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Listening, Learning and Building What Matters Most

By Lauren Harbert posted 21 days ago

  
One of the most meaningful ways an individual or organization can show love is by listening. Listening to what matters, what’s working and where we can be better.
That’s exactly what your feedback in our 2025 Member Satisfaction Survey helped us do, and I’m excited to share how your voices are shaping what’s next for LTEN.
This year's feedback was both encouraging and clarifying.
Member satisfaction is at its highest level since we began tracking in 2011. That tells us something meaningful: LTEN continues to be relevant, trusted and aligned with the real-world challenges learning professionals face. That momentum matters — but more importantly, it gives us a mandate to invest wisely and intentionally in what comes next.

What You Value Most (In Addition to Formal Learning)

While structured learning remains important, your feedback made something else very clear: connection, context and applicability matter just as much, if not more.
Members told us they value:
  • Professional networking.
  • Staying ahead of industry trends.
  • Sharing knowledge and best practices.
  • Being part of a true professional community.
This feedback reinforces a major strategic investment. We launched this very LTEN community platform (“The Network”) this quarter and it is designed to be a foundational experience — not a supplemental one. With community forums, mentor matching and volunteer matching, this platform will support continuous professional development, stronger peer connections, leadership visibility and engagement well beyond events and courses. 

Where You’re Asking for More Support

The survey also gave us a clear picture of where members want deeper, more practical tools:
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) tools for learning.
  • Action guides, templates and checklists.
  • Community forums.
  • Benchmark studies.
  • Life sciences trainer certification.
  • Mentorship programs.
This feedback is both exciting and grounding.
I’ll be honest, some of these areas represent opportunities we didn’t fully bring to life in 2025. In particular, practical job aids and templates are something many of you asked for — and something we didn’t launch at the scale or consistency we intended. That’s on us, and that insight is directly shaping our priorities for 2026 as we focus on creating applied, job-ready resources that build confidence and credibility in your day-to-day work.

Introducing Super Sessions: Learning That Goes Deeper

Member feedback strongly supported the need for deeper, immersive learning experiences, which led directly to the introduction of Super Sessions for the 2026 annual conference. These will be designed as applied, hands-on and outcome-driven programs across strategic focus areas, that may include AI enablement, measurement, analytics & value and strategy, change & influence.
Each Super Session will be built around a clear outcome, practical tools and peer exchange — because learning only matters if it sticks.

Strengthening Depth Through Partnership

Another theme that came through clearly was the need for credible, applied expertise — especially in regulated environments. That’s why we’ve launched a strategic partnership with the Association for GxP Excellence (AGxPE) in 2026.
This partnership strengthens LTEN’s learning experiences with subject matter expert-led workshops and a Super Session at the annual conference, while reinforcing a critical message: Innovation and compliance are not opposing forces — they can, and should, coexist. AGxPE helps us fill a known gap without shifting focus away from the priorities members care about most.

Refining How We Connect

You also shared honest feedback about networking. Most members attended only one or two mixers in 2025, with convenience cited as the biggest barrier. In response, we’re refining the model and will be sharing more details soon on additional regional opportunities to connect with your peers.

From Feedback to Focus

When we step back, a simple pattern emerges. Members are telling us:
  • Help me use AI responsibly.
  • Help me prove the value of training.
  • Help me grow in my role.
  • Help learning stick.
  • Help me connect in meaningful ways.
Our 2026 roadmap is built directly around those needs — through changes at the conference, our new certification opportunity, mentorship, community, benchmarking and practical tools.

Looking Ahead

We are committed to listening to you. We are committed to acting on what we hear. And we are committed to building an LTEN experience that supports you not just as learners, but as professionals, leaders and peers.
Thank you for sharing your voice and trusting us with your feedback. We’re listening — and we’re building what matters most, together.
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Comments

Nannette Nolan
21 days ago

Thanks for starting your blog here, Lauren! This should encourage our members to start their own blogs too 🙂