Nicole Forward is an executive development leader with extensive experience in building and scaling coaching inside of organizations. During this conversation. Nicole shares her journey of building coaching functions from the ground up and provides a crash course on how companies can operationalize coaching strategically and sustainably. Nicole also spoke about the history and future of coaching, including the impact of AI on coaching practices, the importance of aligning coaching with organizational goals, and how to measure its impact. Finally, also discusses the rise of transformational coaching, integrating mind-body approaches, and navigating the challenges of democratizing coaching inside organizations today.

• Nicole’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleforward/
• David Goldsmith and 7PathsForward
• NYU Summit for Coaching & Technology:
• Rebecca Rutschmann and Viva La Coaching
• Strozzi Institute
• Scaling Development vs. Scaling Coaching and Michael Hudson's white paper
• Jonathan Passmore
• Nick Petrie and the work at Adeption
• Jennifer Garvey Berger
• Bill Torbert
• Staci Haines
• Coaches Rising
• Amanda Blake
• EPOG Academy and Tim Harrison
• Nicky Terblanche
• The Body Keeps the Score
• Thomas Hubl
• Dr. Gabor Mate
• Stephen Porges
• Deb Dana
• Dr. David Drake
• Ethan Mollick
• Sam Isaacson
• Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms

In this episode of The Edge of Work Podcast, Stefani Okamoto, Director of Manager Excellence at ServiceNow, shares her journey in transforming leadership and management practices. Drawing on her experience at Microsoft and ServiceNow, Stefani explains why manager excellence requires a systemic, culture-driven approach. In this conversation, Stefani also talked about the importance of listening tours, creating clear expectations for managers, and enabling them through tailored learning solutions. Finally, Stefani shared her vision for the future, including leveraging AI for coaching and fostering courageous conversations.

Links

• Stefani’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefani-okamoto-1376039/
• Al Dea: https://www.al-dea.com/
• 
  

Anthony Stephan is the Chief Learning Officer at Deloitte. With responsibility for developing over 180,000 employees globally, Anthony has spent the past two years in his role embarking on transforming the learning business at Deloitte to evolve the organization to continue to deliver and drive business impact.

During our conversation, Anthony shared insights from his first two years in the role, including how a 100-day listening sprint shaped his strategy. He delves into the launch of Project 120, a $1.4 billion investment in skills development, the shifts in the strategy and ways of working the L&D business has made at Deloitte as well as Deloitte’s innovative use of AI-powered tools for their Human Potential Leadership Offerings.

Finally, Anthony also explores the future of apprenticeship and milestone programs, emphasizing both "hot skills" (technical) and enduring skills (human skills) that they are focused on at Deloitte.

- Anthony Stephan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyrstephan/
- Al Dea: https://www.al-dea.com/
- Article: 100 Conversations in 100 days; https://www.hrdive.com/news/deloittes-chief-learning-officer-leadership-insight/700847/

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work podcast, host Al Dea introduces a new approach to leadership: becoming developers of talent. Al explores how managers and leaders can embrace their roles in fostering employee growth and development in the day-to-day workflow, beyond formal training programs. By offering practical strategies, lightweight tools, and actionable insights, this episode provides listeners with a fresh perspective on embedding development into their management style, empowering their teams, and boosting organizational performance. Discover how small moments can create big impacts in talent development and retention.

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al's Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Dani Johnson is the Co-Founder and Principal Analyst at RedThread Research. During this conversation, Dani shares some of her observations and insights from some of her recent conversations and research on the topic of L&D Strategy, the shifting role L&D has within organizations and the implications for learning and talent leaders.

Dani also shares some of her thoughts on the potential implications of AI, the ever-present but evolving conversation about the importance of aligning learning to business needs, and the potential impact of AI on learning and the workplace. Finally, Dani also shares her thoughts on what’s new and next within the learning tech startup ecosystem.

Links

• Redthread Research: https://redthreadresearch.com/home
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dani-johnson/
• Dani’s LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7249051389455138816/#

Lisa Christensen is the Director of Learning Design at McKinsey & Company. Drawing from her research, Lisa discusses how McKinsey uses apprenticeship as a key element of its culture, focusing on how it serves as a powerful mechanism for transferring skills and fostering collaboration.

During this conversation, Lisa shares insights from her work on apprenticeship, emphasizing its importance in developing talent within the professional services environment.

They also explore how apprenticeship can be applied beyond traditional hierarchical models, and the potential for integrating AI into the future of apprenticeship.

Links

• https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/people-in-progress/embracing-apprenticeship-as-a-way-of-life-a-new-definition-for-an-old-idea
• https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/apprenticeship-gets-a-makeover
• https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/reviving-the-art-of-apprenticeship-to-unlock-continuous-skill-development

Ana Maria Sencovici is the Chief Talent Officer at Royal Caribbean Group. In this role, she oversees talent management, career development, and leadership strategies for the organization.

During this conversation, she shares her approach to career development, focusing on empowering employees through a systemic approach to career development that goes beyond traditional roles and promotions. Ana Maria discusses how Royal Caribbean’s 'My Career Journey' platform enables employees to take ownership of their growth by emphasizing skills, feedback, and personal aspirations.

She also explores the evolving nature of careers, stressing the importance of adaptability and the development of career 'meta skills' to navigate today's dynamic work environment.

Finally, Ana Maria offers insights into how leaders can create a culture of development that supports meaningful employee growth and engagement.

Links

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asencovici/
• Al: https://al-dea.com/leadership-offerings/

This is an episode that features 4 interviews from key leaders and speakers at SIOP’s Leading Edge Consortium in late October 2024. In this episode, we speak with four key leaders including Shonna Waters, Trish Vassar, Sophia Lamuraglia, and Richard Chambers.

During the conversation, we explore key topics including what it means for leaders to lead effectively in a changing workplace, the role of AI in leadership development, and what’s top of mind for those in the organizational psychology profession in today’s workplace.

This episode also explores key leadership development practices, including AI-driven coaching tools, simplified competency models, and the critical role of learning agility in preparing leaders for an uncertain future.

Links

• SIOP Leading Edge Consortium: https://www.siop.org/Leading-Edge-Consortium
• Trish Vassar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trish-vassar-phd-96aab1/
• Richard Chambers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-chambers-phd-aa680a56/
• Shonna Waters: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shonna-waters/
• Sofia Lamuraglia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofialamuraglia/