Stop calling every performance problem a skills gap. It’s the easiest diagnosis – someone says something inappropriate, put them on a diversity course. Regularly late? A timekeeping course. Job done, box ticked, and budget spent. Except most of the time it isn’t a skills gap at all. Ask a manager why their team keeps missing… Read More Not a gap
Most conversations about developing capability stop at the individual. Can this person do the thing? Has that been assessed, confirmed and recorded? It tells you nothing about whether their work allows them to use it. In each case, the skill is there, but the conditions for using it are not. Workload, authority, tooling, management support… Read More Capability in Context
I was listening to Christopher Nolan discuss the process of writing and directing The Odyssey. When asked whether he had written Matt Damon’s part with the actor in mind, Nolan said: “Part of my writing process is to not ever think about actors while I’m writing.” His reasoning was that thinking about a familiar actor… Read More Performance not persona
About a year ago I wrote about my fear that Skills England might end up too education-first and not enough performance-first. The latest changes are a reminder that apprenticeships are now being shaped by a more centralised funding system, not just by organisational need. Two things changed, and they are not the same thing. Skills… Read More Apprenticeships Are Not the Whole Plan
Can LEARNING exist without AI?