HRHSE’s Organizational Development team wins learning award

Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment’s Organizational Development (OD) team has been recognized by a prestigious learning and development award organization for demonstrating excellence in the field of learning and development. The OD team, which is responsible for learning and development at the university, was named a LearningElite winner at the 2023 LearningElite Gala in San Diego on Oct. 15. 

Deanna Davis, Senior Consultant, Organizational Development, was on-hand at the gala to accept the award on behalf of the OD team and the University of Alberta.  

Deanna Davis, Senior Consultant, Organizational Development, accepts LearningElite award.

“This team’s achievements over the last 18 months have been nothing short of remarkable,” Deanna says. “It was only in February of 2022 that we came together as a newly formed team. Since that time, under the leadership of a new director, we have revolutionized our work in response to the evolving needs of the employees and the organization more broadly. Being recognized as a 2023 LearningElite winner speaks to the team’s unwavering dedication to excellence and to the exceptional contributions we are already making to the field of learning and development.” 

“Learning and development has evolved at a rapid pace amid the lightning speed of change in our world. It is incredible to see what these organizations have achieved in fostering agile and adaptable learning cultures,” says Ashley St. John, chief content officer and editor-in-chief for Chief Learning Officer, the organization that runs the LearningElite Awards. “It is an honor to recognize the accomplishments and successes of these leaders, teams and organizations.” 

The team paused all programming as it considered how to respond to the changing institutional context and quickly evolving post-secondary sector, the growing expectation for inclusive workplaces, and national and institutional commitments to Truth and Reconciliation. The team launched an integrated, holistic and customized learning curriculum aimed at its newly defined mandate to build leaders across the many dimensions of work at the U of A. 

The OD team was recognized by the LearningElite Awards program for its excellence across five learning dimensions: learning strategy, leadership commitment, learning execution, learning impact and business performance results.

Being recognized as a team that “employs exemplary workforce development strategies” acknowledges the OD’s many accomplishments over the last 12 months, including: 

• Launching an integrated learning curriculum, including three new signature programs supporting leadership, management and skill development.
  
• Piloting an institutional onboarding program, helping the organization to meet its mandate to recruit and retain top talent. 
• Delivering workshops and programming to drive the organization’s strategic priorities around Indigenous Initiatives and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, safety culture and service excellence.
• Fulfilling the university’s legislative training obligations with the launch of the Workplace Violence and Harassment eLearning course.
• Supporting the U of A for Tomorrow structural transformation and the goal to build a service culture with training in service excellence. 
• Delivering programming to support the post-pandemic return to work and the university’s Work from Home Program.

The team underwent a rigorous, benchmarked evaluation process by a panel of 239 judges who reviewed and scored award submissions from around the world. The comprehensive process “celebrates organizations that employ exemplary workforce development strategies, yielding substantial and tangible business results.” OD stands among industry giants like Dell, Johnson and Johnson, KPMG LLP and IBM as those recognized as the 2023 LearningElite. 

“We’re very proud to be recognized for our work with this award but are most pleased when we hear from our learners that OD’s programming is supporting the behavioral change that helps individuals and teams be a force for positive change in our workplace culture.” Deanna says. “The three new signature programs launched over the past year have been incredibly successful with 93-100% of learners in Leading Others, Management Intensive, and Workplace Skills saying they would recommend the programs.”

By equipping employees with the skills, knowledge and mindset that help build leadership from multiple perspectives and support learning and development at all levels of the organization, the OD team is helping move the U of A towards its strategic priorities and the University of Tomorrow. 

The next step in the OD’s journey is the recent launch of the Peer-2-Peer (P2P) Programs, which empower alumni learners to become peer facilitators in the team’s three new signature programs. P2P aims to scale the mindset and skillset fostered in Leading Others, Management Intensive and Workplace Skills across U of A’s workplace. Certified P2P facilitators will soon be delivering microlearning sessions teams across the university campus.  

Want to learn more? Check out the team’s Learning Curriculum Viewbook and 2022-2023 Yearbook.

The 2023 LearningElite awards recognizes the remarkable efforts of the entire Organizational Development team, including: Carrie Malloy, Consultant; Deanna Davis, Senior Consultant; Jane Xu, Director; Jacqui Chesterton, Consultant; Kathleen Danser, Consultant; Linda Hui, eLearning Specialist; Lisa Lozanski, Consultant; Lynn Yang, Program Coordinator; Wayne Po, Consultant.