From Skills Data to Action: Communicating Skills Strategy and Performance to Business Leaders

Nobody cares about skills. It may sound controversial, but it is the reality for most business leaders and talent executives.?

A common research finding is that skills is a top issue for CEOs, learning and development experts, hiring and talent executives, and employees.??

But skills in and of themselves don't have value for these stakeholders. More is not better and not all skills are valuable. Skills have value only to the extent that they contribute to a business and the people in the business.?

For example, C-suite executives care a great deal about business agility, improved customer service, and better products and services. And skills can be an engine to achieve these goals or a formidable barrier to success.?

On the people side, team members want fulfilling work, rewarding careers, and personal development. These are also related to skills, but skills with intent and purpose.?

Successful organizations connect skills strategy to a value story that resonates with business leaders and employees.??

An essential part of this strategy is building the right partnerships and communicating with influential stakeholders. This helps create buy-in and generate the momentum and support needed for any skills initiative.?

One way to communicate skills strategy and performance is through the use of skills dashboards. This topic formed the crux of our latest skills roundtable session and our cross-industry working group took a deep dive into it.?

Let’s start from the basics.

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