Reality check on becoming 'skills led'

"Changing people and putting them back in the same environment is not transformative"

John Atkinson

Three examples of policy and process (systemic) changes needed to enable a transition to a 'Skills led' organisation:

1. Resetting the expectations - and enabling processes, incentives and rewards for every line manager towards enabling the application of new skills in context:

- Providing opportunities to practice (and fail)

- Providing space for ongoing reflection on the application of the new skills

- Providing space for ongoing, two-way feedback on the application of the new skills

- Defining and evolving new performance expectations for their team members - 'what outcomes do we want as new skills are applied in practice in the work?'

2. Deriving 'skills' definitions from the performance requirements of a role (i.e. applying the skills to perform actions ('performance standards') in the right context to produce outputs to achieve agreed target outcomes).

- Aligning the business' 'Capability Planning' model to focus on identifying and agreeing the performance standards required.

3. Aligning the 'Learning and Development' operating model to be solely focused on enabling and achieving performance standards (at an individual, team and organisation level).

- Prioritising performance (actions in context that produce the outputs needed to achieve target outcomes) over 'Learning' (education).

- Establishing an impact and measurement model that aligns to this (versus only measuring 'activity' and 'reaction'.)

- Adopting a performance change centred design methodology and enabling operating model 

- Highlighting to leadership where 'Learning and Development' interventions can't and won't overcome systemic barriers to performance (current policies, processes, information flows, incentives, rewards, resources, team roles, hierarchies, capability, measurement etc.).



I work as a thinking partner and advisor with mid sized, value oriented companies going through significant change. I help you to build new capability and mindsets through shifting your approach to organisational development.

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