The Kirkpatrick Podcast

Kirkpatrick Partners
  • 3.8 (5)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Kirkpatrick podcast, where we bridge traditions and trends in learning and performance evaluation. Whether you're a seasoned learning professional or just starting out, join us as we dive into the Kirkpatrick Model like never before. Through stories and insights, we're fusing time-honored methods with cutting-edge innovations to help you navigate the ever-evolving world of learning and performance evaluation. Subscribe now to stay up-to-date with our weekly episodes and gain practical strategies to enhance your training programs. Don't miss out—be part of the learning revolution!

  1. 23H AGO

    Time to Wake Up in 2026 Learning and Development: Your Data Isn't the Problem.

    Welcome to Season 5 of The Kirkpatrick Podcast! In this episode, Vanessa Alzate opens 2026 with a bold truth: We're not suffering from a lack of data—we're suffering from a lack of sense-making. We've never had more dashboards, analytics, and reports than we do today. Yet many organizations are less confident than ever about what's really driving performance. Vanessa unpacks why more measurement doesn't automatically equal better performance, and what learning leaders must do differently this year. From personal missteps to organizational breakthroughs, Vanessa reveals how the Kirkpatrick team used reflection, tough data questions, and real conversations with customers to chart a new direction. This episode challenges listeners to move beyond vanity metrics and rediscover the true purpose of evaluation: to learn what's working, what's not, and why. Key Takeaways: We're not missing data—we're missing meaning. Most metrics track activity, not performance impact. Data without context creates paralysis, not clarity. Sense-making requires reflection, conversation, and courage. Evaluation is a learning tool, not just a reporting function. 2026 will disrupt L&D—and that's a good thing. 🎧 Listen now, subscribe to the Kirkpatrick Podcast, and join the movement redefining learning measurement. 👉 Join the Kirkpatrick Collective to connect with leaders shaping the future of evaluation. Explore the Kirkpatrick Collective at https://www.kirkpatrickcollective.com/  Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast.

    25 min

  2. 12/29/2025

    Why Some Leadership Years Don't Show Wins on LinkedIn — and Why That Matters for L&D Strategy

    Some leadership years don't look successful on LinkedIn. They don't come with celebratory posts, impressive metrics, or obvious wins. But those are often the years that matter most. In this reflective, end-of-season episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast, Vanessa Alzate shares why 2025 was intentionally a catalyst year for Kirkpatrick Partners — a year focused on preparation, alignment, and invisible leadership work that set the stage for what comes next. Rather than chasing visible success, 2025 was about slowing down, challenging legacy thinking, and reexamining what learning and evaluation must become in a rapidly changing business landscape. Vanessa candidly reflects on leadership uncertainty, imposter syndrome, and the pressure leaders feel to perform confidence even when clarity is still forming. This episode also explores why L&D can no longer operate in isolation. As organizations face continued disruption, learning must evolve beyond training programs and into a framework for enterprise decision-making, culture, and performance. The Kirkpatrick Model, long known as the standard for evaluating training effectiveness, is being reimagined as a broader operating lens — one that supports how organizations actually make decisions. In this episode, you'll learn: Why some leadership years are meant to prepare, not perform How "invisible work" creates long-term transformation The danger of measuring leadership success only by visible wins Why L&D strategy must move beyond training alone How catalyst years set the stage for disruption As Season 4 comes to a close, Vanessa also shares why Disrupt is the word for 2026 — not as chaos, but as intentional redesign. This conversation is for leaders who feel the tension between what looks successful and what actually builds sustainable impact. 🎧 Listen now, subscribe to the Kirkpatrick Podcast, and join us as we step into 2026 with clarity, courage, and conviction. Explore the Kirkpatrick Collective at https://www.kirkpatrickcollective.com/  Join the movement. Redefine learning. Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast.

    31 min

  3. 12/22/2025

    Behind the Brand: What It Really Takes to Steer the Kirkpatrick Legacy Into the Future

    What does it really look like to buy a legacy brand, reinvent it, and lead it boldly into the future—without being born into the name? In this deeply honest episode, I (Vanessa) hand the hosting mic over to Dr. Amy Heaton and open up about the real story behind stepping into the Kirkpatrick legacy—imposter syndrome, missteps, reinvention, and the evolution of who we are becoming as Kirkpatrick Partners. We go behind the scenes of what it means to honor a globally trusted evaluation model while innovating it for a rapidly changing world. From leadership philosophy to enterprise technology, you'll hear how our team thinks about belonging, authenticity, performance, and the next chapter of the Kirkpatrick Model. This conversation also reveals the vision behind our expanding ecosystem: Trevato, Kaddie, Knowly, and KirkpatrickAI, and how each tool connects to our shift beyond L&D into enterprise performance intelligence. Along the way, you'll hear truths about leadership, community-building, women in business, doing more with fewer resources, and designing learning that actually works. What You'll Learn: Why imposter syndrome shows up even for successful CEOs—and how to lead through it. The challenges and responsibilities of stewarding a legacy brand like Kirkpatrick Partners. How the future of evaluation goes far beyond Levels 1–4 and into enterprise-wide decision-making. The leadership behaviors that build trust, belonging, and a high-performing culture. Why simplifying tools, processes, and learning experiences matters more than "bells and whistles." How Trevato, Kaddie, Knowly, and KirkpatrickAI will work together to transform evaluation and performance. If you want more conversations like this—on leadership, performance, evaluation, and the future of L&D—make sure you're subscribed.    Explore the Kirkpatrick Collective at https://www.kirkpatrickcollective.com/  Join the movement. Redefine learning. Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast.

    46 min

  4. 12/15/2025

    Prove Your Worth: How L&D Departments Can Show Real Business Value

    As the year winds down, most learning leaders are rushing to wrap up programs and close out projects — but Vanessa Alzate challenges you to do something different: pause and evaluate your department. In this episode of The Kirkpatrick Podcast, Vanessa explores how L&D teams can move beyond program-level evaluation and start auditing their entire department to show measurable impact on culture, retention, and organizational performance. Too often, we measure courses instead of influence. We report completions instead of stories. But the real value of learning isn't in attendance—it's in transformation. Vanessa shares how to connect the dots between L&D initiatives and business results, uncover the stories that prove your department's worth, and position learning as a strategic driver of performance and engagement. You'll Learn: Why auditing your L&D department matters more than evaluating individual programs. How to define "value" in business terms leaders care about. Ways to connect learning outcomes to retention and culture metrics. How to balance data with stories that demonstrate real impact. The year-end steps every L&D team should take to prove their worth. 🎯 Key Takeaway: Your leaders don't just want to know what you taught—they want to know what changed because of you. Listen now to learn how to make your department's impact visible, measurable, and undeniable. 👉 Subscribe to The Kirkpatrick Podcast and explore more on how to measure what matters in learning and performance. Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast. #KirkpatrickPodcast #LearningImpact #CultureOfEvaluation #OrganizationalPerformance #KirkpatrickModel

    21 min

  5. 12/01/2025

    Redefining Learning: Introducing the Kirkpatrick Community Collective

    What if professional development wasn't just a course you completed, but a community you belonged to? In this episode, Vanessa Alzate, CEO of Kirkpatrick Partners, officially launches the Kirkpatrick Community Collective, a groundbreaking shift from traditional certifications to an integrated membership model that redefines how learning and evaluation thrive in organizations. Vanessa is joined by team members Amy, Jordan, and Tiffany, who discuss the "why" behind this transformation: learning that's continuous, collaborative, and driven by real-world application. Together, they explore what today's L&D professionals truly need: connection, accountability, and the ability to practice. Key Takeaways: Why certification alone no longer drives lasting organizational change. How the Kirkpatrick Community Collective creates enterprise-level impact. Exclusive member benefits: all certification levels, toolkits, coaching, and AI access. A first look at KirkpatrickAI and kaddie, an AI-powered instructional design agent. The future of learning: from isolated training to connected transformation. In a post-pandemic world where community is more important than ever, this episode marks a bold step toward redefining what it means to learn, apply, and grow—together. 🎧 Tune in now and explore the Kirkpatrick Community Collective at https://www.kirkpatrickcollective.com/  Join the movement. Redefine learning. Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast.

    19 min

  6. 10/27/2025

    From Buzz to Breakthrough: Highlights from the Kirkpatrick Summit

    In this episode, Vanessa Kirkpatrick sits down with facilitators Dr. Amy Heaton and Jordan Rawlinson to reflect on the 2025 Kirkpatrick Summit: a bold, hands-on event where learning and performance leaders reimagined how evaluation drives organizational value. They share behind-the-scenes stories of: The high-energy, experimental atmosphere combining hackathons, improv, and design workshops The "aha" moments when participants shifted from thinking about training to thinking about performance The unveiling of the new Kirkpatrick Model and Vanessa's upcoming book, Building a Culture of Evaluation: The New Kirkpatrick Model for Performance and Innovation Real examples of Level 3 performance support in action What's next: the Kirkpatrick Workshops coming to cities across the U.S. and abroad 🎧 Tune in to hear how evaluation can transform from a compliance exercise to a strategic performance driver, and how your organization can join the movement.   Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast.

    45 min

  7. 10/20/2025

    The Myth of Level 3: Why Behavior Change Evaluation Isn't as Hard as You Think

    "Level 3 evaluation is just too much work." How many times have you heard that? Or maybe even thought it yourself? In this episode of The Kirkpatrick Podcast, I'm breaking down the myth that Level 3 (behavior change) evaluation has to be complicated, overwhelming, or resource-draining. Spoiler alert: it doesn't. I share a recent conversation I had with someone new to instructional design who was convinced that Level 3 sounded impossible. But the reality is that with the right mindset, partnerships, and tools, you can automate and streamline much of the process—while still collecting powerful data that drives business results. At Kirkpatrick Partners, we've been experimenting with tech partners like trevato and Knowly that make evaluation feel more like a "set it and forget it" crockpot than a never-ending manual task list. These tools can send surveys automatically, nudge managers to support learners, and even provide predictive insights about what your programs need next. And the best part? You don't have to start big. Even a simple, bootstrapped pilot can give you data to prove ROI and make the case for investment in smarter solutions. Because here's the truth: Level 3 evaluation isn't just about measuring behavior change. It's about: Staying connected with learners long after a program ends Building trust with business leaders through proactive insights Spotting pain points in your content and fixing them before they become problems Using data to shift from order-taker to strategic business partner Freeing up time and energy so you can focus on impact, not admin work You don't need a perfect system or a giant platform to get started. What you need is the willingness to take one small step—then build from there. If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or skeptical about Level 3 evaluation, this episode will give you practical ideas (and maybe a little confidence boost) to try something new. 🎧 Tune in now—and let's start working smarter, not harder. 👉 Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and check out our Kirkpatrick certification programs if you're ready to deepen your evaluation expertise.   Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast.

    21 min

  8. 10/13/2025

    The Workday Lawsuit & AI Bias: What L&D Leaders Must Learn Now

    AI is everywhere in our work right now—from hiring to performance management to evaluation. But what happens when the very tools we're relying on to make decisions are quietly reinforcing bias and producing dirty data? In this episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast, I dive into the growing conversation around AI ethics and accountability, sparked by the recent Workday lawsuit over discriminatory hiring practices. While it may feel like a "tech" problem, the truth is: this affects every one of us in L&D, HR, and leadership. I share real-world examples from my own evaluation projects where unchecked AI outputs could have changed the strategic direction of an entire organization—based on only three voices out of 2,400 responses. That's the danger of handing over too much decision-making power to tools without proper oversight. At the end of the day, AI is just a tool. We are accountable for how it's used. And if we don't build in the right checks and balances, we risk creating biased rubrics, flawed evaluations, and ultimately, harmful business decisions. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the Workday lawsuit is just the beginning of AI accountability in business. How AI bias creeps into evaluation and performance data. A real-world story of how AI almost misled a global membership organization. Why human oversight—not another AI—is the only real safeguard. Practical steps to keep your data clean, your evaluations fair, and your organization protected. The skills L&D leaders must develop to thrive in an AI-driven workplace. This is not about being anti-AI—I love AI and the efficiencies it creates. But if we don't use it responsibly, we risk undermining the very outcomes we're trying to achieve. 👉 Listen now to learn how you can lead responsibly in this new AI era. Learn more about the Kirkpatrick Model Watch the Show on YouTube! Submit your Questions/Stories: Do you have a question you would like us to answer on the Kirkpatrick Podcast? Have a story about how the Kirkpatrick Podcast or other Kirkpatrick events/programs have positively impacted your career? We would love to hear from you! Follow this link to submit your questions and/or stories, and we may just share them on the next episode of the Kirkpatrick Podcast.

    20 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Kirkpatrick podcast, where we bridge traditions and trends in learning and performance evaluation. Whether you're a seasoned learning professional or just starting out, join us as we dive into the Kirkpatrick Model like never before. Through stories and insights, we're fusing time-honored methods with cutting-edge innovations to help you navigate the ever-evolving world of learning and performance evaluation. Subscribe now to stay up-to-date with our weekly episodes and gain practical strategies to enhance your training programs. Don't miss out—be part of the learning revolution!

Information

  • Creator
    Kirkpatrick Partners
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    The Kirkpatrick Podcast