Core Abilities: skills that make a difference

Core Abilities for the AI-Transformed Workforce

As artificial intelligence reshapes the world of work—automating routine tasks, augmenting decisions, and in some cases replacing entire job functions—the value of human talent is undergoing a fundamental shift. In this new landscape, employees won't differentiate themselves by what they know, but by how they think.

For learning and development professionals, this shift demands a transformation in how we approach upskilling and reskilling. We must prioritize the development of Core Abilities: critical thinking, creative thinking, and systems thinking. These abilities are not “nice to have”—they are now the engine of value creation.

Let’s explore why these three abilities matter and how they prepare individuals to thrive in the age of AI.

The New Learning Mandate

Historically, L&D programs have focused on technical skills, job-specific knowledge, and “what-to-think” training. These remain important, but they are increasingly becoming table stakes—easily codified, standardized, and, now, automated.

What can’t be automated is the ability to frame the right problem, generate innovative ideas, understand complexity, and navigate uncertainty. These are human capabilities, and they are enabled by three interdependent thinking abilities:

• Critical Thinking – Understanding problems deeply and forming sound judgments.

• Creative Thinking – Imagining new possibilities and novel solutions.

• Systems Thinking – Seeing the interconnections within complex environments.

Together, these abilities form the thinking infrastructure required for higher-order skills like decision-making, problem solving, and collaboration—what we call the Value Skills.

Why Core Abilities Matter More in an AI World

AI excels at answering predefined questions with known variables. It can analyze data, forecast trends, and simulate scenarios. But AI lacks context. It doesn’t know which questions to ask, why a problem matters, or how short-term gains might create long-term harm.

Humans bring that value. But only if they think well.

A Value Worker—one who can make smart decisions and solve complex problems collaboratively—must learn how to ask better questions, suspend assumptions, and anticipate unintended consequences. These are not just soft skills. They’re survival skills in an AI-driven economy.

The Core Abilities in Practice

Critical Thinking: Asking Why and How

Critical thinking is not about being skeptical or overanalyzing data. It’s about disciplined reasoning. It starts by resisting the urge to leap to conclusions and instead pursuing a deep understanding of causes, context, and implications.

In the workplace, critical thinking looks like:

• Identifying the real problem beneath surface symptoms

• Challenging inherited assumptions

• Making decisions with incomplete or conflicting data

• Asking, “What is true here?” and “Why does this matter?”

Without critical thinking, employees default to old playbooks or accept AI outputs without question—dangerous in dynamic environments.

Creative Thinking: Generating Possibilities

Creative thinking complements critical thinking. Where critical thinking dissects, creative thinking expands. It helps people imagine new approaches, connect the unconnected, and see opportunity where others see obstacles.

But creativity isn’t just for designers or marketers. In a business context, it's a mindset that:

• Sees failure as a source of insight

• Explores multiple alternatives instead of defaulting to the first idea

• Suspends judgment long enough for ideas to take shape

• Asks, “What else is possible?”

With AI handling routine ideation and optimization, human value will increasingly lie in nonlinear thinking—the spark that leads to breakthrough strategies or business model reinvention.

Balacing Critical and Creative Thinking

Systems Thinking: Seeing the Whole Picture

Systems thinking is the glue that binds the other two abilities. It allows people to connect dots, trace ripple effects, and understand how individual decisions influence the broader system.

In the age of AI and constant disruption, systems thinking helps learners:

• Spot patterns across time and functions

• Anticipate second- and third-order consequences

• Understand how small changes in one part of the business affect others

• Ask, “How do these elements interact over time?”

Without systems thinking, well-intentioned actions often create new problems. L&D professionals can’t afford to train people to solve one problem only to cause three more.

If creative thinking and critical thinking are like two sides of a scale, then systems thinking is the fulcrum, balancing both creative and critical approaches based upon the situation at hand (see Figure 17).

The Fulcrum: Systems Thinking balaces both critical and creative thinking

Systems thinking balances critical thinking and creative thinking by providing context and perspective. In the table below, the middle column between critical and creative thinking provides guidance for using systems thinking to balance critical and creative thinking. Thinkers may gravitate to the left or to the right, but the goal is to return to the middle to keep thinking in balance. This balance should also allow thinkers to respond more quickly to certain situations.

Critical Thinking	Systems Thinking	Creative Thinking
Analytic	Systemic	Generative
Convergent	Concurrent	Divergent
Probability	Feasibility	Possibility
Judgment	Perspective	Open
Focused	Integrated	Scattered
Objective	Underlying dynamics	Subjective
The answer	Leverage point	An answer
Left brain	Whole brain	Right brain
Linear	Structure	Associative
Yes, but	How and why	Yes, and

What This Means for Learning and Development

If AI is transforming the work, then L&D must transform the worker. That starts with investing in how people think—not just what they know. Here are four shifts for L&D professionals to consider:

1. Move beyond teaching tools and procedures. Embed experiences that challenge mental models and surface assumptions.

2. Use real-world scenarios, simulations, and reflective practice to build resilience in ambiguous environments.

3. Help learners not just gain new knowledge but reshape how they perceive problems and opportunities.

4. Foster cross-functional collaboration and systems literacy. Equip teams to think beyond their silos.