Skills, The New Plastics
You have just graduated college. You're full of hopes and desires to explore the future. Your proud (and wealthy) parents throw a fancy cocktail party for you. A friend of your parents' pulls you aside next to the fancy pool. He has one word of advice for the new generation. One word. Only one word: ____
Today, we probably laugh at this classic scene that introduced us to that one word: plastics. The rest is history; plastics have taken over the world. However, plastics can also be interpreted as fake, meaningless, and pretense. Just like the older generation in the movie The Graduate.
Only One Word: Skills
In today's Learning and Development (L&D) scene, the one word that took over the WORL&D (world of L&D) in the last decade was skills. By now, it is everywhere. We have skills-first approaches, skills-based frameworks, and skills taxonomies. We have endless decks about upskilling and reskilling. In fact, every single decent learning tech vendor now has skills management built into their solution. And, of course, every single one is different.
The Skills Conundrum: Navigating Challenges And Avoiding Pitfalls In L&D
In the fast-evolving world of Learning and Development, beyond Artificial Intelligence (AI), the topic of skills has become central to discussions on workforce readiness and the future of work. We've been talking about upskilling, reskilling, and the importance of closing skills gaps for years [1]. One would think we have many great success stories to share.
I've been involved in both the practical implementation of skills and supporting organizations in building out their skills strategy. I can tell you it's much more difficult than it sounds. This article covers some of the mistakes I've seen when it comes to implementing a skills strategy.
Mistake #0: Definition
HR can spend years defining skills for competencies and roles without ever getting to the level of defining what they mean by a skill.
- Example
A skills gap analysis may show that employees need communication skills. While on the surface, it sounds totally valid, it is not actionable as is. This often leads to communication skills training, active listening, empathy, etc. - The Fix
You can learn a lot about communication in general, but what your individual employees need is not the theory of communication but rather how to do their job while using effective communication skills. It has to be defined for the task they execute in the context of their work.
Mistake #1: Focusing On Skills For Today Instead Of For Tomorrow
One of the most significant mistakes L&D professionals make is focusing too heavily on the immediate needs of the business, equipping employees with skills that solve short-term gaps rather than preparing them for the long-term future. While aligning learning initiatives to business strategy is critical, overemphasizing today's job requirements can quickly render skills obsolete as the market demands change. Large-scale upskilling programs can lag behind the need before they even launch [2].
- Example
Consider a tech company that invests heavily in training its engineers on legacy coding languages. These skills might be in high demand now, but the pace of innovation in the tech industry means that tomorrow's engineers will need expertise in entirely different frameworks and technologies. By the time the training programs are complete, the landscape has already shifted. Mention technical debt, and you'll get horror stories. - The Fix
Shift the focus toward future skills. Adopt a skills-based framework that incorporates not only technical capabilities but also enduring human skills like critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability within the context of work. Don't just send employees to watch talking head videos about critical thinking. Show them an example from within the context of their work, with the results.
Mistake #2: Same Level For All
Due to limitation of resources, L&D teams sometimes take a one-size-fits-all approach to skills development without matching the depth of the skill needed for a role or an area of expertise and the priority of skills for specific business units.
- Example
A financial services organization might roll out a broad digital literacy initiative across all departments. However, the needs of a data scientist differ greatly from those of a customer service representative. Both groups need digital literacy, but at varying levels of complexity and impact on business outcomes. - The Fix
Prioritize business-critical skills and build learning pathways that reflect the diverse needs of different roles. Identify which skills are foundational, which are growth-oriented, and which drive transformation. Technology can assist by using AI and data analytics to personalize learning paths, delivering skill-building experiences tailored to the learner's current role, potential career path, and business priorities.
Mistake #3: Misalignment Between Skills And Real-World Application
Too often, L&D programs are centered around theoretical skills without providing a clear bridge to real-world application. Employees may finish a course on leadership or data analytics, but unless they can immediately apply what they learn on the job, the learning will quickly fade.
- Example
A company rolls out a leadership development program that includes workshops on emotional intelligence, effective communication, and decision-making. However, once the program ends, there are no mechanisms in place for participants to practice and reinforce these skills in their daily roles. The result? Minimal behavioral change. - The Fix
Embed skills into the flow of work. Collaborate with managers and team leaders to create opportunities for employees to practice new skills through stretch assignments, real-time coaching, or on-the-job projects. Leverage digital tools like performance support systems that offer just-in-time learning, allowing employees to access training resources as they encounter challenges on the job. At a minimum, focus on the four driving factors of behavior change: motivation (with the intent to apply), opportunities (both physical and social expectation), job capabilities (knowledge, skills, and capabilities), and outcome (with a SMART goal in mind).
Mistake #4: Ignoring The Human Element
Despite advancements in digital learning technologies, many L&D programs fail to acknowledge that learning is a profoundly human process. Skills aren't just about acquiring knowledge; they require behavior change, motivation, and ongoing support. Sometimes, L&D teams may rely too heavily on eLearning modules and self-paced courses without providing the social and emotional support learners need to succeed.
- Example
An organization implements a high-tech learning platform that offers a vast library of courses. However, employees feel isolated and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content, leading to low completion rates and minimal skill adoption. - The Fix
Incorporate social learning and coaching into skills development programs. Create learning communities where employees can collaborate, share insights, and solve problems together. Pair employees with mentors who can provide guidance and encouragement. Shift from the role of "providing relevant learning content" to employees to that of enabling, accelerating, and scaling impact on the job. Expand your learning design from content creation to the facilitation of skills development. Employees already learn from each other. Use that to your own advantage.
Mistake #5: Not Measuring Impact
Lastly, one of the biggest challenges is the failure to measure the impact of skills development on business performance. Many L&D teams track completion rates, learner satisfaction, or even skill assessments, but they don't connect these metrics to real-world performance outcomes. I know, it's difficult, but if it were easy, it would have been done by now.
- Example
A company invests in upskilling its sales team in negotiation techniques. While course completion rates are high, there is no correlation drawn between the training and improved sales metrics like deal size, win rate, or customer retention. - The Fix
Work backwards! Start with the business goals, focus on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and then identify the behaviors required. But don't stop here and jump to solutions. Peel the "we need training" onion and separate barriers into categories. Some can be solved by training. Some can be solved by learning. Some can be solved only through organizational change or leadership support.
Focus on measurable outcomes. Use performance metrics to gauge the impact of skills development. Integrate the data with business KPIs to understand how training is influencing key outcomes like productivity, revenue, or customer satisfaction. This might require close collaboration between L&D, HR, and business leaders to establish clear success metrics before rolling out any training initiatives.
The future of L&D is about being strategic and agile in the approach to skills development. Avoiding these common mistakes and focusing on people, processes, and technology will enable, accelerate, and scale the learning impact across your organization. Skills, when done right, become a lever for growth and transformation—not just for individuals but for the business as a whole.
