As we look at the history of work, all the way from pre-industrialization to the AI-era, the way that we have built skills has evolved greatly. In the age of AI, we have information on demand like never before, so much so that L&D budgets will begin to look like AI subscriptions. But why do organizations still struggle? What’s missing from our toolbelts from ages past?

Connection and our ability to navigate complex human systems. This talk will explore why I struggled with using current tooling to strengthen my professional relationships, and what I learned about creating conditions for authentic growth that leads to greater professional advantage and business outcomes.

**The Evolution of Work**

* History of skill-building
* Pre-industrial age - apprenticeships
* Industrialization - concrete skills
* Technology era - knowledge building
* AI era - on-demand information
* L&D budgets will look like AI subscriptions

Q: Why do organizations still struggle? What’s missing from this era that we had in our toolbelts in ages past?

A: Connection and our ability to navigate complex human systems

**Employees Relationship with HR**

* **The Problem:** People don’t trust current tools to use them honestly.
* **The Fear:** That what you track in HR tools can be read without their knowledge and used against them
* **The Workaround: **People create their own systems of docs and spreadsheets, but they are usually unorganized and ineffective.
* **The Irony: **If you really want people to engage in the people-side of their jobs, you need to enable an environment of honesty and vulnerability, and to do this they need privacy.

**The Business Case for Trust**

* **The Data: **High-trust organizations outperform their peers, usually retain talent longer
* **The Rationale: **When AI can mimic your technical skills, what makes you valuable is your ability to influence, collaborate, and navigate complex human systems.
* **The Competitive Advantage: **Being able to build a community of trust, helpfulness, and mutual support drives business success
* **HR’s New Role: **Less about managing, more about creating an environment where relationship building and collaboration can thrive

**The Metrics Temptation**

HR is very good at measuring everything, but beware of measuring employee connections in favor of creating an environment where connections can flourish.

Connections flourish when:

* You provide privacy-first solutions
* People feel supported and trusted to do their jobs
* They feel a sense of agency and autonomy in their work

Connections are blocked when people don’t feel trusted. Resist the urge to:

* Not allow privacy
* Measure network activity
* Track relationship building participation
* Enforce connections

**Conclusion - **Create conditions for authentic relationships, then trust people to build them.

**Audience Takeaways:**

* Learn why employees aren’t using your tools for their professional growth
* Discover which metrics enable authentic growth without stifling it
* Understand your role in this new era - creating conditions for growth rather than monitoring outcomes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvNeiILKHF0&list=PLPECrO0ROcqroVyQsdQpbVMUBLvbzXbI