Welcome to Season 5 of The Kirkpatrick Podcast! In this episode, Vanessa Alzate opens 2026 with a bold truth: We're not suffering from a lack of data—we're suffering from a lack of sense-making.

We've never had more dashboards, analytics, and reports than we do today. Yet many organizations are less confident than ever about what's really driving performance. Vanessa unpacks why more measurement doesn't automatically equal better performance, and what learning leaders must do differently this year.

From personal missteps to organizational breakthroughs, Vanessa reveals how the Kirkpatrick team used reflection, tough data questions, and real conversations with customers to chart a new direction. This episode challenges listeners to move beyond vanity metrics and rediscover the true purpose of evaluation: to learn what's working, what's not, and why.

Key Takeaways:

• We're not missing data—we're missing meaning.

• Most metrics track activity, not performance impact.

• Data without context creates paralysis, not clarity.

• Sense-making requires reflection, conversation, and courage.

• Evaluation is a learning tool, not just a reporting function.

• 2026 will disrupt L&D—and that's a good thing.

🎧 Listen now, subscribe to the Kirkpatrick Podcast, and join the movement redefining learning measurement.

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