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ALLENCOMM BLOG | Webcast

EPISODE 12: WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

January 21, 2025 Avatar image of Emily Roach By Emily Roach

Mental health has never been more important than it is now, especially when it comes to overcoming or preventing burnout in the workplace. Michael Noble and Dr. Alessandria Polizzi, founder of Verdant Consulting, take a deep dive into how learning leaders can spot the signs of burnout early, and steps they can take to build competencies around mental health as a critical aspect of employee well-being. It’s about strategic approaches—not quick fixes—to truly build a resilient, psychologically safe future.

Takeaways

  1. Workplace mental health is as crucial as physical health.
  2. Investing in psychological health yields a significant ROI.
  3. Organizations need to build strategies, not just seek quick solutions.
  4. Leadership development should include mental health competencies.
  5. Loneliness and burnout are prevalent among leaders.
  6. Mental health skills are essential life skills.
  7. Future challenges will require resilience and coping strategies.
  8. Emotional navigation is key in the age of AI.
  9. Trusting the process is vital for long-term change.

About Allesandria:

Dr. Allessandria Polizzi (or Dr. Al) is an award-winning and globally recognized thought leader and top-rated speaker on workplace mental health, psychological health and safety, and building resilient organizations. A former HR executive with experience in 20+ industries, she is now the CEO of  Verdant Consulting, a top 20 workplace wellness provider of 2022, as well as the ISO global liaison for occupational health and safety. She also serves as an expert on psychological health and safety for professional associations, media, and the National Safety Council and recently published the Workplace Mental Health Strategy Workbook for companies to proactively address this issue. Her entertaining and informative talks inspire audiences while providing practical tactics based on decades of scientific research. Dr. Al weaves together data, stories, audience interaction, self-reflection, and her quirky sense of humor to create memorable and actionable experiences that can transform how we work.

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actionable insights

The final deliverable is a combination of the previous three—the Research Plan, Key Findings report, and Opportunity Analysis—with final revisions complete and ready for approval.

The Actionable Insights report will help you start bringing your vision to life by…

  • Listing available options to fill the gaps between your current and future state
  • Evaluating and rating the options based on objectives and decision-making criteria
  • Providing clear, actionable recommendations on next steps
  • Illustrating an implementation roadmap based on the recommended option(s)


But our partnership doesn’t stop there. We’d love to use our 40+ years of experience in advisory to help you overcome any barriers to getting started, such as winning buy in from key decision makers and stakeholders. Once we submit the report, we’ll facilitate a meeting in which we present the results to core analysis team members and any stakeholders or decision makers you invite, and we’ll answer questions to help rally others to your cause.


After the meeting, we’ll refine the report with final feedback to reflect all decisions made to help guide you to success as you set out on the journey ahead.

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opportunity analysis

Our third deliverable takes analysis to the next level by fully identifying the opportunity ahead with…

  • A summary of all gaps between the Key Findings report and the objectives and desired outcomes outlined in the Research Plan
  • A current-state map of key platforms and technologies in the learning ecosystem
  • A future-state map representing possible, desirable architecture or configuration of the learning tech ecosystem
  • A breakdown of the delta between the current state and the future state maps
  • An assessment of your organization’s readiness for change, knowledge constraints, and identified risks


We want to be your partner throughout the process, not just another consultant. That’s why continued alignment on next steps and deliverables is critical to our process. As we refine the vision of what your future state can look like—and how you can get there—we’ll note any revisions for the next phase before moving forward with any recommendations.

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Key Findings

After the initial analysis and Research Plan are approved, we’ll review the assets provided and meet with your team, including key decision makers, to answer any remaining questions from the plan.

Then, we’ll deliver a Key Findings report that summarizes:

  • Curated data based on the answers and information received from meetings so far
  • Highlights of the analysis, reports, and data from key platforms
  • Raw, comprehensive responses (generated by AI) in an appendix for your reference
  • An aggregation of data received and reviewed in an appendix


We can use the Key Findings report to verify all parties are aligned on next steps, as well as review any gaps that still exist due to people or data being unavailable at this stage. You’ll have another opportunity to approve this new report before we proceed with the gap and opportunity analysis.

 

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research plan

We want to help you succeed! That’s why every advisory partnership starts with a deeper understanding of what you need (and when you need it by). We’ll facilitate an initial planning meeting with a core analysis team, which includes your primary team members as well as the AllenComm Advisory team.


In this meeting, we’ll work together to complete a qualitative and quantitative analysis that defines:

  • A summary of your objectives and desired outcomes
  • The groups, stakeholders, and leaders that will be involved in the process
  • The research questions we need to answer during follow-up advisory meetings
  • Existing reports and data from key platforms/tech that are relevant to answering questions or filling gaps
  • Next steps for who will provide access to reports/data and on what timeline
  • Action items and timelines for other advisory activities


We’ll compile all of this information in a Research Plan for you to review and approve before moving on to the next phase.

cost reduction

Implement enabling guidelines that control or reduce expenses while prioritizing high-quality learning experiences & outcomes

measurement & reporting

Accelerate decision-making with reporting workflows that curate the most relevant analytics for the right stakeholders at the right time

learning operations

Decrease development timelines, streamline decision-making, calibrate staffing needs with demand, and maximize program effectiveness

governance of ai

Align learning with governance requirements and critical organizational priorities, driving results and accelerating AI transformation​

personalized learning experiences (lx)

Create cohesive, highly personalized, and impactful learning journeys that leverage the full power of your legacy platforms and emerging tech

reduce costs

Review redundant platforms in your legacy tech stack to find opportunities to streamline learning ops and reduce costly per-user licensing

ai readiness

Create a roadmap to introduce AI into your current tech stack based on practical use cases that boost learning outcomes and drive innovation

learning tech optimization

Bring harmony to your learning tech ecosystem with enhanced interoperability and gain valuable insight with comprehensive data collection and analysis 

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actionable insights

We bring every deliverable together into a comprehensive, personalized plan of action—an Actionable Insights report—that’s fully refined and ready to execute once buy in is secured.

The Actionable Insights report…

  • Outlines practical options to bridge the gap between your current and ideal future state
  • Assesses and scores those options based on your goals and decision-making criteria
  • Offers clear, prioritized recommendations for next steps
  • Maps out a high-level implementation plan based on these recommendations

We know securing buy in is easier said than done. With over 40 years of advisory tech experience, we’re here to help! As part of our partnership, we can present the report to the core analysis team and any decision-makers you’d like to include. This session is designed to answer questions and build momentum around your vision.

Following the presentation, we’ll incorporate final feedback into the report to reflect all decisions made—ensuring you’re equipped with an actionable, aligned path forward.

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opportunity analysis

Our third major deliverable, the Opportunity Analysis, builds on the previous phase by clearly outlining the opportunities ahead. This includes:

  • A detailed comparison between the Key Findings report and the original goals defined in the Research Plan
  • A visual representation of your current learning platforms and technologies
  • A proposed future-state model that illustrates an ideal configuration of your learning tech ecosystem
  • A gap analysis showing the differences between where you are now and where you want to be
  • An evaluation of your organization’s change readiness, knowledge limitations, and potential risks

We aim to be a true partner—not just a vendor—throughout this journey. That’s why maintaining alignment on deliverables and next steps is essential. As we refine your vision for the future, we’ll document any updates needed for the next phase before moving into formal recommendations.

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Key Findings

Once the initial analysis is complete and the Research Plan has your approval, we’ll begin reviewing the materials you’ve shared and meet with your team to address any outstanding questions. 



Following that, we’ll deliver a Key Findings report that includes:

  • Organized findings based on discussions and data gathered so far (including highlights of the analysis and platform reports)
  • A full appendix of raw responses (captured via AI) for transparency
  • An additional appendix that logs all data sources referenced so far

The Key Findings report helps ensure everyone is aligned on what comes next and is aware of any remaining gaps due to unavailable data or stakeholders. You’ll have a chance to review and approve this report before we move into the gap and opportunity analysis phase.

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research plan

Your success is our success! That’s why we begin every advisory tech engagement with a thorough discovery of your priorities and timelines. We’ll coordinate a kickoff session with a dedicated analysis group, including your key stakeholders and the AllenComm Advisory team.

During this session, we’ll collaborate to conduct qualitative and quantitative assessments that clarify:

  • Your ideal goals and outcomes
  • Who will be involved (including other teams, leaders, and stakeholders)
  • The core questions we’ll explore in future tech advisory sessions
  • Existing data and reports from relevant platforms or tools that can inform our analysis
  • Assignments to individuals who will provide access to resources and by when
  • Action items and timelines for the next steps in the advisory process

The result of step one? A unique Research Plan tailored to your situation, which you can review and approve before we move forward.

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expert ai l&d talent

Many learning leaders need agile access to L&D experts that are ahead of the learning curve on AI and are ready to bring that skillset to your initiative and team. Our AllenComm Talent Network boosts capacity, expands access to expertise, and dramatically increases response time in an economic climate that has become volatile and unpredictable. Our staffing services provide resources for a one-time or strategic initiative without the risk or commitment of bringing on permanent team members.

Today, a mixed strategy of project outsourcing, staff augmentation, and internal team capabilities can be more strategic than ever before. There are just a few of the experts we can provide: 

  • Learning designers with knowledge of AI development tools for content curation and media development
  • Learning strategists who leverage AI to boost analysis and design
  • Learning developers with specific tools expertise to help you leverage the new capabilities of tools you may already have in-house
  • Teams of AI-experienced learning pros that can handle larger or longer-terms assignments 

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innovative next gen tech

Our learning tech services and custom development improves the performance, analytics, and interoperability of our clients learning tech ecosystem leveraging emerging AI technology. Usually, our services result in a new decrease in the overall learning spend for learning technology while bridging significant gaps in the capabilities of the tech stack. The goal is an optimized environment that manages and enables learner experiences (LX) and tracks key analytics. We work with almost any commercial LMS, LCMS, LXP, authoring system, or HRIS.

The value of our AI-powered tech services include:

  • Custom web services, including AI agents and other add-ons, for cohort and social learning, learner-generated reviews and ratings, action plans that transfer to the work environment, project-based learning, and more.
  • Custom learning management that goes beyond record-keeping to scaffold the learner experience (LX) with personalized skills-based learning, dynamic learning journeys, adaptive learning, and cross-platform, omni-channel solutions.
  • AI-enablement of your in-house development team that transforms authoring of assessments, simulations, gamification, mobile learning, maintenance, data-driven decision-making, etc.  

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powered by ai

Custom learner experience design (LXD) of instructor-led training (ILT), virtual instructor-led training (V-ILT), eLearning or web-based training (WBT), and all of the options for gamification, simulation, AR/VR, etc., can be made more efficient and more media-rich through the use of GenAI and other AI technologies.

AllenComm’s design & development practice has evolved to take advantage of these technologies to deliver the following:

  • AI-powered analysis that supports human, critically astute insights from our performance consultants
  • Supercharged design that puts the relevant research and strategy at the fingertips of our designers, accelerating synthesis, upskilling on your business context, etc.
  • More and better media development (audio, video, sims, assessments, etc.) that suits the instructional objectives rather than just the project budget
  • AI-enabled evaluation and assessment to free learning organizations from the current constraints of their learning tech stack

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on emerging learning tech

Our Learning Tech Advisory practice gives access to expert consultants who will provide actionable recommendations specific to the needs of your organization. Our pragmatic approach is wildly different from big consulting—we’re focused on the governance, decision-making, necessary skillsets, and realistic roadmaps.

An AI-enabled learning tech ecosystem should afford:

  • Personalization
  • Accelerated design and development
  • Measurement and analytics
  • Learning in the flow of work
  • Adaptive learning 

And much more. Our process has realized 10x value with largest clients.   

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representative talent profile

instructional writer

Position(s): Lead or supporting writer
Years of Instructional Experience: 2+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Writing, Technical Writing, Instructional Design, Content Curation, eLearning Development, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Storytelling, Learning Assessment, Editing, Proofreading, AI Prompt Engineering

Media Skills: Use of stock media libraries

Strengths: Problem-Solving, Clear and Concise Writing, Tone and Style, Formatting, Consistency, Creativity, Communication, Active Listening, Research, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Attention to Detail, Adaptability

Career Highlights:

  • Scripted over 100 hours of learning content and supporting materials for different modalities for both US and global audiences  
  • Adapted writing style and reading grade level to suit design specifications and learner needs in several different industries (finance, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.) 
  • Used generative AI to supplement source content and to accelerate the writing process (without plagiarism) 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning experience designer

Position(s): Learning Experience (LX) Designer or Strategist
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 30+

Key Skills: Learner Experience Design (LXD),  Instructional Design, Learning Assessment,  Hybrid Learning, Learning in the Flow of Work, Project-Based Learning Methodologies, Cohort and Social Learning, Learner Experience Platforms

Media Skills: LX journey maps and representations of other interconnected or integrated learning strategies 

Strengths: Systems Thinking, Stakeholder Communication, Instructional Design Strategy, Learning Theory, Training Effectiveness

Career Highlights:

  • Designed personalized learner experience (LX) journeys for an organization of 30k (with 5 tiered tracks) 
  • Curated existing LXs that could be leveraged in new learning journeys for other roles, with measurement at key milestones to evaluate progress and success 
  • Wrote up the specifications for branching scenarios, question libraries, options for audio/visual media, and more, connecting each learner experience to a personalized journey 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

instructional media specialist

Position(s): Lead or supporting graphic designer, lead motion video artist
Years of Instructional Experience: 6+
Number of Completed Projects: 40+

Key Skills: Visual Design, Illustration, UX/UI Design, Storyboarding, Animation, Audio Engineering

Media Skills: Engaging illustrations, 3D models, character design, storyboarding, live-action and motion graphic video creation, audio recording and editing, client branding, and more to enhance media and create engaging touchpoints that resonate with learners 

Strengths: Brainstorming, Collaboration, Visual Communication,  Color Theory, Typography, Layout and Composition

Career Highlights:

  • Completed projects with extreme attention to fonts, colors, spacing, and more that ensured integrity with client branding requirements 
  • Designed and integrated media based on project-specific content that reflected the learner audience, established realistic learning environments, allowed for hands-on practice in virtual environments, and promoted diversity and engaging storytelling
  • Created quick-reference illustrations learners could access on the job to help them make fast, effective decisions   

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

lms admin

Position(s): Admin or sub-admin for Learning Management System (LMS)
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: LMS Configuration, User Management, Course Management, System Maintenance, Reporting, Data Analysis, System Integrations

Media Skills: Network and tech-stack diagrams to communicate system architecture and integration 

Strengths: Troubleshooting and Analysis, Learning Analytics, User Administration, Technical Proficiency, Documentation, Adaptability

Career Highlights:

  • Managed a curriculum of more than 1,450 course offerings in the LMS for more than 10,000 learners 
  • Uploaded, tested, and ensured the readiness of new and relaunched programs 
  • Created and maintained reporting workflows to meet stakeholder needs 
  • Provided on-demand support to the learning team to answer questions and promptly address concerns 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

learning project manager

Position(s): Learning project manager, project lead, or coordinator
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 35+

Key Skills: eLearning Development, Resource Coordination, Project Management (PMP Certified), Agile and Waterfall PM Methodologies, Budgeting and Forecasting, Scheduling, Quality Assurance

Media Skills: Visual reporting of project plans via Gantt charts and other standard formats

Strengths: Problem-Solving, Communication, Active Listening, Collaboration, Decision-Making, Attention to Detail, Adaptability, Time Management, Risk Management, Budget Management, Team Coordination and Delegation

Career Highlights:

  • Managed concurrent award-winning projects without missing deadlines or wasting resources 
  • Completed several projects earlier than the expected timeline and under the anticipated budget 
  • Built strong relationships with returning client partners for multi-phase initiatives or course maintenance projects 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME)

Position(s): Industry-specific specialist
Years of Instructional Experience: 5+
Number of Completed Projects: 5+

Key Skills: Content Curation, Specialized Content Development, Industry-Specific Expertise, Domain Expertise (e.g., Leadership, Onboarding, Compliance), Content Review

Media Skills: Recommendation and review of technical diagrams or industry-specific images

Strengths: Specialized Content Knowledge, Content-Gathering, Simplifying and Organizing Complex Material, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Documentation of Source Content, Decision-Making, Technical Content Review

Career Highlights:

  • Helped create, gather, and organize over 50 hours of content for projects with specific industry or learning needs and contextual nuances
  • Facilitated the decision-making process and collaboration between internal and external teams to consolidate feedback into actionable next steps 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

LEARNING STRATEGIST

Position(s): Lead strategist or performance consultant
Years of Instructional Experience: 7+
Number of Completed Projects: 20+

Key Skills: Needs Analysis, Learning Theory, Learner Experience Design, Learning Analytics and Measurement, Performance Mapping, Behavioral and Performance Analysis, Content Curation, Curriculum Analysis, Change Management

Media Skills: Curriculum maps, learner experience journeys, and conceptual program wireframes

Strengths: Big-Picture Thinking, Critical Thinking and Analysis, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Stakeholder Communication, Research, Design, Collaboration, Facilitation

Career Highlights:

  • Conducted a comprehensive learning needs analysis for customer services representatives that included both product knowledge and interpersonal skills development 
  • Prioritized alignment of business and learner needs, such as high-impact accessible design solutions within budgets or agile timelines, for award-winning projects
  • Designed strategies for measuring performance and results over time to inform continued client success 

Technical Skills:

representative talent profile

Instructional Designers

Position(s): Lead or supporting designer
Years of Instructional Experience: 3+
Number of Completed Projects: 15+

Key Skills: Instructional Design, Adult Learning Theories, eLearning Development, Learner Experience Design, Curriculum Development, Course Authoring, Writing, Learning Assessment

Media Skills: Simple graphic design using stock imagery, audio production

Strengths: Adaptability, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Technical Proficiency, Attention to Detail

Career Highlights:

  • Led the design and development of an onboarding program for new manufacturing employees
  • Scripted technical instructional content for high-tech, product knowledge training
  • Developed hybrid materials for both instructor-led training (ILT) and microlearning tutorials

Technical Skills: