In 2015, we released a report titled How to Thrive in the Face of Disruption: Why High Performing Companies Use Learning and Development as a Driver of Change. The report highlighted ways in which successful companies navigate the rough seas of disruption, and proposed a set of best practices that all companies should follow in order to avoid falling victim to the disruptive forces that define business today.

Given the unprecedented disruption permeating the business environment, financial markets, and daily life at the present moment, a refresh on our 2015 report seemed in order. Below, we examine how the key takeaways identified in 2015 have changed over the past five years. Perhaps more importantly, we consider the dramatic disruptions that have emerged more recently and assess what these rapid changes mean for companies and Learning & Development teams.

Since 2015, a lot has changed – and a lot hasn’t. The three themes above are even more important today than they were five years ago. But new issues have emerged that provide novel insight into what exactly today’s companies must do in order to thrive in the face of dramatic disruption.