Human Connection: The Skill Defining L&D's Future with Peter Plumlee of Ball Horticultural Company
In this episode of Learning Leader Spotlight, the conversation centers on a timely and increasingly relevant theme in learning and development: rediscovering the human side of work. As organizations adopt more advanced technologies and automation, the role of connection, empathy, and community is being reexamined.
Peter Plumlee brings a candid and thoughtful perspective to how leaders in L&D can navigate this shift while maintaining meaningful impact across complex, global organizations.
Peter is a Talent Development Manager at Ball Horticultural Company and serves as the Chapter President of ATD Chicagoland. Working as a solo contributor supporting a global organization across 17 countries, Peter operates at the intersection of strategy, facilitation, and relationship-building.
His professional experience spans over two decades, beginning in social services and transitioning into corporate L&D. This background influences his strong emphasis on accessibility, empathy, and designing learning experiences that help people succeed regardless of barriers.
The Reemergence of Human Value in L&D
A central theme throughout the discussion is the shift away from constantly “proving” the value of L&D toward recognizing inherent human contribution. Peter highlights a growing tension in the field, where practitioners are often encouraged to justify their role through performance metrics or outcomes, while simultaneously being told they are not doing enough.
He frames the most important shift as a change in perspective, focusing on the unique value L&D practitioners already bring as humans. This includes curiosity, adaptability, empathy, and the ability to connect across roles and functions. With the rise of AI-enabled tools automating traditional training tasks, the differentiator is no longer content production but human engagement.
This reframing positions L&D not as a function fighting for relevance, but as one that enables meaningful human performance across the organization.
Technology Is Advancing, but Connection Is Lagging
While acknowledging the rapid evolution of tools, including AI powered learning experience platforms, Peter emphasizes that technology alone does not solve organizational challenges. He notes that many advancements feel like rebranded versions of existing practices, packaged as innovation.
The deeper concern is that as tools become more efficient, interpersonal connection risks being deprioritized. Teams communicate digitally even when physically near, and organizations sometimes default to scalability over meaningful interaction.
Peter suggests that the future of L&D lies in balancing these advancements with intentional human connection. Technology may accelerate processes, but it cannot replace trust, vulnerability, or the shared experiences that strengthen teams.
Learning Trends Shaping the Future – What Learning Leaders See Coming Next
Community as a Core Driver of Learning Impact
Community emerges as one of the most consistent and personal themes in Peter’s experience. His involvement with ATD Chicagoland stems from a need to find local professional connection after years of engaging primarily with an international network.
He describes community not as a secondary benefit of professional organizations, but as the primary value proposition. In both his corporate role and volunteer leadership, he focuses on fostering environments where individuals feel seen, supported, and connected.
This perspective reframes learning ecosystems as communities of practice rather than collections of programs. It also highlights the importance of informal learning interactions, peer support, and shared experiences as drivers of development.
Leadership Through Vulnerability and Storytelling
Peter underscores vulnerability as a critical leadership capability. In a recent leadership workshop he facilitated, participants were encouraged to share personal stories with peers. The most significant feedback from the session was not about content or frameworks, but about the impact of hearing others be open and honest.
This dynamic created a ripple effect, where participants became more comfortable sharing their own experiences and challenges. Peter positions storytelling as a powerful tool in L&D, not for persuasion or reporting metrics, but for fostering understanding and emotional connection.
In this context, leadership is less about authority and more about creating space for authenticity. Vulnerability signals psychological safety, which in turn supports collaboration and growth.
The Complexity of Leading Volunteer Organizations
Drawing from his role as president of ATD Chicagoland, Peter highlights the unique challenges of leading a volunteer-based organization. Unlike corporate teams, volunteers are not driven by compensation or formal performance expectations. Their participation is motivated by purpose and personal connection.
This creates a leadership environment where sustaining engagement is more complex. Leaders must balance ambitious goals with the realities of participants’ full-time jobs, personal commitments, and varying levels of availability.
Peter describes this as both difficult and rewarding. The success of the organization depends on maintaining energy, aligning motivations, and recognizing contributions in meaningful ways. It also reinforces the importance of shared ownership, where decisions are made collectively rather than top-down.
Practical Takeaways for L&D and Business Leaders
Prioritize Human-Centered Design in Learning Strategies
Leaders may consider evaluating how learning experiences support connection and engagement, not just knowledge transfer. This includes incorporating discussion, reflection, and peer interaction into programs. Designing for human experience can increase both relevance and retention.
Reframe Value Conversations Around Contribution, Not Just Metrics
While measurement remains important, L&D leaders may benefit from broadening the definition of value. Contributions such as improving team dynamics, building confidence, or enabling collaboration are often less quantifiable but equally impactful.
Build and Nurture Communities of Practice
Organizations can strengthen learning cultures by facilitating communities where employees regularly connect, share insights, and support one another. These communities can exist formally through programs or informally through networking opportunities.
Encourage Vulnerability as a Leadership Capability
Creating environments where leaders openly share challenges and experiences may improve trust across teams. L&D can play a role by modeling this behavior in workshops and embedding storytelling into development programs.
Align Learning Initiatives with Real-World Contexts
Peter’s problem-solving approach highlights the importance of understanding whether a learning need is truly a skills gap or a process issue. Leaders may consider diagnosing root causes before deploying training solutions to ensure relevance and efficiency.
Recognize the Limits of Technology Without Human Connection
As organizations adopt AI and automation, leaders may assess how these tools complement rather than replace human interaction. Ensuring that employees still have opportunities for meaningful connection can support engagement and well-being.
Approach Mentorship as Relationship-Building
Peter emphasizes that effective mentorship is not forced but emerges from genuine connection. Encouraging flexible, relationship-driven mentorship opportunities may lead to more sustainable and impactful development experiences.
Resources or Tools Mentioned
- The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
- ATD Chicagoland
Closing Reflection
This episode reinforces a critical insight for modern organizations: as the workplace becomes more technologically advanced, the importance of human connection only increases. Peter Plumlee’s perspective highlights that the future of L&D is not defined solely by tools or methodologies, but by how effectively leaders foster community, empathy, and authentic engagement.
The conversation offers a reminder that even in complex, global environments, the most meaningful impact often comes from simple human interactions grounded in trust and shared purpose.
Listen to the episode here.
Ready to Work with Us?
Does your L&D team have more projects than people? At TrainingPros, we match organizations with experienced consultants who lead with strategy, so you can connect learning decisions to real business goals. We support teams across compliance, customer service, leadership and supervisory development, product knowledge, and sales, as well as information technology, software, and learning platforms. Whether you’re rethinking onboarding, scaling a program, or upgrading the tools behind it, we help you move from reactive delivery to results-driven capability building.
TrainingPros has been named a Top 20 Staffing Company internationally by Training Industry, and recognized as a Champion of Learning by the Association for Talent Development (ATD)—an international honor that reflects our dedication to excellence in corporate learning. These accolades underscore TrainingPros’ unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored training solutions.
If your projects need instructional design consultants, eLearning developers, or other learning & development consultants for your custom content projects, reach out to one of our industry-expert relationship managers today.
When you have more projects than people™, let TrainingPros find the
right consultant to start your project with confidence.
