Speed Separates Winners from Whiners
Mar 01, 2026
Have you ever invested thousands in training programs that changed nothing about how your team really works?
Were you surprised when your best people left because they felt stuck, even though you invested heavily in the company's future?
You have a learning crisis that leaves talent underdeveloped while competitors race ahead. Current research found that 94% of employees would stay longer if their company invested in their learning.
Talent Development is Stuck in a Traffic Jam
You hire people for what they know today while the skills they need tomorrow become obsolete.
Your team sits through compliance videos, checking email, while real learning never happens.
You spend billions on development while the skills gap widens further.
Gartner found that 70% of employees have not mastered the skills they need for their current jobs, and 80% lack the skills they will need for future roles. You are in a race to develop talent. Sitting still means falling behind.
Shift from Knowledge to Velocity
The traditional approach to hiring said, "Find people who know what we need."
The L.E.A.R.N. framework says, "Find people who can learn what we will need and learn it fast."
Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn's first Chief Human Resources Officer, told me on the Work Positive Podcast, "I think 50% of our hiring decisions are going to be based on what someone can learn, not what someone knows."
Here is the crucial insight: In a world where the half-life of skills shrinks with each new AI announcement, learning velocity becomes your sustainable competitive advantage. Deloitte research shows high-performing learning organizations are 92% more likely to innovate and experience 37% higher employee productivity.
Use the Communication Triangle to Your Advantage
What does learning fast look like in practice? Think of it like a NASCAR race. The winning teams use a communication triangle: the driver (your employees), the crew chief (your leaders), and the spotter (your customers).
Your customers see the entire track. They spot opportunities and threats you cannot see from your position. Races are won when leaders and employees communicate well one another and with customers about what they see. Grow people and you grow profits.
Your L.E.A.R.N. Challenge
Try these three actions this week:
- Ask Three Team Members: "What is one skill you would love to develop this year to serve better?" Then really listen without jumping into solution mode.
- Evaluate Learning Velocity: In your next interview, ask candidates about the last skill they taught themselves and how long it took. Hire for learning speed.
- Activate Your Spotters: Ask one customer this week what they see happening in your industry that you might be missing. Learn from their perspective.
The Work Positive Bottom Line
The best leaders today build their organization's capacity to learn fast rather than hoarding knowledge that becomes obsolete tomorrow.
Stop hiring for what people know. Start hiring for how fast they can learn so everyone wins the race to develop talent and you L.E.A.R.N. @ Work.
Taken from Dr. Joey's newest book, L.E.A.R.N. @ Work: The Race to Develop Talent.
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