Social ecosystems, AI and measurement were in full force at The Business of Training Conference – our double agent Gaëlle Delmas-Watson sent back this classified report
Mission: The Business of Training Conference
Location: London, MI6’s historical birthplace
Date: 17 October 2024
Status: Mission Completed
This assignment took place at the historical birthplace of MI6, the British government intelligence agency. The building is steeped in history, reminding us all that knowledge and learning are often “constricted by legacy systems, institutions, structure, and associated meaning,” as Julian Stodd stated in his keynote. The historical context was fitting—one cannot overlook the past when preparing for the future: to meet the needs of a modern society and a changing workplace, learning too must evolve.
We learn both individually and collaboratively, and this social element is increasingly digital
Julian Stodd
The Business of Training Conference is designed as a safe space where training providers, and the broader L&D supplier community, can discuss the current challenges of serving clients and learners in ways that truly make a difference. Our mission was to delve into AI, personalised learning, and measuring learning impact—areas crucial to shaping the future of the industry.
Under one roof, there may have been competitors, but the atmosphere felt more like a diverse, united family. The wide array of training companies—from mechanical engineering to leadership in healthcare—demonstrated that, despite differences, we all share a core value: enabling others to become the best version of themselves.
Digital, distributed learning
The morning briefings were designed to provoke thought. Our first contact was the brilliant Julian Stodd, who shared his reflections on learning in the workplace, enriched by his own artwork. Julian’s strategic focus was on social ecosystems and their complexities. In the digital age, knowledge is distributed, mobile, and no longer confined to traditional validation processes. He reminded us that we learn both individually and collaboratively, and this social element is increasingly digital—consider the rise of online communities, for example. The digital world has fundamentally altered not only learning but power structures, which is reflected in the latest workplace evolutions.
With AI now a key player in the training world, we can expect rapid changes in how we define and deliver learning activities. Julian highlighted AI’s role in accelerating the prototyping of new ideas—an opportunity ripe for exploitation by us in the L&D field.
The learning and development imperative
Next, we concentrated on one of the most crucial aspects of adult learning: best practices in designing learning experience with Roy de Vries. He quoted Dr Daniel Schwartz stating that, “The biggest risk of AI is that it makes us more effective at ineffective practice.”
This segued seamlessly into Laura Overton’s insightful reflection on the “L&D Value Spectrum.” Years of research on successful learning have shown that the value of learning is directly linked to business performance. In a digital age, the role of training providers has shifted from content creation to fostering environments that allow learners to grow.
These three sessions, based on evidence and research, draw a clear strategic vision of the powerful role of learning as a tool of performance to support businesses.
You change what you measure
Moving from the strategy to the tactics, afternoon sessions were dedicated to case studies on impact measurement and the possibilities presented by advanced technologies including AI. Each case illustrated that measuring learning impact is no longer a distant dream. However, it’s an evolutionary process that requires the entire learning ecosystem of ed tech, training providers and internal L&D to know and understand business goals.
It also requires businesses to recognise that while learning impact may not always point to a specific intervention, collaborative efforts contribute to a collective shift in performance, ultimately benefiting company culture. Dr Lubomira Anastassiva-Chirmiciu presented a great case from the Greater London Authority. My best take away from this session is that GLA employs a separate and specialised organisation to measure training impact.
In a West London building, talked and made
The thread that tied the conference together was the way each speaker built on the others’ presentations, offering attendees a comprehensive picture of the landscape we operate in. Another key success factor was the size of the event. It was large enough to bring together a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, yet small enough to maintain an intimate, human touch that encouraged trust and connection.
Phil Wilcox advocates to be “clear, deliberate and pragmatic” for impact and he made sure to make his message unforgettable by raping it at the end – as you can see on the TJ X/Twitter post from the day! Phil also strongly advised to have a more collaborative approach and Khalifa Suleymanova explained the key elements of successful partnership based on her experience: “You have to be aligned with partners, share value proposition, share a vision and purpose”
It was fast, fun, diverse and evidenced that learning impact measurement is based on volition as well as collaboration from all involved. The event was intentionally designed to be as engaging as it was informative. Group activities promoted conversation and collaboration, embodying the spirit of learning that the conference championed.
The biggest take-away that impacted me personally was a piece of wisdom shared by Laura Overton: Build better partnerships with incremental, regular changes rather than going for the big transformation. It’s the small steps, especially with long-term partners, that lead to lasting change.
My mission here concludes, but for the delegates, the adventure is just beginning.
You can see the conference X posts from Gaelle here.
Gaëlle Delmas-Watson is Learning Experience Director & Founder at SyncSkills Performance
