The Edge: A Skillsoft Podcast

Today’s organizations are under intense pressure to uphold the new “social compact” between employers and employees built on mutual growth. But how can businesses retain top talent to create sustainable workforces? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Adrian Koehler, a leadership engagement expert and founding senior partner at the executive coaching firm, Take New Ground. Adrian shares his expert opinion on the passion and opportunity of becoming a great leader through transformative learning experiences.

Leaders are required to make intentional decisions about what’s right and what’s wrong for their businesses. How can organizations ensure that their employees are set up for success in making ethical choices, but also empower them to speak up when things go awry? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Asha Palmer, Senior Vice President of Compliance Solutions at Skillsoft. Asha shares her expert opinion on how organizations can empower their employees to become ethical leaders by leading with emotional intelligence, actively listening, and accepting personal accountability.

Recently, the talent shortage has sparked many conversations around the challenges of talent retention in the workplace, particularly among technical teams. As today’s top tech skills continue to evolve, how can leaders and organizations best equip their employees to succeed? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Zach Sims, the co-founder and CEO of Codecademy and General Manager of the Tech & Dev portfolio at Skillsoft. Zach shares his expert opinion on how organizations can tackle the talent shortage, upskill their workforces on the most in-demand and critical technical and leadership skills, and develop work environments that support professional development and learning.

Although we are not yet in a recession, layoffs and hiring freezes have insighted some fear that we may be headed that way. As these changes in the economy impact the workforce, how can employees and employers prepare? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Diana Ransom, an executive editor at Inc. who specializes in covering small businesses, entrepreneurship, and economic inflations and recessions. Diana shares her expert opinion on the changing state of the economy, its effect on the job market, and what we can all do now to weather what’s ahead.

Learning provides employees with the power to completely reinvent themselves. But how can we inspire the people around us to take the first steps towards making such a drastic life change? And how can we get started acquiring the new skills we need to be successful? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Nesha Pai, an award-winning author, a popular speaker, a determined mentor, and a passionate advocate for small businesses and stay-at-home moms. Nesha draws on her own experience and journey as a stay-at-home mom who reentered Corporate America. She was able to completely change her career trajectory with the founding of her own CPA firm hiring stay-at-home moms. Nesha inspires others to step into their power, regain trust in the process, and live the life of their dreams.

Two years after Black Lives Matter and a wave of corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, what progress have we made? And what must we focus on to continue the journey? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Simone Sloan, the founder of Your Choice Coach, a DEI consulting and executive coaching firm. Simone sheds some light on the current state of DEI initiatives and why it’s so important to cultivate emotional intelligence as we continue to “show up,” “do the work,” and transform in meaningful ways.

We have all been persuaded by someone or something at some point in our lives. And the ability to persuade is one of the most important power skills you can develop. But what makes persuasion work? The art of storytelling and innovative thinking promotes powerful persuasion, professionally or personally. On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Neal Foard, President of the Passion Logic Project, and master storyteller. Neal shares his expert opinion on storytelling and the power of persuasion, highlighting his career in advertising and his fame as a TikTok influencer.

We all know that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an important focus for many organizations right now, but inclusion for those who classify themselves as “introverts," isn’t always the most obvious subcategory within DEI. On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Jennifer Kahnweiler, bestselling author and one of the top global leadership speakers on introversion in the workplace. Jennifer shares her expert opinion on the top leadership skills needed for introverts, and how organizations can create an introvert-friendly culture. jenniferkahnweiler.com

Most learning journeys follow a learner from awareness, to competency, to proficiency, and finally mastery. But, skills attainment can be taken to an entirely new level when driven by purpose and passion. On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek welcomes Antonia Forster, a Senior XR Technical Specialist at Unity. Antonia’s learning journey not only changed her life,but has enabled her to use technology in creative and impactful ways to support her advocacy work for women in tech and the LGBTQ+ community.

Skillsoft’s The Edge is back for Season 3, and we’re kicking things off with a conversation around the social compact emerging between employer and employee in the modern workplace. Challenged by skills gaps, a war for talent, and the “great resignation,” employers are redefining their obligations to employees. Host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek talks with Black Knight’s Rich Baker, Enterprise LMS Administrator, and Matthew Noto, Manager for Cybersecurity and White Hat, to uncover the secret to creating a robust learning program that serves both the organization's interests and the learning needs of employees.

In honor of Women’s History Month, host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek sits down with Kristy Wallace, the CEO of Ellevate Network, a global community of women+ committed to fostering and promoting gender equality in the workplace. Together, Michelle and Kristy discuss how organizations can strive to support women+ in their careers, and how Skillsoft and Ellevate Network are working together to advance women+ in the workplace through our newly announced partnership.

On this special season finale of The Edge, we invite two insightful leaders to discuss Skillsoft’s 2nd Annual Lean into Learning Report– uncovering learning trends and lessons from 2021, and what else is to come in 2022. In part two, we speak with Cherie Hicks, a Diversity and Inclusion Learning Leader at Trane Technologies, who shares how Trane Technologies has worked to overcome the gender gap through their Women in Action™ Leadership Development Program, powered by Skillsoft.

On this special season finale of The Edge, we invite two insightful leaders to discuss Skillsoft’s 2nd Annual Lean into Learning Report – uncovering learning trends and lessons from 2021, and what else is to come in 2022. In part one, we sit down with Skillsoft’s Chief People Officer Kristi Hummel who shares her perspective on key findings from this year’s report related to building a culture of learning, maintaining and retaining talent, and upskilling employees.

Today, every company is a technology company – and so, an organization’s success depends on its ability to invest in technology-driven offerings, operations, and its people. On this episode we put a strong emphasis on the last component: people. As the rate and pace of change, particularly in technology fields, fails to abate, organizations that wish to thrive will need to focus on providing employees with critical training for in-demand skills. Jane Pitt, a Training Program Manager at Microsoft, joins The Edge to discuss why in the modern workforce, competency is the new currency.

On this episode we get vulnerable. We get real. We ask the question, who really are you? Known as the “British Oprah,” Jaz Ampaw-Farr, an International TEDx Speaker, Thought Leader, and Resilience Ninja, joins The Edge to share why we are in need of a “Human Revolution” – the next irritative of societal transformation where we must reframe our thinking to be human-first in order to showcase our true, authentic selves. The enduring message: you are good enough.

Pit crew coaches and co-founders of DECK Leadership, Mike Metcalf and Shaun Peet, know what it takes to create high-achieving teams on and off the racetrack. Drawing on their 10 years of NASCAR experience, Mike and Shaun highlight the unexpected parallels between effective teams in the pit crew department and within business. And while speed is the currency of business today, as Mike and Shaun demonstrate, allowing ourselves the time and space to think is key to winning in a performance-driven profession.

Technology is modernizing and evolving faster than we have ever seen before. As a result, IT professionals and companies are scrambling to play catch up in an industry that’s growing and changing every single day. Host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek sits down with Michael Yoo, Customer Market Leader for Skillsoft’s Technology and Developer Portfolio, and Angie Okamoto, Vice President of Product for Global Knowledge to discuss key findings from Skillsoft’s Global Knowledge 2021 IT Skills and Salary Report, uncovering what organizations can do to overcome IT skills gaps. The short answer? Companies must invest in the growth and development of their IT talent in order to keep up.

Part 2: October 27th marks National Mentoring Day: a day to celebrate coaches, mentors, and those who help us achieve professional and personal growth. Here at Skillsoft, we believe in the transformative power of mentorship and coaching and recognize the role these will play in the future of leadership development for those at all levels. To highlight this, host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, is joined by two professionals in the mentoring and coaching space – Caroline Taylor, former CMO for IBM’s Global Markets, and Beth Egan, an Executive Coach and Masterclass Speaker.

Part 1: October 27th marks National Mentoring Day: a day to celebrate coaches, mentors, and those who help us achieve professional and personal growth. Here at Skillsoft, we believe in the transformative power of mentorship and coaching and recognize the role these will play in the future of leadership development for leaders at all levels. To highlight this, host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, is joined by two professionals in the mentoring and coaching space – Caroline Taylor, former CMO for IBM's Global Markets, and Beth Egan, an Executive Coach and Masterclass Speaker.

On this two-part episode, we discuss a movement that’s been at the forefront over the past year: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). While 2020 brought an influx of knowledge and awareness to DEI, this is only the first step. So where do we go from here? To help answer this question, we invite two individuals who recently shared their stories to make Skillsoft’s new DEI courses so personal and powerful. The views expressed by guests are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Skillsoft.

Did you attend Skillsoft’s Perspectives Unleashed? If not, we’re here to catch you up on what you missed! Host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by colleague and Skillsoft’s CRO, Eric Stine, to recap Perspectives 2021, Skillsoft’s annual learning event. Drawing thousands of attendees from around the globe and tackling key topics like the future of work and skills transformation, Michelle and Eric share all you need to know about this year’s Perspectives event.

On this two-part episode, we discuss a movement that’s been at the forefront over the past year: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). While 2020 brought an influx of knowledge and awareness to DEI, this is only the first step. So where do we go from here? To help answer this question, we invite two individuals who recently shared their stories to make Skillsoft’s new DEI courses so personal and powerful. The views expressed by guests are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Skillsoft.

Over the past year and a half organizations who transitioned to a remote work model amid the pandemic have grappled with how to successfully prepare their employees for a return to physical workspaces when the time is right – but it’s not as simple as just unlocking the doors. Martin Falkenberg, CHRO of SUEZ North America, shares how their organization, a business that was deemed an essential service, implemented a return-to-work plan that ensured the health and safety of their employees throughout the pandemic. We also invite a special guest to provide their expertise on the topic.

Join us for part two of The Edge’s second season kick-off with our guest Ben Sieke, Director of Talent Development and Learning for Delta Dental of California and affiliates. Ben provides insight into the complexities involved in building a culture of learning within an organization, reflecting on the importance of infrastructure, mindsets, and relationships. In a spirited conversation with The Edge host, Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, Ben also shares how fellow leaders can look to encourage this culture among their workforces.

The Edge is back and bolder than ever with our first guest of Season 2, Ben Sieke, Director of Talent Development and Learning for Delta Dental of California and affiliates. In this first episode, Ben shares how the organization developed a customized learning program for its customer service representatives. The goal? Deliver innovation to the human side of the customer experience, by building reps’ skills in areas such as problem-solving. The outcome? Reinvigorate the contact center to not only meet, but go above and beyond customers’ expectations—leading to increased customer satisfaction and net promoter ratings.

We’ve returned to finish the conversation we started in our special miniseries of The Edge, “Women in Exodus: Reversing the Pandemic’s Unjust Effects.” In our final episode, we talk all about solutions. Join us, as Dr. Tan Morales, Global Vice President of Talent Transformation for Equifax, and Merary Simeon, Vice President of Diversity & Engagement at PepsiCo, share their expertise on empowering women to advocate for themselves and forge new career pathways.

While COVID-19 has caused a global health pandemic, its economic shockwaves have induced another crisis: the mass exodus of women from the global workforce. The economic impact of COVID-19 on women as a group has been manifold: disproportionate rates of job loss, greater complexity of workload, increased unpaid care work, and less out-of-home care support, to name a few. On this first part of “Women in Exodus: Reversing the Pandemic’s Unjust Effects,” a special miniseries of The Edge, five of Skillsoft’s female leaders come together to paint a picture of the pandemic-era challenges that women workers are facing.

In part one of our special miniseries, our Skillsoft leaders painted a clear picture: the pandemic has unfairly led to millions of women to leave the global workforce. But the question remains, how do we combat this issue? In this second episode, our team of five female Skillsoft leaders returns, digging deeper into the solutions. Recognizing that it will take collective effort to rise to the challenge and reshape what the future looks like, these leaders share their recommendations for how we can start to enable and empower women on a global scale. To close out their discussion, our leaders share their own personal stories of challenge, bias, and inequality that they have faced as women in the workforce – showcasing the value and power of personal storytelling, and how important it is for women in leadership roles to be willing to share their stories.

This week we share with you the last episode of Season One of The Edge. Alison Cowan, of Brunswick Corporation, shares insight on how the organization navigated a safe return-to-work plan amid COVID-19, while continuing to nurture the development of team members remotely.

What happens when perfect alignment occurs between the values of a mission-driven organization and the values of a mission-driven leader? Skillsoft’s new Customer Market Leader, Leadership and Business Solutions, Rashim Mogha touches on her personal journey of being a female leader, creating empowerment through innovation, and the power of positive leadership.

Compliance training isn’t just important, it’s mission-critical. Skillsoft VP of Compliance Products, Norm Ford, shares his insights on the risks and threats organizations will have to safeguard against in the years to come and how companies can become better prepared to react during times of volatility.

"Trust cautiously, sanitize frequently, share carefully, and cover exposures.” What does this have to do with our work lives, and how does it relate to developing digital dexterity? Skillsoft VP of Technology and Developer Products, Mike Hendrickson, rejoins host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek to explain and provide insight into Skillsoft’s annual Signals report, Lean Into Tech: 2020 Tech Skills Trends & 2021 Predictions.

In this special five-part series of The Edge, we bring together five of our Skillsoft leaders to share their predictions for 2021 – touching on key trends, challenges, and opportunities for the year to come and the role they will play in shaping the workforce as we know it. https://www.skillsoft.com/2021predictions

Workers have something to prove; they’re building the skills to make huge contributions at work in 2021. VP and General Manager of Product and User Experience for SumTotal Systems, Debasis Dutta, describes how a blockchain-based system of digital credentials will energize workers to learn and grow.

As leaders determine how their organizations will approach remote, on-site, and hybrid work in 2021, compliance training will be crucial. Skillsoft VP of Compliance Products, Norm Ford, shares insights on how learning can enable stronger cultures in 2021.

In 2021, more industries, organizations, and professions will need to throw out pre-pandemic era playbooks and learn to thrive with Agile.Skillsoft Chief Technology Officer, Apratim Purakayastha, explains why a digitally-transformed economy is a perfect fit for agility.

A powerful shift to digital work, collaboration, and learning occurred in 2020—and it’s not going away. Skillsoft VP of Technology and Developer Products, Mike Hendrickson, discusses the technical and human skills workers must develop in 2021, as the pandemic’s next phase unfolds.

In 2021, leaders must help women re-board into their organizations after the pandemic forced so many to leave work. Skillsoft VP of Global Talent Enablement, Elisa Vincent, explains how, with insights on DEI competencies leaders will need to learn and act upon.

In the workplace and our everyday lives, there is often immense pressure to appear as if we have all the answers and be devoid of showing any weakness. But we as humans are emotional species — sometimes we may not feel ‘okay,’ and we are not always perfect. Jez Rose, renowned behavior expert, broadcaster, and award-winning writer, speaker, and host, joins host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek to discuss accepting our own vulnerabilities and authentic selves inside and outside of the workplace, sharing that it’s okay to be imperfect.

Today’s college graduates represent the first generation of young professionals entering the workforce during a global pandemic. With a challenging economy and uncertain job market that presents twists and turns for these graduates, resiliency is key. Host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by a group of Skillsoft interns on this week’s episode to discuss finding strength in what you learn from others and succeeding in a virtual workplace.

Many organizations find themselves facing a disconnect between bringing awareness to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and actually driving behavioral changes. A key component of enabling these changes is making employees feel like they belong in the workplace, but this isn’t guaranteed. Su Joun, diversity and inclusion scholar and practitioner, professor, and principal at Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group, joins host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek to share her advice on how organizations can start to drive these behavioral changes, and foster a sense of belonging for all

While you've likely heard of Canon, you might not be familiar with the company’s corporate philosophy of Kyosei. In this episode of The Edge, Gerard Pieterse, Director People Development at Canon EMEA, joins host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek to discuss Canon’s Bike for Congo initiative as a shining example of a company shared value system committed to the greater good.

With such rapid change, time for reflection is hard to come by. As we learn and grow during this time of great transformation, consider adopting a forward-looking lens. In this episode of The Edge, Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer and Principal HCM Analyst at Brandon Hall Group, joins host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek to share timely research and insight about the state of the learning and development field.

Charged with helping learners, employees and organizations reach their potential; the role of the Chief Learning officer is invaluable. In today’s episode of The Edge, host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek welcomes Elisa Vincent, Vice President of Global Talent Enablement at Skillsoft as co-host. They are joined by Dr. Karen Wolf, Chief Learning Officer of ManTech International and Emma Engel, Chief Learning and Inclusion Officer of Unisys to discuss the continuously evolving role of the CLO during transformative times.

Challenging the traditional model of working in silos, many companies are taking more collaborative approaches to product development. In this episode, host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek introduces two guests Denise Accuradi, Global Manager of Virtual Learning at Manpower Group, and Potoula Chresomales, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Skillsoft, to discuss Skillsoft's design partner program that allows customers to contribute to the product roadmap.

When you are a Risk Consult Engineer and your job is to know the ins and outs of how and why a boiler fire starts and spreads, what happens when a hands-on training program suddenly needs to transition online? In the latest episode of The Edge, guest Joel Sklar, Senior Learning Designer at FM Global, joins host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek to share how the global insurance company reimagined its training program for a fleet of risk-minded engineers.

In times of crisis, you can see a person’s true character in how they “show up” for the people who depend on them. This adage speaks volumes for full-service global event production company, PSAV. In this episode, host Michelle Boockoff Bajdek and guest Derek Blake, Divisional Vice President, Global Learning & Development, for PSAV discuss how the company approached the recreating of shared, impactful experiences in a transformed world.

Amid a heath crisis and social unrest, the role of human capital leaders has greatly evolved in the past few months. With new added responsibility in a time of disruption, human capital leaders have been on the frontlines. In this episode of The Edge, host Michelle Boockoff Badjek welcomes guest Josh Bersin, a thought leader focusing on the global talent market to discuss how HR leaders adapting to new roles and responsibilities.

When organizations are confronted with difficult circumstances, survival and recovery are the end goals. In the face of adversity, Comscore seized the opportunity to enact a transformational culture shift. Joining host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is Beth Teixeira, Director of Learning at Comscore. She discusses a pivotal turning point for the organization along with a shift in Learning and Development during the pandemic

In today’s climate, we find ourselves relying on technology more than ever before across different facets of our lives. Although technology has the power to drive positive change, rarely do we consider the existence and consequences of discrimination in technology and data. In today’s special episode of The Edge, host Michelle Boockoff- Badjek is joined by colleague Bethelly Jean-Louis, communications intern and senior at Emerson College, to delve into the topic of intersection between technology, bias, and culture with Dr. Ruha Benjamin, esteemed professor of African American studies at Princeton University and author of Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code

While many of us have settled into our remote work routines, this pandemic has proven to serve as a catalysts for organizations to examine the future of their organizations, as well as redefine the nature of leadership in this digital era. In this episode, host Michelle Bookoff-Badjek welcomes Paul Michelman, Editor in Chief of MIT Sloan Management Review, to discuss the evolving nature of leadership and the future organizations face as they digitally mature.