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When <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/aaron-olson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aaron Olson</a> keynoted in person at ELE’s October conference at Zurich North America (Schaumburg campus), he launched his new book <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/strategy-and-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategy &amp; Change</a>—and the room lit up because it wasn’t theory. It was usable.

So we invited him back for a live interactive workshop discussion on Feb 27, and he delivered again—this time with the group applying the ideas to real decisions, in real time.

In the simplest terms, Aaron’s message was this: stronger teams get better at avoiding blind spots → making clearer choices → naming risk early—because that’s where real opportunities get unmasked. He also walked through how to prepare yourself with a simple Action Planning Tool.

And the best part? The community didn’t just nod along—we sharpened the framework with the kind of reflections you only get when experienced leaders are willing to be honest about what actually happens inside organizations.

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The takeaway that hit hardest: don’t outsource your judgment
As <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/marty-murrillo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marty Murrillo</a> put it - especially with AI in the mix:
<blockquote style="border-left: 5px solid #ccc; margin: 1.5em 10px; padding: 0.5em 20px; font-style: italic;">“You can’t… abdicate your critical thinking to a machine, nor should you ever give your voice to a person or a machine."</blockquote>
That line landed because it names a very real risk pattern: teams move faster, they generate more output… and leaders slowly stop owning judgment.

The point wasn’t “don’t use AI.” The point was: don’t give away your voice. When leaders do that—whether to a tool or to the loudest person in the room—capability erodes quietly.

Why “challenge” is the hidden lever in better decisions.
One reflection that really stuck with the group was how culture shapes decision quality—even before the decision starts. <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/rachel-kaberon1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Kaberon</a> named the blocker we all recognize when we’re being honest:
<blockquote style="border-left: 5px solid #ccc; margin: 1.5em 10px; padding: 0.5em 20px; font-style: italic;">“The word challenge becomes a choice… that interpersonal exchange is part of the choice architecture."</blockquote>
That’s it. That’s the whole game. If challenging assumptions feels socially risky, people avoid it. If people avoid it, blind spots stay protected. And if blind spots stay protected, the “choice” is basically pre-decided—just with nicer language around it. So when we say “we need clarity,” what we often really mean is: we need a better room for real challenge.

Insight isn’t just “more data.” It’s sensing what others miss.
<a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jean-ryan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jean Ryan</a> added a strategic layer that sharpened the “Insight” part of Aaron’s framework: if you only listen to the loud, obvious signals, you’re already behind.

She described the power of going after weak signals—especially outside your industry—because they challenge your current assumptions before the change becomes unavoidable.

Strong signals are easy to spot. They’re already loud. Weak signals take intention. But that’s where the early advantage lives: noticing shifts in behavior, expectations, education, and adjacent markets before they turn into urgent problems. This is one of those leadership muscles that looks “soft”… until you realize it’s the difference between being prepared and being surprised.

What made this practical: a one-page tool teams can actually use
Here’s where Aaron made it actionable.

The Strategy &amp; Change | Action Planning Worksheet is a practical tool for senior leaders because it turns the framework into a single page teams can work through together—in the flow of real decisions. (<a href="https://ideation.ele.llc/LC_Reskilling/20260227_Strategy-and-Change-Worksheet-editable.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here to download the editable worksheet</a>)
<img class="aligncenter" src="https://cdn.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Strategy-and-Change_Action-Planning-Worksheet.jpg" alt="Strategy and Change Worksheet" width="972" height="562" />
It helps teams:
<ul style="margin-bottom: 25px;">
 	<li>surface blind spots without turning it into a debate club</li>
 	<li>clarify the real choice being made (and the tradeoffs)</li>
 	<li>name risk early enough that it helps—not late enough that it hurts</li>
</ul>
And there’s a bigger reason we’re excited: Even better: this worksheet is the backbone for ELE’s next Design Charrette—because it forces the exact moves teams need to build Confidence, Capability, and Clarity while they’re solving something that actually matters.

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Want to go deeper?
This mini-workshop draws on ideas from Strategy and Change by Aaron Olson and co-authors—focused on insight, choice, and risk when leaders face disruption.
<ul>
 	<li>Explore the book on ELE’s Bookshelf (<a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/strategy-and-change">learn more or purchase</a>)</li>
</ul>
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Strategy & Change in Practice: Turning Uncertainty into Better Decisions

Strategy

Digital &amp; AI

dirk.tussing

jean.ryan

leadership development

aaron.olson

critical thinking

Talent Strategy

marty.murrillo

peer-learning

matt.sernaker

clarity

rachel.kaberon

AI Adoption

cindy.pinkstaffmiller

risk management

strategic thinking

1Q2026

strategy and change

Human-Centered Transformation

insight choice risk

learning in the flow of work

team capability building

team-based learning

confidence

capability

decision-making under uncertainty

choice architecture

design charrettes

L&amp;D leaders

Human Synergistics

Session Focus: Integrating Art and Interactivity to Enhance Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills in Professional Development Training

Experience <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd2drb404.na1.hs-sales-engage.com%2FCtc%2FRK%2B23284%2Fd2DRB404%2FJkM4YGXpW6N1X8z6lZ3kvW9g1qlX7tDTfSW4jd_rc7wXg_vW2Vd8GD8VtXPnW5htnXy43FtT8W7kGQm-2Sr7mtW6g2pQN7h6BW9W5SF4V26Hw0QJW1nSX1z6YGccTW4SVn-x6JlMmFW5nZYzs3lhPH_N3VjZhvj4FkSW7xk5-X925HVmW4myzF_6ttv5HW3K59bC5vHt8nV6qdMt96ZrH1VwcSW_92Vj14W4WrlGG7rt-V6W1m9fHX30B7nWW4gPLKY8Mc56QW69lGYh3Jtl2FW8y8HTK6WzkxjVJ3vr-3HXNjDVC8R5n2x-Y2lW9lMF4c81PD33W3blLZg7gYYWqN7-9ZfKsd30yW8WySKV6_4GfnW1j0Rn34mCwkpW7kXGrZ4-yq9MW8c3LXV7tHpL0W5H3sZZ3fr6FcW8q59B_81Sp8PW1dsMC05_RySMN8dRJn4nqWscW4DlWPZ5ypXdkN618_38tCkrSW4mJbkc4Q6h75N1WwWKQ5pTYGdjzWzx04&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctri%40ele.llc%7C3760941141504145f6b408ddd4166e94%7C41ae97ca63444d068b300ca2a2dee0da%7C0%7C0%7C638899914998072245%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=qzzcv3KJCTzi%2BnazJNjqBK4DUVoVAw%2BgvP3ct%2BC0leA%3D&amp;reserved=0">Team Building Subarctic Survival Simulation | Human Synergistics</a> with the brightest minds in talent development.

Join senior talent development leaders for a bold, immersive afternoon where the art of learning meets the science of performance.

Hosted inside Chicago’s Quari Ice Factory—a striking space where creativity, ice, and industrial chic collide—this interactive professional development experience centers on the Subarctic Survival Simulation, one of Human Synergistics’ most popular and powerful team-building tools.

You’ll be dropped (figuratively!) into a scenario where you and your peers have just crash-landed on the remote shores of Laura Lake in subarctic Canada. Armed with only 15 salvaged items and the collective brainpower of your team, you’ll need to prioritize, problem-solve, and make high-stakes decisions to “stay alive.”

Reserve your spot today, and get ready to engage and learn in an entirely new way.

Why attend?

🧊 Step outside the box: Trade slides and scripts for scenario-based learning that drives behavior change.

🧠 Sharpen problem-solving skills: Explore how diverse perspectives unlock better decisions—under pressure.

🤝 Elevate collaboration: Experience firsthand how synergy (or lack thereof) impacts outcomes.

🎨 Infuse creativity into L&amp;D: Hosted at the creative epicenter of Quari Ice, this isn’t your average workshop.
<blockquote data-start="429" data-end="539">
“Because wisdom cannot be told. Action/involvement is vital to how people learn. We learn by doing.” -- Elaine Bernard, Ph.D., Labor &amp; Worklife Program, Harvard Law School
</blockquote>
Whether you're building a new team, developing emerging leaders, or looking to energize your learning strategy, this session is designed to deliver fresh perspective, peer insights, and practical tools you can take back to your own learning ecosystem.

Learn more: <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd2drb404.na1.hs-sales-engage.com%2FCtc%2FRK%2B23284%2Fd2DRB404%2FJkM4YGXpW6N1X8z6lZ3kvW9g1qlX7tDTfSW4jd_rc7wXg_vW2Vd8GD8VtXPnW5htnXy43FtT8W7kGQm-2Sr7mtW6g2pQN7h6BW9W5SF4V26Hw0QJW1nSX1z6YGccTW4SVn-x6JlMmFW5nZYzs3lhPH_N3VjZhvj4FkSW7xk5-X925HVmW4myzF_6ttv5HW3K59bC5vHt8nV6qdMt96ZrH1VwcSW_92Vj14W4WrlGG7rt-V6W1m9fHX30B7nWW4gPLKY8Mc56QW69lGYh3Jtl2FW8y8HTK6WzkxjVJ3vr-3HXNjDVC8R5n2x-Y2lW9lMF4c81PD33W3blLZg7gYYWqN7-9ZfKsd30yW8WySKV6_4GfnW1j0Rn34mCwkpW7kXGrZ4-yq9MW8c3LXV7tHpL0W5H3sZZ3fr6FcW8q59B_81Sp8PW1dsMC05_RySMN8dRJn4nqWscW4DlWPZ5ypXdkN618_38tCkrSW4mJbkc4Q6h75N1WwWKQ5pTYGdjzWzx04&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctri%40ele.llc%7C3760941141504145f6b408ddd4166e94%7C41ae97ca63444d068b300ca2a2dee0da%7C0%7C0%7C638899914998098919%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Cz1gK38uMDYngDLUXD3OB2B%2BdcMndFToG8q2zIAG6cA%3D&amp;reserved=0">Team Building Subarctic Survival Simulation | Human Synergistics</a>

<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BKJjTYYTOPo?si=dyq2bUmxJLaKC_8g" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Our quarterly cohort exchanges use the following design elements:
<ol>
 	<li>Sharing practical case studies aligned to business needs</li>
 	<li>Identifying key issues and developing insights and solutions</li>
 	<li>Canvassing learning industry trends applied at ELE members’ workplace</li>
</ol>
ELE's Chicagoland cohort for DEI, Talent, and HR Executives is a year-long learning process through face-to-face collaboration and networking with senior HR Talent and DEI Leaders. Each member company is encouraged to bring two peers from their organization.

<hr />

ELE produces this Chicagoland CLO Group.

Subarctic Survival: Leadership Experience @ Quari Ice, Fulton Market

single-event

future of work

Talent Executives

Chicago Cohort

chicagoland

angie.zeigler

ele chicago cohort

informal learning

audrey.sullivan

in-person event

action learning

self-awareness

Culture Change

Future of Work

Engagement &amp; Culture

Personal Development

self-reflection

angelica.janina.stilling

4Q2025

cathleen.cooke

problem-solving skills

Ziel Leadership

West Bend Insurance

Session Focus: Strategies Talent Leaders Can Use to Navigate the Challenges of the AI-Enhanced Workplace.

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This interactive roundtable provided a candid, grounded discussion on how AI is reshaping workplace learning and leadership development—with new opportunities and new risks.
As AI tools move rapidly into coaching, feedback, and employee wellbeing, senior HR leaders face a challenge: how to scale learning in ways that deepen—not flatten—human leadership capacity.

<blockquote>
“AI should build human capacity—not become a learning crutch.” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/missy-gonzales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michelle Gonzales</a>, West Bend Insurance.
</blockquote>
This was one of the key insights from our recent ELE peer discussion on thriving in the AI era—an open conversation on where AI is helping, where it’s creating new risks, and where HR leaders must set clear guardrails.


<hr data-start="916" data-end="919" />

<h3 data-start="921" data-end="938">Key Takeaways</h3>
<ul>
 	<li data-start="940" data-end="1129">L&amp;D must lead enterprise AI readiness L&amp;D plays a pivotal role in building organizational AI fluency and ethics awareness—equipping employees to use AI critically and responsibly.</li>
 	<li data-start="1131" data-end="1392">AI can scale learning—but not replace human interaction AI enables judgment-free practice (e.g. 360 feedback, sales coaching), but can create an illusion of safety that lacks the accountability and emotional nuance required for real leadership growth.</li>
 	<li>Data ethics and transparency are non-negotiable Employees must know exactly how their AI data is used. Without transparency, trust will erode.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
“Trust depends on transparency. Employees must know exactly how their AI data is used—or we risk losing trust altogether.” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/deepa-kartha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deepa Kartha</a>.
</blockquote>
<ul>
 	<li data-pm-slice="1 1 ">AI should enhance—not diminish—human leadership capacity
AI can automate routine feedback and scale coaching, freeing humans to focus on complex judgment, empathy, and innovation. HR must design AI use that strengthens—not undermines—these capabilities.</li>
</ul>

<hr data-start="1956" data-end="1959" />

<h3 data-start="1961" data-end="2004">Practical Actions for Senior HR Leaders:</h3>
✅ Champion AI literacy: Lead the development of critical AI skills and ethics awareness across your organization.
✅ Set clear data standards: Collaborate with legal and data teams to ensure AI data practices are transparent and trusted.
✅ Design human-centric learning: Use AI to enhance—not replace—leadership capabilities like judgment, empathy, and connection.
✅ Foster critical engagement: Encourage employees to challenge AI outputs, avoiding blind acceptance.
✅ Watch for learning crutches: Regularly evaluate where AI is helping—and where it may be dulling human leadership skills.


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AI is now embedded in how employees learn, reflect, and grow—but it brings new complexity.
HR leaders cannot delegate this responsibility to IT or data teams alone. How we frame, govern, and design AI use in leadership and learning will shape the future of trust, culture, and leadership readiness.
We must ensure that AI supports—not undermines—critical human leadership capabilities: judgment, empathy, courage, and connection.


[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="613"]<a href="https://hbr.org/2025/04/how-people-are-really-using-gen-ai-in-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/HBR-2025-Gen-AI-Use-Cases-1st-Wellbeing.jpg" alt="" width="613" height="592" /></a> Source: Infographic from <a href="https://hbr.org/2025/04/how-people-are-really-using-gen-ai-in-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How People Are Really Using Gen AI in 2025 (HBR April, 2025)</a>[/caption]
The question isn’t whether we use AI. The question is: will we use it well? Share with us on ELE <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Idea Exchange</a>.

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Thriving in the AI Era: Employee Wellbeing, Mental Resilience, and Burnout Prevention

Leadership

kyle.swanson

learning culture

talent development

missy.gonzales

eduardo.burgos

katrina.williams

employee engagement

psychological safety

guillermo.gutierrez

continuous learning

reskilling

HR leadership

AI in Learning

HR strategies

Burnout Prevention

AI ethics

erin.joslin

organizational learning

team communication

knowledge sharing

innovation culture

teaming techniques

AI for Wellbeing

nicole.defalco

AI Coaching

2Q2025

adam.walleser

human-centric AI

L&amp;D strategy

deepa.kartha

AI-enhanced leadership

AI literacy

data privacy

leadership readiness

trust in AI

Session Focus: Explore and develop key skills like adaptability, critical thinking, and communication, empowering individuals to succeed in today's rapidly changing professional landscape.


<blockquote>"To identify the critical skills for focus, the most important input useful is the business strategy... You want to start with the business strategy and follow with L&amp;D data." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jennifer-diamond-acosta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Acosta</a></blockquote>
This session provided critical insights on how HR and talent leaders can future-proof their workforce by fostering adaptability, critical thinking, and communication—the key attributes needed to navigate an unpredictable professional landscape.
In today’s business world, skills gaps are widening, technology is evolving faster than ever, and static learning models are no longer effective. To develop a truly dynamic workforce, HR leaders must shift from traditional learning approaches to agile, business-aligned, and measurable talent strategies.

<h3 data-start="729" data-end="768">Key Takeaways for HR Leaders:</h3>
🚀 Start with Business Strategy, Not Just Skills Gaps – The future of workforce development isn’t about chasing trends; it’s about ensuring learning directly fuels business growth. Align L&amp;D with strategic goals first, then refine with data.

🔍 Rethink Learning Models – AI, Cohorts &amp; Real-Time Application – Traditional courses are outdated. AI-driven, adaptive learning and cohort-based models drive engagement, retention, and immediate business impact.

📊 Skills as a Measurable Competitive Advantage – Skills development must be a business KPI. Leverage real-time workforce analytics to track skill progression and directly link learning investments to performance outcomes.
<blockquote>"With the ever-changing landscape, we must remain agile in how we develop skills—what’s relevant today may be obsolete tomorrow." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/geovanny-andino" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Geovanny Andino</a>, Zurich North America</blockquote>
<h3 data-start="1552" data-end="1604">Practical Actions HR Leaders Can Take Now:</h3>
🎯 Embed Learning in Workflows, Not Just Programs – Integrate skill-building into daily work through AI-driven coaching, microlearning nudges, and real-time feedback loops.

🤝 Turn Learning into a Collaborative Business Imperative – Move beyond HR-led training. Partner with business leaders to make continuous upskilling a core part of team culture and leadership accountability.

📈 Predict &amp; Prepare for Future Roles Now – Use AI and talent intelligence to forecast emerging roles, proactively reskill employees, and ensure the workforce stays ahead of disruption.
Developing a dynamic workforce isn’t just about teaching new skills—it’s about building a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and strategic alignment. The most successful organizations will be those that treat learning as a core business function rather than an HR initiative. As HR leaders, we have an opportunity to shape the future of work by ensuring employees are not just keeping up, but staying ahead.
For further insights on developing a future-ready workforce, consider St. Charles Consulting Group's "<a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/bookshelf/talent-fueled-enterprise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Fueled Talent Enterprise</a>" by <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/michael-ohata" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Ohata</a>, now available with a 40% discount on Amazon using code ELE40OFF at checkout."
💬 What’s your biggest challenge in preparing your workforce for the future? Please share your thoughts with us on <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ELE Idea Exchange</a>.

Developing Skills and Attributes for a Dynamic Workforce

Integrated Talent Management

digital transformation

charisse.kosova

innovation

azizeh.constantinescu

geovanny.andino

performance management

communication skills

workforce development

betty.hart

ana.bedard

organizational agility

problem solving

adaptability

Reskilling and Upskilling

Professional Development

Employee Growth

Workforce Transformation

susan.c.guest

Workforce Agility

Career Skills

Employability Skills

jennifer.diamond.acosta

Session Focus: Explore and develop key skills like adaptability, critical thinking, and communication, empowering individuals to succeed in today's rapidly changing professional landscape.
This interactive session will explore the critical skills and attributes essential for navigating today's dynamic and ever-evolving workforce. We will focus on topics such as adaptability, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration, discussing practical strategies for developing and honing these skills. Participants will gain valuable insights and actionable tips to enhance their employability and thrive in a rapidly changing professional landscape.
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This session will offer HR leaders actionable insights from industry leaders on transforming rigid structures into adaptive networks that empower employees across all levels.
ELE produces this Learning Circle: Reskilling Talent Development.

ELE's <a title="ELE's Idea Exchange" href="/idea-exchange/">Idea Exchange</a>: Collaborate online with your peers.

Your Teams

Learning Circles

Complimentary

online event

complimentary event

Analytics

Digital

DEIB

workplace innovation

GP Strategies

In today's rapidly evolving workplace, building an internal talent marketplace that centers on skills, rather than traditional job roles, is becoming a critical strategy for organizations. Employees have diverse needs. Skills marketplaces require continual feedback and adaptation. Let's discover the future of internal talent management in this session.

We'll explore the intersection of skills and change management, offering valuable insights and actionable tips. Key points include:
<ul>
 	<li>Skills-Centric Marketplace: Shift from job roles to skills for enhanced transparency, employee agency, and career mobility.</li>
 	<li>Bridging Competency and Skills: Connect competency models and skills frameworks to measurable work results, aligning HR and L&amp;D.</li>
 	<li>AI's Influence: Rethink skills in the AI era, as AI reshapes job roles, emphasizing EQ and DQ (emotional and decency intelligence).</li>
 	<li>AI-Human Collaboration: Harness AI to boost skills and enhance employee performance.</li>
 	<li>Addressing Workplace Challenges: Solve issues like job satisfaction, role flexibility, and career growth through skills-focused strategies.</li>
 	<li>Change Management: Implement personalized, iterative change management in your skills framework.</li>
 	<li>Learner Education: Educate employees about the value of skills frameworks.</li>
 	<li>Business Involvement: Engage the business in defining work outputs and required skills.</li>
</ul>
In summary, a skills-based talent marketplace, supported by a flexible framework, drives transparency, mobility, and adaptability. Effective change management is key. Key takeaways:
<ol>
 	<li>Linking Skills to Results: Align skills with concrete work outputs.</li>
 	<li>Adapting Skills in an AI World: Redefine skills for the AI era.</li>
 	<li>Change Management Focus: Prioritize personalized change management.</li>
</ol>

Tips for Building a Skills-Based Internal Talent Marketplace: Explore Intersection of skills and change management

Change Management

talent management

matt.donovan

Learning Agility

skillsforthefuture

future of learning

internal talent marketplace

CHIE2023

employee empowerment

skills marketplace

internal talent development

HR Strategy

workforce adaptability

IMSA

Zurich North America

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This session covers reinventing K-12 and higher education to better prepare students for the future of work. Academia and industry panelists discuss challenges in equipping students with human skills like communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. Key solutions include experiential learning, apprenticeships, coaching/mentoring, and adapting organizational culture to leverage new generations' strengths. Three key takeaways are:
<ol>
 	<li>There is a skills gap between traditional education and employer needs like critical thinking and communication.</li>
 	<li>Experiential learning opportunities help provide missing real-world experiences</li>
 	<li>Adapting organizational culture and integrating younger generations through coaching/mentoring is crucial.</li>
</ol>
Partnerships between educators and employers are needed to align curricula with skills-based hiring.

In this session, we will explore these key questions:
<ol>
 	<li>Why apprenticeships?</li>
 	<li>What are the tradeoffs for students and employers?</li>
 	<li>What skills are scarce in the talent pool?</li>
 	<li>How should education and the talent strategy change?</li>
 	<li>How are you approaching problem solving with your students to develop critical thinking and practical skills?</li>
 	<li>What challenges are you seeing in recruits coming out of school in terms of professional skills and workplace readiness?</li>
 	<li>How is your current organizational culture adapting to integrate younger generations and their strengths?</li>
 	<li>How can employers and educators build partnerships to better align curricula with developing skills needed for the future of work?</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>

Talent Pipeline: Reinventing Education for Future Work: Experiential learning, apprenticeships and more

experiential learning

richard.busby

apprenticeships

Coaching

partnerships

talent pipeline

teamwork

organizational culture

katherine.berger

phyllis.higgins

Mercer

Fireside Chat: What is the Key to Creating the Future of Learning? with Ravin Jesuthasan, co-author of Work Without Jobs, and Shweta Srivastava.

Everyone wants to know the answer to this question.

“What skills will matter to you and your organization in the future?”

The answer to this question depends on your perspective, where you work in the organization, and your area of expertise.

If you don’t solve this riddle with agility, curiosity, and smart technology capabilities, your organization will risk irrelevance or fade from existence.

Organizations spend billions of dollars yearly on reskilling and upskilling for their employees to ensure corporate relevance and cultivate a competitive edge during accelerated change. In turn, they want to serve their customers and partners with products, offerings, and skills that create value in revenues and loyal relationships.

Solving the future skills puzzle requires a more practical approach than crystal ball gazing. The solution must transform the chaos of disparate spreadsheets, talent erosion, and skills gaps into smart skills planning.

Work Without Jobs Requires Perpetual Reinvention: Skills-First Talent Practices and Workplace Agility

evidence-based research

shweta.srivastava

organizational readiness

upskilling

ravin.jesuthasan

workplace agility

Skills-First Talent Practices

organizational transformation

Session Focus: Creating a skills-based future by integrating talent Practices


Creating an empowering environment that engages employees as active participants is critical for building an authentic skills-driven workforce. This Learning Circle session, Creating a More Skills-based Future, emphasized three key takeaways:
1) Provide employee autonomy in driving skills growth, not just top-down assigned training. "Managing skills from the bottom up, giving employees the ability to stretch their own skill profiles," stated panelist Karl Weston.
2) Enable meaningful skills development through practice, feedback, and experiential opportunities beyond just accessing content. "People need opportunities to practice, get feedback, experience, repetition," noted Brian Richardson.
3) Integrate personalized coaching. "The minute we engaged career coaches, we saw higher engagement and retention rates," shared Geovanny Andino.
While skills architecture, taxonomies and measurement are vital, the panelists highlighted the importance of a human-centric, empowering culture. Balancing technical components with empowerment, enablement and coaching is key.

Building a skills-driven workforce requires more than just implementing technology. It demands holistic environments that inspire employees to own their growth while providing support structures. An empowering culture, not an impersonal competency system, is the goal.

Skills Need a Comprehensive Strategy | Creating a More Skills-based Future

edward.desrosiers

power skills

skills​

flexibility

personalization of skills

brian.richardson

karl.weston

james.griffin

Skills Need a Comprehensive Strategy

Microsoft

Session Focus: Tips for starting and integrating skills-based talent practices

As organizations look to become more agile and competitive, adopting skills-based talent practices is becoming a strategic priority. But as Shweta Srivastava, Global Skills Leader at Microsoft, shared: "There's no perfect solution here and every company has its own journey based on what problems you are trying to solve and what you're prioritizing what your data architecture looks like and all of that."
In this insightful session on integrating a comprehensive skills strategy, Srivastava outlined Microsoft's approach and key learning so far. Here are three key takeaways:

<ol class="list-decimal pl-8 space-y-2">
 	<li class="whitespace-normal">Developing a comprehensive skills strategy requires understanding and aligning to the specific business problems, priorities and data architecture of your organization. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal">Getting accurate data on employees' skills and proficiency levels is critical, but challenging. Using technology for skills inference rather than assessments may be preferable.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal">A skills-based approach cuts across multiple talent practices, so broad organizational change management is needed, including establishing a common skills nomenclature and determining governance models.</li>
</ol>
The session covered Microsoft's journey starting with building a robust job architecture mapped to critical skills. The next focus is prioritizing important capabilities aligned with business strategy and organizing granular skills into hierarchies. Major workstreams include unlocking workforce skills data, building a skills ontology, enabling skills-based talent cycles, and change management.
Srivastava emphasized there are no perfect answers, as companies need to experiment based on their unique challenges. The presentation shared valuable insights into taking a comprehensive, integrated approach to skills strategy.

Skills Need a Comprehensive Strategy | How to Start

jesse.james

anton.maletich

Korn Ferry

Alter Domus

Session Focus: Panel of Talent leaders discussing key areas to focus on for successful integration of skills-based talent practices.
Developing a comprehensive, sustainable skills strategy aligned with business objectives is a critical but complex undertaking for organizations. In this insightful panel discussion, talent leaders shared their experiences and perspectives on key focus areas for successfully integrating skills-based talent practices.
One of the biggest challenges highlighted was finding the right level of granularity when mapping skills. As Anton Maletich pointed out, "The challenge is not only what's the appropriate level of detail to ensure people are thinking about this consistently and that it covers what people would expect to see and then the other piece is if we go to that level of detail are we going to be able to address that right?"
The panelists reinforced three key takeaways for participants:

<ol class="list-decimal pl-8 space-y-2">
 	<li class="whitespace-normal">Align skills development to critical business goals and priorities first, rather than developing skills programs in a vacuum.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal">Start small by focusing on mapping skills for priority roles/areas, get experience, then evolve and scale the skills strategy over time. Don't try to boil the ocean initially.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal">Use skills mapping to identify opportunities for enhanced career mobility by connecting people across roles that require similar skill sets.</li>
</ol>
The session emphasized that a comprehensive skills strategy is an evolutionary journey, not a one-time exercise. Organizations need to be flexible and iterative in their approach, continuously adapting their skills frameworks as business needs change over time. Starting with high-priority roles and aligning to overarching business strategy can help make this complex undertaking more manageable and impactful.

Skills Need a Comprehensive Strategy | Where you can focus first and why?

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