Perspectives on Technology Skill Development [Audiobook]

By Anita Grantham, Chief People Officer, Pluralsight

Forward-thinking technology leaders continually assess the roles they have and don't have in their organizations. But even the most cutting-edge may overlook one critical role that's emerging: technology skills director. This role will be a game-changer for organizations.

By Amy Larson, Chief Technology Officer, 1-800 Contacts

The great brands—those that thrive and maintain relevance long after their competitors lose steam—are born from this idea. They start with the customer and think, "What could be better about their buying journey? What product could fulfill their needs better than what's currently available? There has to be a better way."

By William Peachey, Executive Vice President, Group People Supply Chain Officer, Capgemini

Ten years ago, tech leaders focused on procurement and running data centers and networks. 80% of the spend was directed at supporting legacy; managing software licenses was a major task. But the advent of cloud freed up the tech leader's agenda for the new. And the new talent.

By Don Jones, Vice President for Content Partnerships, Pluralsight

One of the worst ways to manage technology skill development in an organization is to simply let employees find their own way. That doesn't mean learning should be top-down or a strict mandate by a leader. But it's important that, as a leader, you guide your team to the right skills for their career and for your business.

By Eric Geis, Vice President Clinical Product Development, Cerner

Driving any kind of initiative in a large or growing company can be a challenge. This especially holds true for implementing tech skill development programs at scale. We're tempted to build a distinct organizational structure to oversee the program—or else wrap it into Human Resources, where they already know how to implement training programs—and we're often inclined to ease the effort by making it uniform throughout the org.

By Tanya E. Moore, Partner Talent & Transformation, IBM Services

Technology, and the world at large, is changing so fast that traditional methods of hiring and training are no longer enough. One person, or one group, can't shoulder the responsibility for the skill set of the organization. Managing talent and skills has become a collaborative effort with both Board and C-suite giving it priority focus.

By Hope Gurion, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fearless Product

Skill gaps—the ones that keep teams and individuals from accomplishing goals—need a critical eye. As a leader, your job is to decide which skills are most important to your business objectives and how best to develop them. That's pretty obvious.

By Isaac Strack, Head of Professional Services, EMEA/APAC, Pluralsight

Building skills in your organization is just like The Emperor's New Clothes. There is a difference—and not a small one—between those with real skill development practices, and those with imaginary skill development who pretend their strategy will lead to real results.

By KC Jorgensen, Chief People Officer, Textio

Talking about "training" is pretty much standard operating procedure in the tech industry. But training doesn't go far enough when it comes to upskilling technology teams—and that's a big problem.

By Nate Walkingshaw, Chief Experience Officer, Pluralsight

If you're asking yourself more and more often, "Why are we not shipping? Why are we not communicating? Why have we slowed way down?," then you're experiencing misalignment. And while it can be caused by a variety of factors, you should also know that misalignment is a strong indicator of an unhealthy team.