A June 2024 Gartner survey of 330 executives revealed that 93% feel responsible for ensuring their workforce has the necessary time and resources for continuous learning.
Chantal Steen, senior director at Gartner, highlighted the urgency of the situation: “In the context of today’s AI-fueled accelerated disruption, many business leaders feel learning is too slow to respond to the volume, variety, and velocity of skills needs.”
To adapt, Learning and Development (L&D) departments must become more agile, enabling quicker and more cost-effective educational offerings.
To support this transition, Gartner introduced the AI-Era Learning Manifesto (see above), a framework designed to align all stakeholders around a set of values and principles for effective learning delivery. Research indicates that organisations utilising agile learning practices achieve better business outcomes—up to 1.5 times more effective than those that do not.
Gartner outlined three key recommendations for L&D leaders aiming to foster a more responsive learning environment:
Connect learning and earning to target outcomes: By aligning learning initiatives with specific business goals, organisations can ensure that skill development directly contributes to competitive success. Steen emphasised, “Learning produces the skills critical for adapting to change and executing a competitive strategy, which maximises earning outcomes.”
Adopt agile learning values: Leaders are encouraged to embrace five core values from the AI-Era Learning Manifesto:
- Prioritise business outcomes over mere knowledge acquisition.
- Foster a growth mindset over-reliance on existing skills.
- Encourage skills-based agility rather than role-based stability.
- Promote embedded learning instead of traditional off-the-job training.
- Emphasise community compounding over individual learning.
Harness agile learning principles: By integrating new capabilities with established methods like experiential and social learning, L&D leaders can enhance the application of skills in real-world contexts. The AI-Era Learning Manifesto serves as a pivotal guide for developing and delivering impactful training programs.
By adopting these strategies, organisations can better prepare their workforces for the challenges of the AI era, ensuring that employees are not only equipped to adapt but also positioned for growth in a rapidly changing landscape.
