Change is here.

I was really interested in Don Taylor’s post the other day where he says:

The way we do our work in L&D is changing, too. We are seen – and still largely see ourselves – as the providers of training. There is nothing wrong with training, but it is rapidly becoming a less important part of what we do. There are bigger, more significant ways that L&D can contribute to organisational and individual success. To remain relevant, we need to change, and change fast.

L&D is at a transition point

I was reading the Three Economies Substack (people, place and policy) by Anthony Painter the other week too and in his piece on the missing piece of the AI jigsaw – jobs. The fascinating part for me is how AI won’t deindustrialise but our service approach to work in the UK means the impact will be – as Painter says – dispersed and will hide a lot of the harm. L&D is, whether you like it or not, at risk of that harm.

Learning, as a profession and function, is reliant on work and, by extension, jobs. L&D doesn’t and won’t exist in a vacuum and the idea that your metrics, learning approaches, and activity doesn’t EXPLICITLY link back to performance, workplace and organisational success is irrelevant and a sideshow.