The Expertise Economy

How the Smartest Companies Use Learning to engage, compete, and succeed

Based on Kelly’s award-winning book, The Expertise Economy, this keynote focuses on the urgent need to upskill and reskill the workforce. We all know that the workplace is going through one of the biggest transitions in our lifetimes where digitization, automation, and acceleration are making us rethink old ways of how we work. Add in the effects of the pandemic, remote work, and virtual learning, it’s clear that having critical skills and expertise are imperative for companies and their employees to succeed now.

Rethink Everything: Work, Jobs, Skills, & Careers 

Work will never be the same

In this keynote, Kelly explains how rethinking new ways of working will not only help companies survive in the future, but create an environment where people actually love their work. The disruption and upheaval of 2020 and beyond has actually created an amazing opportunity to rethink  how we define work, where we work, how we work, what future skills are most important, how company culture can change, and how people and leaders can reimagine the jobs and the careers of the future. 

To do this, we have to let go of old thinking. We don’t have to be locked into old ways of doing things just because we’ve always done them that way. The “big experiment” with work shows us that there are lots of alternatives to work and careers. She discusses her research on remote work, why we should quit using “efficiency” as the key measure of success, and what the pandemic shows us about the most important qualities of leadership. The mission: Let’s create the world of work we are all excited to be a part of.

Creating a Unique Company Culture

A new model for a human-centered future-of-work

Several successful founders and CEOs have credited culture as the driving force behind their success. These CEOs and companies provide great examples of what worked for them and their companies. But, here’s the important thing about company culture: each one is unique. It’s personal. It takes on the personality and behaviors that you create and cultivate. If you don’t define your culture, your culture will take on a life of its own. So how do you create your own unique culture? It’s not a process you should take lightly. Kelly will walk you through the steps it takes to create a culture that works for your company and the people leading it.

It’s not enough to just talk about culture. You have to be passionate about it, internalize it, and live it. Kelly will talk about creating a forward-thinking, human-centered ‘future of work’ culture and how to integrate it into everything you do. In the end, you will realize that the culture you create becomes the foundation for everything else you build at your company. And it will take every person in your company to make it real.

Learning How to Learn

Embracing the new science of learning

In the era of the Expertise Economy an agile workforce is the most important resource any business has. We need employees who are constantly motivated and curious about learning new skills, seeking out opportunities, and putting learning resources to their best possible use. To accomplish all this, businesses need their entire staff — from the C-suite to middle management to trainers and employees at all levels— to adopt advanced, proven methods for how to learn.

In this keynote, Kelly Palmer takes a jargon-free approach to adult learning theory and discusses the latest findings from the science of learning and the related science of motivation, growth mindset, and purpose. She will talk about the difference between knowledge and truly building skills, break neuroscience myths, and introduce the learning loop. Kelly then shows you how to use practical approaches to apply these theories in the workplace.

7 Steps for Upskilling the Workforce

Upskilling is all about preparing for the future of work

Investing in upskilling strategies aligns the skills of your employees to your evolving business strategy, which is critical to staying competitive. Companies that invest in advanced upskilling strategies create a more vibrant culture, see higher employee engagement, and do a better job attracting and retaining talent. More importantly, they can accelerate digital transformation, innovate faster, and quickly react to new market opportunities. It’s not enough to just talk about upskilling people. It’s essential to understand exactly how to put an advanced, people-focused upskilling strategy in place now. Kelly will talk about how to do that in seven steps. 

Creating a Talent Marketplace

Help employees grow their careers through internal opportunities

Your people have gained new skills or improved those they already had. Now it’s time to match their skills to the right opportunities — so they can continue to learn, and so leaders and managers can see what talent already exists at the company. This keynote is about creating a dynamic career marketplace that increases internal mobility by connecting employees with new projects, stretch assignments, or even jobs. Companies are increasingly investing in programs that help employees learn new skills and get new jobs without leaving for another organization. Your company increases engagement and people see progression in their careers — it’s a win-win proposition!