The Career Lattice: Combat Brain Drain, Improve Company Culture, and Attract Top Talent

INTRODUCTION

The Atwood Cafe is an oasis of Victorian comfort right in the middle of Chicago’s hyperkinetic Loop. When Pam Tate and I meet there to talk through the next stage of our collaboration on The Career Lattice, we settle in on loveseats for rich coffee served on a polished mahogany table. By the time our oatmeal (Pam) and omelet (me) arrive, we are deep into our ongoing conversation about how career paths for everyday Americans are being rerouted.

For three decades, Pam and I had parallel career paths. As president of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)*, Pam has been the lead architect for the redesign of American career paths. CAEL helps workers manage their careers to enable lifelong economic self-sufficiency through ...