The race to embrace AI in the corporate world means that people at all levels of an organization urgently need to build new tech skills and knowledge. In turn, many companies are accelerating their learning and development programs to help executives and employees keep up with the pace of change. This dynamic landscape presents an opportunity for chief learning officers (CLOs) to reimagine the future of learning in the workplace. This week, we look at how CLOs can help organizations make learning a more fundamental part of the work experience and create cultures of continuous development.

PUT PEOPLE FIRST

As companies help their teams develop the skills to unlock AI’s productivity benefits, there’s another key learning opportunity to keep in mind. They should also help their leaders and employees become better humans. “It’s important that organizations don’t forget to include essential human-centric skills like critical thinking, empathy, and communication in their upskilling efforts as they help teams build their digital capabilities,” says McKinsey Senior Partner Brooke Weddle. She says that upskilling programs are at their best when they enable employees to work more efficiently and reach their full potential in the workplace. In the AI age, the need to maintain a robust learning culture is more pressing than ever. “But as leaders sharpen their focus on the technology and its promise to boost productivity, they must still remember to put people first,” Weddle says.

Lead by leaning into learning.