Traditional training has had its time in the spotlight but in fast-moving, high-growth environments, it’s struggling to keep up. The world of work is changing faster than ever, and so are the skills people need to succeed.
In this episode of L&D Disrupt, Adam Horne, Co-founder of Open Org, joined us to talk about why the old ways of training no longer cut it and what learning looks like in the AI era.
Most of us have been there: sitting in a classroom, half-listening to a trainer talk about something that may or may not apply to our day-to-day. Adam’s been there too and he’s clear that this kind of “tick-box” training doesn’t work for today’s fast-paced teams.
“I don't think training or the traditional sense of training works for your kind of fast-moving, high-growth teams.”
In environments where priorities shift quickly and people are expected to learn on the go, taking time out for static, one-off training sessions just doesn’t make sense.
“You don't have that bandwidth or time to take yourself away from work and learn something. It’s having to learn whilst you’re doing it.”
Instead, real learning happens through action e.g doing, experimenting, making mistakes, and improving.
“I hand on heart took nothing from the classroom-based training… but gained everything from just doing and executing.”
That’s the reality many L&D leaders are recognising: learning that’s embedded in the flow of work is far more impactful than formal sessions that quickly fade from memory.
So, why do so many organisations still cling to classroom-style or pre-recorded training? According to Adam, it’s largely habit.
“People are ingrained and it feels like it’s the easier route to go down.”
Traditional training feels familiar. It’s measurable. It ticks a box. But if it doesn’t actually move the needle on performance or skills, it’s time to rethink it.
“The other way to do it is really trying to take a bit of a step back to almost unlearn everything you’ve done.”
And that might just be the hardest (but most important) part of modern L&D: helping teams unlearn outdated practices so they can build learning cultures that truly support growth.
The rise of AI has added a whole new dimension to how we learn, work, and grow. But instead of seeing AI as a threat, Adam suggests viewing it as a tool to remove friction and create space for better learning.
“We try and start from a point of getting people to think of AI as an opportunity to remove friction rather than just, ‘Hey, let’s throw AI at everything.’”
He encourages L&D teams to create safe, playful environments to experiment with AI e.g hackathons, competitions, or team challenges where people can try, fail, and have fun.
“It builds this encouragement to other people that we’re allowed to do this, we’re encouraged to do this.”
While some are excited by AI’s potential, others are keeping their use of it under wraps.
“AI’s still a bit of a dirty little secret for a lot of people. Some are leveraging it loads and almost scared to say that because it might make it look like their job’s really easy now.”
There’s a fear that using AI might make people appear replaceable or expose those who aren’t using it enough. But as Adam points out, the idea of AI replacing humans is blown out of proportion.
“They are still talking about how to leverage AI to embed it alongside human beings. How do we grow this business twice as fast with the people that are here?”
The opportunity for L&D and HR leaders? Helping teams build AI confidence, experiment safely, and focus on how humans and technology can complement each other (not compete).
As organisations evolve, so must our definitions of career progression. Hierarchies are flattening, roles are changing, and the old “career ladder” mindset doesn’t always apply.
“People are panicking because the traditional career ladder that we relied on is suddenly being questioned.”
Instead of clinging to promotions and pay rises as the main signals of progression, Adam believes it’s time to reimagine what growth looks like.
“If you use promotions as that number one lever, you’re going to run out of room and that’s a problem.”
The focus should shift to skills, adaptability, and breadth of experience.
In the AI era, those who can adapt quickly and learn broadly will succeed!
“Some of the best people I’ve ever hired have been generalists, you could give them any job in the world, and they’d just learn it quickly and do it.”
It’s not about years of experience in one narrow field anymore. It’s about curiosity, experimentation, and the willingness to keep learning.
“Those who are really ingrained and institutionalised in one thing are going to find it a lot harder to change roles in the future.”
For HR and L&D leaders, this means rethinking how they identify, reward, and develop talent; focusing on skills and adaptability, not titles and tenure.
Traditional training might feel safe, but it’s holding teams back. The future of learning is fast, flexible, and embedded in the flow of work, supported by technology and driven by curiosity.
As Adam puts it, the real magic happens when we unlearn the old ways and create space for experimentation, fun, and human growth (with a little AI help along the way).
Want to listen to the full conversation?
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