Powered by Learning

Powered by Learning is an award-winning podcast by d'Vinci Interactive, offering insights and best practices for creating impactful learning and performance improvement programs. Join learning and development leaders as they share strategies to design, deliver, and evaluate engaging experiences that drive individual and organizational success. Recognized by the Communicator Awards and Davey Awards, the podcast is also featured in Feedspot's Top 40 L&D Podcasts and Training Industry's Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci: Website: www.dvinci.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/d'vinci-interactive/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dVinciInteractive Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dvinciinteractive/

Powered by Learning is a business podcast hosted by d'Vinci Interactive, with 124 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

d'Vinci Interactive hosts Powered by Learning, a business show with 124 episodes published.

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  Episode #125

  Learning to Lead with AI: SmartLab on Productive Struggle and Human Skills

  Sep 30, 202638 minS7

  Lessons from SmartLab’s approach to preparing students for an AI-powered world can also strengthen adult learning and workplace development. Dr. Jennifer Berry explains how project-based learning, productive struggle, and durable human skills help learners use AI to enhance—not replace—their thinking. Show Notes: Dr. Jennifer Berry of SmartLab shares that preparing people for an AI-powered world is less about teaching them to use AI and more about strengthening the uniquely human skills AI cannot replace. Her top takeaways include: Preparing learners for AI is about more than technology. Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, systems thinking, computational thinking, and adaptability are durable skills that apply across careers and technologies. Learners need a strong sense of identity and belonging. Berry defines STEM identity as the belief that you belong, can master rigorous challenges, and that your ideas add value. Productive struggle is essential to learning. Failure and discomfort help learners develop new ways of thinking, reflect on what did not work, and build the confidence to approach future challenges. AI should enhance original thinking—not replace it. Learners should first wrestle with a problem, develop their own ideas, and then use AI to refine, improve, or scale their work. Organizations must create room for experimentation and course correction. Leaders can prepare employees for change by recognizing effort, supporting thoughtful risk-taking, and allowing people to learn from unsuccessful attempts. Learn more about SmartLab About Dr. Jennifer Berry Dr. Jennifer Berry is the Chief Executive Officer for SmartLab. She has an extensive track record leading innovation and growth in multiple top K-12 education businesses, and will further CLS’s mission to transform the lives of future generations through innovative, career-focused STEM education solutions. Dr. Berry has spent the last 15+ years in senior leadership positions for prominent K-12 organizations including Presence, After-School All-Stars, Quantum Learning, and Kaplan. Dr. Berry holds a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California (USC), and her commitment to education is inspired by her daughter and a love of lifelong learning. She is a resident of San Diego, California. Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com . Follow us on LinkedIn Like us on Facebook

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  Episode #124

  From Assessment to Action: Working Genius at Texas 811

  Sep 10, 202628 minS7

  A workplace assessment can create valuable insights—but its real impact comes from how those insights are put into practice. Texas811 Chief People Officer Shakheana Harrison and Director of Leadership and Development Terrence McCorkle share how the Working Genius framework has become part of the organization’s everyday culture. Show Notes: Texas 811’s Shakheana Harrison and Terrence McCorkle explain how they embedded the framework across the organization and built the support needed to sustain it. Their top takeaways include: Make workplace assessments part of everyday work. Terrence McCorkle explains how Texas811 reinforces Working Genius through onboarding, quarterly workshops, meetings, project planning, and other organizational initiatives. Focus on what gives employees energy. Rather than looking only at personality, Working Genius helps employees identify the work they naturally enjoy, the work they can perform competently, and the work that tends to drain them. Don’t use assessment results to put people in boxes. Shakheana Harrison emphasizes that every type of genius is needed and valued. Texas811 worked intentionally to ensure employees viewed the framework as a tool for support—not something that could be used against them. Use strengths to encourage collaboration. Texas811 brings people with different geniuses into meetings and projects at the stages where they can contribute most, helping teams represent the full spectrum of ideation, activation, and implementation. Build capability throughout the organization. Leadership buy-in helped Working Genius gain traction, but Texas811 is expanding its impact by certifying more employees and equipping leaders to use the framework without relying solely on the L&D team. Learn more about the Working Genius framework Learn more about Texas 811 About Shakheana Harrison: Shakheana Harrison is the Chief People Officer at Texas811, where she leads strategies that strengthen leadership, culture, and organizational performance. With more than 20 years of experience within the organization, she brings a unique understanding of its people, mission, and evolution. Shakheana is passionate about developing adaptive leaders, creating performance-driven communities, and building systems that position Texas811 to thrive for generations to come. Shakheana holds an MBA with a focus in Leadership and has completed an ICF-accredited coaching program. She ais also a certified facilitator for Working Genius and has been trained to be a trainer for Situational Leadership. About Terrence McCorkle: Terrence McCorkle serves as the Director of Leadership and Development at Texas811, where he focuses on leadership growth, employee development, and organizational culture. As a certified Working Genius facilitator, he helps individuals and teams better understand their natural gifts, improve collaboration, and work more effectively together. His approach centers on meeting people where they are and creating opportunities for growth. Terrence holds an MBA in Human Resources, is a trained Situational Leadership® trainer, and has completed an ICF-accredited coaching program. Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com . Follow us on LinkedIn Like us on Facebook

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  Episode #123

  The Intersection of Communications and Training: Lessons from Flagger Force

  Aug 27, 202631 minS7

  Training doesn't end when learners leave the classroom. Tamara Palmer and Chris Byerly of Flagger Force, a leading short-term traffic control company, discuss how they blend communications, microlearning, and audience-centered messaging to keep critical safety information top of mind for a dispersed frontline workforce. Show Notes: Tamara Palmer and Chris Byerly share a practical framework for organizations with dispersed or frontline workforces to make training more effective by treating communication as an extension of learning. Their key takeaways include: Reinforcement is where learning becomes performance. People forget up to 80–90% of what they learn within a month. Palmer explains how Flagger Force uses mobile microlearning to reinforce classroom training with short, focused lessons that reach employees wherever they work. Treat training like an internal marketing campaign. Byerly argues that simply publishing training isn't enough. Organizations need healthy communication channels that employees actually value, then market learning through messaging that captures attention and builds engagement. Different audiences need different messages. Rather than sending everyone the same communication, Palmer shares her "balanced storytelling framework," tailoring messages for office staff, field leaders, and frontline workers based on each group's responsibilities and information needs. Understanding people is a strategic advantage. Drawing on employee research, Byerly explains why understanding the motivations, challenges, and needs of frontline workers leads to stronger communication, better learning, and higher engagement. Measure more than clicks. Open rates matter, but they're only the beginning. Palmer discusses using employee questions, microlearning performance, engagement data, and long-term safety outcomes to determine whether learning and communication efforts are actually changing behavior. Listen to this Powered by Learning episode featuring Flagger Force: Microlearning that Drives a Culture of Safety About Chris Byerly Chris Byerly is Associate Vice President of Strategy at Flagger Force, where he leads cross-functional growth and transformation initiatives connecting brand, technology, people, and enterprise strategy. He has supported the company’s growth from approximately $30 million to $170 million in revenue through digital transformation, M&A integration, brand evolution, public affairs, and enterprise-wide strategic initiatives. Chris specializes in translating executive vision into scalable systems, aligned teams, and measurable business outcomes. His diverse background includes previous roles with Ahold, Leap Research, and Neiman, as well as serving as a professor of corporate strategy in Beijing. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Penn State University and a Master of Science in International Management from SOAS University of London. About Tamara Palmer, MA Tamara Palmer, MA, is the Internal Communications Manager at Flagger Force, bringing more than 20 years of experience helping organizations communicate with employees and stakeholders across government, nonprofit, academic, and business sectors. In her current role, she manages the mobile app that connects Flagger Force’s highly dispersed workforce of more than 3,000 employees, maintaining a 98% employee activation rate while providing convenient access to resources and safety-based microlearning. Tamara combines digital technology with human-centered collaboration to connect and engage people, forge inspired insights, recommendations, and strategies. Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com . Follow us on LinkedIn Like us on Facebook

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  Episode #122

  How Bojangles Is Rethinking Leadership Development

  Aug 13, 202635 minS7

  Learning leaders are often asked to solve performance challenges with more training but that may not be the answer. Kathryn Murrow, Director of Leadership Development and eLearning at the restaurant chain Bojangles, explains why the most effective learning organizations spend more time asking questions than building courses. She shares lessons on collaboration, leadership development, AI, and creating learning experiences that people truly own. Show Notes: Kathryn Murrow of Bojangles talks about the importance of co-creation with learners, diagnosing root causes, and using AI to elevate the role of L&D. Her key takeaways include: Start with the root cause—not the training request. Before building another course, learning leaders should ask what behavior needs to change, why the problem exists, and whether training is actually the right solution. Build learning with your audience, not for them. Involving leaders and frontline employees in designing learning experiences creates stronger buy-in, better content, and more sustainable adoption. Learning succeeds when the conditions are right. Organizations need alignment, clear expectations, leadership support, and the right performance environment before learning initiatives can drive meaningful change. An LMS should be more than a compliance checklist. Kathryn shares how Bojangles is transforming its LMS into a personalized learning hub that connects development opportunities with business outcomes and measurable ROI. AI should create space for more human work. Rather than replacing people, AI can automate administrative tasks so learning professionals can spend more time on coaching, strategy, performance consulting, and measuring impact. Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com . Follow us on LinkedIn Like us on Facebook

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  Episode #121

  Fail, Fight, Finish: Leading Through Trust and Change

  Jul 30, 202640 minS7

  Leadership is built through conversations, trust, and the willingness to learn from failure. In this episode, author Gregory Archbold discusses the lessons behind his book, Fail, Fight, Finish . From the power of listening first to creating buy-in during change, he shares practical leadership strategies that every manager, mentor, and learning professional can put into practice. Show Notes: Author Gregory Archbold discusses trust, mentorship, communication, and leading through change. His key points include: Leadership begins with listening. Great leaders ask questions, create space for others to contribute, and speak last to build trust and develop future leaders. Mentorship is earned, not assigned. Strong mentoring relationships grow over time through curiosity, consistency, and a genuine commitment to learning. Create shared ownership during change. Leaders gain buy-in by involving people in developing solutions rather than presenting fully formed decisions. Challenge processes that no longer serve a purpose. Don't continue doing something simply because "we've always done it that way." Regularly evaluate whether processes still create value. Never become "content lazy." Leadership growth requires continuous learning through reading, mentoring, reflection, and seeking feedback—especially after receiving a promotion. Learn more about Gregory Archbold's book, Fail, Fight, Finish: Leadership Lessons You Don't Learn in the Classroom . Powered by Learning earned Awards of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio and Business Podcast categories from The Communicator Awards and a Gold and Silver Davey Award. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry’s Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. Learn more about d'Vinci at www.dvinci.com . Follow us on LinkedIn Like us on Facebook

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