Let’s start with the obvious.

Work is moving fast. AI is everywhere. Output is up. Calendars are full.

So why does it feel like progress is harder to come by?

Across industries, leaders are running into the same frustrating reality: we’re doing more work than ever, but the results don’t feel better. Sometimes they feel worse.

That tension is what we call The Performance Paradox:

In the age of AI, speed has increased – but clarity, confidence, and outcomes haven’t kept up.

Based on PwC and HBR research, plus what we’re seeing firsthand in organizations every day, five forward-looking trends are reshaping what performance actually requires in 2026 and beyond.

From Training Activity to Performance Impact

For years, learning success was measured by activity:

• Courses completed
• Hours watched
• Programs launched

And honestly, that worked when access was the problem.

AI has officially killed the access problem.

PwC’s CEO data makes this painfully clear: nearly half of CEOs expect AI to be deeply integrated into technology platforms and workflows—but only about a third say the same for workforce skills, and even fewer for core business strategy.

In plain English, they're saying: "We’re great at installing tools. We’re not as good at changing how people actually work."

That’s why learning often feels busy but disconnected. In our sessions, only 12–15% of employees say training actually helps them perform better on the job.

The shift that’s happening now is simple, but uncomfortable:

If learning isn’t tied to a business outcome, it’s just activity—no matter how modern the platform looks.

Practice Becomes the Growth Engine

Let’s be real: content is not scarce anymore.

AI can generate decks, summaries, scripts, and courses faster than most teams can review them. The result? More stuff. Less cohesion.

This is where “workslop” starts showing up—more output, more artifacts, more noise, and lower-quality decisions hiding behind activity.

The research is consistent:

• People retain up to 5× more when learning includes practice and feedback

• Watching builds awareness

• Doing builds confidence and capability

That’s why leading organizations are shifting away from content volume and toward applied learning which is practice that mirrors real conversations, real decisions, and real pressure.

This is exactly where tools like BizReady fit. Not as another shiny AI feature, but as a way to give people a safe place to practice before performance actually counts.

In a world drowning in information, practice is the advantage.

Human Judgment + AI Fluency Define Future-Ready Talent

There’s a lot of optimism about AI—and much of it is warranted. But PwC’s data shows something important: CEO expectations consistently outpace actual results, especially when it comes to profitability and revenue.

Why?

Because AI moves fast, but judgment still lives with humans - as it should.

Future-ready talent isn’t about who can write the best prompt. It’s about:

• Knowing when to utilize AI vs when to question it

• Understanding context, tradeoffs, and consequences

• Making good decisions when the answer isn’t obvious

As automation scales, judgment becomes more valuable, not less. The organizations pulling ahead aren’t just adopting AI - they’re deliberately building AI fluency alongside human decision-making.

That’s the real skills gap most companies are underestimating.

Managers Are Becoming the New Learning Infrastructure

Here’s the part that doesn’t get enough attention.

Managers already drive up to 70% of the variance in engagement and performance. Now they’re also being asked to lead through constant change, AI adoption, and shifting expectations—often with bigger teams and less support.

HBR’s GenAI research puts a spotlight on the gap:

• Yes, AI saved employees ~4 hours a week

• Yes, most people worked faster

• But the majority wasted at least some of that time

Not because they didn’t care, but because nobody reset the rules or set expectations.

This is where managers matter most. They’re the ones who:

• Translate strategy into priorities

• Turn “use AI” into something actionable

• Create clarity when roles and workflows are shifting

AI doesn’t replace managers. It exposes whether they’ve been equipped to lead in moments of uncertainty.

Clarity Is the New Leadership Imperative

If there’s one pattern that shows up everywhere, it’s this:

AI amplifies whatever already exists.

Clear expectations? Things move faster. Vague goals? Confusion accelerates.

PwC found that over 70% of executives say their biggest AI risk isn’t the technology—it’s unclear expectations, decision rights, and accountability.

At the same time, leaders express strong confidence in trust and culture - while employees feel mounting pressure, productivity anxiety, and real concern about what AI means for their role.

That gap matters.

In 2026, transparency is going to be the differentiator between who succeeds and who suffers. It's more than just a strategy, it’s performance infrastructure:

• What gets automated

• What stays human

• What “good” actually looks like

When clarity is missing, speed turns into stress. When clarity is present, AI finally delivers on its promise.

Solving the Performance Paradox

The Performance Paradox won’t be solved by more tools or more training.

It gets solved by:

• Designing learning around performance impact

• Making practice, not content, the engine

• Elevating human judgment alongside AI

• Equipping managers as performance enablers

• Leading with clarity when everything is moving fast

These five trends are the backbone of BizLibrary’s upcoming Learning at Work Report, releasing in two weeks—and our March 4 report launch webinar, where we’ll dig into the data and the disconnects.

If your organization feels faster—but not better—you’re not alone. And you’re not behind.

You’re just before the shift.