How to scale up essential skills for the future of work

Reimagined workplaces are no longer a discussion item for the future, but a reality of today. And many jobs are currently being redefined as technology, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality reshape our world. 

So how can L&D leaders best connect and engage with the business to build future skills? To address this question, Learning Strategist Shannon Tipton and Go1's Head of Content Curation Shannon Herrera joined forces in a webinar to explore: 

• The essential future-fit skills we all need for success 
• Using technology to scale up - the opportunity and the pitfalls 
• 5 tactics to connect and engage 

We've curated some of the key highlights from the discussion below.  

What do mature learning organizations do? 

Decades of studying high-performing learning teams have shown us that learning innovation, when done well, provides organizations with improved flexibility, adaptability, innovation, and productivity - all essential foundations for preparing for the unknown.  

In the video below, Shannon talks us through the principles mature learning organizations are using to help build future-fit skills and deliver results.  

Connecting with the right priorities 

It's not enough to simply ask managers and their team members to invest their time, and possibly budget, into a learning solution. For L&D, the first step to success in this process is connecting with their priorities, needs, and pain points. It's important to realise that connecting with the right priorities means thinking ‘business first’ and ‘learner first’ and asking yourself, what is your north star?

Connecting with the right content  

The issue for organisations is that information flow is ever increasing, with the ability to filter becoming a burden. Allowing learners to learn, grow and improve their skills through a thoughtful process of content curation will help people find and access relevant information. 

Connecting with the people 

Managers are essential stakeholders in the learning process and have more influence on their team member’s learning than anyone else. As Shannon describes, they are “the gateway to what happens to your future-fit skills.” This is why supporting managers, as they build connections and create the space for their team to grow, is critical. 

Connecting with the impact 

Building upon the other four principles, connecting with the impact is all about tracking and reviewing the progress of learning and its impact on performance at every stage of the journey. Once you've determined your destination, you can then map out what it's going to take to drive engagement and performance to be successful - which is not unlike running a marathon, as Shannon explains below.

Connecting on a human level 

As we look at ensuring our employees are future-fit, it's important not to forget about the human side of things. The skills that get us ready for an unknown future are also the skills that we need to deliver performance, innovate, and improve today. These human skills allow us to flex, adapt, and grow. 

The principles highlighted during this session all help in developing strong foundations for the future. What will you do today to connect and make a difference?

You can start by downloading your Future-Fit eBook to learn more about the five principles covered during this session.

You may also be interested in Episode 26 of the Learning with Go1 podcast, featuring Shannon Tipton and her Emerging Stronger co-founder Laura Overton. Together they discuss the challenges and opportunities for democratizing future-fit skills. Check that out here.