Frontline Unscripted

We’re celebrating the release of Learning Experience Design Essentials, the new book from one of our favorite ITK guests, Cara North!

Cara’s gone from “accidental instructional designer” with Amazon to L&D director with Circulo Health to literally writing the book on modern learning design. Now she joins JD for a rousing game of Agree to Disagree! where they both share their takes on the hottest questions in L&D. 

• Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.
• Pick up a copy of Cara North's new book Learning Experience Design Essentials at td.org/book/learning-experience-design-essentials. 
• Subscribe for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.
• Grab your ticket for AxoniCom 2023 in Nashville this October at axonify.com/axonicom. 

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the proven frontline enablement solution that gives employees everything they need to learn, connect and get things done. With an industry-leading 83% engagement rate, Axonify is used by companies to deliver next-level CX, higher sales, improved workplace safety and lower turnover. To learn more about how Axonify enables over 3.5 million frontline workers in 160-plus countries, in over 250 companies including Lowe’s, Kroger, Walmart and Citizens Bank, visit axonify.com.

Who deserves the chance to get better at their jobs?

Everyone, of course! And while the answer is obvious, delivering on that promise is more nuanced than you may realize.

Diane Elkins, co-founder of Artisan E-Learning and founding member of Inspire Accessibility, joins JD to share practical insights for improving equity in workplace learning and explains why accessibility is about so much more than checking regulatory boxes. She debunks common accessibility myths, highlights frequent learning design mistakes and provides proven tips for selecting partners that truly prioritize accessibility.

• Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.
• Subscribe for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.
• Donate to support Canine Assistants.
• Grab your copy of Everything you need to know about frontline enablement.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the proven frontline enablement solution that gives employees everything they need to learn, connect and get things done. With an industry-leading 83% engagement rate, Axonify is used by companies to deliver next-level CX, higher sales, improved workplace safety and lower turnover. To learn more about how Axonify enables over 3.5 million frontline workers in 160-plus countries, in over 250 companies including Lowe’s, Kroger, Walmart and Citizens Bank, visit axonify.com.

If you want tried-and-tested tactics to keep your people engaged and invested in the success of your business, look to startups. If larger organizations can successfully tap into that agile innovation … you’ve got the potential for magic.

Endy, Canada’s leading online mattress brand, is building a culture of deliberate and continuous learning that starts on day one. The goal? Build out a team of experts who can pivot quickly to act in the company’s best interest, every single day.

Join Gloria Chau, Endy’s Manager of Learning and Development, and Axonify’s JD Dillon as they explore Endy’s foundational learning culture and identify key learnings that larger enterprise companies should keep top-of-mind in the face of constant change.

• Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.
• Subscribe for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.
• Donate to support Furniture Bank.
• Learn more about Max, Axonify's latest AI-powered innovation. 

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the proven frontline enablement solution that gives employees everything they need to learn, connect and get things done. With an industry-leading 83% engagement rate, Axonify is used by companies to deliver next-level CX, higher sales, improved workplace safety and lower turnover. To learn more about how Axonify enables over 3.5 million frontline workers in 160-plus countries, in over 250 companies including Lowe’s, Kroger, Walmart and Citizens Bank, visit axonify.com.

Did you know the average person will have between 3 and 7 different careers over the course of their professional lives?

We explore modern tactics for career development with Al Dea, Leadership Development Consultant and host of The Edge of Work podcast. Al's work has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, Time, Fast Company and The World Economic Forum. Now he joins JD on ITK to redefine concept of a career in the modern workplace, including:

• What's wrong with the phrase "employees should own their careers"
• Why career building is a team sport
• The role managers must play in enabling career development
• Whether you should follow passion or skill when charting a career path
• How to know when its time to move on

Al and JD also share their own career journeys and key insights they’ve picked up while working with companies like Disney, Deloitte and Salesforce.

If you’re actively looking for your next role, starting to think about making a change or looking to expand your professional network, this episode is for you!

• Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.
• Subscribe for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.
• Learn more about JD's new book - The Modern Learning Ecosystem - at jdwroteabook.com.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the proven frontline enablement solution that gives employees everything they need to learn, connect and get things done. With an industry-leading 83% engagement rate, Axonify is used by companies to deliver next-level CX, higher sales, improved workplace safety and lower turnover. To learn more about how Axonify enables over 3.5 million frontline workers in 160-plus countries, in over 250 companies including Lowe’s, Kroger, Walmart and Citizens Bank, visit axonify.com.

Elizabeth Thompson (Founder and Chief Experience Officer for Intuitive Quest) has seen it all in her 20-plus year career in HR. 

From mass layoffs at Starbucks during a recession to having a front row seat to a Chapter 11 experience with Southeastern Grocers as the Chief People Officer and how the grocer came out of the experience not only wiser but transformed to a level that resulted in a Harvard Business School case study on their cultural transformation. Elizabeth has witnessed seismic global shifts that have impacted how we support employees and develop leaders, and created a framework for how organizations can embrace change and build trust while staying open and agile enough to continuously adapt.

Elizabeth joins JD Dillon (Axonify) to chat about how positive change starts with good leadership and that a focus on 3 core pillars—communication, leader training & development and data that proves impact to stakeholders—combined with a willingness to be vulnerable and tear down old structures can lead to a breakthrough.

• Read the full Grocery EX Snapshot from Axonify at axonify.com/GroceryEX.
• Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.
• Subscribe for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.
• Learn more about JD's new book - The Modern Learning Ecosystem - at jdwroteabook.com.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the proven frontline enablement solution that gives employees everything they need to learn, connect and get things done. With an industry-leading 83% engagement rate, Axonify is used by companies to deliver next-level CX, higher sales, improved workplace safety and lower turnover. To learn more about how Axonify enables over 3.5 million frontline workers in 160-plus countries, in over 250 companies including Lowe’s, Kroger, Walmart and Citizens Bank, visit axonify.com.

How do we make it easier for frontline workers to do their jobs?

It’s a simple question, but the answer is more nuanced than you might expect. RedThread Research asked over 500 employees and 50 leaders from a wide range of industries and job functions about what’s working—and what’s not—when it comes to enabling the success of their teams for its recent report, Getting Real About the Frontline Workforce.

Join report authors Heather Gilmartin Adams and Dani Johnson and Axonify’s Josh Felix as they unpack the findings from this pivotal report to learn what organizations are doing to drive progress—and what barriers they still need to overcome. They explore the connection between stability and high performance, the disconnect around employee development, the rise and fall of frontline recognition and more.

Grab a copy of "Getting Real about the Frontline Workforce" from RedThread Research (ungated) at axonify.com/redthread.

Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.

Sign up for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the mobile-first training and communication solution that helps make sure your frontline workforce is ready for anything. To learn more about Axonify’s digital learning experience and check out success stories from companies like Kroger, Levi's, Briscoe Group, Citizen’s Bank, MOL Group and Etihad Airways, visit axonify.com.

We’re settling the debate on gamification—again!

Join us for a rewind (not rerun) of our most popular episode to date. Karl Kapp—the man who literally wrote the book on the subject—joins JD for a no-nonsense conversation on the dos and don’ts of gamification. Karl plays the ITK Game and explains how you can increase engagement, boost knowledge and super-size the fun by blending game mechanics within your learning programs.

Karl also gives us an update on his YouTube series, The Unofficial, Unauthorized History of Learning Games. If you’ve ever wondered what L&D can learn from Candy Land, be sure to check it out!

Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.

Sign up for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.

Grab a copy of JD's new book - The Modern Learning Ecosystem - at jdwroteabook.com.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the mobile-first training and communication solution that helps make sure your frontline workforce is ready for anything. To learn more about Axonify’s digital learning experience and check out success stories from companies like Kroger, Levi's, Briscoe Group, Citizen’s Bank, MOL Group and Etihad Airways, visit axonify.com.

We’re jumping into our DeLorean to discover the future of L&D!

2023 is a critical year for the L&D profession. After three years of nonstop disruption, L&D pros have an opportunity to define the role they’ll play in the future of work. To make smart investments, they must get past the hype and focus their limited time and resources on the best ideas. But how can L&D specialists determine which ideas are worth pursuing and which will fade out fast? It’s not like they have a time machine—or do they?

Join Donald H Taylor and JD Dillon on a journey back to the future of L&D! Don’s had his finger on the pulse of the industry for years thanks to his annual Global Sentiment Survey. Don and JD will turn back the clock to find out how the biggest trends impacted the workplace over the past two decades. Then they’ll travel 88 mph (or 142 kph) to explore new ideas that are shaping the future of L&D, including AI, reskilling and the metaverse.

Dona also provides a sneak peek into the Learning Technologies Conference happening May 3-4 in London, England.

Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.

Sign up for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.

Grab a copy of JD's new book - The Modern Learning Ecosystem - at jdwroteabook.com.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the mobile-first training and communication solution that helps make sure your frontline workforce is ready for anything. To learn more about Axonify’s digital learning experience and check out success stories from companies like Kroger, Levi's, Briscoe Group, Citizen’s Bank, MOL Group and Etihad Airways, visit axonify.com.

This conversation gets SPICY!!!

With a marketplace full of options and new competitors emerging daily, it’s more difficult (and expensive) than ever to attract and retain customers. Today’s buyers aren’t just looking for vendors; they’re searching for partners who are dedicated to shared success. That’s why an awesome customer education program is essential to improving retention and growing your brand.

Ryan Dillon, Vice President of Corporate Development at Thought Industries, joins JD Dillon to break down the essentials of a solid customer education program and connect over some common ground—they have the same last name, both work in tech and are both online talk show hosts!

Ryan’s show Hot Takes is inspired by the popular YouTube chicken wing/celeb interview series Hot Ones. So, to make our guest feel at home, as the conversation around how to build a rad customer education program heats up, Ryan and JD eat increasingly spicy chicken wings.

Get ready for 2 Dillons, 7 hot sauces and 25 minutes of fun on this ITK episode!

Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.

Sign up for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.

Grab a copy of JD's new book - The Modern Learning Ecosystem - at jdwroteabook.com.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the mobile-first training and communication solution that helps make sure your frontline workforce is ready for anything. To learn more about Axonify’s digital learning experience and check out success stories from companies like Kroger, Levi's, Briscoe Group, Citizen’s Bank, MOL Group and Etihad Airways, visit axonify.com.

Do you remember the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original, not the remake)? Charlie, Grandpa Joe and Willy Wonka board the Great Glass Wonkavator. It’s not an elevator because “an elevator can only go up and down, but the Wonkavator can go sideways and slantways and longways and backways … and any other ways you can think of …”

A flying elevator isn’t just a fun way to end a movie—it’s also the perfect metaphor for career development in today's workplace!

Join Lori Niles-Hofmann (Senior EdTech Transformation Strategist at NilesNolen) and JD Dillon as they break down the concept of the skill-based organization. They explain why career paths are an outdated notion and how continuous upskilling fosters organizational agility, staves off disruption and empowers workers to seize new opportunities. This is a can’t-miss episode for anyone building a skill-based talent strategy!

Watch the full video of this episode on the Axonify YouTube Channel.

Sign up for ITK updates and show announcements at axonify.com/itk.

Learn more about and donate to Dreamflight at www.dreamflight.org.

Grab a copy of JD's new book - The Modern Learning Ecosystem - at jdwroteabook.com.

In The Know is brought to you by Axonify, the mobile-first training and communication solution that helps make sure your frontline workforce is ready for anything. To learn more about Axonify’s digital learning experience and check out success stories from companies like Kroger, Levi's, Briscoe Group, Citizen’s Bank, MOL Group and Etihad Airways, visit axonify.com.