Hello ATD Long Island! Next week is our first event of the season, Decoding Human Behavior. Before you get there, take a few minutes to find out a little about another of our dedicated members, Stephanie Burke.

Stephanie has been a member of ATD: LI for years, and served on the board in several positions as well. Now she will directing that energy and excitement as President. 

Thank you to Stephanie, and all of our members, for continuing to make this chapter a success!

ATD: How did you come to be a part of ATD LI?

SB: I was looking for communities to join to network with professionals who worked in the field of human resources. I attended some meetings and was drawn in immediately to the warmth of the group. The meeting topics interested me greatly and I learned a lot about the field of Talent Development. Before long I was volunteering to serve on the board.

ATD: Where do you work currently and what does a workday look like for you?

SB: I am the HR Manager at Atlas Financial Holdings, Inc. A typical day could include working on our talent development processes, coaching leaders on employee issues, recruiting to fill open positions, managing employee activities.

ATD: How did you begin your career in talent development?

SB: Working at Atlas I have had the opportunity to grow my skills in talent development. I was able to contribute to the development of the new talent management processes we were creating for onboarding, performance management, coaching, new supervisor training, succession planning, employee engagement and internship program. It’s been a great experience to work on these projects.

ATD: What do you value most about ATD LI?

SB: Serving with the dedicated members of the ATDLI Board who care deeply about creating a community where Talent Development Professionals can come together to advance their careers has been the most valuable experience for me. This vibrant team of people volunteer their time because of their love of what they do, and it is amazing to be a part of that energy. Over the past couple of years, I’ve held the position of VP of Membership, President-Elect and am excited to be assuming the role of President.

ATD: What was the best experience you have ever had in talent development, and why?

SB: The best talent development experience I have ever had was at Fundamentals training for Co-Active Coaching. Over two and a half days, using the Co-Active Coaching model skills which we learned, 18 total strangers were transformed into a team of coaching professionals who grew to know each other in a unique way. Not only did we develop coaching skills to help uncover our clients’ true challenges and how to get them to design solutions and next steps, we also learned about ourselves and advanced on our own self –development journey. I look forward to going deeper into this model with further training and certification.

ATD: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the learning and development field?

SB: The world of work is changing at an incredible speed and time seems to be a shrinking commodity. The leaders we serve are stretched to their limits and while they acknowledge, in theory, the importance of the work we do, in practice they protest incorporating what needs to be done into their workflow processes. Information is coming at us at an overwhelming pace and everyone is challenged to stay on top of it. Talent is in high demand and keeping skilled employees engaged means spending time to train, coach and develop them. Time, everyone says they do not have.