Progress, Not Potential: Reimagining Talent in Education and Work (Part 2)

In myriad conversations I’ve had this past year with leaders across higher ed and the workforce, consensus is that these siloed systems are not working for far too many. But momentum is building to change that.

Over the last couple of months, I had the privilege of speaking at both the Human Potential Summit and NationSwell Summit, where I advocated for abandoning traditional systems rooted in exclusivity so we may build a future where every individual can thrive. Leaders at these forums shared similar sentiments, highlighting the importance of challenging the status quo. But what might that look like?

As I wrote in last month’s newsletter, progress for individuals, organizations, and society hinges on embracing a new set of beliefs about talent and opportunity rooted in a philosophy of abundance.  

To recap: A five-belief system to reimagine education, work, and life

Now I know what many will say: Of course, I believe that individuals are capable of great things when given the opportunity. Sure, I believe that helping others advance serves the greater good. But when you reflect on how many systems are built to narrow access and reinforce privilege—including our education and workforce models—it's clear that these foundational beliefs often aren't embedded in them. Instead, constraint-based beliefs built on supposed “meritocracy” exist in their place, perpetuating inequities and undermining our individual and collective wellbeing.

To activate human progress, we must rethink the talent ecosystem, challenge the beliefs that have long anchored it, and replace them with principles that will lead toward more equitable and abundant opportunities for everyone. As president of Western Governors University , I’ve had the unique opportunity to see and help put these ideas into action. WGU works closely with employers at the local and national levels to bridge the gap that often exists between education and work, and connect individuals with economic opportunity. Drawing on insights that have surfaced over two-plus decades of student-centered innovation and partnerships, I posit several practices as critical for driving meaningful change across talent pipelines.

Progress in higher ed: From misguided meritocracy to personalized attainment

True progress demands that everyone—regardless of background—has an equal probability of success. Here are a few actions institutions can take to make that a reality for students:

• Re-orient institutional purpose: Enable economic mobility, universally, with a focus on providing tangible value to students (while some institutions choose instead to prioritize advancing the frontier of knowledge, few have the resources to do so at scale.)
• Democratize access by lowering costs and enabling greater flexibility: Perpetuating “college-educated” as a social delimiter is elitism; education is for everyone and connects individuals to opportunity in ways nothing else can. Institutions should rethink credentials, terms, classroom utilization, pacing, faculty models, schedules, and modalities to overcome barriers to enrollment.
• Personalize learning and instruction: Redesign curriculum, content, instruction, services, etc. to meet students where they are, maximize learning and each student’s probability of completion.
• Increase relevancy to the future of work: Credentials with no value are a scam. Prioritize competency and readiness for the world of work. Our workforce is depending upon higher ed as a talent pipeline for the future.
• Embrace “mutual stewardship” as a core value: Advance the notion of mentorship among faculty, staff, and students.

Impact in Action: Northeastern University ’s Co-op program combines paid work opportunities with flexible, personalized education, providing students with mentor guidance and aligning learning with workforce needs. With 93% of graduates securing jobs or entering grad school within nine months of graduating, 58% hired by Co-op employer partners, and graduates seeing a 33% higher starting salary over the national average, this program exemplifies how these shifts can change lives.

Progress in work: From “performance management” and “human resources” to “people, talent, and development”

Workplaces that prioritize professional growth, inclusivity, and purpose create environments where individuals—and by extension, organizations—thrive. It's time to shift away from outdated performance systems that treat talent like it’s one-size-fits-all, and instead reimagine personal and organizational development with the understanding that talents are as diverse as the individuals who possess them. Here’s what that can look like:

• Adopt skills-based hiring: Focus on competency and verified skills, rather than credentials and institutional brand, to expand and diversify talent pipelines and close skills gaps.
• Reframe performance management: Emphasize individual progress and development over traditional performance evaluations; identify everyone as “top talent” and shift to self-guided, manager- or mentor-supported goal setting and career planning. Empower employees to set goals and plan careers, supported by mentoring and feedback.
• Measure impact holistically: Evaluate talent metrics beyond retention, factoring in engagement, mobility, and representation.
• Align compensation with impact: Tie promotions and rewards to talent development and organizational contributions, abandoning the “grading curve” mentality.

Impact in Action: Prioritizing individuals’ wellbeing and advancement doesn’t just create opportunities for individuals and their families; Gallup finds that employers who develop a culture of wellbeing are likely to see benefits across organizational outcomes. For example, when employees are thriving in life overall, they miss 53% fewer days of work due to health issues and are 32% less likely to be watching for or actively seeking new jobs.

By revamping outdated systems and embracing more inclusive and innovative practices, we can build a stronger talent pipeline that gives individuals and organizations the chance to thrive in an ever-changing world.

I’d love to know—how are you seeing organizations reimagine education and work with solutions like those I’ve shared, and what impact have you observed? Where do you see opportunities for change? As always, I look forward to reading your responses.

Until next time,

Scott

Reader Spotlight: Shaping tomorrow through action today

A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on the need to rebuild a stronger talent economy that drives progress for everyone. Director of Global Services at World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah) , Matt Wunderli , shared the below thoughts (response edited for clarity and length):

By investing in continuous learning, reskilling, and fostering innovation, we actively shape the workforce of the future rather than reacting to gaps as they emerge. This aligns with Sarasvathy’s effectual reasoning, where the focus is on working with existing resources and creating new paths through action, rather than waiting for perfect conditions. “There’s no need to predict the future if you can control it” complements this by emphasizing entrepreneurial control. Entrepreneurs often operate in environments of uncertainty, but by taking control—through innovation, market positioning, or resource allocation—they reduce the need for prediction. These approaches—creating the future through skill-building and controlling it through entrepreneurial innovation—work hand in hand. They empower individuals and businesses to not only prepare for future challenges but also actively shape the markets and workforces of tomorrow.

Matt underscores a vital principle: meaningful progress doesn’t hinge on perfect conditions; it’s driven by deliberate, proactive action. His insights reinforce the belief that by investing in people and systems today, we don’t just prepare for the future—we shape it.

ICYMI: Here’s what caught my attention recently

Yes, That Viral LinkedIn Post You Read Was Probably AI-Generated( Kate Knibbs , WIRED ): I promise, I’m not a robot. I genuinely enjoy the writing process but am all for individuals leveraging tech to save time.

How The Ivy League Broke America (David brooks, The Atlantic ): Telling quote: The meritocracy as currently constituted seems to want you to be self-centered and manipulative. We put students in competitive classrooms, where the guiding questions are “How am I measuring up?” and “Where am I on the curve?”

Some colleges have an answer for students questioning the value of higher ed: work-based learning ( Olivia Sanchez , The Hechinger Report ): Programs like Drexel’s co-op model demonstrate the power of aligning education with workforce needs. By integrating work-based learning, students gain the skills for lifelong success.

A new approach to the teacher shortage: Registered apprenticeships ( Victoria Lim , WorkingNation ): Expanding apprenticeships is a step in the right direction to address workforce shortages. It’s encouraging to see more institutions recognizing this value of work-based learning in creating accessible pathways to economic mobility.

What Skills-Based Hiring Means for Higher Ed ( Ashley Mowreader , Inside Higher Ed ): Skills are gradually taking precedence over degrees in hiring decisions, reminding higher ed of its responsibility to ensure students can translate their learning into real-world success.