Category: Production

by Charles C. Jett

The Critical Skills Got There First. Alex Karp Got There Loudest.

Alex Karp says only two types of people will survive AI: tradespeople and the neurodivergent. His Neurodivergent Fellowship drew 2,000 applications in days. His Meritocracy Fellowship pays high schoolers $5,400 a month — provided they scored 1,460 on the SAT.
Karp is right that something has inverted. He should be commended for saying it loudly. The Critical Skills pointed us this way about forty years ago.
In 1994, working from approximately 900 executive-search position specifications and roughly $36 million in real search fees, the Critical Skills framework identified eight learnable skills common to nearly every senior corporate role. Then Congress let School-to-Work sunset, and the country chose standardized testing instead.
Karp is on the right track. The piece the framework adds: a skill is something you do. Not something you are. The Critical Skills pointed us this way about forty years ago.

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by Charles C. Jett

The Competence Mirage — How Artificial Intelligence Has Made It Easier Than Ever to Appear Competent — and Harder Than Ever to Actually Be It

For fifty years, organizations measured competence by measuring production. That system worked — until artificial intelligence made it possible to produce sophisticated, high-quality work without the underlying skills to evaluate a single word of it. In The Competence Mirage, we examine what AI has actually done to the workforce: not replaced professionals, but created a generation whose apparent competence now outpaces their actual competence by a margin no one is measuring. The Eight Critical Skills haven’t changed. What’s changed is the cost of not having them.

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by Charles C. Jett

After a Hard Loss: How Can a Political Party Rebuild and Move Forward?

After a challenging election loss, a political party must reflect, learn, and move forward with purpose. The recent Harris-Trump election exemplifies the importance of accepting the people’s will while using data-driven analysis to understand shifting voter demographics and campaign dynamics. Reflecting on past losses, like Reagan’s landslide victories, shows that reframing core values and setting an inclusive, future-focused vision can reinvigorate a party. By recruiting leaders who inspire and building connections through grassroots outreach, a party can bridge divides and regain voter trust. Resilience lies in adaptation, ensuring that today’s setbacks become tomorrow’s strategies for success in a vibrant democracy.

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by Charles C. Jett

Winning a Presidential Election: Crafting a Path to 270: Applying the Critical Skills in the 2024 Presidential Campaign

Running a successful presidential campaign requires mastering critical skills like Communications, Production, Information, Analysis, Technology, Interpersonal, and Time Management. These skills help manage operations, engage voters, build a path to 270 electoral votes, and respond effectively to “October surprises.” This post also highlights the dangers of information manipulation, where misleading “alternative facts” can sway public opinion. These essential skills ensure effective navigation through the unpredictable dynamics of a national election.

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by Charles C. Jett

From Quills to Newspapers: The Critical Skills Behind the Federalist Papers

John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, the brilliant authors of the Federalist Papers, used their extensive educations and critical skills to advocate for the U.S. Constitution. Without modern technology, they relied on quills, paper, and newspapers to communicate their ideas. Their deep knowledge of history, law, and political theory, combined with their persuasive writing, laid a solid intellectual foundation for America’s lasting constitutional republic. Their efforts remind us to scrutinize alternatives with equal intellectual rigor.

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