Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2021 - 51

provided us with a wealth of data on the
employee event experience.
Last year, we pivoted ELW to become
an entirely virtual experience -
inviting employees from across the
organization to share their skills and
knowledge with us. Thanks to the
data we collected previously, we
avoided the common pitfalls of making
assumptions about our employees'
wants and needs. ELW 2020 provided
a mix of synchronous and on-demand
experiences on topics ranging from
fostering inclusion in the workplace
and managing mental well-being to
prepping a keto-friendly meal together
in real-time. By co-creating events
like ELW with engaged members
of our workforce, we highlighted
the talent our employees bring
to The Bancorp community while
demonstrating the value of ongoing
professional development through
skill improvement.
Creating a culture of learning takes
time. Although many employees are
engaged with L&D today, our team
is acutely aware that maintaining
this level of awareness and trust is
a continual investment. When other
priorities take center stage, ongoing
development and a growth mindset are
the first things to fall by the wayside. As
a result, we have to take risks to shift
employee perceptions about L&D. To
that end, ask yourself:
* What is your organization willing to
do differently?
* What's the cost of not trying
something new?
* What is the manager's role in driving
learning and engagement in your
organization?
After reading this, what actions do you
plan to take? It could be as simple as
scheduling a brainstorming session
with some of your key stakeholders to
explore the next steps.
At the beginning of this article, we
asked how L&D fosters an environment
where individuals are encouraged to
achieve their best. Learning is one way
for employees to feel connected to one
another and valued at work. Since 2018,
we've shared our vision. We continue to
be frank about how we could improve
L&D with every level of the organization.
Through many
cycles
instituting
new initiatives, soliciting feedback,
and adjusting along the way, we
transformed perceptions about L&D into
a strength and a chance to realize new
opportunities. Today, every interaction
with the business is another chance
to flex a habit of working together to
solve problems and navigate changing
circumstances together.
Sari Daisey is the director of talent
management for The Bancorp. She
has over 20 years' experience in
the learning and development field.
Maria Mejia focuses on projects
related to organizational training and
human performance needs, ranging
from compliance to skills-based and
technical subjects, at The Bancorp.
Email the authors.
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Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2021

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