A little about me Ed.D.

Hi, I’m Dennis.

I help teams investigate the work, build useful learning, and examine what people can apply. Learning strategy and talent development are at the center of my practice.

Dennis Griffin, Ed.D.Learning strategy & talent development

Welcome to my corner of the web

I want people to leave a learning experience able to do something they could not do before. My job is to help the team build that learning and find out whether people can use it.

Adult learning and Learning & Development are my home base. Research and UX help me listen more closely to the people doing the work. Learning operations helps turn a plan into something a team can deliver, and measurement helps us see what changed.

I’ve put this site together so you can see how I work and what I care about. You’ll find project examples and ideas I’m still working through. If something connects with a question you’re facing, I’d be glad to compare notes.

See the work View my résumé

My main focusAdult learning & L&D leadership

EducationEd.D., Leadership & Organizational Learning

Supporting strengthsInstructional design, research, UX & analytics

How I leadPerformance, measurement & capability

Research & measurement

Doctoral research.

In this qualitative doctoral study, I used Kirkpatrick’s New World Model to frame survey questions about a project management reskilling course. Through thematic analysis, I examined participants’ perceptions of relevance, job applicability, and confidence in applying new skills.

Setting: A Fortune 100 insurance and financial services organization in the Midwestern United States.
Sample: A convenience sample of 15 business partners and project professionals who did not report directly to me.

Participant feedback does not, by itself, establish learning gains, workplace transfer, or business impact.

Griffin, D. (2025). Evaluating Participant Feedback Using Kirkpatrick’s New World Model: Qualitative Insights From a Project Management Reskilling Course (Doctoral dissertation, Trident University International).

View ProQuest record

Focus areas

Where I can help.

Learning and development strategy: Set learning priorities with leaders and give teams a practical plan for building the skills people need.
Instructional design and performance consulting: Find where people need support and choose an approach that fits the task. That may include learning, a workflow change, or both.
Learning measurement and evaluation: Look at what learners experienced, what they learned, and how they use it. Be clear about what the evidence supports.
Research and UX: Listen to people and study their tasks so the team can see what helps them and where they get stuck.
Analytics and decision support: Bring findings together in a clear report or dashboard that helps a leader decide what to do next.
AI-enabled learning systems: Give AI specific tasks that we can check. Keep a clear record of the sources and the decisions people make.

Leading the team

How I work with people.

My approach to coaching, shared expectations, and the judgment behind the work.

How I lead

I lead with psychological safety, clear direction, and trust. I want people to bring their perspective, question an approach, and offer recommendations. I give people ownership of their work and adapt my support to their experience.

Someone newer may need coaching, examples, and regular feedback. Someone experienced may need room to make decisions and a stretch opportunity we choose together. We agree on how we communicate, handle conflict, and hold one another accountable, and document those agreements in a team charter. I also ask for feedback on my own leadership.

How I develop people

We usually meet every two weeks, or weekly when someone needs closer support. We discuss current projects, the skills the role requires, and where the person wants to grow. Together, we identify gaps, choose learning opportunities or stretch projects, and agree on measures of progress. We document those goals and revisit them through the quarter.

I also look for strengths someone may not be using in their current role. We explore how those skills could contribute to a project or a development goal. That can include professional learning, certifications, or continuing a degree. I want people to build their capabilities while keeping the work connected to business priorities.

Putting development into practice

An LMS administrator on my team wanted to develop their UX skills. We connected that interest to a SharePoint site the team needed and chose LinkedIn Learning courses in UX, design thinking, and visual design.

We worked together on a storyboard in Miro and reviewed how the site should work and look, including its use of white space. Over time, they built the team site and had a project they could include in a portfolio for UX opportunities. They owned the work, and I provided coaching and feedback as they applied what they were learning.

Working through a disagreement about evidence

During an agent-persona project intended to inform change-management training, I proposed exploring synthetic users alongside existing research and business data. A consultant and I disagreed about whether the resulting profiles were ready to present as validated personas.

I explained that we hadn’t interviewed agents, so their experiences and motivations still needed investigation. We agreed on a phased approach and explained it to leaders in a meeting. The initial profiles could help us develop hypotheses and prepare questions. Interviews with real agents were the next phase needed before using the profiles to guide training decisions.

From colleagues

In their words.

Perspectives from people who have worked with me.

“In many groups I've been in, Dennis asked critical questions that no one else did.”
Aaron StoutNationwide colleague

“Dennis consistently delivered high quality work products, met or exceeded deadlines, and assisted his colleagues at every opportunity.”
Elaine HiattFormer supervisor at AIAM

The conditions around the work

Give people room
to do good work.

Learning matters. So do clear expectations, useful feedback, and the opportunity to practice. As a leader, I pay attention to the conditions that help a team use its skills.

An ivory ribbon sculpture surrounding a bronze form in a warmly lit stone and timber gallery — 02 / Room to practiceConceptual artwork

Working principles

Good learning begins with a good question.

Get clear about what people need to do.
Study the work before designing the learning.
Give people realistic practice and useful feedback.
Explain what the evidence supports and what we still need to learn.
Help the team build skills it can keep using.

Elsewhere

Let’s talk about the work.

Take a look at the project examples or send me a question your team is working through.

View portfolio Email Dennis

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