How to Position L&D as Business Partners

Transform L&D from a nice-to-have into a must-have – become a business partner.   15 years ago, our L&D team was disconnected from real business challenges. We worked in a silo, missing real business challenges. We've since transformed our approach, building strong partnerships and delivering impactful initiatives. -----Four Steps to Becoming a Strategic L&D Partner----- 1. Get to know the business inside and out ▪ Get comfortable with key financial metrics ▪ Understand what the company actually does ▪ Learn about competitors and market pressures 2. Spot the real challenges ▪ Understand and dig into performance data ▪ Talk to leaders about their pain points ▪ Keep an eye on emerging trends 3. Propose training that makes a difference ▪ Link learning to business objectives ▪ Present a compelling case for your solutions ▪ Show how your ideas will impact key metrics 4. Bring a different perspective ▪ Seek out different viewpoints ▪ Discuss opportunities for innovation ▪ Question assumptions, even when it's uncomfortable ----The Critical Insight: Earning Credibility and Trust----- Steps 1, 2, and 3 are your entry ticket. They're non-negotiable. Only after showing you understand the business, its challenges, and how to help, can you truly add value by bringing new ideas to the table. Think of it as earning the right to challenge. When the business knows you've done your homework, they're more likely to listen to your unique perspective. -----Beyond Alignment: The Power of New Ideas----- True partnership isn't about always agreeing. The most valuable L&D professionals bring new ideas, grounded in business understanding. Don't shy away from tough conversations, but make sure you've earned trust first. Your outside perspective can drive real change, but only when paired with insider knowledge. -----The Payoff: Increased Impact and Innovation----- By aligning with business needs while also challenging assumptions, we become true partners. This approach increases commitment to employee development, enhances L&D's impact, and drives innovation. Becoming a business partner is an ongoing process. Start by building your business knowledge, then use that insight to challenge assumptions and drive real organizational growth. How well do you really understand your business? Are you ready to bring valuable new perspectives, or do you need to invest more in steps 1-3 first?

I've analyzed hundreds of L&D programs. If your L&D metrics stop at "completion rate," you're running a compliance factory, not a development program. Top L&D leaders measure this instead: Development outcomes in the form of behavior change. Here’s an example of a training outcome vs. a development one: Training outcome: "98% of staff completed food safety training." Development outcome: "Food safety incidents decreased 42% quarter-over-quarter after implementing our new training approach." See the difference? One is about checking boxes. The other is about changing behaviors that impact the business. The most effective learning leaders I work with: 1. Start with the business problem they're trying to solve 2. Identify the behaviors that need to change 3. Design learning experiences that drive those behavior changes 4. Measure the impact on actual performance This isn't just about better metrics—it's about repositioning L&D from service provider to strategic business partner. When you can walk into an executive meeting and talk about how your programs are moving business metrics rather than just completion rates, everything changes.

I meet with learning leaders every week who can't answer one simple question: How does your training impact the bottom line? This isn't just another metric. It's the only metric that matters to your C-suite. After a decade leading Continu, I've seen firsthand what separates influential L&D teams from those fighting for budget. The difference? Data that speaks business language. Your completion rates mean nothing to your CFO. Your satisfaction scores don't impress your CEO. What they care about is impact on revenue, retention, and risk. Connect your learning data to these outcomes: Reduced time-to-proficiency = faster revenue contribution. Improved compliance training = lower regulatory risk. Enhanced leadership development = decreased turnover. This isn't complex. But it requires intention. Track before/after performance metrics for every significant learning initiative. Measure what changes in the business, not just what happens in the LMS. Speak in dollars, percentages, and business outcomes. When you translate learning into financial impact, budgets expand. When you connect skill gaps to business challenges, executives listen. This is how L&D earns its place as a strategic business function. Not through activity metrics. Through business impact metrics. Your organization deserves nothing less. #LearningAnalytics #BusinessImpact #LeadershipInsights

I'm never one to shy away from truth-telling... so here's some Friday Provocation: Your strategy is only as good as your workforce's ability to execute it. Dr Markus Bernhardt and I are excited to share Action 3 in our series on preparing L&D for the AI-powered workforce: Aligning Capability Building With Business Strategy. This Action hits at a fundamental truth many organizations overlook: if your workforce can't execute your AI strategy, you don't have a strategy. In this article, we explore how CLOs must evolve from training delivery managers to strategic execution partners. The shift requires three critical transformations: 1. From Reactive to Anticipatory: CLOs no longer need to seek a seat at the strategy table -- they ARE the table (Thanks, Marc Steven Ramos) and its important they set the table from day one, NOT after initiatives launch. They must translate business ambitions into capability mandates that define exactly what execution demands. 2. From Fragmented to Integrated: As AI tools proliferate across departments, execution risks multiply through misalignment. We detail three infrastructure models that create coherence: unified knowledge architecture, federated governance, and cross-functional learning pathways. 3. From Static to Adaptive: In an environment of constant flux, L&D must enable performance in motion by building systems that support real-time readiness, change resilience, and business agility. The punchline? L&D is no longer a support function. It's now the performance operating system that makes strategy executable. And the CLO role needs radical restructuring to match this reality. For CEOs and executive teams: these aren't just L&D improvements. They're the difference between AI investments that transform your business and those that become expensive experiments. Read the full article for our detailed framework and practical steps: https://lnkd.in/gzFKnPpB View the entire series to date: https://lnkd.in/gwfUJaKt What execution gaps are you seeing as your organization scales AI adoption? How is your L&D function evolving to meet them? Let's TALK about this!

L&D should fuel business growth... Otherwise, it's just a cost. Too often, L&D operates in isolation. Without alignment, training feels like an chore. Align L&D with business goals for measurable impact. Here’s a roadmap to get started: 1. Identify Key Business Goals: Define your strategic objectives. Gather top goals from leadership for clarity. 2. Map L&D to Business Outcomes: Tie learning directly to tangible outcomes. Use needs analysis to target high-impact skills. 3. Prioritize Core Skills and Gaps Focus on the skills that drive growth. Build a skills matrix to guide L&D investment. 4. Design Targeted Learning Initiatives: Create programs tailored to business needs. Personalize training paths to close specific gaps. 5. Track and Measure Success Use performance metrics to monitor L&D’s impact. Leverage LMS data to refine and improve outcomes. When L&D aligns with strategy, it becomes an asset. Drive growth by building a future-ready workforce. Follow Jonathan Raynor. Reshare to help others.

Are You Undervaluing Yourself? (this one’s for the innovative L&D pros out there) Too often, Learning & Development teams are labeled as cost centers. Not powerful growth drivers. Not strategic business assets. Why? Because many L&D professionals unknowingly downplay their true value. 3 critical shifts to reclaim your position as a business driver: 1. Acting as an order-taker ❌ Waiting for teams to request training. ✅ Instead: Take the lead. Align learning with key business goals. Be the one driving impactful change. Ask to be a part of the meeting. 2. Focusing on training and not business impact ❌ Measuring success by course completions. ✅ Instead: Tie your efforts to tangible results: retention, revenue, productivity. Make the ROI undeniable. 3. Waiting for leadership buy-in ❌ Assuming execs already see the value. ✅ Instead: Strategically sell your programs. Use storytelling, data, and the 3P Formula (Pain, Proof, Payoff) to make learning essential. L&D isn’t just support. It’s a core strategy for business growth. What other shifts do you believe are critical for L&D? #TheEverboardingEffect #Learninganddevelopment #HR #LeadershipDevelopment #TrainingThatWorks