Mind the Skills Gap: How to Build a Skills-based Organisation with Koreen Pagano

How do you actually build a skills-based organisation in practice, and why does it matter now?

L&D has been mainly about designing learning content and delivering training. Now, we’re moving towards reimagining the very foundation of how we work, especially with the rise of AI.

I chatted with Koreen Pagano, co-founder of Rising Tide Cooperative and author of Building the Skills-Based Organization: A Blueprint for Transformation. Koreen shares her expertise on the intersection of learning, technology, and skills data. She offers a fresh perspective on how AI is not just reshaping workflows but requiring a complete rethinking of how we manage and measure skills.

Get ready for a great conversation about what organisations need as AI changes the way we work. Our goal is to build a clear path through this big transition.

Some curious takeaways:

• L&D must understand both skills and tasks, not just content
• Collaboration across teams is crucial for a skills-based strategy
• Skills are not the final product; what matters is how they’re applied to create real business impact.

Episode highlights:

(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner

(03:14) Why AI is making skills development more urgent

(05:51) How skills data impacts decisions throughout the employee lifecycle

(08:20) The need for HR and L&D to collaborate with business unit leaders

(11:37) How to assess and validate skills effectively in an evolving workplace

(16:27) The challenge of measuring accurate data on skills and tasks

(21:51) Why data quality is critical for AI’s success in skills-based organisations

(25:45) Understanding that skills are not the end goal

(32:56) The impact of employee buy-in on skills initiatives

(37:28) How to choose the right technology for skills ecosystems

(43:49) What to leave behind and what to embrace in skills development

Connect with the guests:

Koreen Pagano on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koreenpagano/

Get Building the Skills-Based Organization: A Blueprint for Transformation: https://a.co/d/bT1X1VX

Explore Rising Tide Cooperative: https://risingtidecooperative.com/

Follow me on the following sites:

Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/

Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/