This is probably going to go down as the time of the Copilot.
For global workplace L&D teams this will mean a huge shift. We have plenty of data on this already.
Here’s why that’s not a bad thing:
1/ True learning in the flow
Since Josh Bersin coined the now infamous phrase, every tech vendor has tried their own spin on it.
The reality is none of them have come close.
No systems till now have fulfilled that vision. You might call this controversial. But I believe AI copilots are the real LITFW solution.
Why?
Because you don’t have to leave where you are.
Accessing 99% of LXPs and LMSs means leaving the workflow. But a Copilot is right there with you.
2/ Learning decentralised
The goal of any good L&D team should be breaking down the silos to access knowledge.
We get into this industry to help people.
Copilots help us surface content to people at speed and in a personalised fashion. This lightens the load on teams.
Hopefully, it encourages end users to think more critically in how they frame their problems too.
3/ Skills at speed
I had my own experience with this at the weekend.
I wanted to modify the website. But, I needed to modify both JavaScript and HTML code. One problem. I can’t code.
But with ChatGPT as my Copilot I do.
This is something that I would have either:
Spent days trying to solve myself
Paid someone else to do because of my skill gap
With ChatGPT’s help (and some crafty prompting, of course) I was able to modify my website in minutes. This modification could lead to a healthy growth increase for my website.
Now I’ve solved a performance problem for my business.
This is where I see the power of bridging the skill gaps with generative AI tools. It’s why I talk a lot about the potential of this tech for not just end users but L&D operators too.
Before you go… 👋
If you like my writing and think “Hey, I’d like to hear more of what this guy has to say” then you’re in luck.
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I spent a long time on that one (with a copious amount of tea).
To be a high-performing learning strategist/valued strategic partner and future L&D leader.
You need to craft skills that aren’t of the traditional L&D mould.
However, they’re of human necessity. Your technical skills can only take you so far. Your most human skills and abilities are what give you the edge.”
Here’s 5 that will do that:
Writing
Writing is a super-powered skill.
You do it every day. From emails to text messages – you’re a writer.
Hogwart’s very own headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, once said “Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.”
Good writing is good thinking.
→ Clear thinking is clear writing.
Words can make people millions of dollars, change cultures and win hearts. Pretty damn powerful. Don’t make the mistake of outsourcing this to AI.
AI can help you but never outsource your thinking to it.
To think is to write, to write is to think.
This is not just a L&D thing. It’s great for life in general. As L&D pros, we spend a lot of time trying to win hearts and minds. Writing is a gateway to do this.
Plus, you’ll get really good at writing persuasive emails!
The best writing stays with you
I’m sure you’ve read a set of words that stay with you.
Perhaps, they’ve even changed you.
For me, this came through a Monday morning email from a former CEO of a company I worked with.
It started blandly. As per usual. I slid my eyes through the usual dribble of sales, results and how stock market analysts were happy about something. Then something caught my eye.
This CEO used a short paragraph to share their career experience.
The most goosebump-inducing paragraph revealed itself:
“True happiness beats in your chest. Work out what you like to do best and try to do more of that. Don’t torture yourself pondering the purpose of life. It’s here, it’s now & it won’t last forever, so enjoy it.”
I think about that paragraph every week.
I’ve repeated it hundreds of times, and written it maybe thousands more.
It’s something we each do, every day, in many ways. You market your skills to a potential employer, you market ideas to business leaders and you even use marketing techniques to convince your crush to go on a date with you.
It’s one of those things (like everything on this list) which is woven into the fabric of living.
I’m not the best experience designer, coach or facilitator.
But I’m a damn good marketer.
This and writing give me an edge in my career. I’ve been able to get results and climb that annoying corporate ladder to senior roles because I understand how to wield these skills for performance.
This might be the one that takes you off guard the most.
Selling and L&D, WTF!
Like it’s close sibling in marketing. The art of selling is something you do a lot more than you know. It’s incredibly useful because we’re in the business of influencing people to make change.
From courses to events, we are trying to sell tickets to those shows.
Sales is about great communication. It’s not inherently evil, yet people have used its power in nefarious ways. That’s not what I’m talking about.
To get another perspective, I collaborated with ChatGPT on the below overview:
Sales, at its core, is the process of persuading or influencing a potential buyer to exchange their money for a product or service.
For those of us navigating the intricacies of L&D, think of sales as the art of matchmaking in the business world. We connect the dots between a need (often one the buyer wasn’t fully aware they had) and a solution (your product or service) that can fulfil it.
Sales isn’t just about transactions
It’s about understanding, communication, and building relationships.
You can view sales as an educational journey. Where the salesperson (you) guides the customer through a learning process. You help them understand their own needs, the value of the solution offered, and how it can enhance their life.
The art of selling enables each of us the potential not just in driving revenue, but in fostering understanding, growth, and long-term partnerships.
At its heart is the ability to listen, educate, and inspire.
[Note: I think ChatGPT did ok with about 60% editing from me. Collaborate don’t delegate with AI, folks]
I never truly understood storytelling’s power until the second decade of my career.
I thought it was one of those woo-woo things people say.
→ I was wrong.
I’m a big believer that good stories entertain people, but great stories change people.
We’ve been telling each other stories since the dawn of time.
It’s not a radical new concept which can be turned into a flashy tool or methodology by an education provider (although I’m sure they’d try!).
If you’re like me, you love nothing more than a good old story to inspire you to do something great, or, in some cases, put you into the sleep we so crave.
We connect through stories.
I spend countless hours watching, reading and listening to some of the best and worst at it (that’s conference life for ya). It helps shape my own style.
Connection through telling stories
I had my ‘aha’ moment on a trip to South India.
I’d been sent by the powers that be by my ‘then company’ to launch a new learning platform for 15,000 colleagues. I like to imagine a Bat signal was raised to call for me. In reality, I was handed a Emirates plane ticket and shoved into a car at 5 am to an airport.
It wasn’t until the high of my first business class experience had worn off that I started to realise I might be in for more than I bargained for.
I was to spend the next 2 weeks meeting, greeting and persuading people who had never met me to use this ‘awesome’ learning tool. In the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the thought of “Why should they?”
To them, I was another crony sent by HQ to do its bidding.
They thou must use this tool, and make thou use this tool you shall!Yes, I speak in my head in a Shakespearean tone sometimes.
The point is I had no business telling these people anything.
I had no credibility or trust built. My bargaining chip was ‘HQ sent me’. It’s certainly not a card to make you popular. I had to change my approach.
It was time to shift into this storytelling thing.
Instead of telling people “You’ve got to do this because HQ says so”. I did the opposite.
I spent 2 weeks telling a story. Each day I wrote a chapter with those around me. We talked about the power of tech for learning, how each colleague can transform their skills with this opportunity and what it means for them.
Not a word about the company.
I created a working group in the office to own the tool. I wanted everyone to collaborate and write the story with me. This was one way of doing that.
You want to know the result now, right?
Fret not, it’s great news.
That approach led to the most successful launch I had in my time with that company.
We are all digital people living in a digital world.
Well, technically, we’re biological people in an all-consuming digital world. But it doesn’t rhyme with Material Girl by Madonna. I digress as the tea supply is low as I type.
This skill isn’t exclusive to our industry. It’s a must for every human.
I’ve spent too much of my career watching people shy away from tech. We just cannot do that anymore. I hate to sound like one of those morons on social media that says “Do this or be left behind”. But I’m going to make an exception here.
If you don’t invest in your digital intelligence you will be left behind.
Defining Digital Intelligence
Let’s keep this simple.
It’s about being savvy, aware and adaptable with new digital technologies.
You don’t need to be an expert but you must be aware of what’s available. Be curious, always.
I’m 100% confident that my ability to adopt and adapt to new technologies has given me the edge over many of my peers. What is dark magic to them is like playing in a sandbox for me. This only happens when you invest in yourself.
Our world needs more digital-savvy pros.
As the world of learning continues to be eaten up by tech. You would be wise to become fluent in the language of technology to become a valued strategic business partner.
Think of Performance Consulting as being the workplace detective of the L&D world.
It’s not just about throwing a training program at a problem and hoping it sticks (or not spraying and praying as I was once told).
Nope. You dig deeper.
You chat with the team, look at the data, and figure out what’s really going wrong. Then, you come up with a game plan that might be training, but could also be other stuff like better tools, process changes, or even a morale booster.
The end game is making sure everyone performs better and the business scores a win.
The art of consulting seems lost in L&D teams.
We take a lot of questions, but ask few questions. Sometimes, you have to do this. The nature of your organisation can be tough to change.
Your mission is to partner with the workforce to understand their needs and propose the best solution.
The benefits of performance consulting for L&D
Yes. I get this all sounds like a utopia.
But whats the actual value of adopting this approach?
For starters:
Get the Respect You Deserve: I know I sound like the Godfather here, yet, imagine walking into a room and everyone’s eager to hear your ideas. That’s the kind of respect we’re talking about – where your voice matters, and your skills shine.
Credibility: I’m not just talking about looking smart. Anyone can do that. This is about intelligent insights delivered in a way anyone can understand.
Building trust with ease: You’ll learn how to align so perfectly with your company’s goals that they’ll trust you as if you were reading their minds (which I can’t promise you can actually do).
Think Like a Consultant, Not an Order-Taker: Say goodbye to just checking boxes and hello to strategising like a pro. You’ll ask the right questions and find the real solutions.
Impact That’s Visible: Let’s be honest. We all want this. PC offers a set of tools and know-how to get you won the radar.
How you can get started with performance consulting in L&D
Step 1: Change your mindset 🧠
Easy to say, harder to do.
If all you know is how to take orders. You won’t become a strategic partner overnight. You’ve got work to do and mostly in the mindset department.
We’re often held back by our perceived limiting beliefs.
I can’t give you a concrete plan to change that. What I can do is offer advice and what worked for me. It doesn’t mean it will work for you. Yet, you can use it as an example to adapt for your context.
Learning what you need and how to use them in a real scenario is what will set you apart. Your version of performance consulting will heavily depend on your context e.g experience level, company maturity.
There’s basic principles to guide you.
But as the great Bruce Lee said: “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not and add what is your uniquely your own”. In other words, don’t be afraid to adapt what you read online to your specific approach.
A lot of performance consulting focuses on the mindset shift mentioned above. After this it’s about your approach. You should look at how and what you communicate.
With that in mind, crafting smart questions is a good starting point to unlock meaningful conversation.
You won’t go from taking orders to consulting in days, weeks or even months. We overestimate what we can do in a week but underestimate what can be done in a year.
One of my go-to stories to illustrate this journey is through my Trojan horse technique.
The TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) version is to try to move 5-10% towards a consulting approach in every interaction. If you go in like a bull in a China shop smashing stakeholders all over the place with a new way of working. It’s not going to end well for you.
The best advice I’ve received is to always take people on a journey.
Change is hard, and people will resist. But don’t lose hope. It’s the small steps that lead to the biggest shifts.
Bonus step: Become the strategic L&D Partner they can’t ignore
Learn from someone who has been there, done that and knows the code.
I’ve worked across the Talent and L&D space for 16 years. Leading projects, teams and creating products with huge enterprises to small startups. I’ve been in the fire and know what works. So, why not take advantage of that for yourself?
An unfair advantage: Get performance smart with AI
My custom AI assistant, Ema can help enhance your performance consulting skills.
Ema is available to all ChatGPT Plus subscribers in the GPT Store. Ema was designed to do one thing only and to a high level = Enhance the performance consulting skills of L&D Pros.
They’re not the silver bullet that social gurus are proclaiming. Yet, they will form a cornerstone of how we work over the next decade. This means your L&D strategy needs to serve this in some part.
Let me make one thing clear – your L&D strategy should not centre on AI alone.
It’s a spoke in the wheel of your strategy, not the whole damn thing.
If you prefer a more ‘corporate’ take on L&D strats, check out these visuals from McKinsey and Co.
✅ Get clear on the fundamentals of AI
You shouldn’t use any tech without a basic knowledge of how it works.
Access to this information for GEN AI is everywhere. A little education goes a long way. The more you know, the more you can maximise it in your work.
This starts with you.
You can’t be an effective strategic partner if you don’t have foundational know-how in the area. I’m not asking you to become an AI engineer here! Just the basics, friend.
The first and fourth resources are easy to amplify across your organisation.
They’re all zero-cost tools. I’m looking out for your budget here.
👉 Build AI behaviours
The single most overlooked question in the AI for L&D conversation.
It’s not how we use AI tools.
👉 It’s why should we?
It’s the classic case of putting the cart before the horse. Everyone gets excited about tools but never asks why they need them.
The answer is not ‘because everyone else does’.
Having clear intentions and use cases is imperative. We have to help each other think beyond tools. Work on the behavioural side with why, when and how you work with AI tools.
Building an intelligent framework to collaborate with AI is far better than learning how to use tools alone.
You could say this is a meta-skill.
AI is a tool, and like any tool, it needs human input.
I believe we need to deploy two unique human skills when working with AI.
Critical Thinking
Analytical Judgement
These both happen to be two of the 5 skills identified in my ongoing skills series for the Future of Work.
Let’s walk through a workflow of these in action with an AI-delegated task:
🫵 The Feedback Workshop
Let’s imagine you want ChatGPT to help you craft a feedback workshop with:
Experience outline
Title for the workshop because ‘Feedback workshop’ sucks
An email draft to promote the course to employees
Before you feed a prompt to CGPT, you should think critically about what you want to achieve with this task.
Consider:
What do you want CGPT to focus on?
How do you want to design the experience?
What will best support your audience?
You continue doing this with each response that CGPT (or any LLM) provides.
Your judgement and decision-making skills weave through this process too.
Use your humanness (I know it’s not a real word) to evaluate every response and help CGPT understand if it’s hitting all the right notes for you. If it helps, consider its responses as an ugly first draft.
You’ll work on this draft as a human task to provide the context and application it needs for your experience.
This is the difference between delegating everything to AI and working with AI. You will also be stronger in a human and AI approach. You can see an example of this in a recent video post.
→ In sum: Develop behaviours around AI delegation and collaboration.
🧐 Lead with intelligent AI use cases
Let’s be real, a lot of use cases with generative AI pushed online are gimmicks.
AI-generated images of yourself and funny videos are no use in L&D. That’s why you should always be clear on what problems you’re trying to solve. AI is not the right tool for every job.
Finding the problems you need to solve shouldn’t be too hard in our line of work. Here’s an exercise you can use to uncover where AI collaboration could help:
Open a doc or a notebook
Write down the max 10 tasks you do weekly
Review each and ask, “From what I know about current generative AI tools, can they help with this task’?
If so, investigate how and learn to use it in your work.
You can encourage this at an individual and group level.
🧠 The AI Thought Partner
One of, if not, my favourite use cases so far.
Everyone focuses on content creation where the real power is in thought partnering.
This is only a slice of the opportunity it can bring to your work.
I spend my time using CGPT as a thought partner. Kind of like a team member or intern to bounce ideas around with. We co-create together as a partnership, not as the robot and human overlord.
Here’s a walkthrough:
🏴 Language Translation with AI
This is one I wish I had back in my corporate days.
One of the biggest hits to my L&D budget when leading a global function was language translation. In our connected world, it’s necessary. It’s a big way to break down access to learning.
I’ve been using a tool called ElevenLabs to convert my videos into several languages.
You can also use this to create AI voiceovers for videos. If you haven’t guessed, here’s a video I made earlier showing how to do that.
👀 Explore the right AI tools
Social media tells us thousands of new AI tools are released daily.
The truth is 95% of these have nothing to do with AI. They’re sub-par products riding the hype wave. It’s your job to find what’s real and works for you.
Here’s my recommendation:
Pick one popular app: ChatGPT, Claude or MS Copilot
Experiment with this one tool for 6 weeks
Pick one other tool that’s specific for your industry. For example, writers might choose copy.ai or Jasper
Experiment with both for 6 – 8 weeks. If they don’t fit, try others.
Keep it minimal. Always have 1 general tool + one industry specific
This is a zero-cost method of experimentation.
💪 Leverage human skills
2023 will go down as the year of AI.
If you haven’t guessed, let me confirm now.
I’m all for a human-powered future with AI. Not an AI-first operating system. I mean, we’re all human, aren’t we? Don’t answer that one.
I analysed over 20 skills reports this year. Each takes in the meteoric rise of AI and how it influences our modern skills. I don’t believe we can talk about skills this year without those two little letters in AI.
The way we live and work is obviously affected by this.
It’s happening whether we like it or not.
The real question is how does it impact the skills we need to succeed?
From my analysis so far my bet is firmly on doubling down on our human skills. With each new report I sink my brain into, this only solidifies the need to tap into our most human abilities.
We must be aware of this societal shift but not consumed by it.
Do you think your company would prefer employees to learn how to leverage these tools in the dark levels of a Reddit forum or from your local L&D team?
Perhaps that’s the one-liner you can use in your next strategy meeting.
The point is they’re getting this knowledge from somewhere. You can bet it doesn’t mix well with your ways of working and the best practices you’d want.
The business case for exploring generative AI at work
You should use this approach not just for your business, but you and your teams.
If you don’t have a foundational understanding of the capabilities and pitfalls of this technology, then you cannot be an effective advisor in crafting skill initiatives with it.
This is one of the top things I’m most excited about with AI as a collaborative human tool.
This research found that generative AI narrowed the skills gap between the best and worst performers. That’s a huge win.
This is the business we’re in as L&D pros.
Supporting people to close their skills gap for performance and better career opportunities. Organisations don’t care about the latter but I feel a personal human responsibility for that.
We have an opportunity to reduce the skill gap with AI tools.
#3: People want to be upskilled
86% of survey respondents to BCG’s AI at Work report believe they need to be upskilled for AI.
Let that sink in.
On the other side, companies are trying to ban AI tools rather than educate their workforce on pivotal skills for the future. We can’t ignore this new technology. It’s happening whether we like it or not.
Your people want it. So help them.
The simple framework for smart AI integration
1. Educate yourself
Curate resources to educate and inform your workforce on Gen AI. A little knowledge can go a long way.
