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14: Making Learning Stick: Investing in People and Building Effective Training | Mehul Patel
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What’s the difference between a generic training program and one that actually transforms your team? In this insightful episode, host Mickey Fitch Collins, Ph.D., welcomes learning leader Mehul Patel, fresh from a 14-year journey at Gilead Sciences, to share his playbook for building a purpose-driven, ROI-positive learning pathway. Mehul gives an inside look at why he shifted his teams beyond generic, enterprise-level training to a tailored, human-first approach—unlocking not just better skills, but real cultural change.
From winning over leadership and securing funding, to making training irresistibly relevant for busy employees, Mehul reveals practical strategies for anyone charged with designing learning that sticks—no matter how global or complex your team may be. You’ll walk away with tangible tools, compelling business cases, and new ways to think about the future of people development in the age of AI and rapid transformation.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why curated, team-specific learning beats one-size-fits-all approaches—and what actually makes a program “stick.”
- The case for moving from “technical” to “human” skills (and why “soft skills” is an outdated term).
- How Mehul mapped learning needs for a diverse, global IT team—and piloted impactful programs on a budget.
- Tactics for translating L&D programs into undeniable business value (even to skeptical execs).
- Mehul’s strategy for motivating employees to see training as a perk, not a burden.
- The biggest myths of leadership development and the reality of measuring “behavioral ROI.”
Timestamps:
00:00 – Mickey introduces The Learn-It Lounge and guest Mehul Patel
02:40 – Mehul’s 14-year journey at Gilead Sciences and focus on people development
03:13 – Why curate training instead of going off-the-shelf?
05:09 – The case for moving from management to leadership skills
07:20 – Why human skills don’t “just happen”—and need active development
08:25 – How Mehul launched training for 30 people across 9 geographies
11:32 – Getting buy-in and overcoming objections from leadership
13:34 – Making a compelling business case for human skill investment
14:23 – Anchoring training to corporate strategy (talent retention & development)
15:00 – How to present training to employees as a customized, valuable opportunity
17:09 – The power of intention and context in employee communications
18:25 – Building culture, collaboration, and trust through shared learning
20:07 – Mehul’s greatest leadership lesson: learning never ends
22:58 – The biggest myths about leadership development—and the challenge of measuring impact
25:01 – Final reflections and how to connect with Mehul
About Mehul Patel
Mehul Patel is a seasoned learning and development leader who recently wrapped up a 14-year career at Gilead Sciences, where he drove innovative learning programs across IT teams spanning nine geographies. Known for moving teams from management into true leadership, Mehul specializes in closing the gap between functional enterprise training and highly curated team development—emphasizing the power of “human skills” as the fuel for long-term organizational success. He’s passionate about coaching, global team building, and making learning practical in a rapidly changing business landscape.
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