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The Expertise Economy
The workplace is going through a large-scale transition with digitization, automation, and acceleration. Critical skills and expertise are imperative for companies and their employees to succeed in the future, and the most forward-thinking companies are being proactive in adapting to the shift in the workforce. Kelly Palmer, Silicon Valley thought-leader from LinkedIn, Degreed, and Yahoo, and David Blake, co-founder of Ed-tech pioneer Degreed, share their experiences and describe how some of the smartest companies in the world are making learning and expertise a major competitive advantage.
The authors provide the latest scientific research on how people really learn and concrete examples from companies in both Silicon Valley and worldwide who are driving the conversation about how to create experts and align learning innovation with business strategy. It includes interviews with people from top companies like Google, LinkedIn, Airbnb, Unilever, NASA, and MasterCard; thought leaders in learning and education like Sal Khan and Todd Rose; as well as Thinkers50 list-makers Clayton Christensen, Daniel Pink, and Whitney Johnson.
The Expertise Economy dares you to let go of outdated and traditional ways of closing the skills gap, and challenges CEOs and business leaders to embrace the urgency of re-skilling and upskilling the workforce.
The authors provide the latest scientific research on how people really learn and concrete examples from companies in both Silicon Valley and worldwide who are driving the conversation about how to create experts and align learning innovation with business strategy. It includes interviews with people from top companies like Google, LinkedIn, Airbnb, Unilever, NASA, and MasterCard; thought leaders in learning and education like Sal Khan and Todd Rose; as well as Thinkers50 list-makers Clayton Christensen, Daniel Pink, and Whitney Johnson.
The Expertise Economy dares you to let go of outdated and traditional ways of closing the skills gap, and challenges CEOs and business leaders to embrace the urgency of re-skilling and upskilling the workforce.
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Published October 18, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 20, 2019
Kelly Palmer has effectively written a book format informercial for her company, Degreed, which is a platform to curate digital credentials of online learning, including certificates from various Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other “badges”. The content of the text is elementary and ultimately a poor study of the anticipated job disruption that may occur because of technology fueled changes in training and education. This book is uncritical and adopts a style reminiscent of H.R. cheerleading. Readers looking for a substantive treatment on the changing nature of skills-acquisition and its impacts on labor in the economy will be disappointed at what is on offer here. Palmer’s treatment barely reaches the level of a consulting white paper.
The book begins well enough with its premise that people will have to become lifelong learners to maintain a livelihood in the near and long-term future economy. Further, it recognizes that learning will come in many forms, including listening to audiobooks, corporate seminars, formal education and mentorship among other sources. I agree with most of this so far. The follow on point is made that companies striving to be the best will need to induce learning in their workforce and ultimately support learning for their employees. Further, the author argues that companies should not keep investing in traditional training and seminars since employees often view these as leisure time and do not directly engage with them or retain any functional knowledge from such training (as a side note, this assumes the training is even worthwhile, which more often than not is not the case). Up until this point, the book is mostly on track.
What is the author’s proposed solution? She states that companies should partner up and invest in new skills acquisition and gamification startups that display employees’ skills and training progress. Of course, she gives the biggest exposure to her own company. Normally, I wouldn’t be bothered by this, except for how heavy-handed the author is in promoting her services. Moreover, the proposed solution isn’t anything more than a pitch for companies to offload their staff data into these platforms and hope some combination of magical thinking and the “power of big data” will create a solution. Further grating is that the audiobook reader is clearly smiling while reading, a common trick taught for interviewees to engender empathy and positive energy when the interviewer is not in front of them, but which often comes off as mechanical when most people try it. The book is purveying the kind of uncritically hyped fluff that had everyone in Silicon Valley parroting about “delightion” a few years back.
From a policy standpoint, it’s unresolved how much these non-formal “badges” and “micro-degrees” actually help people outside of the top economic strata. Recent studies on MOOCs, for instance, indicate that MOOCs may actually be exacerbating economic inequality rather than being a path for the masses. Further, many of the people who successfully complete one or more of these alternative educational programs are often already highly-educated. It’s unclear whether “regular Joes” or “plain Janes” without four year degrees from top schools can really switch to these online training formats and have them serve as similar signals of qualification and competence to employers. As a lover of these platforms, I’m open to being convinced that these things can scale, but you need to use data to convince. None is offered here.
At best, a few interviews with thought leaders in various industries are presented. Given these uncertainties, I’d hesitate to propose these platforms and companies like the author’s as a nation-wide solution to current labor challenges.
This book then amounts to disappointing marketing fodder for H.R. analytics seeking to service the skills economy, albeit supplemented with some good points on new educational platforms. But none of this information is hard to get for free though with a simple search on Medium or other blogs. There are many alternative books out there on the labor and skills crisis, many even challenging whether promoting skills acquisition is the right lens to view the problem. If one is interested in getting a more nuanced view of these labor issues, I’d recommend instead layman titles such as The Job, Gigged, or even Temp. There are likewise superior books on the new educational platforms by actual developers of the technology such as Richard DeMillo’s Revolution in Higher Education, published by MIT press and offering a deeper look into that topic. This book is shallow corporate solution-smithing with a side of cheerleading. Not recommended.
The book begins well enough with its premise that people will have to become lifelong learners to maintain a livelihood in the near and long-term future economy. Further, it recognizes that learning will come in many forms, including listening to audiobooks, corporate seminars, formal education and mentorship among other sources. I agree with most of this so far. The follow on point is made that companies striving to be the best will need to induce learning in their workforce and ultimately support learning for their employees. Further, the author argues that companies should not keep investing in traditional training and seminars since employees often view these as leisure time and do not directly engage with them or retain any functional knowledge from such training (as a side note, this assumes the training is even worthwhile, which more often than not is not the case). Up until this point, the book is mostly on track.
What is the author’s proposed solution? She states that companies should partner up and invest in new skills acquisition and gamification startups that display employees’ skills and training progress. Of course, she gives the biggest exposure to her own company. Normally, I wouldn’t be bothered by this, except for how heavy-handed the author is in promoting her services. Moreover, the proposed solution isn’t anything more than a pitch for companies to offload their staff data into these platforms and hope some combination of magical thinking and the “power of big data” will create a solution. Further grating is that the audiobook reader is clearly smiling while reading, a common trick taught for interviewees to engender empathy and positive energy when the interviewer is not in front of them, but which often comes off as mechanical when most people try it. The book is purveying the kind of uncritically hyped fluff that had everyone in Silicon Valley parroting about “delightion” a few years back.
From a policy standpoint, it’s unresolved how much these non-formal “badges” and “micro-degrees” actually help people outside of the top economic strata. Recent studies on MOOCs, for instance, indicate that MOOCs may actually be exacerbating economic inequality rather than being a path for the masses. Further, many of the people who successfully complete one or more of these alternative educational programs are often already highly-educated. It’s unclear whether “regular Joes” or “plain Janes” without four year degrees from top schools can really switch to these online training formats and have them serve as similar signals of qualification and competence to employers. As a lover of these platforms, I’m open to being convinced that these things can scale, but you need to use data to convince. None is offered here.
At best, a few interviews with thought leaders in various industries are presented. Given these uncertainties, I’d hesitate to propose these platforms and companies like the author’s as a nation-wide solution to current labor challenges.
This book then amounts to disappointing marketing fodder for H.R. analytics seeking to service the skills economy, albeit supplemented with some good points on new educational platforms. But none of this information is hard to get for free though with a simple search on Medium or other blogs. There are many alternative books out there on the labor and skills crisis, many even challenging whether promoting skills acquisition is the right lens to view the problem. If one is interested in getting a more nuanced view of these labor issues, I’d recommend instead layman titles such as The Job, Gigged, or even Temp. There are likewise superior books on the new educational platforms by actual developers of the technology such as Richard DeMillo’s Revolution in Higher Education, published by MIT press and offering a deeper look into that topic. This book is shallow corporate solution-smithing with a side of cheerleading. Not recommended.
January 19, 2019
This book covers the latest and most salient tendencies on L&D from forward-thinking companies and research. Here I highlight some of its most valuable insights.
1. We learn best when we find ourselves in an enjoyable environment, when we have intrinsic motivation to learn, and when we identify what we want to learn as relevant.
2. Learning fast doesn't correlate with being smart.
3. Motivation is everything: Adult's strongest motivational desires are intrinsic, underlining the 3 motivational drivers of Dan. Pink (Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose).
4. The different viewpoints of work (Aaron Hurst) -purpose orientation or achieving status, income, and advancement- and our mindset (Carol Dweck) -growth or fixed- largely determine our learning process.
5. Update your recruitment process: Identify lifelong learners and select them above those know-it-all candidates. Their potential for growth is far more substantial.
6. Grit and Resilience (Angela Duckworth): Passion and perseverance are key determinants for long-term goals.
7. Knowledge doesn't equal skills: What you know is knowledge, what you can do with that knowledge are skills.
8. Foster active learning through the learning loop: Gain Knowledge - Practice - Get feedback - Reflect
9. Make learning a competitive advantage: Your employees are the company's biggest brand ambassadors.
10. Build a company based on continuous learning: Offer everyday learning opportunities to your employees.
11. What kind of manager are you?
Control Manager: You tell your employees what and how to do a specific task.
Power Manager: You tell your employees what to do at the same time you give them autonomy so they choose how to do it.
And the most significant one:
12. Don't use formal education to critically evaluate employees nor future candidates
The signaling role of schooling might be counterproductive, instead assess them for the skills they currently possess and how they embrace lifelong learning.
1. We learn best when we find ourselves in an enjoyable environment, when we have intrinsic motivation to learn, and when we identify what we want to learn as relevant.
2. Learning fast doesn't correlate with being smart.
3. Motivation is everything: Adult's strongest motivational desires are intrinsic, underlining the 3 motivational drivers of Dan. Pink (Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose).
4. The different viewpoints of work (Aaron Hurst) -purpose orientation or achieving status, income, and advancement- and our mindset (Carol Dweck) -growth or fixed- largely determine our learning process.
5. Update your recruitment process: Identify lifelong learners and select them above those know-it-all candidates. Their potential for growth is far more substantial.
6. Grit and Resilience (Angela Duckworth): Passion and perseverance are key determinants for long-term goals.
7. Knowledge doesn't equal skills: What you know is knowledge, what you can do with that knowledge are skills.
8. Foster active learning through the learning loop: Gain Knowledge - Practice - Get feedback - Reflect
9. Make learning a competitive advantage: Your employees are the company's biggest brand ambassadors.
10. Build a company based on continuous learning: Offer everyday learning opportunities to your employees.
11. What kind of manager are you?
Control Manager: You tell your employees what and how to do a specific task.
Power Manager: You tell your employees what to do at the same time you give them autonomy so they choose how to do it.
And the most significant one:
12. Don't use formal education to critically evaluate employees nor future candidates
The signaling role of schooling might be counterproductive, instead assess them for the skills they currently possess and how they embrace lifelong learning.
October 14, 2018
Outstanding summary of the smart ways the learning profession is evolving to support generative new approaches. Of particular interest are the discussions of self-directed learning and peer learning and feedback, and about the difference between "training" and learning, but also between "education" and learning. Learning is the air we breathe, and the best organizations will let employees transcend the formal, class-based, credential justified model in favor of, well, learning.
December 19, 2018
The world is in rapid change, often shifting in the most unexpected directions. Something reflected in the current political and financial climate. Businesses that don’t adapt could find themselves left behind and in trouble.
The Expertise Economy, by Kelly Palmer of LinkedIn, Degreed and Yahoo, and David Blake of Degreed was of particular interest to me because it champions an approach to learning which is close to my heart professionally. The book makes the case that the businesses are better suited to adapt if their employees are able to do the same, often looking outside their current abilities and acquiring new skill sets, through a personalised learning approach.
Granted you need to take on board that the authors have a vested financial interest in championing this approach as their companies are about facilitating this type of learning, but what they have to say makes a great deal of sense and can work for any size of organisation.
The easy and fluid read brings together interviews from people in organisations that are household names such as NASA and Google. There are also articles on new approaches to learning which dispense with the obligatory gathering of employees in a “death by PowerPoint” seminar by allowing them to strengthen their skill set on an individualised basis.
This book is equally applicable, not only to a company CEO, but also to employees, the self-employed and young people trying to find their way through the now rapidly shifting world of business.
It is about shrugging off complacency, considering whether money is a sufficient compensation for a soul-destroying job and whether it is time to take that pay cut for a more emotionally and psychologically rewarding challenge.
The content does revolve around digital technology, but this is a concept with which a worker needs to be conversant, given that it is now embedded in the culture of work. Online learning is also a growth industry with excellent content that can be absorbed at the learner’s pace, as well as providing subjects a student might never have thought they might have access to due to cost or location.
A revolution is afoot in the world of work and The Expertise Economy shows you simply and clearly how to harness its strength to make your working life as rewarding as the personal one away from it.
The Expertise Economy was courtesy of Nicholas Brealey Publishing via NetGalley.
The Expertise Economy, by Kelly Palmer of LinkedIn, Degreed and Yahoo, and David Blake of Degreed was of particular interest to me because it champions an approach to learning which is close to my heart professionally. The book makes the case that the businesses are better suited to adapt if their employees are able to do the same, often looking outside their current abilities and acquiring new skill sets, through a personalised learning approach.
Granted you need to take on board that the authors have a vested financial interest in championing this approach as their companies are about facilitating this type of learning, but what they have to say makes a great deal of sense and can work for any size of organisation.
The easy and fluid read brings together interviews from people in organisations that are household names such as NASA and Google. There are also articles on new approaches to learning which dispense with the obligatory gathering of employees in a “death by PowerPoint” seminar by allowing them to strengthen their skill set on an individualised basis.
This book is equally applicable, not only to a company CEO, but also to employees, the self-employed and young people trying to find their way through the now rapidly shifting world of business.
It is about shrugging off complacency, considering whether money is a sufficient compensation for a soul-destroying job and whether it is time to take that pay cut for a more emotionally and psychologically rewarding challenge.
The content does revolve around digital technology, but this is a concept with which a worker needs to be conversant, given that it is now embedded in the culture of work. Online learning is also a growth industry with excellent content that can be absorbed at the learner’s pace, as well as providing subjects a student might never have thought they might have access to due to cost or location.
A revolution is afoot in the world of work and The Expertise Economy shows you simply and clearly how to harness its strength to make your working life as rewarding as the personal one away from it.
The Expertise Economy was courtesy of Nicholas Brealey Publishing via NetGalley.
December 30, 2021
Kelly Palmer was LinkedIn’s chief learning officer and is on Degreed’s executive team. David Blake is co-founder and executive chairman of Degreed. This book makes some interesting suggestions about establishing on-going learning to ensure that companies stay ahead of the curve and don’t suffer a skills gap, but many are tech dependent and notably Degreed heavy and I’d have liked consideration of apprenticeships and cross-departmental training.
February 25, 2019
Notes:
Learning loop = Knowledge -> Practice -> Feedback -> Reflection
Different learning cultures:
1 - A culture of compliance training
2 - A culture of necessary training
3 - A culture of learning
4 - A culture of continuous learning
73% of the most successful companies are more likely to follow up with their employees after completing a learning.
Personalization is everywhere. In the past several years, countless software apps have been created to personalize your daily experiences. Spotify lets you personalize your own playlists and suggests new music you might like; Netflix makes movie suggestions targeted just for you; you can track your food consumption and measure your weight chances on your personal goals with MyFitnessPal; and the headspace apps lets you select individualized meditations based on your schedule, your mood and your level of experience. Because these apps are targeted to personal needs, they not only increase your levels of engagement, but also enhance your overall experiences.
Aggregated content is like when you do a google search.
Curated content is is when you give the most relevant, narrowed choices
Many of our existing assumptions about education are based on a highly constraining notion of 'average-based' approaches to understanding individual learners. Every day we are measured against a fictional 'average-person,' judged according to how closely we resemble the average - or how far we exceed it.
Since corporate learning is often viewed as a cost center rather than a revenue-generating function, learning typically becomes more reactive than strategic.
Most companies only care about who took compliance training when a lawsuit comes around. But, if you look at learning in a different way - as a way to understand the most competent person to assign to a particular project, or as a means of finding out which team members are actively learning the new skills really needed by your organization - the learning becomes a powerful part of your talent strategy.
IF you could have a Harvard education or a Harvard degree, which one would you choose.
Learning loop = Knowledge -> Practice -> Feedback -> Reflection
Different learning cultures:
1 - A culture of compliance training
2 - A culture of necessary training
3 - A culture of learning
4 - A culture of continuous learning
73% of the most successful companies are more likely to follow up with their employees after completing a learning.
Personalization is everywhere. In the past several years, countless software apps have been created to personalize your daily experiences. Spotify lets you personalize your own playlists and suggests new music you might like; Netflix makes movie suggestions targeted just for you; you can track your food consumption and measure your weight chances on your personal goals with MyFitnessPal; and the headspace apps lets you select individualized meditations based on your schedule, your mood and your level of experience. Because these apps are targeted to personal needs, they not only increase your levels of engagement, but also enhance your overall experiences.
Aggregated content is like when you do a google search.
Curated content is is when you give the most relevant, narrowed choices
Many of our existing assumptions about education are based on a highly constraining notion of 'average-based' approaches to understanding individual learners. Every day we are measured against a fictional 'average-person,' judged according to how closely we resemble the average - or how far we exceed it.
Since corporate learning is often viewed as a cost center rather than a revenue-generating function, learning typically becomes more reactive than strategic.
Most companies only care about who took compliance training when a lawsuit comes around. But, if you look at learning in a different way - as a way to understand the most competent person to assign to a particular project, or as a means of finding out which team members are actively learning the new skills really needed by your organization - the learning becomes a powerful part of your talent strategy.
IF you could have a Harvard education or a Harvard degree, which one would you choose.
March 24, 2020
Here's a good read--The Expertise Economy--to ensure you're up to speed on various ways to equip yourself in this possibly transitioning economic world. We're all taking the information as it comes in, but what hasn't changed from 5 years ago and is unlikely to change 5 years hence is the necessity of growing your marketable skillset. Obviously, there are more important things than your attractiveness to the market, but keeping a pulse on where your skills are at with regard to your aspirations can't hurt.
July 6, 2021
Learners will inherit the Earth
Great book to help managers think how to truly keep employees hunger. In a world where everything moves super fast, it is important that companies create pathways for their employees to stay competitive in this changing world. This will help companies not to lose great talent because of lack of opportunities.
Great book to help managers think how to truly keep employees hunger. In a world where everything moves super fast, it is important that companies create pathways for their employees to stay competitive in this changing world. This will help companies not to lose great talent because of lack of opportunities.
December 16, 2022
Education Is Lifelong
Learning is continuous, and the book emphasizes the roles of the educational system, companies and individuals in continuous learning and development. Sections are a bit dry to read, but the premise is spot on. A must read for educators, professionals and hiring managers.
Learning is continuous, and the book emphasizes the roles of the educational system, companies and individuals in continuous learning and development. Sections are a bit dry to read, but the premise is spot on. A must read for educators, professionals and hiring managers.
September 20, 2018
Straight forward and concise, gives a great overview on learning theories and a very practical approach to how a company can future-proof itself by enabling its employees to continuously build the skills needed to succeed
November 11, 2018
Great work addressing the rapidly changing state of work and the workforce and how modern corporations and employees can engage in active, relevant and ongoing learning to address. Kaizenedu!
December 8, 2018
a really good aggregation of many relevant workplace trends and projections. Well paced, with good anecdotes. Worth the read.
December 22, 2018
Phenomenal read for anyone interested in building and sustaining an organizational culture of learning!
July 21, 2020
Not bad for assigned reading; readable and some good ideas learnt.
November 15, 2020
It's a map to success in the digital world. Ignore it at your own peril.
August 7, 2021
This one was fine. Good insights if you are still in an old school, traditional learning org mindset. I was hoping for more depth and research. Would be great as an entry into thinking in new ways.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews