The Expertise Economy

Workplace Learning Must Evolve

Many companies remain structured – both in their organization and mindset – to address last century’s challenges, even as digitization and technology quicken the pace of change and alter the composition of work. Indeed, nothing has changed more dramatically in recent decades than work itself. The complexity of business combined with an inexorable need to innovate, require increasingly greater and more specific skills. This demand has given rise to an “expertise economy” in which firms face near-unprecedented challenges attracting and retaining the right people to compete and thrive.

To meet this challenge, leaders must adopt modern, talent-oriented practices among their primary and direct responsibilities, including a revamped approach to workforce development. Learning must evolve from a top-down, one-size-fits-all emphasis to a self-directed, personalized endeavor supported by the company and modern technologies. The best learning organizations avoid standard training. Leading organizations nurture a culture of continual learning that supports self-directed learners in constantly acquiring new skills and abilities...