Building a Performance-Centric Learning Organization

Rob Zell, Director of Learning and Development, Reece USA

Rob Zell, Director of Learning and Development, Reece USA

Rob Zell is the Director of Learning and Development at Reece USA, where he leads instructional design, facilitation, learning technologies, sales enablement and product training. He began his career as a high school science teacher and coach before transitioning into corporate learning at Blockbuster, where he developed a foundation in instructional design. His approach to leadership and business-aligned learning evolved through roles in the restaurant industry, 7-Eleven and Interstate Batteries, shaping his focus on trust, influence and measurable performance outcomes.

When Learning Follows Business Needs

I oversee the design of learning programs that are intended to truly drive performance, which starts with knowing the business inside and out. If you’re in instructional design or learning technology, you have to understand how the business operates, what drives revenue and cost, and what learners actually need in their day-to-day flow; whether that’s at a desk or on a phone and how willing they are to adopt those tools. That context shapes not just what we build, but whether it will work at all.

That’s also why I approach every request with a consultative lens. When someone comes in asking for training, the first step is to ask the right questions and understand what’s really going on. Often, it’s not a training issue; it may be that standards haven’t been clearly defined, processes haven’t been communicated or expectations aren’t understood. In those cases, the work starts with clarifying what good looks like, evaluating whether people can execute against it and identifying any obstacles or even unintended rewards that may be reinforcing the wrong behaviors before turning to training as a solution.

There’s also a real cost to everything we build and publish. Training takes time, and time is money, so even a short three-minute module, when multiplied across the organization, has a measurable impact on the bottom line. It’s critical to solve the right problem before investing in a solution. At the same time, as the business evolves, so should the way we deliver learning. It’s easy to fall into the habit of repeating what worked before, but part of the role is stepping back and asking whether it’s still the most effective approach.

Ultimately, none of this happens in isolation. The work is as much about collaboration as it is about design, bringing together the right stakeholders across teams, aligning on the problem and ensuring we’re not creating training for the sake of it, but building something that genuinely supports performance.

Prioritizing What Truly Matters

Organizations often work across multiple competing priorities simultaneously. Whether that’s driving sales growth, improving operational efficiency, rolling out new processes or enhancing the customer experience, each of those priorities tends to come with a request for training. The real work is partnering with senior leaders and stakeholders to step back and determine what should take priority, what can wait and how those efforts should be sequenced so we’re supporting the business at the right time.

That requires strong stakeholder management and a very consultative approach. You’re bringing together leaders across operations, sales, and support functions, aligning different perspectives and ensuring we’re not just reacting to requests but making intentional decisions. There are times where something doesn’t align with broader company initiatives, and that’s where you have to be comfortable pushing back, negotiating timelines and priorities and asking how it connects to the goals and KPIs we’re all accountable for.

“The best people in learning and development are the ones who are constantly learning, staying curious and continuing to grow.”

In many cases, that conversation leads to a different outcome altogether. Instead of building a full training program, we might support the need through a job aid, a micro-learning or a more targeted communication approach. The goal is to solve the problem in the most effective way possible, without defaulting to training when it isn’t necessary.

Navigating AI-Driven Change in Learning

One of the biggest challenges in redefining learning leadership today is being open to change, especially within learning and development and instructional design. Tools are constantly evolving, and it’s easy to get comfortable with what’s familiar. The challenge is finding that balance between continuing to use what works and keeps you productive, while staying open to new tools, ideas and ways of developing learning solutions.

We saw that firsthand when we developed over 160 product knowledge assets across four divisions in about four months. These were short, two- to three-minute learning modules and job aids, developed quickly by working with subject matter experts for key inputs and using AI to build outlines.

To operate in that kind of environment, you have to be a learner yourself. The best people in learning and development are the ones who are constantly learning, staying curious and continuing to grow. At the same time, as a leader, you have to create clarity for your team. You have to help them understand what matters, define what good looks like and ensure that even as we move faster, we’re still delivering a quality product.

You do that by overcommunicating. In a fast-moving environment, it’s important to keep the team informed about what’s changing within the business or in the broader marketplace, without fueling uncertainty. Sharing clear direction, grounding the team in what’s real and reinforcing where we’re headed helps everyone stay aligned and moving in the same direction, even as things continue to evolve.

Planning Skills for What Comes Next

If you want to be effective in developing talent in the organization, it really starts with knowing the business. With that understanding, you can anticipate where the business is headed and what it may be overlooking, from evolving roles to how teams will use technology over the next three to five years. That is what allows you to plan more effectively, not just for current needs, but for the skills people will need to move into their next roles and adapt to future changes in the business.

As you start to build that strategy, it is important to overcommunicate it and continuously test your thinking with stakeholders. Ask questions, stay curious and understand how they see their workforce evolving and where they believe changes are coming. That back-and-forth helps you refine your approach so you can stay proactive in your planning while also being responsive to the stakeholders you support. And over time, that’s what allows you to play a more strategic role in how the business grows its people.

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