These are the steps to close upskilling gaps and secure a learning budget

Read Part 1 here.

AI fluency may be getting all the headlines, but Georgetown University instructor Sukhi Sahni, who recently wrapped up a transformational run as a comms SVP at Wells Fargo, has seen firsthand how training is transformative in the classroom and on the job—and warns that today’s hyperfocus on AI risks leaving longstanding skill gaps in communications unresolved.

Her point: An effective comms L&D program needs to fold in the old and the new to be truly comprehensive. It must also have—or must secure—the resources necessary to be more than an afterthought. Sahni shares these tips for addressing both issues:

Addressing upskilling gaps

Training should focus on where personal development needs align with business needs. To that end, Sahni shares these upskilling gaps that can keep communicators from ascending the corporate ladder:

• Dig into data science. “Many of us still use data to ‘justify our jobs’ versus to ‘inform our work,’” Sahni says. “Switching that around and building data science into our L&D elevates our function and gives execs confidence to start treating comms as a strategic investment instead of a cost.”

• Address cultural fluency. “The biggest gap I see is that we treat everyone like a monolith,” says Sahni. “For example, everyone from Asia or the Middle East or India is not alike. These regions have multiple countries with their own cultural norms, ways of working and languages.”

She illustrates: “I still remember when I was a young mom and my in-laws came to stay with us for a few months,” Sahni shares. “There were so many eyebrows raised because ‘privacy’ is an important concept in the western culture. But for someone from India, living in a joint family is the norm and having parents or in-laws staying with you for months is very normal.”

Her larger point is that cultural fluency is so much more than just celebrating holidays or translating materials. It means taking proactive steps to understand how values like hierarchy, conflict, feedback or even time are perceived differently. Not doing so leads to one-size-fits-all communications, she warns—and that can lead to mistrust and misunderstandings.

Those proactive steps can (and should) include:

1. Hire for fluency. “Hire culturally fluent talent across the organization—both at the executive levels, middle management and junior staff,” she advises. For example, consider mapping languages, regions and life experiences onto a skills matrix so recruiting can plug the biggest cultural gaps first.

2. Train for immersion. “Offer cultural fluency L&D training and create learning environments where your employees and students can assimilate with other cultures,” Sahni suggests. “For example, I always encourage my students in DC to attend the annual events at the embassies or participate in a think-tank softball league. These are great ways to meet people from different parts of the world.” Her point: Pairing learning with lived experiences like embassy tours, culture-swap days or even rotating mentorships can keep your L&D sticky and non-performative.

3. Balance brand nuance. “It’s important to balance brand consistency with authentic nuance when reaching distinct cultural audiences,” she adds. “This is where your data and analytics come in. They can offer guidance on how to balance the brand narrative, understanding the cultural nuances of diverse segments and how to reach them.”

For example, she once worked on a campaign targeted toward a Spanish-speaking audience.

“We were determining if we should invest in a celebrity influencer,” she says. “One data insight showed that most Spanish speaking customers make buying decisions when they hear directly from a musician—and that helped us to narrow our influencer outreach.”

Securing leadership buy-in and budget

Great learning strategies can die on the vine without executive sponsorship—or a line item to fund them. Little wonder 59% of U.S. workers say they’ve never received formal training at their current job , according to Zippia, highlighting how quickly L&D efforts stall when leadership won’t back or bankroll them.

“L&D should never be an after-thought,” Sahni stresses. “You absolutely must invest in L&D, secure a budget and make it a priority to build a plan at the beginning of the year.”

This signals to execs that “upskilling” is as mission critical as “marketing” or “compliance.”

To maximize every dollar, Sahni recommends layering in outside expertise. For example, in her last role, she brought in agency partners and created twice-a-year immersion sessions for the entire organization. One of these included a deep dive on AI adoption and data and analytics.

Sahni likes to pair these types of immersions with personal accountability. “I encourage my leaders and their teams to invest in their own professional development,” she says. “Travel budgets are limited now, but there are plenty of chances to learn and lead virtually.”

She also relies on peer power to help sustain momentum between budgeted trainings. “Become a mentor or mentee—and invite others to do the same,” she advises. “We all have so many inspirational people around us that we can learn from. If you prioritize it, you will find the time.”

Her most recent leadership team even ran a “tech group” exchange where inspiring articles, case studies and ideas would fly freely. “This kind of creative sharing is also a form of teaching,” she says.

Formalizing these types of exchanges—whether in an Absorb forum, Slack channel or recurring mentorship circle—costs next to nothing yet keeps the learning momentum all year long. It also helps lock your leadership into a “culture of learning” by making them part of the process.

Give shoutouts to your L&D team—they appreciate it!

Sahni reiterates that her students keep her infused with ideas—and that the relationship is reciprocal. “What they truly want to do is engage, learn and often argue,” she says. “And the energy I get by teaching them is unparalleled. It allows me to be an even better leader and comms exec at work.”

So what’s her favorite teaching moment? “It’s when I get an email or LinkedIn shoutout from a former student,” she shares. “It’s the best praise and honestly a gift.”

Brian Pittman is the dean of Ragan Training and a senior Ragan event producer. A veteran journalist, storyteller, Hollywood screenwriter and surfer, he can be reached at [email protected].

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