Ep. 21 – How to Speak to L&D about the Business – Liz Stefan

In this episode Lavinia and Kevin discuss what's actually the value of AI tools for L&D. The surprising part? It's not about LLMs and AI-enabled tools, but rather it's about automation and freeing up your time for higher value tasks. Highlights: 1:24 - What is actually different about NOW with AI? 6:09 - L&D teams acquire these very complex LMSes 11:31 - L&D teams is that they're stuck with operational tasks 17:15 - Looking for automation opportunities at OffBeat 22:34 - Lavinia's process looking for opportunities 28:10 - 3 Hot Seat Questions 📚 Resources: Connect with Lavinia on LinkedIn: Lavinia Mehedintu Join OffBeat: ⁠Offbeat.works Sana Labs Article: Link Lavinia Mehedintu has been designing learning experiences and career development programs for the past 9 years both in the corporate world and in higher education. As a Co-Founder and Learning Architect @Offbeat she's applying adult learning principles so that learning & people professionals can connect, collaborate, and grow. - - 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia, focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, Kevin has transitioned from the classroom into tech to help people communicate better through video. He has crafted enterprise and branded learning solutions for organizations like General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. 🧑🏽‍🏫 Discover the Synthesia Academy: ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ 🗣Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: ⁠Kevin Alster

Dr. Ash Mehta is a visionary in learning technology, passionate about transforming enterprise learning through innovative, immersive, and gamified experiences that yield measurable outcomes. With a mission to create personalized, engaging learning environments, Ash develops strategies that leverage the latest technologies, including AI, to stimulate knowledge and skill development effectively. In our conversation, we explore the influence of AI on learning, the science behind personalized learning, and his approach to designing transformational learning solutions. Chapters: 0:13 - Intro1:28 - Where AI and L&D is now4:53 - How to approach AI solutions in L&D12:26 - What companies get out of AI video18:56 - Example of AI Strategy in Work25:48 - Where AI Agents play a role in AI strategy31:08 - The real potential of AI Agents in experiences 41:27 - Ash's 3 rapid fire questions 📚 Resources: Connect with Ash on LinkedIn: Dr. Ash Mehta Learn More About Ash’s Work: https://mehtadology.com/ - - 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia, focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, Kevin has transitioned from the classroom into tech to help people communicate better through video. He has crafted enterprise and branded learning solutions for organizations like General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. 🧑🏽‍🏫 Discover the Synthesia Academy: Synthesia Academy 🗣Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: Kevin Alster

Fei Wu is a Chinese-American video marketing expert and virtual event strategist who helps creators and businesses transform their visions into impactful digital brands. Specializing in video content, she supports small business owners in showcasing their products and services, while leveraging YouTube and podcast strategies to expand their customer base. In our conversation we talk about the impact of AI tools on creators, her journey to cracking the code on YouTube, and most importantly how to tackle the creative process. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 4:45 - The US/UK vs. the Asian tech experience 8:07 - The impact of AI on creator tools 14:59 - Feisworld - the audience, the creation story 25:03 - The key to success - breaking down the process 32:20 - The key to success - finding drive and motivation 37:12 - What are 3 healthy challenges to help you get started? 📚 Resources: Fei's World YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FeisworldMedia Connect with Fei on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feiwu/ Find out more about Fei's Services: https://www.feisworld.com/ ____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video. He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster/ ____

Rory Barnett is an accomplished British voiceover artist with over six years of full-time experience, bringing a rich background as a BBC radio presenter, reporter, and newsreader. Based in London, Rory specializes in bringing scripts to life from his personal studio, leveraging his extensive media experience to enhance diverse voice projects. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 6:22 - Radio and Other Broadcast Journalism 11:35 - The Range of Work of a Voiceover Artist 16:32 - How does a voiceover artist turn words on page into the recording? 21:44 - What should change about how we present eLearning content? 29:32 - How does a voiceover artist view AI voices? 36:22 - Rory's tip for amateur voiceover artists 📚 Resources: Rory's 2021 interview: https://rorybarnett.com/on-air-duel-with-audiobook-ai-narrator/ Connect with Rory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-barnett-voiceover/ ✉ Email: [email protected]🌐 Website: http://www.rorybarnett.com 👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/rory.barnett.148💻 Twitter: @rorybarnettvo ____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video. He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster/ ____

Josh Cardoz, Chief Creative & Learning Officer at Sponge Group, a global leader in digital learning. He has an extensive background in digital learning strategy, execution, and team upskilling. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 5:33 - From Instructional Designer to CLO 13:47 - Learning is always the medium not the end 16:18 - Let's not waste people time 21:18 - Always identify the compelling question 27:09 - How does a CLO think about digital tools compared to you? 35:48 - AI's impact on quality of experience ____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video. He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster/ ____

Lauren stands as a distinguished Learning Scientist, known for her expertise and groundbreaking contributions to the field of Learning and Development. With a formidable triple certification in Neuroscience, she navigates the intricate pathways of cognition with unparalleled precision. Her journey is one of relentless pursuit and unwavering dedication and advocation to evolve the way we learn and grow as human beings. In the realm of Learning and Development, Lauren's name is synonymous with innovation and excellence. Her insights transcend conventional boundaries, reshaping paradigms and inspiring transformative change. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 4:28 - Using focus to get learners to understand their brains 8:34 - Some learning myths about the brain that should stop 12:00 - How does your brain work (explained with visuals) 22:13 - How do you deal with stakeholders who need to learn more about the brain? 29:00 - How can we use neuroscience research to better evaluate what sticks for learners? 33:12 - The importance of informal assessment and "at bats" 42:35 - What is the starting point for if you want to learn more about neuroscience? 📚 Resources: Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-waldman-learning-pirate-4666bab/ Joining Forces with Your Brain: https://www.learningpirate.com/joining-forces-with-your-brain ____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video. He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster/ ____

Liz Stefan currently serves as the CEO and co-founder of Nifty Learning, which helps companies save 20% of their training budgets and turn training costs into strategic investments. She brings her experience working in Fortune 500 companies through Xerox helping to develop scaled enterprise solutions for her clients. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:40 - Reimagining the L&D field and changing its image 7:35 - How to get L&D to speak to the business 12:12 - Bringing Product Mindset into L&D 26:14 - Where has L&D done well? What examples can we pull? 34:55 - How would you rewrite the job description of a future L&D? 📚 Resources: Connect with Liz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisaletitiastefan/ ____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video. He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster/ ____

Guy W. Wallace is a retired Performance Analyst and Instructional Architect (as of July 2023) and had been designing and developing performance-based Instruction - Performance Guides & Learning Experiences - for Enterprise Learning functions and their business-critical target audiences since 1979. ____ Chapters 2:32 - Why is Performance critical for L&D? 10:55 - What is the difference between education vs. training? 21:02 - Bringing the business mindset to L&D 30:27 - What's the cost of doing nothing? Framing consequences 35:13 - The critical question to ask your stakeholders 46:00 - What DO we call the L&D role of the future? ____ 🖐🏽 Key Takeaways: 1. L&D is poor at delivering outcomes because there's too much focus placed on delivering content and too much on behaviors. Both are necessary for a quality experience...but they are the drivers of those outcomes. 2. L&D is missing the business mindset and the language of business that helps us to connect with our stakeholders. We should be looking to frame our business case for our training by framing our outcomes in terms that our stakeholders can understand. 3. Ask the question: "What would authentic practice look like?" This helps stakeholders to understand transfer; it helps you to create effective practice; it ensures that everyone is aligned for both the timeline and evaluation for the success of your program. ____ 📚 Resources: Connect with Guy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guywwallace/ Books written by Guy: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Guy%20W.%20Wallace/author/B08JQC4C4V ____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services.With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video.He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster/ ____

Jason Gulya is an AI Strategist in higher education. Transforming initial skepticism about AI into advocacy, he now focuses on integrating AI into educational workflows. His expertise has guided numerous educators and institutions in harnessing AI for personalized and effective teaching. ____ Chapters 1:16 - How similar are L&D and Higher Education? 7:22 - How has Gen AI changed the first semester with ChatGPT? 13:48 - How are we training educators to get ready for AI? 28:14 - How do LLMs shorten the skills gap for new adopters? 32:24 - What does the new bachelor's degree look like with AI as a skill? ____ 🖐🏽 Key Takeaways: 1. AI is going to shine a light on what has been broken for years in education. 2. First, we should focus on educating people on the use and workings of LLMs and AI tech. Then when people understand the technology a bit better and what it can do...then we can focus on strategy. 3. Where AI is a boon for learning is not only being able to create a product that is more complete and supplements the skills a learner doesn't have...but also for students to then be able to reflect on the process that led them to the product. ____ 📚 Resources: Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-gulya/____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services.With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video.He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____

Today, I'm speaking with Mark Lassoff, the Chief Skills Officer at SkillSprints. He has been a frequent presenter and taught workshops on his approaches to Digital Learning. His company Framework Tech has educated more than 2.6 million individuals in digital skills. He's also the recent author of "The Ulimate Guide to Creating Online Learning Video: A Comprehensive Handbook for Instructional Designers." ____ Chapters 01:24 - What were the biggest conversations at DevLearn this year? 11:14 - What are the core concepts of instructional video that every designer should know? 19:19 - What makes an online learning video compared to just any other video? 27:11 - What is the most effective way to engage viewers through video? 31:24 - What can we take from TikTok videos and how can we apply that to learning video? 37:33 - What's the best advice for getting started in creating learning videos? ____ 🖐🏽 Key Takeaways: 1. Every learning video should have just one learning objective. If you have more than one learning objective in a video...make another video! 2. Thorough pre-production planning is crucial for efficient and effective video production. Time invested in pre-production can significantly save time during the actual production and post-production phases. 3. Start creating videos knowing that initial attempts might not be perfect but they are essential for learning and improvement in video production skills. 4. Observe successful content creators on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. You can pick up various techniques and styles, helping you develop your own unique approach to video production. ____ 📚 Resources: Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklassoff/ The Ulimate Guide to Creating Online Learning Video: A Comprehensive Handbook for Instructional Designers: https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Creating-Online-Learning/dp/B0CF4LJCNH ____ 🤔 About the Host Kevin Alster leads the learning team at Synthesia focusing primarily on product education and client services. With over a decade of experience in education and learning, he has moved from the classroom and into tech to help people create and communicate better through video. He has been developing enterprise and branded learning solutions in organizations such as General Assembly, The School of The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art. ____ 🧑🏽‍🏫 Check out the ⁠Synthesia Academy⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.synthesia.io/academy⁠ 🗣 Or get in touch with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____