The workplace is changing faster than ever. New technologies, shifting expectations, different career paths—and everyone's scrambling to figure out what it all means.
While other departments struggle to adapt, L&D professionals are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation.
You already have the skills. You understand how people learn and change. You bridge strategy and execution. The question isn't whether you can adapt; it's whether you'll step up to lead.
Carla's workshop walked through exactly how to make this shift during our last event. She broke down the skills you already possess, the opportunities emerging in the changing workplace, and the strategic moves that position L&D as essential to organizational success.
Above is the workshop recording from Carla Taylor's session with EDU Fellowship on career happiness in the age of AI. Below are my takeaways on how to position yourself as a workforce transformation leader.
TL;DR
- L&D professionals already have the three skills everyone needs for AI
- Career paths now look like grids, not ladders
- Managing energy beats managing time
- Human skills become more valuable, not less
- L&D shifts from reacting to problems to preventing them
1. You already possess the three AI-era superpowers
Carla shared research from Dr. Fawzi, who's studied AI for 30 years. He identified three skills everyone needs: intelligent design skills (like logic and systems thinking), intelligent human skills (like confidence and relationships), and intelligent data skills (like organizing information with AI).
While everyone else is scrambling to figure out what skills they need for the AI era, we already have them.
- Design skills? That's instructional design. Systems thinking, logic, creative problem-solving—it's what you do every day.
- Human skills? You've been teaching this for years. Communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence.
- Data skills? Remember analyzing needs in ADDIE? Working with subject matter experts? Processing information into learning solutions? That's data skills.
91% of L&D pros agree that human skills are getting more important. But here's the shift: you're not just teaching these skills anymore. You're becoming the person who builds them across entire organizations.
Stop calling yourself a trainer. Start calling yourself a workforce transformation consultant. When leaders panic about AI readiness, you can say, "I've been developing these exact skills for years."
Quick check for your next meeting:
- Show how your current programs already develop these three skill areas
- Find gaps where you could expand human-focused training
- Call your existing work "AI-era workforce preparation"
2. Career lattices make you the GPS for talent mobility
Carla showed two pictures: career ladders versus career lattices. Ladders go straight up—same field, limited moves. Lattices go everywhere—lateral, diagonal, even backward moves based on skills. She compared it to movies, where teams form for projects, then split up and reform for new ones based on what skills they need.
This concept destroys the entire 'get a job, work hard, climb the ladder, retire with a gold watch' framework. And it creates a massive opportunity for you.
The numbers tell the story. American adults hold an average of 12 jobs by age 55, and nearly half of employees are considering a job change this year. Organizations must map skills across roles and departments to retain their best talent.
Traditional career development assumed linear progression within fixed roles. Career lattices assume multidirectional movement based on skills, interests, and business needs.
You become the GPS for these complex career journeys. While HR manages the infrastructure, you design the learning pathways that make lattice movement possible.
To build this new system, you need to:
