引领“工作与学习融合”时代

People & Organizational Performance PracticeThe future of the CLO: Leading in a world ofmerged work and learning Technology has given chief learning officers the tools to make learning aseamless and integrated part of the work experience. To succeed, CLOs canmake several fundamental changes. byBryan HancockandHeather StefanskiwithLisa Christensen The burning platformis familiar: Rapid technological advancements, shifting market dynamics,and a complex regulatory landscape are reshaping industries at a breakneck pace. To respond,employees will need new skills, mindsets, and ways of operating. Yet, at a time when development is critical to organizational success, some companies aremoving in the opposite direction. They are dissolving senior learning roles or pushing learningdeeper into human resources, further separating learning leaders from where strategicdecisions are being made. It’s a time of both tremendous opportunity and risk. For chief learningofficers (CLOs), the stakes have never been higher. Learning leaders have dreamed about delivering personalized development at scale fordecades. The best learning functions have made the most of the tools available to becomepartners in strategy, experts in development, and fluent in technology. With the advent of AI,CLOs and their organizations are ready for the next evolution: a fundamental transformation inthe way organizational learning is delivered. The future of learning isn’t about adding more training on top of work; it’s about reimaginingwork itself as inherently developmental. In this new paradigm, learning is no longer a “go awayand do it” activity; rather, it isa seamless, integrated part of the work experience. Work anddevelopment are merged, and daily activities are the most important catalyst for professionalgrowth. CLOs are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation because they have deep relationshipswith the business and an understanding of the capabilities employees need to execute anorganization’s strategy. This knowledge enables CLOs to design systems in which employeesdon’t just execute tasks but also grow, adapt, and innovate in real time. The question is nolonger how to prepare people for the future of work but how to make work the engine of theirpreparation. This article explores the new mandate for CLOs: to create environments where work andlearning merge, powered by technology, data, and a culture of continuous development. It alsooutlines the principles, tools, and leadership shifts required for CLOs to thrive in this new era. Designing work to be inherently developmental The CLO role is evolving from a provider of training programs to an architect of developmentalecosystems. Successful CLOs design work as a platform for continuous growth, enablingemployees to learn, adapt, and innovate as part of their daily routines. By meeting employees where they are, CLOs can create seamless, real-time opportunities forgrowth that feel natural and intuitive rather than disruptive. This approach transformstechnology from a stand-alone enabler into an integral part of how people work, learn, andperform. Take, for example, the transformation already happening in frontline call centers. In this high-pressure environment, employees are expected to deliver exceptional customer service whilemanaging complex interactions in real time. Advanced technologies are now being deployed notonly to assist agents in being more productive but also to coach them as they work. Imagine a call center agent handling a customer inquiry. AI-powered tools analyze theconversation in real time, providing the agent with actionable insights—such as suggestedresponses, next-best actions, or relevant product information—right in the flow of theinteraction. These tools also act as coaches, offering feedback on tone, empathy, andcommunication style immediately after the call. Over time, these microcoaching momentscompound, helping employees build critical skills while delivering better outcomes forcustomers. This is a powerful example of how technology can embed learning into the flow ofwork, making development a natural and continuous part of the employee experience. At one professional-services organization, where evaluation is a cornerstone of both culture anddevelopment, the process is rigorous and time intensive. While evaluators invest significanteffort, very little of it has historically gone toward improving their own feedback and coachingskills. To make the process more efficient, the organization launched a new gen-AI-poweredevaluation tool. Learning leaders played a critical role in shaping its design, balancingproductivity goals with development opportunities for evaluators. Early versions of the tool helped evaluators recognize bias, synthesize feedback in the languageof the competency model, and surface feedback themes. Future versions will include agenticcoaching support for new evaluators that will help them strengthen their judgment as they wor