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The ability to prepare employees for successful transitions into new and more complex roles has long been a cornerstone of development planning, leadership development, and succession planning for many organizations. While several frameworks guide these transitions, one widely used is Michael Watkins’ (author of The First 90 Days) seven-shift model from his 2012 HBR article, which identifies key changes leaders must navigate, including moving from functional to enterprise leadership. In a new HBR article, Watkins revisits that framework, noting the seven shifts still apply but that three forces have changed what each requires: generative AI (shifting the leader from producing insight to governing human-AI decision systems), geopolitical instability (making external complexity a first-order leadership concern), and a compressed leadership pipeline (removing stepping stones that once prepared leaders for enterprise roles). While each force has meaningful implications, one I want to highlight is AI. Watkins reinforces that high-potentials need hands-on AI governance experience before stepping into enterprise roles, raising a practical question: how do we prepare people to lead in an AI-enabled workplace? With this as the backdrop, I am resharing my post about Zapier’s AI Fluency Framework, which covers how the company defines and assesses AI fluency across its workforce. While still evolving, the approach might provide others with ideas for articulating expectations and integrating them into various talent practices, including development planning.
