This session blends practical strategy with mindset work: you’ll leave with a simple, actionable roadmap for building a learning culture that speaks the language of business—and a reflection guide to uncover the assumptions you need to release to get there. Whether you lead talent development, team learning, or enterprise-wide training initiatives, you’ll walk away empowered to drive measurable impact and cultivate a learning culture of agility and purpose. Join us if you’re ready to let go of going through the motions—and step into learning that truly transforms.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Identify the key elements of a data-driven learning framework and describe how they can be leveraged to demonstrate the business value of talent development initiatives.
2. Evaluate current learning programs to uncover assumptions, legacy practices, or misaligned metrics that may be hindering organizational learning agility.
3. Apply a clear, step-by-step roadmap to design or refine a learning culture that integrates data insights, leadership priorities, and measurable impact.
4. Practice strategies for “letting go” of outdated learning methods and shifting toward a culture that encourages experimentation, reflection, and continuous growth.
5. Develop a personalized action plan to communicate learning outcomes in the language of business, reinforcing credibility and influence within organizational decision-making.
Facilitator Bio: Debbie Petru
Debbie oversees the learning strategy for over 2000 associates across six states at Heritage Communities. She leads a frontline manager training program and partners with senior leaders on KPIs, addressing skill gaps with outcome-focused development opportunities. She drives frontline engagement through the Heritage Always Learning Academy (HALA). An ATD Nebraska past president, Debbie enjoys family time, the outdoors, reading, movies, and volunteering. She is currently writing her memoir, “Daffodils for My Daughter.”
In today’s fast-paced workplace, the true differentiator isn’t just more training—it’s aligning learning with business impact and being willing to let go of old habits that hold us back. In this breakout session inspired by the insights of Debbie Petru (from her blogs on data-driven learning cultures and the journey of letting go), you’ll explore how to:1. Anchor your learning strategy in a clear, measurable framework, starting with the end in mind, identifying key stakeholders, gathering available data sources and defining meaningful KPIs.2. Embrace a mindset of letting go—of outdated assumptions, irrelevant metrics, and “one-size-fits-all” training—so you can more readily respond to real business needs and shift direction when required.
