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Are you adopting AI passively? Three steps to reskill at scale 

Published October 1, 2025 in AI • 2 min read

AI’s transformative potential requires more than technical readiness – it demands workforce readiness. Consult the checklist to gauge whether your employees are learning by doing, and follow the three steps to begin reskilling at scale.

Readiness checklist

  • Have we ignited a sense of urgency around AI throughout the whole organization?
  • Have we created safe environments for teams to test AI use cases without performance pressure?
  • Are our employees putting newly learned AI-related skills to work on real projects?
  • Do we have metrics that track how AI is impacting internal efficiencies and customer-facing outcomes?

 

Three steps to reskill at scale

To scale from isolated pilots to transformation, CEOs must provide an organizational environment that welcomes AI:

Step 1: Invest in hands-on reskilling programs

Programs must go beyond passive learning. Employees should work on real projects that integrate AI tools, whether experimenting with predictive analytics or GenAI in content creation. The emphasis must be on “learning by doing” and business relevance.

Step 2: Create “sandboxes” in which employees can test innovations safely

Provide safe environments in which teams can test AI use cases without performance pressure. These sandboxes encourage experimentation and foster a culture of curiosity. Crucially, you need to shield these sandboxes from bureaucratic drag to avoid smothering innovation.

Step 3: Put metrics in place to track internal and external impacts

Track how AI affects both internal efficiencies and customer-facing outcomes. Measuring impact helps maintain focus, justify investments, and reinforce a results-oriented mindset.

 

Key takeaways

To deploy AI skills successfully, leaders must rethink how people learn, practice, and adapt. Ensure that your employees work on real projects that integrate AI tools, provide safe environments to test use cases, and measure internal and external outcomes.

Authors

Howard Yu - IMD Professor

Howard H. Yu

LEGO® Chair Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD

Howard Yu, hailing from Hong Kong, holds the title of LEGO® Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD. He leads the Center for Future Readiness, founded in 2020 with support from the LEGO Brand Group, to guide companies through strategic transformation. Recognized globally for his expertise, he was honored in 2023 with the Thinkers50 Strategy Award, recognizing his substantial contributions to management strategy and future readiness. At IMD, Howard Yu directs the Strategy for Future Readiness program.

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