In today's rapidly evolving workplace, managers are encountering scenarios that require a new set of coaching conversations, ones they haven't faced or trained for before. The shift to hybrid work models, the integration of AI, and changing employee expectations have introduced complexities that traditional management training often doesn't cover and doesn’t develop skills for.

This week, I have been working with a group of high-tech leaders struggling with many complex business and coaching challenges. We are working with them to build dynamic training to help them be more confident and effective.

I have turned our work from the workshops into this blog by sharing three “common” new scenarios for this blog post. I’ve summarized the situation, the future coaching conversation needed, and the best practice action plans required to get there.

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This week, I had the pleasure of attending the ATD training industry event in Washington, DC. Visiting DC is always an interesting experience, as being in the heart of the nation’s capital reminds you of the importance of policy and policy-making to businesses.

Over the past few weeks, I have shared some insights into the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and, most recently, the Presidential Order on pharmaceutical drug pricing.

Having the opportunity to meet with and learn from some of the best lobbyists, I thought it would be a nice idea to take a moment to highlight a few key points that business leaders can learn from lobbyists.

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Why It Might Be Good for the Pharmaceutical Industry in the Long Run

A Different Take on Business Acumen and Market Dynamics

The headlines flashed like lightning:
“Trump Says He Will Sign Executive Order Aimed at Lowering Drug Prices”
“U.S. Drug Prices Will Be Pegged to International Rates”

And predictably, the immediate reaction across the pharmaceutical industry and markets was panic. The initial narrative was straightforward from a business acumen perspective: this move would slash revenues, limit pricing flexibility, and discourage investment in research and development (R&D).

But at Advantexe, where we develop business acumen simulations for global pharmaceutical companies, the reaction was different. Our team started texting immediately, not with fear, but with questions. How do we help clients navigate this curveball? How do we reframe the conversation?

We’ve been simulating this very scenario for months, introducing it as a “wobbler” in our learning experiences. And here’s the surprising conclusion we’ve come to:

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It’s trade show season, and Advantexe is heading to the ATD International Conference & EXPO, the talent development industry’s largest and most influential event. With thousands of attendees and hundreds of booths, one thing is clear: AI will dominate the conversation.

My guess is that nearly every vendor on the floor will be showcasing or name-dropping some form of AI. Whether it’s “AI-powered coaching,” “AI personalization,” or “AI-generated learning,” the buzz will be everywhere. But as a participant, how do you cut through the hype?

Not all AI is created equal. And not all vendors are using it in the same way, or with the same level of responsibility, transparency, or actual impact on learning outcomes.

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According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the U.S. economy contracted by 0.3% in Q1 2025, the first quarterly decline since early 2022. At first glance, the drop might seem modest, but under the surface, it reveals important signals about shifting business behavior, the role of tariffs, and the resilience of the consumer economy.

The GDP calculation adds total consumer, business, and government spending, plus net exports (exports minus imports). In Q1, consumer spending, business investment, and exports all rose, typically signs of strength. However, a surge in imports, primarily driven by companies trying to get ahead of newly imposed tariffs, subtracted heavily from the overall GDP number.

Typically, such a pre-tariff import surge would be mirrored by a corresponding rise in inventories. But the BEA’s data suggests that inventory levels didn’t keep up. If not for the BEA's optimistic assumption that March inventories rose more than initially reported, GDP could have fallen by as much as 1.5%.

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