It's the year 2021. Ten years earlier, Bersin & Associates published the third iteration of The High-Impact Learning Organization, a research study which identified the top learning strategies and organizational characteristics that supported consistent, positive business impact. Even then, the research pointed to a fundamentally changing workplace and workforce. New technologies and new demographics were changing basic expectations and interactions between employee and employer. The Great Recession had shocked organizations into recognizing that competitive advantage would require a strategic focus on talent. For sure, L&D was at a crossroads.

Existing models would meet basic operational needs, but such a strategy risked long term marginalization and – ultimately – irrelevancy. However, taking the lead in enabling organizational learning, deep specialization, and talent mobility would require wholesale changes throughout the learning organization and encompass people, processes, and infrastructure. This session highlights the 2011 study and research-based predictions for success in the coming decade.