On July 24, 2018, Lindsey Clayton, Head of Learning Experience Design and Support at Caterpillar Inc. is joining four other learning leaders from high profile organizations on a panel moderated by Mike Prokopeak, CLO, of CLO Media at Bridge’s annual user conference in Keystone, Colorado.
Clayton will get the chance to talk about the future of learning and development and even take a spin on some carnival rides with this year’s theme being Big Top Bridge.
We wanted to catch up with Clayton before the event and hear about what she wished she knew before she started her career, the best job she’s ever had, and what carnival snack she can’t resist.
Q&A With Lindsey Clayton
Bridge: Who was your best manager and what made them so great?
Clayton: My best manager was Tim Madrid, he was the principal at one of the schools I taught in in my previous career. Tim was visible in the school and highly engaged with both his staff and students. Additionally, he took the time to understand the nuances of each department and their varying needs. As a Science teacher, I was very appreciative of this as he appropriately allocated budget to ensure we have resources for labs and activities – it was the only teaching job I had where I did not have to spend my own money in order to conduct labs with my students.
Bridge: What’s the one thing you wish you had learned before you started your career?
Clayton: Another language, currently, I only know English. Now that I work in a global team, I am embarrassed I only know one language.
Bridge: What’s the one skill you would tell the upcoming workforce to practice over and over?
Clayton: Flexibility – luckily we raise our kids on this (every year in school – new classroom, new teacher, new curriculum, new classmates), but I think it is very important for all employees to adapt to changing circumstances and environments, and embrace new ideas
Bridge: What’s the best job you’ve ever had?
Clayton: My current job! It is very fulfilling to help organizations develop their people. This job has given me the opportunity to develop new skills as well as stretch my perspectives not only on learning and development, but human experiences as a whole thanks to the diversity of colleagues I have the pleasure of working with and customers we serve.
Bridge: What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Clayton: Teaching in a school that was poorly run and underfunded.
Bridge: What does the future of work look like in your company?
Clayton: Autonomous/remote, global, talented. Caterpillar has embraced workplace flexibility and, as a result, employees are expected to be more autonomous than ever. The lack of focus on where an employee should reside will lead to a highly talented workforce as recruitment may not be as limited to certain geographic areas. However, this will also lead to a more fragmented workforce, where verbal and written communication skills will be absolutely vital. Additionally, employee development will become more of a challenge and will continue to move more toward digital delivery.
Bridge: What’s the most delicious carnival treat on the planet?
Clayton: I’m old fashioned and have to go with funnel cake; however, I’ve never tried fried butter but I am sure it would be mind-blowingly delicious.
Join us at Big Top Bridge July 22-24 and get more insights from Clayton and other learning leaders during our panel discussion while networking with colleagues, learning about the latest in employee engagement software, and enjoying some deep-fried food.
You can also enjoy Big Top Bridge from the comfort of your couch. If you can’t make the trip to Keystone, Co. then join us online while we live stream our keynote sessions.
