ICs can do more on their own with AI than ever before. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for L&D. This newsletter explores how to equip ICs with the influence skills that drive retention, accelerate OKRs, and position L&D as a strategic partner to the business. (Sent twice a month).
[3-2-1] Why Managers Can’t Carry It All
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Hi Reader, Welcome to the first edition of the 3-2-1. You're getting this because you care about developing people. I'm sharing what I'm learning as we solve the IC development crisis. 3 things you can use for work, 2 things for fun, and 1 idea from me. Let's get into it. 3 Things for L&DL&D at the Crossroads—Why HR Leaders Must Embrace a New Era of Learning
Working with AI: Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI
L&D's Make-or-Break AI Moment
2 Things for YouThe Kettlebell Christmas Commercial
Seth Godin's 65 "notes to myself"
1 Idea From Me🏋️♀️ Effort ≈ 2 min read Most L&D leaders I talk to are exhausted. They’ve trained managers to coach down, but projects still stall. Teams still misfire. Individual contributors—the people closest to the work—aren’t moving fast enough across functions. The problem isn’t just management. If managers coach down but ICs can’t influence up and sideways, the system breaks. One side pulls, the other drags. The weight falls back on managers, who end up carrying it all. Here’s the overlooked truth: influence is a skill, not a title. When ICs learn to frame problems, connect dots, and win support across teams, everything changes. When they do this together with ICs from other functions, projects accelerate. Managers stop bottlenecking. Innovation spreads. So what’s the move? Don’t stop investing in managers. Expand the circle. Run cross-functional IC cohorts tied to real OKRs. Teach ICs the skills they need to deliver on the OKR, like research, writing, and storytelling. Watch them develop cross-functional understanding in real time and smash their OKRs out of the park. In other words, embed learning in real work. That’s how exhausted leaders regain leverage. That's it for this week. I hope you enjoyed. I'll be back in two weeks. Till then, ✌️ Andrew P.S. What did you like about this email? What didn't you like? Hit reply and send me your feedback. I'd be so grateful 🙏 |
Andrew Barry
ICs can do more on their own with AI than ever before. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for L&D. This newsletter explores how to equip ICs with the influence skills that drive retention, accelerate OKRs, and position L&D as a strategic partner to the business. (Sent twice a month).
Hey Reader, AI has changed the rules. The gap between "I have an idea" and "here's the finished output" has collapsed from weeks to minutes. Suddenly, the bottleneck shifts from execution to judgment and storytelling. These forms of leadership are not just critical at the top of the org. They're needed where the problem or opportunity arises. That's what this week's edition is all about: leadership as a capability that needs to exist all the way down. Welcome to the 8th edition of the 3-2-1...
Hey Reader, Welcome to the 7th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I write about transforming ICs -> Impact Contributors (and I took last week off for Thanksgiving 🦃). Today, we're talking about learning in the flow of work. Let's flow then, shall we? 3 Things for Work (in L&D) Learning In The Flow of Work (Josh Bersin) The article that coined the term. Bersin argues that knowledge workers have just 24 minutes...
Hey Reader, Welcome to the 6th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I write about transforming ICs -> Impact Contributors. And today, we're talking about Universal Perspective. Let's get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) The Case For Writing A compelling look at why to get your people writing as part of their learning. If writing is thinking, outsourcing this to AI is regressing. 🏋️♀️ Effort ≈ 4 min read Hiring...