Over the past few episodes, I’ve been chasing one big question with Koreen Pagano, Dr. Sandra Loughlin, Eran Vaisfailr, Matthew J. Daniel, and Samantha Murray: What does it actually take to build a skills-based organisation that works in the real world?

In this wrap-up, I’m connecting the dots. “Skills-based” can mean a lot of things, and it’s easy to get stuck in frameworks, taxonomies, and tools before you’ve nailed the basics. The theme that kept coming up is simple: skills only matter when they help the business make better decisions and help people do better work. That means starting with the problems you’re trying to solve, getting serious about data quality and validation, and designing for adoption, not just architecture.

We also look ahead. The next arc shifts from internal capability building to learning beyond the walls of the organisation. We’ll discuss customer education and what it means to drive real outcomes with external audiences.

Some curious takeaways:

• Start with the business problem, not the skills framework
• Validation and data quality are the difference between signal and noise
• Adoption is the real transformation, not the technology

Episode highlights:

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

(02:23) What a skills-based organisation really changes beyond L&D

(05:26) How to align skills with actual business needs

(08:46) Creating contextual learning solutions that work in real time

(12:11) Where AI fits and the value of durable skills

(15:22) The power of user experience in skills-based learning

(17:55) What’s next: shifting from internal L&D to customer education

A look back at this arc:

How to Build a Skills-based Organisation: https://youtu.be/aj_PJ-nOThY 

Why Skills Only Matter When They Solve Real Business Problems: https://youtu.be/8E2PyOgTZEU 

Why Informal Learning Can’t Be Ignored: https://youtu.be/yjU1fXfGRV8 

Connecting Skills with Real-World Career Paths: https://youtu.be/SuT-xXSBt3k 

How to Build Experiences Users Actually Engage With: https://youtu.be/4S1rY-Eredw 

How to Create Agile Organisations with Skills and AI: https://youtu.be/w6W_RbTZMmk 

Connect with the guests:

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

Sandra Loughlin, PhD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraloughlin/ 

Eran Vaisfailr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eran-vaisfailr/ 

Matthew J. Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjdaniel/ 

Samantha Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/ 

Loïc Michel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loicmichel/ 

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/

Too often, skills-based initiatives are implemented without clear use cases or business impact in mind. In this episode, we challenge that approach.

Many skills programs fail because they are disconnected from business needs and are difficult to implement. It’s not the technology, it’s the approach. Skills programs must be integrated into the daily workflow where learning happens. To explore what makes this work, I spoke with Loïc Michel, CEO of 365Talents. Loïc has spent years developing AI-powered solutions that help organisations identify, develop, and mobilise skills within their workforce.

We discuss why the foundation must be skills data, how AI brings agility, and why transformation is more than just talent mobility. After this discussion, it’s clear that without the right skills data and technology, even the best intentions won’t lead to meaningful change.

Some curious takeaways:

• Design skills programs that are agile and in the flow of work, not once-a-year initiatives
• Leverage AI to make skills data easily accessible across the organisation
• Focus on continuous feedback and iteration to create a measurable impact on talent mobility

Episode highlights:

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

(01:05) The power of curiosity in transformation of skills and AI

(04:36) The journey from mapping skills to redefining talent mobility

(06:24) Why skills first is the only sustainable blueprint

(11:38) How global companies are building skills-based organisations

(14:31) The importance of learning and skills integration

(22:12) How AI is supercharging the future of skills and workforce intelligence

(25:33) Adapting skills transformation across cultures and business units

(29:01) How skills-based platforms are tackling real business challenges

(34:23) Why skills are the new currency

(36:05) Scaling the vision for a unified learning and skills platform

(38:18) Curious Corner Takeaways

Connect with the guests:

Loïc Michel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loicmichel/ 

Explore 365Talents: https://365talents.com/en/ 

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/ 

“How do you design learning and skills experiences people actually want to use?”

A lot of skills and learning programs don’t fail because the content is bad. They fail because the experience feels like extra work: hard to find and navigate and disconnected from what people are trying to get done.

To explore what actually changes that, I spoke with Samantha Murray, founder of AlignedCX. Sam has led customer education at Shopify, worked on the vendor side at Docebo, and now advises teams on designing experiences that remove friction and drive real outcomes.

Too much learning is still built on hope. Hope that people will engage and that a new platform will fix the problem. In this episode, we push back on that thinking. We talk about why everyone is a customer, why a product mindset beats “build it, and they will come,” and why empathy and journey mapping are the real starting points for modern L&D. The throughline is simple: if you don’t understand the experience you’re designing for, no amount of content will save it.

Some curious takeaways:

• Treat employees like customers and design for value, not compliance
• Run experiments and ship small, measurable improvements instead of big launches
• Embed learning in the flow of work so behaviour and performance data can power real personalisation

Episode highlights:

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

(01:22) Experience design as a lever for business results

(05:36) The product mindset shift in learning

(09:14) Everything is customer, including internal learners

(13:40) Using customer journey mapping to spot the gaps that matter

(16:29) Learning should follow the work, not interrupt it

(21:11) Meeting people in the moment of need across channels

(26:07) The importance of empathy mapping

(28:02) How teams actually execute after mapping

(31:46) The fastest way to go backwards with AI

(37:32) Where implementation actually starts

(39:30) The biggest pitfalls: solutioning too fast and skipping validation

(44:09) What to stop doing in experience design

(45:43) Curious Corner Takeaways

Connect with the guests:

Samantha Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/  

Explore AlignedCX: https://www.alignedcx.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/ 

Imagine if learning wasn't just about courses, but about unlocking real career opportunities through the right skills.

In our previous conversation, we explored the overwhelming number of systems that impact employees' ability to learn and grow. In this episode, I’m diving deeper with Matthew J. Daniel, Senior Principal, Talent Strategy & Mobility at Guild Education, on a crucial topic: how we can link learning to real career opportunities.

We talk about how a skills-based organisation thrives when it prioritises practical, business-driven outcomes and the importance of linking skills to opportunity, ensuring that learning initiatives directly translate into career mobility and pay.

Our chat also examines how AI and automation are shaping the future of skills development, highlighting the need for companies to rethink how they approach talent and reskilling. Matthew ends with a challenge: think beyond compliance-driven learning and focus on programs that truly equip people for the future.

Some curious takeaways:

• Focus on creating pathways that link learning to tangible career opportunities
• Align talent development with the business’ most pressing needs to drive real impact
• The difference between durable (e.g., critical thinking) and perishable (e.g., software) skills and how to prioritise for long-term value

Episode highlights:

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

(04:10) The cost of learning and growth

(08:11) Why training isn't enough for career growth

(11:09) The difference between durable vs. perishable skills

(19:01) Guiding leaders on effective learning and development

(22:43) The problem with due dates in learning

(26:16) How to make learning investments count

(28:05) Why skills aren’t enough without career mobility

(36:07) The importance of mobility and opportunity through learning

(41:21) When to build talent internally vs. buy talent externally

(44:37) Curious Corner Takeaways

Connect with the guest:

Matthew J. Daniel  on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjdaniel/ 

Explore Guild Education: https://guild.com/ 

Resources:

Building a Skills-Based Organization, for Real (Guild): https://guild.com/compass/building-a-skills-based-organization-for-real
It’s Time to Discuss the Problem with Owning Your Own Development (CLO): https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2023/02/28/its-time-to-discuss-the-problem-with-owning-your-own-development/

Durable vs Perishable Skills (Talent Management): https://www.talentmgt.com/article_author/matthew-j-daniel/
FLN Podcast – Equity in Talent Development (https://fln.bepodcast.network)

Change State Podcast – Rethinking Upskilling in the AI Era (https://www.changestate.io)

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/

“How do we drive real skills transformation within a company?”

That’s the question we explore in this episode with Eran Vaisfailr, former Product Owner of Learning and Development at Booking.com, now Co-founder and CEO of Plynn, a learning startup focused on turning informal learning into measurable skills. In his time at Booking.com, Eran was at the forefront of building a skills-based organisation, focusing on aligning employee capabilities with business needs.

Our conversation explores why skills-based transformation isn't just about formal training systems or shiny new AI tools. Eran shares his experience at Booking.com, where skills intelligence was key. He highlights how day-to-day work, projects, and even platforms like YouTube often offer more valuable learning insights than LMS completion rates.

If you’re feeling the pressure of complex skills frameworks and a widening gap between training and performance, this episode offers a grounded roadmap for L&D’s evolution in the age of AI.

Some curious takeaways:

• Skills transformations fail when data foundations aren’t clean and aligned
• Measuring performance improvement is the true test of a skills programme’s success
• Start skills work where the business feels the pain, not everywhere at once

Episode highlights:

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

(04:26) The biggest mistakes organisations make when implementing LMSs

(10:12) Consolidating learning data in complex organisations

(12:45) Why Booking.com invested in a skills-based organisation

(15:06) Skills only matter when you can prove them

(20:04) The hidden data challenges behind skills verification

(23:36) Working with business leaders on skills change

(28:33) The real reason skills data never lines up

(32:32) Why one-size-fits-all learning keeps failing

(37:37) Turning YouTube into structured, trackable learning

(42:56) Why L&D can’t own just-in-time learning alone

(50:03) Reducing system overload and designing learning where work happens

(52:21) Curious Corner Takeaways

Connect with the guests:

Eran Vaisfailr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eran-vaisfailr/ 

Explore Plynn: https://www.plynn.dev/ 

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/ 

“Skills only matter if they solve a real business problem.” 

In the last episode, we explored why skills require a deeper understanding of the work being done and why HR and L&D cannot build this alone. This conversation picks up that thread and moves it into the real world. 

Sandra Loughlin, PhD, Chief Learning Scientist at EPAM, joins me to show what a skills-based organisation looks like when it is designed around data, roles, and the actual needs of the business. We explore how EPAM unified its skills ecosystem, blending formal and informal learning, and strengthened skills verification through internal and external evidence.

We also look ahead at how agentic AI will reshape what people learn and how they learn it. Sandra makes the case that AI will be the first major shift in human learning since the printing press and that it is on people leaders to lean in, even when the change feels uncomfortable.

If you are trying to understand what a practical, scalable skills strategy looks like, this conversation is for you.

Some curious takeaways:

• Anchor your skills to a real business need and build from there
• Connect people data with work data so learning becomes practical and relevant
• Give employees access to both formal and informal learning so they can actually grow

Episode highlights:

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

(03:29) How skills became a business framework, not an HR project

(07:14) Why skills fail without business metrics behind them

(11:32) Building a human-centred L&D strategy in the age of AI

(14:41) Why unified data layers matter more than tools

(21:02) Using skills data to align HR strategy with business goals

(29:19) How learning systems support a skills-based approach

(35:05) Turning perceptual data into actionable insights for skills development

(38:30) Learning culture makes employees thrive

(41:51) How AI will reshape what and how we learn

(43:20) Curious Corner Takeaways

Connect with the guests:

Matthew J Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraloughlin/ 

Explore EPAM Systems: https://www.epam.com/

Explore the EPAM Skills Case Study: https://www.epam.com/insights/analyst-reports/forrester-case-study-epams-early-adoption-of-skills-data-predated-the-market 

Explore Sandra’s writing on skills: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1naB08bm6hYl_1qsKOHXJAh7od1D_y7GzyhAJwQmL1Jc/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0

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/ 

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/ 

Over the past few episodes, I’ve gone down a lot of rabbit holes with Lori Niles-Hofmann, Laura Overton, Michelle Ockers, Dr. Ashwin Mehta, Nicki Finnigan, Hannah Frame, and Erica Farmer, trying to answer one big question: What does it mean to be an L&D leader in the age of AI?

In this wrap-up, I’m connecting the dots. While AI can absolutely accelerate your impact, it can just as easily derail it, depending on how you use it. Ultimately, it’s a powerful enabler, not a silver bullet. And that’s why using it well starts with clarity, focus, and a solid understanding of the real business problems you’re trying to solve.

I share what I’ve learned about aligning AI with your learning strategy, strengthening stakeholder influence, cleaning up your data, and keeping the human connection at the center of it all. Because leadership in the AI era isn’t about chasing tools, it’s about staying curious, intentional, and aligned with what matters most.

Some curious takeaways:

• AI accelerates solutions, but clarity keeps you on track
• L&D leadership thrives on human connection, not tech
• Curiosity and experimentation are key to adapting to AI

Episode highlights:

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

(01:42) What I learned from exploring AI with different L&D voices

(07:39) Why clarity, not speed, defines great AI leadership

(10:18) Curiosity, connection, and the courage to keep experimenting

(12:53) Wrapping up: Stay curious, focused, and aligned with business needs

A look back at this arc:

What’s the Role of L&D In the AI Era?: https://youtu.be/oerVSrkd108 

How L&D Leaders Can Stay Human In the Age of AI: https://youtu.be/8VRiiisdKLA 

Can L&D Keep Up With the Speed of AI?: https://youtu.be/Wg1y55MWKJQ 

Leading Learning in the Age of AI: Three Practitioners’ Perspectives: https://youtu.be/FFlolIBqPb0 

Connect with the guests:

Lori Niles-Hofmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorinileshofmann/ 

Dr. Ashwin Mehta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ashwin-mehta/ 

Laura Overton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraoverton/ 

Michelle Ockers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleockers/ 

Nicki Finnigan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickifinnigan/
Hannah Frame on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/framehannah/ 

Erica Farmer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericafarmer/  

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/ 

“How do L&D leaders stay grounded, strategic, and human while leading through the age of AI?”

In this episode, we’re exploring how leadership adapts when AI accelerates change faster than traditional models can keep up.

I’m joined by Hannah Frame and  Nicki Finnigan of Every Day's a School Day Podcast and Erica Farmer of EricaFarmer.a, three of the best L&D consultants and practitioners I’ve come to know. Collectively, they bring perspectives from large-scale corporate environments, emerging AI practices, and hands-on upskilling work with L&D teams. Together, we tackle the question many leaders are wrestling with: How do we stay strategic when the ground keeps moving?

Throughout the episode, the panel highlights a common truth: AI can remove grunt work, but it can’t replace the human skills that drive meaningful learning. Strategy now means being adaptable, discerning, and deeply connected to the problems our organizations are actually trying to solve.

Some curious takeaways:

• L&D is shifting from perfectionism to rapid experimentation
• AI speeds up thinking, but humans still shape meaning and relevance
• Strategic impact comes from solving the right problems, not chasing tools

Episode highlights:

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

(01:43) How L&D roles have shifted in speed, ambiguity, and orchestration

(05:24) What being strategic in L&D means in the age of AI

(11:03) How AI accelerates early thinking, but still demands human judgment

(16:48) The rising importance of critical thinking, discernment, and quality control

(19:46) The lessons L&D must unlearn

(28:51) Solving real problems instead of chasing tools

(35:26) Practical advice for integrating AI

(41:41) The human advantage in L&D through creativity and connection

Connect with the guests:

Nicki Finnigan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickifinnigan/
Hannah Frame on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/framehannah/
Erica Farmer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericafarmer/ 

Explore EricaFarmer.ai: https://ericafarmer.ai/
Explore BAE Systems: https://www.baesystems.com/en 

Explore St. James’s Place: https://www.sjp.co.uk/

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/ 

“How can L&D leaders stay strategic in the age of AI?”

Previously, we were shifting our perspective from technology to leadership. For this episode, we’re shifting the focus to leadership and strategy. 

I chat with Dr. Ashwin Mehta, founder and CEO of Mehtadology, an AI researcher, and someone who runs a company with more agents than people. He brings sharp technical and practical insight to a question many L&D teams still face: How does AI reshape our work?

We discuss the three key forces shaping the future of corporate AI: agents, data, and middleware. We also explore what it means when L&D isn’t just owning content anymore but designing entire learning ecosystems. Ash doesn’t sugarcoat it: building courses manually is becoming obsolete, and governance, risk appetite, and mindset are now the real bottlenecks.

Some curious takeaways:

• The future of L&D lies in autonomy, not control
• AI amplifies human judgment but doesn’t replace it
• Self-awareness in L&D leaders is key to navigating AI

Episode highlights:

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

(02:08) The three pillars shaping AI’s direction: agents, data, and middleware

(04:46) Why L&D struggles with value chains 

(07:15) What successful L&D + IT collaboration really looks like today

(10:14) Why most organizations aren’t using agentic AI yet (and the real blocker)

(12:34) Can AI coaching paired with human oversight raise the bar?

(14:32) What L&D should stop doing now

(16:00) A simpler way to rethink your operating model

(17:54) Why data quality defines whether AI succeeds or stalls in L&D

(22:33)  How to shift from content creation to reproducible systems

(29:01) Voice agents, natural interaction, and how work will change 

(33:02) The instruction vs learning gap L&D can’t ignore

(35:12) Why pull-based learning is the real revolution

Connect with the guests:

Dr. Ashwin Mehta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ashwin-mehta/ 

Explore Mehtadology: https://mehtadology.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/