Place Your Bets
Image: OpenAI
The Kentucky Derby runs this Saturday, May 2.
Why it matters: L&D leaders are standing at the rail right now, watching AI tools thunder past at a pace nobody predicted. The pressure to pick a winner is real. So is the fear of backing the wrong horse.
But here’s what the track teaches you: not placing a bet is still a decision, and usually the worst one.
The big picture: AI is reshaping how organizations build skills, deliver coaching, and measure learning impact. Leaders who wait for a sure thing will still be studying the racing form while everyone else is in the winner’s circle.
The question was never if AI belongs in your L&D strategy. It’s how you manage the risk of betting on it.
What the smart money does:
Run a portfolio, not a single horse. Pilot two or three AI tools and approaches simultaneously. Let the data pick your thoroughbred.
Watch the early splits. Learner engagement, manager adoption, time-to-competency. Your quarter-pole numbers tell you everything before you’ve spent the full budget.
Know when to scratch. Pulling an AI initiative that isn’t delivering isn’t failure; it’s good, stable management.
And remember, it’s not just the horse; it’s the jockey, too. The best tools and strategies still need skilled facilitators and sharp instructional design. Technology without human expertise rarely finishes strong.
Someone still has to ride the horse over the finish line, which is why we like to say “We are betting on people” when we discuss our SPARK Learning offering with clients.
And it’s not just AI. The same philosophy goes for all initiatives.
Maybe it’s redesigning your early career program or introducing a new recruiting strategy. Waiting until everything is perfect or worse - doing nothing at all - is as dangerous as well.
The bottom line: In the Kentucky Derby, you can’t win a bet without placing it. Your L&D strategy works exactly the same way.
