Keith LillicoÂ
Keith Lillico is an Associate Director and Learning Experience Architect at Merck & Co. As an architect, he draws from his formal education and experience in instructional design and business to create learning content that focuses on meeting the needs of the learner while aligning it with enterprise-wide business objectives. As the founder of Lillico Learning Solutions, Keith works with clients to build training that is accessible to all learners, including those who have disabilities. Keith, a certified Gamification Master Craftsman, combines game-design elements and principles with progressive views on learning theories to enhance traditional instructional design within the industry.
Keith received the 2019 Association for Talent Development One to Watch Award, 2020 Training Magazine Top 5 Emerging Leaders, Brandon Hall Best Blended Learning Program, Rising Star Awards, and 2023 Association for Talent Development Outstanding Learning Professional of the Year Award.
"Tell Me Why": What Toddlers, Boy Bands, and Learners Teach Us About Motivation
This session takes a deeper look at the question every learner asks, often silently: why should I care? Led by Keith Lillico, the conversation moves beyond surface-level relevance to examine the underlying ecosystem of human motivation that shapes engagement across very different contexts, from early learning to enterprise compliance. While the question may sound the same, the psychological drivers behind it vary widely, and ignoring that complexity is where many learning designs fall short.
Participants will unpack how intrinsic and extrinsic forces such as autonomy, mastery, and purpose influence behavior and learning outcomes. The session offers a practical framework for identifying the often-hidden motivations of an audience and translating those insights into design decisions that resonate before learners ever have to ask “why.”
Takeaway: Engagement improves when learning answers the real motivation behind the question, not just the question itself.
