There's no more time for "wait and see."
As AI reshapes every function of the enterprise, the question isn't whether work will change. It's whether workforce leaders will lead that change or be sidelined by it.
That's why the Work Design Collaborative exists. A joint initiative between The Learning Forum and Reejig. It brings together 60 senior workforce leaders from Fortune 500 companies. They are doing what no one else is doing: designing the AI-powered workforce of tomorrow.
Here are five brutal truths from a raw and practical conversation between Siobhan Savage (CEO of Reejig) and Brian Hackett (Founder of The Learning Forum).
The problem: Most AI initiatives are driven by tech and ops teams. Workforce leaders aren't even in the room.
"I'm in conversations with CEOs, CFOs, COOs. And I'm asking, 'Where's the people team?' They don't even know the project is happening."
Siobhan Savage
Why it matters: If workforce leaders don't claim their seat now, the business will redesign work without them. AI will reshape tasks, roles, and learning needs. Whether leaders are ready or not.
What to do: Stop waiting for an invite. Hunt down your AI strategy team. Bring your expertise on workforce design to the table.
The problem: The skills-only approach can't keep up with AI-driven work. Tasks, not skills, are what AI actually automates.
"People have skills. Work has tasks. And if you're only tracking skills, you're missing the point."
Siobhan Savage
"It's not just about skills. It's about tasks. It's about teams. It's about how people get work done."
Brian Hackett
Why it matters: AI doesn't replace skills. It replaces tasks. You need to understand work at the task level. That's how you know what stays, what changes, and what gets automated.
From Job Architecture to Work Architecture.
What to do: Shift from a skills-only mindset to a work design mindset. Map tasks, processes, and outcomes. That's the foundation for AI-readiness and workforce redesign.
The problem: Learning and development teams are left out of the AI loop. Employees solve their own problems without them.
"People are developing their own content, their own training, their own performance support. L&D isn't even involved."
Brian Hackett
Why it matters: If L&D doesn't reinvent itself, it becomes irrelevant. The old model, based on static jobs and skills, won't survive. Not in a world of autonomous agents and dynamic work.
What to do: Rebuild learning strategy from the ground up. Align it directly with your AI strategy. Align it with the tasks your people actually do. Not just the roles they hold.
The problem: Organizations blame failure on "change management." The real issue is the quality and structure of their data.
"We kept saying we needed more change management. But the truth is, it was a data problem. We were trying to match people to work using language that didn't even make sense to the business."
Siobhan Savage
If I automate chaos, I just scale the chaos.
Why it matters: You can't redesign work if you don't understand the work. And you can't understand the work if your data is stuck in outdated job architectures and disconnected systems.
What to do: Build or adopt Work Context, a common language of tasks, processes, and outcomes. It's the only way to align AI, workforce strategy, and business.
The problem: Traditional transformation models don't work in an AI-powered world. There is no "end state." Just constant evolution.
"The future role is about being a continuous reengineer. Not a one-time transformation leader. Someone who iterates relentlessly."
Brian Hackett
Why it matters: AI adoption is fast, messy, and ongoing. If workforce leaders want to stay relevant, they must shift from project thinking to product thinking. Constantly iterating on how work gets done.
What to do: Rethink how you think. Start with Day Zero thinking. If you rebuilt yo