Skills Development Resources

Over the past 10 weeks, I’ve interviewed 35 talent and learning leaders at Fortune 1000 companies for a report I’ll be releasing this fall. One of my favorite questions has been the very first one: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰?” With 105 priorities and counting, the responses vary widely given differences in industry, scope, and role (VP of Learning, talent, talent management, leadership development) but here is a slice of what has been shared so far: ➡️ AI and work transformation: Clarify what AI means for the workforce, its implications for roles, and how teams can adopt it to accelerate development and efficiency. ➡️ AI Coaching Pilot: Launch an AI-powered coaching pilot program across the organization to scale leadership development support. ➡️ Generative AI Upskilling: Upskill employees and leaders to effectively use generative AI in day-to-day work ➡️ Future of Work & Workforce Planning: Prepare for disruptions to job architecture by integrating human and digital workforces. Rethink responsibilities, structures, and collaboration models. ➡️ Change management: Embed change management capabilities at all levels, particularly around AI adoption. ➡️ New leadership Behaviors: Equip leaders with new capabilities to thrive in a changing environment, including adaptability, resilience, and the ability to lead in an AI-augmented workplace. ➡️ Skills and Career Paths - Creating paths by prioritized skills in our organization ➡️ Rethinking the Function: Redesign the talent and learning function to reflect disruption caused by AI ➡️ Change Leadership: Navigate a period of executive turnover and transition by stabilizing the leadership team, clarifying roles, and building confidence with functional business leaders. ➡️ Facilitating Connection: Partnering with our employee experience and workplace teams to use in-office team days for learning and connection ➡️ Linking Performance and Development: Redesign performance processes to connect directly to development, helping employees understand what growth means in practical and tangible terms. ➡️ Manager Development: Continue to strengthen manager capability and resources, ensuring managers are equipped to drive performance and support employee development ➡️ VP and SVP Development: Support and accelerate the growth of new vice presidents and senior vice presidents as they step into expanded leadership roles. ➡️ Building a Leadership Bench : Develop and execute a strategy for strengthening the leadership bench, with a focus on preparing our Top 200 leaders ➡️ AI/Learning : Using AI internally within the learning function and focusing on key skills in AI for client-facing practitioners ➡️ Academies For AI/Data Roles: Developing and rolling out an academy for our AI & Data Product Employees I’d love to hear your perspective: What stands out most to you about this list, or what themes are you seeing in this list?

The World Economic Forum's 'Top skills for 2025'- a clear framework to align your learning and development strategies! If you are wondering how to use this information to develop your team, here's a few ideas 💡 👉Audit Current Programs Compare existing training initiatives with the top skills for 2025 and identify gaps. 👉Tie Skills to Roles Show how the skills map directly to the responsibilities of each role in the organization. 👉Develop Targeted Content Design workshops, e-learning modules, or on-the-job training focused on critical areas like analytical thinking and active listening. 👉Create a Skills Inventory Tool Develop a simple self-assessment tool to help employees rate themselves and reflect on strengths and weaknesses ( I like to use competency tools- the visual works really well!) 👉Mentoring and Coaching Pair employees with mentors or coaches to guide their development in critical skills. 👉Use Development Plans Collaborate with employees to create individual development plans targeting both short-term needs and long-term aspirations. 👉Microlearning Modules: Offer bite-sized learning resources on priority skills to reduce barriers to learning ( Short videos work really well here). 👉Integrate into Appraisals Include questions about employees' progress in skill areas during performance reviews. So... How is your organization preparing employees to develop the skills that will be most critical in 2025 and beyond? I'd love to hear about any innovative approaches or challenges you've encountered. Leave your comments below 🙏 _____________________________________ I'm Catherine- A Lean Business and Leadership Coach. Follow me for daily insights on Lean, leadership, coaching, strategy and organizational behaviour.

Adapting to Change: The #Evolving Landscape of Learning & Development The world of Learning and Development (L&D) is constantly evolving, just like the dynamic nature of the workplace itself. Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all approach; today, organizations need a diverse mix of methods to cater to the unique needs and learning styles of their employees. Reflecting on my own journey in L&D, I’ve seen firsthand how flexible and varied learning strategies can significantly impact employee growth and organizational success. Here’s a glimpse into some of the most effective and evolving L&D methods: • Formal Learning: Structured and instructor-led, this traditional approach provides goal-oriented learning in both in-person and online settings. Think lectures, seminars, or webinars. • Informal Learning: This is where learning gets organic and self-directed—through daily tasks, peer interactions, or independent study. It happens naturally and often unexpectedly. • Experiential Learning: Learning by doing! This hands-on method allows employees to learn from their experiences—like OJT, internships, or simulations. • Coaching and Mentoring: Establishing a #culture of coaching and mentoring helps build trust and empowers employees to grow. Whether it’s performance coaching or reverse mentoring, these #relationships guide employees toward achieving their goals. • Skill Building and Cross-Training: Today’s #competitive landscape demands constant upskilling. From targeted training sessions to cross-training for operational flexibility, skill development remains at the core. • Remote Training: The digital age has #revolutionized how we learn, making remote training more relevant. Online courses, webinars, and pre-recorded lessons make learning accessible anytime, anywhere. In my experience, #organizations that embrace these diverse methods are better positioned to engage, develop, and retain their talent. The key is to blend these approaches to suit your team’s #needs and keep evolving with the times. How is your organization adapting to these new L&D trends? Share your thoughts below!

GenAI won't kill critical thinking. Comfortable leaders will. AMLE 's "Critical Thinking in the Age of Generative AI," a 2025 systematic review, and Microsoft's survey all point to the same tension ➤ AI can sharpen your thinking—or slowly dull it. Here are 9 ways to stay sharp: 1️⃣ "Treat AI as a first draft, never a final say"  ↳ GenAI's confident tone tricks your brain into skipping evaluation. ✅ Act on it: Ban "copy–paste" from AI into decision-critical docs. Require one human edit plus rationale before anything AI-generated moves upward. 2️⃣ "Ask AI to argue against itself"  ↳ Questioning and comparison strengthen critical thinking. ✅ Act on it: Always follow one answer with: "Now, give me the strongest counterargument." Share that practice with your team as a standard operating rule. 3️⃣ "Separate speed from wisdom"  ↳ Fast answers feel good; wise answers feel uncomfortable first. ✅ Act on it: For decisions that feel "too easy" after AI, pause and ask: "What are we not seeing?" Use AI to surface opposing viewpoints and edge cases—not just best practices. 4️⃣ "Build 'social critical thinking,' not just solo analysis"  ↳ Challenge assumptions together. ✅ Act on it: In key meetings, assign one person "AI skeptic" and another "AI translator." End with: "What assumptions are we accepting because AI made them sound reasonable?" 5️⃣ "Use AI to find blind spots, not excuses"  ↳ Confidence in AI can reduce scrutiny; leaders can reverse that. ✅ Act on it: Ask, "Whose perspective is missing?" and use AI to simulate that viewpoint. Include ethical, cultural, or stakeholder perspectives as separate prompts. 6️⃣ "Turn AI mistakes into a leadership curriculum"  ↳ Reflective use of AI strengthens thinking. ✅ Act on it: Collect "AI near-miss" stories and discuss them in leadership meetings. Ask: "What almost went wrong? What saved us? What changes next time?" 7️⃣ "Make your own thinking visible"  ↳ Leadership thinking is contagious. ✅ Act on it: Narrate your process: "Here's what AI suggested. Here's how I challenged it. Here's the decision." Encourage your direct reports to model the same. 8️⃣ "Audit where you've gone on AI autopilot"  ↳ Over-reliance creeps in quietly. ✅ Act on it: List 3 areas where you now "trust" AI outputs without checking. For each, design one review step that reintroduces human judgment. 9️⃣ "Upgrade your questions, not just your tools"  ↳ Tools are only as powerful as the questions behind them. ✅ Act on it: Replace "What should we do?" with "Given A, B, C constraints, what are 3 non-obvious options?" Evaluate question quality in team retros, not just answer quality. The question to keep asking: "Is AI helping me think better—or just faster?" Your leadership edge depends on the difference. Coaching can help; let's chat. ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Joshua Miller for more tips on coaching, AI-era leadership, career + mindset. ⸻ #ai #leadership #executivecoaching #careeradvice #manager #mindset

Digital transformation isn’t about tools or platforms, it’s about people. Technology only delivers value when the workforce has the skills, confidence, and support to use it effectively. Organisations that are seeing real impact are taking a deliberate, people-centred approach: • Assess opportunities by benchmarking skills against business priorities • Select scalable solutions that blend trusted platforms with in-house expertise • Engage leadership by positioning learning as a driver of transformation • Phase the rollout, starting small and scaling through structured hub • Celebrate progress to build momentum and confidence • Embed for impact by integrating learning into onboarding and career paths When learning is continuous and connected to outcomes, transformation lasts. Discover how Kimberly Clarke successfully established a culture of continuous upskilling, ensuring everyone is aligned to the learning and business strategy. https://lnkd.in/egwcj2ZF How are you putting people at the center of your digital transformation? Pluralsight #digitalTransformation

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 Progress in any field is often seen as the domain of the naturally talented. However, the true drivers of #success are #time, #effort, #commitment, and #consistency. Here’s why these elements are crucial: ✅Time: Progress is a journey that unfolds over time. It requires patience and persistence, as growth is not instantaneous. Consistent investment of time allows for the development of skills and knowledge. ✅Effort: Talent may provide an initial advantage, but sustained effort is what propels individuals forward. It is the energy and dedication put into tasks that leads to mastery. Effort transforms potential into achievement. ✅Commitment: Staying committed to goals ensures progress despite obstacles and setbacks. A committed mindset helps maintain focus and determination, enabling individuals to overcome challenges and push through difficult periods. ✅Consistency: Regular, repeated actions lead to incremental improvements. Consistency builds habits, reinforces learning, and ensures steady advancement. It is the accumulation of small, consistent efforts that culminates in significant progress. ✅Adaptability and Learning: Progress requires a willingness to learn from experiences and adapt strategies as needed. Continuous learning and a growth mindset enhance the ability to make progress over time. ✅Resilience: Facing failures and setbacks with resilience is crucial. Persistence in the face of adversity strengthens character and reinforces commitment to the journey of progress. In short, while talent may open doors, it is time, effort, commitment, and consistency that walk you through them. These qualities are within everyone's reach, making #progress attainable for all who choose to invest in them.

Mentoring and coaching are not the same thing. Most founders use the words interchangeably... And end up getting less from both. I did not know the difference until I spent 10 days training and qualifying as a business coach at INSEAD in 2023. Here is what I learned: ✅ Mentoring uses experience and shares learning. A mentor has been where you are. They have made mistakes, built the business, and lived through the consequences. When you bring them a problem, they draw on all of that to tell you what they would do and why. My first mentor was Nigel Morris, the co-founder of Capital One. Three hours in his office changed the direction of HomeServe in America. ✅ Coaching facilitates thinking, exploring options and decision-making. A coach asks the questions that help you find them yourself. The best questions are often the simplest ones. - "Why do you think that?"  - "What are you trying to achieve?"  - "What choices do you have here?" Sometimes the most basic questions elicit the most powerful solutions. The problem is that coaching alone would never have been especially useful for the founders I work with. And mentoring without first understanding the real issue or opportunity can miss the point entirely. So I combined them into what I call Coachment. You start with coaching, asking the right questions to properly diagnose the problem or opportunity. Then you move into mentoring, applying real business experience to what you have just uncovered. Think of it like a medical check-up. The X-ray machine diagnoses the issue. (The coach) And the specialist consultant uses their experience to decide what to do about it. (The mentor) Together they are far more useful than either one alone. Most founders I meet have never had either. If you are serious about scaling, you need to find both. If you'd like more information on building and scaling your business, subscribe to How To Make a Billion. It's a free weekly newsletter with lessons and frameworks from over 40 years of entrepreneurship. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/ergDQtiK Comment below with your thoughts on seeking counsel.  If you have a coach or mentor who has helped your business scale, please tag them to show your appreciation. 

[#careertips] CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING I recently had the pleasure of leading a session on "Shaping Change with Insight and Foresight" to equip the participants with essential tools for navigating today's complex landscape, and at the heart of it all lies critical thinking and problem-solving. It's not just about finding answers, but about truly understanding the questions. As I emphasized, problem-solving is fundamentally a journey: from a problem through focused thinking to a definitive solution. 🤔 Many times, we rush to address symptoms without digging into the core issue. Think about it: if you exclaim, "I am sick, I feel very dizzy," (a symptom 😵💫), the actual problem could be something deeper like dehydration or exhaustion. As Carl Jung astutely noted, "To ask the right question is already half the solution of a problem." So, how can you immediately practice and refine your problem-solving approach? Here are some practical tips I shared: Craft a Precise Problem Statement This is where true insight begins! A strong problem statement isn't just a fact; it's a thought-provoking question. Ensure it's: 💡 Specific: Avoid vagueness. 💡 Relevant: Directly impacts the path forward. 💡 Central: Focuses on the primary issue, not a secondary concern. For instance: Instead of stating, "Our team productivity is low," ask, "How can we enhance team productivity by 20% in the next quarter by streamlining our internal communication tools?" Embrace the MECE Principle To ensure your analysis is comprehensive and free of redundancies, I advocate for the MECE framework – Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. This means: 🧠 Your categories don't overlap (mutually exclusive). 🧠 You've covered all relevant possibilities (collectively exhaustive). Think of it this way: When categorizing customer demographics, "Age Groups" (e.g., 18-25, 26-35, 36-45) are MECE if they cover all ages without overlap, unlike a mix of age groups and hobbies. Leverage the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) This powerful principle suggests that a significant portion of outcomes (about 80%) often stems from a small percentage of inputs (around 20%). 🎯 Identify those "vital few" efforts or issues that, if addressed, will yield the greatest impact. Direct your energy where it truly matters for maximum efficiency. I was incredibly pleased with the feedback from the SxCamp 1.0 participants: ✨ "The theme was very relevant and powerful; it encouraged us to think ahead and be more strategic as future leaders, especially in facing constant changes and uncertainty." 👍 "The speaker delivered the session with great clarity and passion, making complex leadership concepts accessible and engaging. His real-world experience helped connect theory to everyday challenges." 🚀 "The selection of speakers was excellent, as they delivered the material effectively, provided valuable insights, and were highly interactive." Kindly let me know for any potential collaboration.

✨If you don’t understand the problem, the problem won’t leave you.✨ Imagine trying to fix a leaky tap without checking where the water is dripping from—you might tighten the wrong valve or replace the wrong part. Similarly, in life or work, if we don’t dig deep into understanding the real issue, our efforts may go in vain. Problem-solving is not just a skill—it’s a superpower that shapes our personal and professional success. In the workplace, it drives innovation, efficiency, and team collaboration. In personal life, it enhances decision-making and resilience. Effective problem-solving involves: ✅Define the problem clearly: Just like a doctor asks questions before diagnosing, understanding is critical. ✅Identify the root cause: Use tools like the 5 Whys—ask “Why?” repeatedly until you uncover the real issue. ✅Explore multiple solutions: Think of it like brainstorming travel routes to avoid traffic and reach your destination faster. ✅Test and evaluate: Start small, like testing a recipe, and adjust based on results. ✅Learn and adapt: Every solved problem adds to your toolkit for tackling the next challenge. 💡Why problem-solving matters: In today’s dynamic workplace, employers highly value individuals who can solve problems efficiently. For instance, if a project is delayed due to miscommunication, identifying the bottleneck and streamlining communication channels can prevent future setbacks. As Albert Einstein said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” Let’s commit to understanding problems deeply so they don’t linger. After all, no matter how fast you row, if there’s a hole in the boat, you’re going nowhere. #ProblemSolvingSkills #ProfessionalGrowth #Leadership #CriticalThinking #SuccessMindset

I was in the middle of an executive presence training with a group of senior leaders. One of them, let’s call him Rohan, raised his hand. He said, “Vikram, I prepare a lot. I know my content. Yet in high-stakes meetings, I still feel people don’t fully buy in.” I paused and asked him, “Rohan, when you present, do people feel like they are part of the solution… or are they being walked through one?” He smiled. “I think I walk them through it.” That shifted the room. We ran a quick exercise. Same topic. Same data. This time, I asked Rohan to approach it differently. First, he simplified the message. No heavy slides. Just a conversation. Second, he brought two people into his prep before presenting. He asked for their inputs and perspectives. Third, during the conversation, he paused more. He asked questions. He listened. He built on what others said. Something changed instantly. The room leaned in. People spoke more. They started adding to his idea. After the exercise, I asked the group, "What was different?” One leader said, “It felt like our idea.” That is the moment it clicked for Rohan. He realised executive presence is not about having the best answer. It is about how you bring people into the answer. Before we closed, I left them with this: Prepare deeply so you can show up simply. Involve others so they feel ownership. Pause so your response carries weight. Reflect so you keep getting sharper. Because in high-stakes conversations, your presence decides whether people just hear you… or choose to move with you.