Exploring the Learning 2020 General Sessions

As we built the general session program for Learning 2020 Online, one question consistently came to mind:

What are the most critical topics learning leaders need to explore right now?

Each of the four general sessions targets one of these topics. In this post I want to provide you with a quick preview of what you can expect from each session.

What Is Learning Leadership?

In the opening general session for Learning 2020 Online, we will welcome learning leaders Lisa Christensen, Frank Nguyen, and Megan Torrance for a panel discussion exploring a simple question with a deep and complex answer: What exactly is learning leadership in a modern learning organization?

The conversation will go beyond learning leadership as an idea and examine what it looks like as a practice, targeting specific skills and behaviors that can be built and nurtured, as well as the knowledge and skills we need to develop in order to prepare ourselves (and our teams) for the challenges to come.

The Future of Learning and Work

The world of work is evolving, shaped by numerous forces of technological and cultural change. As the world of work evolves, so too does the work learning teams need to do in supporting workers and the organizations we serve.

In the second general session of day one of Learning 2020 we will hear five short TED-like talks, each from a different learning leader sharing a unique perspective on how L&D must pivot to support the workforce of the future. The speakers for this special are Julie Dirksen, Karl Kapp, Frank Nguyen, Hadiya Nuriddin, and myself.

Navigating the Pandemic Crisis

Our third general session at Learning 2020 features the popular annual CLO Panel. This year’s panel features CLOs Karen Kocher, Rob Lauber, Frank Nguyen, and Matt Smith.

The panelists will share there personal experiences navigating crisis, and the lessons that they have learned that can help each of us support our organizations and successfully navigate this crisis personally and professionally.

Preparing for the New Normal

As more and more news emerges around COVID-19 vaccines being developed and potentially distributed, the potential end to the pandemic in the coming months suddenly seems plausible. But the end of the pandemic doesn’t mean things will return to normal; there will be a new normal that incorporates changes in our culture and other impacts of the pandemic.

The closing general session of Learning 2020 welcomes Bob Mosher, Frank Nguyen, and Nigel Paine for a panel discussion examining this new normal, exploring both what it may look like, and how learning leaders can prepare themselves and their organizations for these changes.

A Program Built with Learning Leadership in Mind

The general sessions are just the tip of the Learning 2020 iceberg. We are excited to be hosting thirty sessions over the course of three days, each targeting a unique challenge facing today’s learning leaders. We also are expecting a community of over 5,500 attending this event, each of whom has something to share that we can learn from.

I’m looking forward to exploring the brave new world of learning leadership with you at Learning 2020, November 16 – 18, all online.

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