Home

 

A: I feel your frustration. It’s easy to feel like you’re losing ground in this environment. Questions from clients just like this have shaped a lot of the work we’re doing, and the reinforcement of my belief that people matter most.

As I look back on 2025 at Ulysses Learning, I don’t think of it as a year defined by features or upgrades. I think of it as a year defined by listening. Listening to our clients, our partners, and the leaders who show up every day to navigate complex, high-pressure environments with integrity.

Again and again, I heard the same concern: “We believe in coaching, but we can’t seem to sustain it.” That honesty mattered. It pushed us to look beyond training events and toward what truly drives change. The result was a major upgrade to the CoachingMentor AIM database. This wasn’t about adding more data for the sake of data. It was about accountability with purpose. Leaders need visibility into their coaching habits and clarity around how those behaviors connect to performance. When coaching becomes visible, it becomes manageable—and when it is manageable, it becomes sustainable.

At the same time, I noticed another pattern. People understood the leadership models we taught. They could explain the strategies clearly. But when it came time to apply them in real conversations—whether with an employee who was struggling or a customer who was frustrated—confidence often faded. Knowing is not the same as doing.

That realization led us to integrate AI into the ServiceMentor learning experience. Not to replace people. Not to automate leadership. But to support it. AI became a powerful tool that creates a safe space to practice real conversations. A place where people can slow down, try different approaches, and build confidence without risk. The technology supports the learning, but the learning itself remains deeply human.

What we saw reinforced something I have always believed: when people are given the chance to practice, reflect, and try again, they grow. Learners engaged more deeply. Conversations became more natural. Over time, those skills stopped feeling scripted and started showing up instinctively. That is how new muscle memory forms—and that is what enables leaders and frontline teams to show up more confidently with customers.

This belief was reinforced for me personally in two very different but equally meaningful ways this year. One was professional. I was invited to participate in a thought-leadership session at the University of Ottawa focused on the future of AI and large language models in the contact center space. The most meaningful part of that conversation wasn’t about technology. It was about responsibility—recognizing AI’s role in creating efficiencies and driving results, while acknowledging that it can never replace human connection.

The other moment was personal. In 2025, my son took a major step into his future by joining the banking industry after graduating from college. As he researched roles and thought carefully about where he wanted to begin his career, one thing became clear to both of us: even in an increasingly digital world, businesses still need people. They need individuals who can listen, guide, problem-solve, and build trust. Technology may enable scale, but growth still happens through relationships.

Watching him step into that world reinforced why the work we do matters so much to me. People are not a cost to be managed or a process to be automated away. People are the key to success. They create loyalty, earn trust, and transform transactions into relationships. AI can help someone prepare for a conversation—but the human on the other side is what makes it meaningful.
 

Receiving recognition from CEX later in the year was another moment of reflection. While awards are never the goal, they serve as a reminder that investing in people and developing leaders who can coach effectively and engage authentically has a measurable impact on both employee and customer experience.

As I close out 2025, I feel proud—and even more importantly, grounded in what matters. Accountability matters. Practice matters. And people matter most.

Looking ahead to 2026, our strategy is clear. We will continue to use AI intentionally, as a tool that strengthens leadership capability rather than replaces it. We will deepen the connection between coaching behaviors and business outcomes. And we will keep designing learning that lives in the real world, where leaders and frontline teams interact with customers every day.

The future is not human or technology. It is human with technology—working together to create better conversations, stronger relationships, and lasting loyalty.

Keep focusing on your people and know that you can and will win at the end of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

In her current capacity with Ulysses Learning, Dina is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company and also serves as the chief client relationship executive, working with Fortune 100 clients and other progressive organizations to redefine the way customers are cared for. Under her leadership, Ulysses has been recognized for its work in transforming customer service, sales and coaching cultures through the development of emotional intelligence or “EQ,” enabling reps to confidently, consistently and expertly handle each customer interaction. The company has focused expertise in serving the healthcare, insurance, utilities, and financial services industries. 

Before joining Ulysses in 2001, Dina was responsible for the ground-level startup of two contact centers to serve bankers including Fortune 100 clients First Chicago, Harris Bank, American Express and Citibank.  This led to her role as call center lead consultant and division manager for an international learning organization prior to Ulysses. Outside of work Dina is actively involved in local volunteerism and enjoys cooking, gardening and nature walks.

Dina can be reached on LinkedIn or at dvance@ulysseslearning.com; for more details on Ulysses Learning visit www.ulysseslearning.com

Ulysses Learning was founded in 1995 as a joint venture with Northwestern University’s world-renowned Learning Sciences department. Since then, Ulysses’ continued focus on research and development has earned it prestigious awards and recognition and, most importantly, the respect from its clients who rely on Ulysses for innovative performance improvement solutions that change with their rapidly developing and evolving environments.

Contact centers achieve profound business results ahead of schedule with Ulysses Learnings’ artful blend of patented simulation-based e-learning, facilitated exercises, coaching, and technology-driven tools, that redefine the way customers are cared for and transform customer service, sales, and coaching cultures. Ulysses has one of the only training systems proven to build EQ with its proprietary Framework with Freedom© approach, enabling reps to develop skills to empathize with others, build stronger customer bonds, and improve team dynamics with confidence, consistency, and excellence.

Ulysses Learning is a multi-year recipient of the Gold Stevie© Award for the best contact center customer service training.

Begin your contact center transformation now. Phone 800-662-4066 or visit www.ulysseslearning.com to get started.