Learning Insights: Tanya Milbrath Champions Excellence and People-Centric Learning & Development

Chief Learning Officer’s “Learning Insights” series is dedicated to showcasing the thoughts and career journeys of chief learning officers and learning executives—the tireless trailblazers who are transforming the landscape of corporate learning and workforce development. In this Q&A series, we garner strategic insights, innovative approaches and challenges overcome from visionary leaders worldwide.

CLO: What initially drew you to a career in learning and development, and how have your experiences evolved over the years?

My career started in operations and product implementation. In my journey to provide excellent customer service, I realized that one of the greatest gaps was in the knowledge of customer service agents and decided if we could develop skills and knowledge in them, we could improve customer service. So, I decided to learn more about corporate training and took a year-long certification course at the University of Washington in adult learning and I was sold! While I started as an operations trainer, I have since evolved and supported operational training and learning through the HR lens (more formal talent development).

CLO: What key initiatives have you implemented as a learning leader to drive employee development and foster a learning culture?

Fostering a learning culture, to me, has always been about iterating on the learning needed for employees in the “now.” In the early 2000s, it was really about implementing blended learning that was scalable. I went to a local community college and learned how to use e-learning design tools to launch roadside learning for tow truck drivers (or, as we called them, Heros of the Highway). Now, we must evolve into learning needs in a world of artificial intelligence. By evolving, continuously learning, measuring effectiveness and being willing to learn ourselves, L&D teams really create and foster a learning culture.

CLO: What is the most impactful learning program you’ve introduced in your organization, and how has it contributed to employee growth and business success?

The most impactful learning programs I’ve introduced are those designed to improve company metrics. For example, when introducing leadership development programs, we can track improvement in manager skills through manager NPS scores, engagement survey results and turnover numbers by measuring those key metrics before launching a leadership development program and after. I’ve taken the same approach to launch training initiatives in contact centers, where we can use performance metrics to ensure employees are learning and improving in ways that impact business. A specific example is looking at a contact center agent’s first contact resolution metric and driving training and coaching programs that ensure an agent is resolving that customer’s issue the first time through product knowledge and service skills. Sometimes, it’s been as simple as training an agent to ask, “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

CLO: What is a common misconception people might have about the L&D function, and how do you address it?

The most common misconception I’ve experienced is that leaders see training as merely a cost center. If you take the time to look at the performance data, do needs analysis or quality reviews to understand the learning need, you can make impactful improvements to those business metrics through training. If done right, learning programs are designed to solve business problems and can be a powerful partner to business leaders.

CLO: What excites you the most about the future of workplace learning, and how are you preparing your organization to adapt to the changing landscape?

The changing landscape is showing us that AI can impact learning and the programs we design. Through machine learning, we can personalize learning journeys for employees. We can use generative AI to create simulations, test and coach learners. We can also use AI to create and quickly edit content. The options are endless!

CLO: What essential qualities or skills make a successful L&D leader, and how do you cultivate these traits in yourself and among your team?

I feel that my role is to support the success of others. Their success is my success. If we provide a safe place for employees to learn and build new skills, we will drive their performance, and they will come back to learn more. At 1Path, I demonstrate the leadership traits we train for by modeling them myself. For example, I ask my team to “tell me how I’m wrong” or “break this idea I have” to start a healthy debate that drives us to creative learning solutions. I also fundamentally believe that my teams don’t need me; I’m just there to support their success, tackle any blockers and, hopefully, infuse some fun.

CLO: What game-changing advice would you offer if you could go back in time and mentor your younger self?

Teach people what “training” means. Oftentimes, people will tell you they need “training” when it’s really a communication need, or a change management need, or a performance problem. Training is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as, “the action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behavior.” If it isn’t doing that, it’s not training, so solve for the right need.

CLO: What do you feel is currently the single biggest challenge facing L&D professionals and the industry as a whole?

The changing landscape for employees is the biggest challenge for L&D. As jobs and technology change, so too will learning and development. L&D professionals should not ignore the changing landscape and should be planning now for what the future will hold as we build new skills and behaviors in our workforce.

CLO: We’re always looking to showcase innovative tools and technologies. Can you share one work or learning tech product or platform that has significantly improved your work processes and why you find it valuable?

I’ve always been a fan of Articulate to help create scalable and sustainable training. I’m learning more and more about Canva, which my teams love as another tool to create content.