart the creative process.

Some prefer a conversational style, treating the AI like a brainstorming partner. Others find more success with structured prompts, using frameworks like Role-Task-Format (RTF) or Content-Ask-Rules-Examples (CARE) to get more precise outputs. The consensus? Being intentional with your prompts, and even giving the AI a specific persona—like "a marketer creating content following Seth Godin's philosophy"—can dramatically improve the results. This moves us from generic outputs to targeted, high-quality content that still reflects a specific vision.

The Transparency Question: To Disclose or Not to Disclose?

One of the most thought-provoking discussions centered on a critical question: should we disclose the use of AI tools in our e-learning courses?

On one hand, there's concern that transparency might devalue the content in a learner's eyes. Will they think the course is less authentic or high-quality if they know AI was involved?

On the other hand, a compelling argument was made that disclosure could show a company’s commitment to innovation. It demonstrates that the L&D team is on the cutting edge and leveraging the best tools available.

There's no single right answer, but this conversation highlights the importance of not only what we create but how we create it. Perhaps the solution lies in specifying which sections were AI-generated and then challenging learners to improve upon them, turning transparency into a learning opportunity.

Real-World Challenges and a Look Ahead

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and perfect first drafts. Our discussion also touched on the real challenges of using AI. For small teams, AI can be a game-changer for productivity, but questions about ROI and accuracy, especially in highly specialized fields like healthcare, remain. One participant noted the difficulty in getting AI to generate accurate clinical images for training, a stark reminder that these tools aren't a one-size-fits-all solution. Another noted how AI bias can creep into content through generalizations, leading to biased outcomes.

This is a new frontier, and we're all still learning how to navigate it. The conversations we have today will shape the L&D landscape of tomorrow.

Ever wonder why some training materials just… click? And others leave you scratching your head? Often it comes down to readability. If your learners are struggling to understand what you’ve written, they’re definitely not absorbing the information.

Last week, Alise Isbell led a fantastic session for ATD Orange County, diving deep into how we can make our instructional design and training content crystal clear. Here’s a rundown of the game-changing tips she shared to ensure your message hits home every time.

Is Your Content Readable? Let the Metrics Tell!

First things first: how do you know if your content is easy to read? Alise introduced us to a handy tool: the Gunning Fog Index. This index can be a powerful way to measure how complex your writing is. A lower score means easier reading!

Want to try it yourself? You don't need fancy software. Alise showed us how to calculate readability scores using Microsoft Word's built-in features (yes, it's hidden in there!). There are also plenty of AI tools that can do the heavy lifting for you.

During the session, participants even put their own writing to the test. One member, Adriana, found her content scored a 9.6. We noticed that our event description had a Gunning Fog Index of 13.8. Generally, aiming for a score below 10 is a great goal for training materials. Keep it simple, keep it clear!

What were some of the techniques Alise shared that could enhance readability?

Say Goodbye to Jargon: Simplify Your Language!

Think about your favorite author or speaker. They probably don't use a ton of complicated words, right? Alise emphasized that simplifying language is crucial, especially when you have diverse learners.

Here are some quick wins she shared:

• Ditch those extra words: Ever catch yourself using "that" or "which" when they're not really needed? Snip them out! 

• Break up those monster sentences: Long sentences can be a real workout for the brain. Try splitting them into shorter, more digestible chunks.

• Embrace active voice: Instead of saying "The ball was hit by John" (passive), go with "John hit the ball" (active). It's clearer, more direct, and makes it obvious who's doing what.

• Stick to basic verb tenses: While complex tenses have their place, simple past, present, and future often make your point more effectively in training.

• Avoid confusing phrases: Steer clear of colloquialisms, idioms, euphemisms, phrasal verbs, and slang. While they might feel natural in casual conversation, they can stump someone from a different background or who is learning English as a second language. Plus, they're a nightmare for translation!

Connecting with Every Learner

• Consider cultural and linguistic backgrounds: As one participant, Dee, emphasized: understanding who your learners are is paramount. What makes sense in one culture might be completely confusing or even offensive in another.

• Don’t leave intention to interpretation: Another participant, Dianne, brought up the common overuse of "just" in communication, pointing out its subtle, sometimes passive-aggressive nature. These seemingly small words can have a big impact!

Ready to Make Your Training Shine?

By focusing on readability metrics, simplifying language, and being culturally sensitive, you can transform your training materials from good to truly great. Your learners will thank you for it!