Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022 - 19

advances with talent strategies,
creating a broader culture of workforce
digital dexterity.
The total number of skills required for
a given job increases year over year.
At the same time, the skills present in
the average job posting from 2017 will
not be needed by 2021. In this dynamic
environment where the same person may
have different roles on different projects
and the need to switch frequently, it's not
a simple task to acquire new knowledge.
The ability to learn, unlearn and relearn
is vital for long-term relevance and
success. Organizations with a sound
learning culture have mastered the art of
embedding learning in the flow of work,
so it's not a discreet activity but rather
something that occurs as needed on the
job. Agile learning is the discipline for
making this happen.
Agile learning is a mindset and method
of skills development, via short iterative
bursts, applied in the flow of achieving
outcomes that can dynamically adjust to
changing needs. Agile learning connects
motivated, self-directed learners to
the enterprise's strategic results. The
manifesto, as defined by Gartner, consists
of a set of values and principles, which are
outlined in Figure 1 on page 18.
To drive an effective culture of learning,
organizations need to define the
culture's values and create processes
that enable its implementation. The
following three steps can be taken to
operationalize the implementation of
the Agile learning manifesto:
1. Make
purposeful
investments in
people (connect the learning and
learning curve): The capabilitybuilding
exercise for the organization
must be personalized for each
employee.
This
process
with an inventory of existing
starts
skills,
understanding what the future skill
needs are, and mapping a learning
journey based on the adjacencies
or gaps. The excitement about
developing new skills and new
knowledge that helps enhance their
productivity all along their career path
will keep the motivation to learn alive.
2. Take a dynamic approach to skill
shifts: Stop trying to predict skills
and invest in foundational skills
instead. The top skills of 2025 will
include critical thinking, problemsolving,
resilience and active learning.
Learning accelerators
just-in-time
that
training
by
deliver
leveraging
existing skills as a starting point help
compress the skilling timeline and
enable progressive layering of skills
for the individual.
3. Promote multidisciplinary collaboration
across internal and external
stakeholders: Collaborate with talent
acquisition, strategy, operations,
Empower Employees to
Be Future-fit for the
World of Work
An essential part of any organization's
learning
strategy
should be about
" In this age
of accelerations,
everyone is
going to have to
raise their game
in the classroom
and for their
whole lifetime. "
- Thomas Friedman
empowering employees who are not
just future-fit for their organization
but future-fit for the world of work in
general. As the labor market evolves
to be more automated, digital and
dynamic, everyone will benefit from
having a set of foundational skills that
support the following:
* Deliver value beyond what automation
and artificial intelligence can provide.
* Operate effectively in a digital
environment.
* Continually learn new skills and adapt
to new ways of working.
Building proficiency in cognitive, digital,
interpersonal and leadership skills over
time can be associated with a higher
likelihood of employment, higher
incomes and higher job satisfaction.
What the world of work will look like in
the future is unknown. But investing in
our ability to learn, take risks and try new
things helps us build resilience to the
inevitable disruption that's just around
the next corner.
Sonia Malik is the global program
lead at IBM Education and Workforce
Development. She is a visionary change
agent with a successful record of driving
learning and workforce development
strategies to create the best human and
digital experience for individuals, clients
and their employees. Email Sonia.
compensation, DEI and employee
resource groups to develop the realtime
skills intelligence necessary
to make better skilling decisions.
Empower
employees
to
seek
opportunities in different parts of
the organization to create a diverse
portfolio of skills supported by a
cross-functional community of peers.
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - WINTER 2022 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
| 19
https://www.trainingindustry.com/glossary/agile-learning-design-ald/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine
Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022
