There’s a shift happening quietly in the background of every meeting, every dashboard, every “quick sync” that’s supposed to move work forward. You can feel it. Learning and Development (L&D) is no longer the department people come to when they need training—it’s the discipline organizations turn to when they need to reinvent.

As we step into 2026, L&D leaders face a paradox: We’re being asked to move faster than ever before while thinking more deeply about what it means to be human in the workplace. AI is changing how work gets done, but also who does the work, how people learn, and why they stay. The best L&D leaders won’t be those who simply keep up with technology; they’ll be the ones who help their organizations make sense of it.

Below are five priorities that will define the next era of Learning and Development—an era where adaptability, discernment, and empathy will matter as much as data and design.

1. From learning delivery to capability ecosystems

The term “training” is fading away. Employees want competence, not just a course. This competence must be built in real time, matching the speed of business.

The next frontier is not the learning management system (LMS), but the ecosystem—a dynamic network of learning experiences, data insights, AI-driven nudges, and communities of practice. The role of the L&D leader is no longer to create everything but to connect the pieces.

Ask yourself:

• Does your learning setup feel like a library or a vibrant network?
• Are employees wasting time searching for content, or are they finding what they need?
• Most importantly, do you know which skills your organization truly needs to compete in 2026, not just the ones you’ve always trained for?

Building capabilities must bridge strategy and execution. If your learning ecosystem doesn’t match your future operating model, you’re training people for the past.

2. AI is not the answer; it’s the amplifier

The buzz around AI can be overwhelming, but the reality is that AI isn’t taking over L&D; it’s coming through it. The leaders who succeed in 2026 won’t be the ones who gather the most tools; they’ll be the ones who ask tough questions.

AI can tailor learning paths, create adaptive simulations, and summarize insights quickly. But it can also increase bias, oversimplify complexities, and damage trust if misused. The real difference won’t be technical skill; it will be ethical awareness.

Consider:

• How are we using AI to support human judgment, not replace it?
• What hidden tradeoffs exist in our automation choices?
• Who is being excluded from the AI conversation because they don’t understand the technology yet?

AI can provide speed and scale, but meaning still comes from humans. The future L&D leader will be part technologist and part anthropologist, bridging machine intelligence and human experience.

3. Change management becomes culture management

In 2026, every organization is a change organization. Transformation isn’t an initiative, it’s a condition.

We’ve spent years teaching leaders how to “manage change,” but the term itself feels outdated. Change doesn’t need to be managed; people need to be guided through it.

This is where L&D becomes the cultural backbone of the enterprise. The best programs in 2026 will move beyond “coping with change” to cultivating change agility as a muscle, a practiced capability that helps teams adapt, learn, and reorient quickly.

The question shifts from “How do we train for change?” to “How do we normalize evolution?”

L&D should lead with practices that reinforce learning as identity, not event. Coaching, storytelling, reflection, and peer learning must sit alongside formal programs. When people see themselves as learners, not just employees, change stops feeling like something done to them and starts feeling like something done through them.

4. Rebuilding trust & belonging in hybrid cultures

The quiet crisis in today’s workplace is disconnection. Employees may work from anywhere, but they often feel they are learning from nowhere.

In hybrid settings, culture isn’t confined to buildings; it comes from behaviors. L&D is in a prime position to observe how people experience belonging, or lack thereof.

In 2026, L&D leaders must view engagement as an ecosystem built on trust. Learning experiences that foster psychological safety, shared language, and mutual understanding are essential for retention.

When employees feel ignored, they disengage. When they feel unappreciated, they leave. The future of learning will be measured more by connection rates than completion rates.

Ask:

• Are we designing learning that helps people feel recognized?
• Are we creating environments where questions are welcomed, not shamed?
• Are we valuing vulnerability as much as performance?

Learning can’t just be about transactions. It must be a conversation that reconnects people to purpose in this digital age.

5. Redefining talent: From roles to potential

Job descriptions are becoming outdated. Rapid changes mean roles shift faster than organizational charts. The smartest companies are now mapping skills rather than titles and focusing on potential instead of background.

In 2026, L&D leaders must become curators of potential. This means identifying hidden skills, promoting them through meaningful work, and removing obstacles that hinder personal growth.

Upskilling and reskilling will continue to be crucial, but the key differentiator will be building resilience. Technical skills help you land a job. Human skills; like empathy, curiosity, and adaptability—keep you relevant when roles change.

Learning leaders need to think long-term: designing programs that develop not just tasks but future-ready identities.

Examine:

• Do your programs promote adaptability, or just expertise?
• Do your managers know how to identify and nurture potential?
• Are your learning investments building skills or developing people?

The competition for talent isn’t just about hiring anymore. It’s about unlocking the potential already present in your organization.

The meta-skill for 2026: Sense-making

The most crucial skill for any L&D leader in 2026 won’t be instructional design, data analysis, or even AI literacy, it will be sense-making.

We have plenty of information, but we lack meaning. Leaders need to help interpret noise, find clarity, and create coherence in contradiction. That’s the real role of L&D today, to aid people in navigating complexity so they can act with confidence.

This means:

• Turning insights into compelling stories people can rally around.
• Translating organizational strategy into actions people can take.
• Positioning technology as a resource to enhance our humanity, not as a threat.

In a world driven by optimization, learning leaders have the courage to ask a different question: What is worth preserving?

A final thought: The human dividend

As AI takes over routine tasks and the pace of change quickens, the human dividend, our ability to connect, empathize, and adapt, becomes the unique factor that no machine can replicate.

The irony of 2026 is that the more digital we become, the more human we need to be. L&D exists at this crossroads. As you plan for the year ahead, keep this in mind: Technology will continue to progress. Roles will keep changing. But people; their fears, hopes, and desire to grow, will stay the same.

The leaders who thrive in 2026 won’t be the ones who master every new tool. They’ll be the ones who remind their organizations of what it means to learn, grow, and be human.

Image credit: Parradee Kietsirikul

The post 2026 Priorities for L&D Leaders: Navigating Change, Tech & Talent appeared first on Learning Guild.

If you’ve ever felt like a course catalog manager, taking orders for training without question, designing solutions before understanding problems, or struggling to prove your value beyond attendance numbers, you’re not alone. Many learning professionals find themselves trapped in an order-taking role, responding to stakeholder requests with “Sure, we can build that training” before asking the most critical question: “Why?”

There’s a roadmap to break free from this reactive pattern. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Build business acumen skills

The foundation of strategic partnership is understanding the business deeply enough to challenge assumptions and propose alternatives. Business acumen isn’t about becoming a finance expert; it’s about building four key capabilities:

1. Strategic alignment & impact: When you understand how learning initiatives connect to organizational goals, you can design solutions that move real business metrics, not just completion rates.
   Start by understanding your business context. Study your company’s strategic goals and map how L&D can genuinely support them. Take time to understand different business functions: What does marketing do? What challenges does operations face? This knowledge transforms how you approach learning solutions.
   Build financial literacy incrementally. You don’t need an MBA, but you should understand cost-benefit analysis, resource allocation, and how to demonstrate ROI through data. Learn to speak in terms of business value.
2. Stakeholder credibility & buy-in: Speaking the language of business builds trust and positions you as someone who understands the bigger picture, increasing your competitive advantage within the organization.
   Increase your visibility by asking thoughtful questions rather than simply accepting requirements. Make recommendations backed by data and research. Demonstrate the value of your expertise to your stakeholders.
3. Performance-driven design decisions: When you make data-informed decisions grounded in business realities, your recommendations carry weight.
   Think strategically by connecting every learning initiative to organizational performance goals. Before designing a solution, ask: Is this scalable? Is it sustainable? Does it address a real performance gap or just a perceived training need?
4. Develop market awareness: Follow industry trends through resources, such as McKinsey, Deloitte, the World Economic Forum, and Boston Consulting Group reports. Use tools like Lightcast or similar ones to analyze growing skills in your industry and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to anticipate future skills needs. When you can speak to where the market is headed, you become invaluable.

2. Master evaluation beyond smile sheets

Nothing combats order-taking faster than being able to prove, or disprove, that training is the right solution. Yet most organizations and L&D professionals stop at satisfaction surveys (smile sheets) and attendance tracking, the lowest levels of measurement. Some may even measure learning and change of behavior by asking learners in learner surveys.

These data do not generate actionable insights. Explore the research on “illusions of knowledge,” meaning learners assume they have learned and are competent, whereas if assessed rigorously, it would prove against this assumption. “Dunning-Kruger effect” is another phenomenon proving that learners are not the best sources to verify the effectiveness of training.

Learn by doing: Start small with pilot evaluations. Propose a single project where you’ll track actual on-the-job behavior change, not just completion rates. Show results through regular status updates at key intervals, then use an iterative cycle to gradually expand your evaluation practices. The key is demonstrating value through data, which shifts conversations from “Can you build this training?” to “Should we build training at all?”

Iterative Design & Evaluation Cycle

Choose an evaluation model based on evidence, not popularity: While there are many evaluation models, such as Katzell-Kirkpatrick, Phillips’ ROI, Holton’s HRD, Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method, Stufflebeam’s CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product), select one that research shows is effective for your context. I use Thalheimer’s LTEM (Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model) because it bridges the gap between learning and workplace performance by measuring knowledge, decision-making, and task performance during training, then measures transfer to work performance and effects of transfer after training on the job.

My key recommendation is developing criterion-referenced tests—assessments that measure whether learners can perform specific job tasks to a defined standard—rather than simple knowledge checks. Use scenario-based questions aligned with actual work context, then repeat these same tests 2-3 months after training in addition to using observation checklists on the job to measure actual transfer and determine whether skills stuck and are being used in the workplace, not just whether people could demonstrate them in a training environment.

Plan the evaluation from the start, not as an afterthought: Use a logic model to map out what and how you’ll evaluate, and work backwards from impact to activities:

• Start with impact: What does success look like at the organizational or community level? This is your ultimate destination.
• Define long-term outcomes: What workplace performance changes (transfer) do you need to see to achieve that impact? These are your training goals.
• Identify short-term outcomes: What immediate changes in knowledge, skills, or confidence are necessary stepping stones?
• Map your activities and resources: What coaching and support (budget, tools, time, people) need to be in place to make this happen?

An example of a logic model

3. Use results-driven design to connect training to real-world performance

When training is the right solution, design it with the end in mind. Use a results-driven design approach:

• Identify the specific skills that drive performance outcomes
• Define performance objectives in measurable terms
• Create during-training assessments using scenario-based questions, skills checklists, and raters
• Develop learning materials and resources aligned to those specific objectives
• Conduct after-training, on-the-job assessment using observation checklists, repeated assessments, and surveys
• Measure actual task performance through focus groups, document reviews, and end-user feedback

This approach ensures every design decision traces back to workplace performance, not just knowledge acquisition.

4. Become an organizational consultant, not just a course builder

Most performance problems aren’t training problems. They’re caused by unclear expectations, missing tools, poor processes, lack of feedback, or misaligned incentives. Yet stakeholders often come to L&D with a training request because that’s the tool they know.

You should take a holistic approach and understand the root cause of performance gaps:

• Resist the urge to immediately discuss training solutions. This is the defining moment that separates order takers from strategic partners.
• Shift the conversation from solution mode to problem definition mode. Instead of asking “What kind of training do you want?” ask “Help me understand the performance challenge we’re trying to solve.”
• Guide stakeholders through the analysis process rather than doing it to them. Make them partners in diagnosing the real issue.

Sample consultation questions

• “What specific behaviors or outcomes aren’t happening that should be?”
• “Why isn’t the behavior change happening now?”
• “What would success look like in measurable terms?”
• “What other factors affect the target learners’ performance?”
• “What have you tried before, and what were the results?”
• “Does learning solve this problem, or do we need to think of other ways to address it?”

These questions position you as a consultant focused on performance improvement, not a vendor taking orders for courses.

5. Master stakeholder management

You can’t be a strategic partner if you’re isolated in the L&D department. Stakeholder management is about building the relationships and credibility that give you influence.

• Listen actively and demonstrate genuine understanding of stakeholders’ challenges. Don’t just hear their training request—understand the business pressure behind it.
• Partner collaboratively by establishing credibility through joint problem-solving. Schedule regular check-ins and have informal conversations that aren’t tied to specific project requests. This builds trust over time.
• Gain operational knowledge about who holds influence (high and low) and interest (high and low) in learning initiatives. Partner directly with front-line managers and staff who understand day-to-day performance challenges.
• Become a go-to resource by sharing relevant research, benchmark data, and trend analysis even when not asked. Position yourself as someone who brings value beyond course development.

6. Communicate like a partner, not a training expert

Finally, how you communicate determines whether you’re seen as strategic or tactical.

Eliminate jargon: Instead of talking about “learning objectives,” “instructional design models,” or technical training terms, translate what you do into simple language. Talk about performance improvement, behavior change, and measurable results—concepts that resonate with stakeholders and clearly connect your work to what they care about. I once got into a heated discussion with stakeholders when I used the term “learning outcomes” instead of “learning objectives”—they wanted to know the difference! Now, I use “performance objectives” to shift their mindset toward performance improvement, not just knowledge acquisition.

Use open-ended questions that invite dialogue: “What would success look like?” “What other factors affect performance?” These questions position you as a consultant, not a vendor.

Approach every conversation with confident humility: Be confident in your expertise while remaining genuinely curious about their challenges. Seek feedback continuously and apply research to practice, demonstrating mastery of learning sciences without being preachy about it.

Your action plan

Don’t try to transform overnight. Start with these small steps:

1. This week: The next time someone requests training, pause and ask three diagnostic questions before discussing solutions.
2. This month: Pilot one evaluation that measures on-the-job behavior change, not just satisfaction. Share the results with stakeholders.
3. This quarter: Schedule informal coffee chats with three stakeholders to understand their challenges—without pitching any learning solutions.
4. This year: Build one business acumen skill (financial literacy, market awareness, or strategic thinking) through deliberate study and application.

The shift from order taker to strategic advisor doesn’t require permission from your leadership. It starts with how you show up in the next stakeholder conversation. Will you accept the training request at face value, or will you ask “Why?” and guide them toward the real solution—whether that’s training or something else entirely?

Image credit:

• Top image: EtiAmmos
• Remaining graphics: Elham Arabi

The post From Order Takers to Strategic Advisors in 6 Steps appeared first on Learning Guild.

We’ve all been there: You’ve spent months designing a major learning rollout or change initiative. You’ve aligned with leaders, planned communications, built content, and prepped managers. Then the program goes live, and things don’t go quite as planned. Engagement is lower than expected, adoption lags, or unexpected resistance surfaces from corners you hadn’t considered. Sometimes, team members struggle because of insufficient training, unclear processes, or competing priorities that weren’t visible during planning.

What if you could uncover those blind spots before your initiative went live?

Enter red teaming, a strategic process borrowed from the military and intelligence fields that helps teams pressure-test their plans, challenge assumptions, and strengthen their approach. While it’s a familiar concept in cybersecurity and strategic planning, it’s still largely untapped in learning and development (L&D) and change management, two fields that would benefit tremendously from its mindset.

I’ve used red teaming on several large-scale projects, and the outcomes have been consistently powerful: better stakeholder alignment, smarter implementation strategies, and stronger confidence from both leaders and team members. Red teaming didn’t just make the plans better; it made the teams better.

What is red teaming?

At its core, red teaming is about thinking like an adversary—not to defeat your own plan, but to improve it.

The approach originated in military strategy, where “red teams” simulate enemy tactics to expose weaknesses in operations or decision-making. Over time, industries such as cybersecurity, finance, and business strategy adopted it to test resilience before launching critical initiatives.

In a red teaming exercise, a designated group called the red team challenges the assumptions, strategies, and blind spots of the main project team, often called the blue team. The goal isn’t to criticize, but to illuminate—to uncover what the core team might have missed because of overconfidence, groupthink, or simply being too close to the work.

Applied to learning and change management, red teaming becomes a powerful tool for anticipating resistance, improving clarity, and building adaptability into your plans before going live.

Why red teaming matters in learning & change

Learning and change professionals are already in the business of influence. We design experiences that shift mindsets, behaviors, and culture. But even the best-planned initiatives can fail when they collide with the messy reality of organizational life.

Here are a few common challenges where red teaming makes a difference:

• Assumptions about readiness: We assume team members are motivated, leaders are aligned, or technology will work smoothly until we discover otherwise.
• Hidden resistance: Some team members may quietly question the “why” behind a change, but their concerns never reach the project team.
• Communication gaps: Messages that sound clear to us may not resonate across levels, regions, or roles.
• Blind spots in culture: A plan that fits the organizational chart might not fit the organizational climate.

Red teaming helps expose these realities before they derail your initiative. It gives voice to the skeptics, the quiet resistors, and the “what if” thinkers. When you build this challenge process into your project cycle, you’re not inviting conflict, you’re building resilience.

One of my most successful projects involved introducing red teaming during a compliance rollout. The initiative aimed to correct long-misinterpreted system issues that had caused team members to collect inaccurate data for years. Because the change would significantly impact how both sales and operations teams worked, we formed a red team of 20 people—16 team members from sales and operations, and 4 leaders from those same functions.

Their diverse perspectives were invaluable. The red team surfaced issues we hadn’t fully considered: communication gaps between field and corporate teams, training content that didn’t reflect real-world workflows, and dependencies that could have delayed adoption. They also helped refine the messaging so it resonated more effectively with frontline teams.

By addressing those insights before going live, we achieved faster adoption, higher accuracy in data collection, and stronger confidence among leaders and team members. The process didn’t just improve the plan—it deepened ownership across the organization.

How to apply red teaming in your work

Red teaming doesn’t have to be complicated or formal. You can adapt it to fit any project, from a new learning curriculum to a multi-phase change initiative. Here’s a simple five-step framework you can start using right away:

1. Frame the challenge

Define what you want to test. It could be your change communication plan, training design, or implementation roadmap. The key question: “What do we most need to get right, and what could go wrong?”

Example: We want to ensure our rollout plan for new performance tools will be understood, adopted, and supported by managers.

2. Assemble a red team

Select a small, diverse group of people who can think critically and aren’t afraid to ask tough questions. They might include internal skeptics, frontline team members, or even external partners. Diversity of perspective is what makes the red team valuable.

 Tip: Choose members who represent the people most affected by your initiative, not just senior voices.

3. Set the ground rules

Psychological safety is essential. The red team must understand that their role is to challenge ideas, not individuals. Clarify that this process is about learning, not judgment.

Sample ground rule: Assume positive intent. Our goal is to make the plan stronger, not to win an argument.

4. Run the simulation

Give the red team access to your plan, then ask them to stress test it. Encourage them to look for gaps, unrealistic assumptions, or unintended consequences.

This can take many forms:

• Scenario testing: What happens if adoption is 30% lower than projected?
• Role-playing resistant stakeholders
• Reviewing communications for clarity and tone
• Identifying risks or dependencies that might derail timelines

5. Debrief & integrate insights

After the red team exercise, capture key findings and discuss how to adjust your approach. Often, the most valuable outcome isn’t just the fixes, it’s the conversation that happens when people see their plan through a different lens.

Be sure to share what you learned with stakeholders and document how the red team’s input strengthened your plan. This builds credibility and shows that your process values critical thinking.

The benefits go beyond the plan

When you integrate red teaming into learning and change work, the value extends far beyond problem detection. You also cultivate:

• Stronger stakeholder buy-in, because your plan has already been tested from multiple perspectives.
• Higher team confidence, because you’ve proactively explored potential risks.
• Greater agility, because red teaming teaches teams to pivot faster when real challenges arise.
• A learning culture, because you model curiosity, humility, and openness to feedback.

In one organization I worked with, leaders initially viewed red teaming as an unnecessary step until they saw how it exposed critical misalignment between the change narrative and team-member sentiment. Adjusting those narratives early saved time, money, and credibility later.

Making red teaming a habit

Red teaming works best when it becomes part of your regular project rhythm, not a one-time event. Consider building it into:

• Major initiative checkpoints, such as before going live
• Learning design reviews for large programs
• Change readiness assessments
• Stakeholder communication planning

Even a short, two-hour red team session can yield insights that reshape your approach. Over time, your teams become more comfortable inviting challenge, and that’s when innovation really thrives.

Final thoughts

Red teaming doesn’t replace traditional project reviews or stakeholder feedback, it enhances them. It injects a level of rigor, curiosity, and humility that helps learning and change professionals avoid blind spots and make smarter decisions.

At its heart, red teaming is about practicing what we preach: continuous learning, perspective-taking, and growth through constructive challenge.

So, the next time you’re preparing to take a major learning or change initiative live, pause and ask yourself: Who’s testing our plan before the world does?

Because when you think like an adversary, you become your project’s best ally.

Dig deeper

Explore the trends and challenges that the new year will bring to L&D in our 2026 Strategies & Trends online conference, December 3‒4, 2025. Learn to ‘Red Team’ your training with Kelly Shambaugh! You’ll also:

• Uncover strategies for elevating your virtual training
• Gain insights into why and how to transform your organization to a skills focus
• Learn the value of critical thinking and curiosity
• Dig into agentic AI
• Highlight the benefits of moving at the ‘speed of business’
• And learn from a panel of dynamic leaders what else to expect in 2026!  

Register today!

Image credit: z_wei

The post Think Like an Adversary: Using Red Teaming to Strengthen Learning & Change Strategies appeared first on Learning Guild.

iSpring’s latest research across 150+ L&D professionals in North America and Europe identified three clear team profiles: Isolated Executors, Direction Seekers, and Metric Masters — the few who confidently prove ROI and influence strategy.

In this session, Holly Owens will share what separates these groups, highlight the main barriers that hold L&D back, and walk you through real examples, where tracking the right metrics like time-to-proficiency and retention proved direct revenue growth.

You’ll leave with full understanding of the steps every team can take to start speaking the language of business: from proxy metrics and setting goals that matter to choosing measurable KPIs, and showing performance impact with the right LMS setup.

Join if you want to see where your team stands now and join the select few professionals globally that have passed the crisis stage, now enjoying full trust and the peace of mind of an irreplaceable, strategic role.

During this session, you will learn:

• How to quickly assess whether your current reporting puts your L&D team at risk.
• The key patterns that separate high-impact teams from those stuck in “support mode.”
• Small changes and techniques for connecting learning initiatives to measurable business outcomes.
• How to use proxy metrics to make ROI visible without complex financial modeling.
• Tried-and-true ways to build credibility with executives through communication.

The post L&D ROI in 2025: the Crisis, the Shift, and the Way Out appeared first on Learning Guild.

In this session, you’ll discover how to design, curate, and implement a scalable on-demand learning hub that breaks complex topics into manageable, engaging experiences. Explore strategies to integrate learning into workflows, drive adoption, and measure impact. Learn how the L&D team at SoCalGas successfully built an on-demand eLearning library that delivers targeted, skills-based content to employees—empowering them to grow, adapt, and excel. You’ll walk away with actionable steps to foster a culture of continuous learning that keeps employees engaged and ready to meet evolving business needs. 

In this session, you will learn: 

• How to identify skill gaps and align learning resources accordingly.
• Effective techniques for encouraging employee participation and self-directed learning.
• Methods for tracking progress and measuring impact.
• Proven practices for building a culture of continuous learning to support long-term talent retention.

The post On-Demand & On-Point: Creating a Custom Learning Library for Talent Growth appeared first on Learning Guild.

A long time ago in an organization far, far away, the space of corporate learning entered a turbulent time of change. For as long as we can remember, Learning and Development (L&D) teams acted like Jedi Temples, guardians of wisdom that were called upon during times of disturbance or chaos. Business leaders would send their distress call of “We need learning,” and the teams would react.

But in today’s ever-changing landscape of transformations, hybrid work, AI, and much more, this organization needs more than just order-takers; it needs a strategist, someone who can sense needs and shifts before they happen. Those who can use this “force” to align people, purpose and processes will be instrumental in crafting a talent strategy that leads organizations into the future at light speed.

For decades, the L&D galaxy revolved around programs rather than partnerships. Teams created courses and tracked completion with hopes that results would follow. However, today the Force has awoken and leaders across the business have begun to ask the fundamental question: Why?

• Why are we doing this training?
• Why are my employees not developing fast enough?
• Why am I not seeing business results?

This shift moved L&D from simply content to capability and change because a learning strategist understands that learning is not a singular event or training; it’s a continuous and evolving ecosystem. The mindset shift from one-off requested initiatives to becoming connectors of business goals and talent development allows them to recognize capability gaps and needs long before a formal request comes along.

What is a learning strategist?

So, who is this modern Learning Jedi?

The learning strategist is a unique hybrid of coach, consultant, and change architect who starts with the end goal in mind. By starting with where we need to be, they can craft a journey that seamlessly weaves best-in-class training solutions with an understanding that they may need to influence business processes, leader mindset, and learning conditions.

You can think of our Star Wars counterparts and how they influence using their unique forces:

• Yoda: The coach and mentor who sees potential before others do, often helping individuals come to the right conclusions without explicitly stating them
• Luke: The consultant who influences without authority, uniting teams through emotional intelligence and a unified goal
• Leia: The change architect who realizes we can do things differently and understands that greatness isn’t given, it’s built.

And just as these Jedis mastered the Force through discipline, practice, and intuition, learning strategists can master the art of influence by aligning stakeholders, connecting insights, and guiding organizations toward talent transformation.

Become a Master Jedi of Change

Across the Star Wars universe, the Force connects all living things. In our organizations, influence connects all business outcomes. But you don’t need your own lightsaber to wield influence. You need key skills of listening, empathy, understanding, and alignment to drive connections. With three easy steps, you too can be a Master Jedi of Change:

• Feel the force: Listen for the unspoken using organizational awareness. This is your opportunity, through needs analysis and leadership conversation, to determine what is truly needed. And remember, not everything is a training problem.
• Expand the universe: Reimagine what learning can be. This is your opportunity to be inventive and move away from standard eLearning or classroom-style training.
• Activate the galaxy: Implement with purpose and confidence. This is your opportunity to scale your strategy and ideas across the organization to drive lasting change.

In practice, this can look like reframing a sales team gap analysis from a simple sales training into a talent ecosystem that aligns enablement, feedback, and coaching that empowers employees to continue to grow through a variety of modalities.

Unfortunately, even the strongest strategists can be tempted by the Dark Side of Learning. It whispers using deadlines and dashboards that say things like:

• “Just build the course”
• “If everyone completes the course, it’s going to work”
• “We’ve always done training like this”
• “We don’t have time to re-invent”

The Dark Side of Learning is the reactive nature, where we focus on a single deliverable as opposed to direction, and lose sight of the learning experience to chase the wrong KPIs.

To help them keep their focus, every great Jedi has their mentor and Council: Luke had Yoda. Anakin had Obi-Wan.

Who is yours? Building influence in learning means cultivating alliances between HR, business leaders, tech teams, and culture & change champions. As a strategist, you are operating as a convener of perspectives, bringing together everyone who can shape a shared vision for learning.

Just as the Jedi Temple had pillars, your council should have a few, too:

• Build Common Language: Translate your learning goals into business conversations by speaking ROI, retention, and readiness for the future.
• Start Small: Pilot programs that demonstrate value and show results. Your influence will grow through quick wins that turn into scalable and organizational wins.
• Invest in Each Other: You must continue to develop in yourself, each other, and your tool kits to continue to be inventive and agile.

Your council isn’t a formal department but rather a coalition of allies that all believe that learning is not a simple function but a force multiplier for the good of the organization.

Every organization has it’s awakening, and for corporate learning, this is ours. The age of order-taking is gone, and the age of influence is on the rise. So now, in organizations far, far away, the Force of Influence is calling all of us. It’s calling to us to see patterns others miss, to use empathy as power and curiosity as our weapon, and be the forward thinkers that drive the business forward.

So rise up, learning strategists. Feel the Force. Expand your universe. Activate the galaxy. The rebellion for meaningful learning has just begun, and your influence is the light that guides it.

May the Force of learning, leadership, and lasting impact be with you.

Forge new frontiers

Prepare to use the Force to influence in the coming year with our 2026 Strategies & Trends online conference, December 3‒4, 2025. Explore how emerging leaders are reshaping L&D as Mercedez Jones and fellow panelists Harry Tong and Ashley Cooks share how L&D roles are evolving, what’s changing in their work, and what skills leaders must develop to thrive heading into 2026!

During the 2-day online event, you’ll also:

• Uncover strategies for elevating your virtual training
• Gain insights into why and how to transform your organization to a skills focus
• Discover how ‘red teaming’ can elevate your impact
• Learn the value of critical thinking and curiosity
• Dig into agentic AI
• And more!

Register today!

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wintrust Financial Corporation or its subsidiaries.

Image credit: BrendanHunter

The post The Rise of the Learning Strategist: Using the Force to Influence appeared first on Learning Guild.

How one systematic approach helped organizations reduce course approval time by 50% while improving stakeholder satisfaction

Learning and Development (L&D) professionals are drowning in operational complexity. Between juggling multiple stakeholders, managing vendor relationships, navigating approval bottlenecks, and tracking completion data across disparate systems, it’s no wonder that many L&D teams miss opportunities to demonstrate real business impact. The challenge isn’t just about creating better content. It’s about building better processes.

I’ve spent the last decade working with organizations to streamline their L&D operations, and through that journey, I’ve developed a systematic framework that transforms chaotic workflows into clarity. This approach has helped teams reduce course approval times from six weeks to three, eliminate 60% of rework, and significantly improve cross-functional collaboration.

The hidden costs of operational inefficiency

Research from LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report shows that 47% of L&D teams planned to implement microlearning in 2024, recognizing that bite-sized training modules—delivered right in the workflow—reduce productivity disruptions while helping L&D teams deploy critical skills faster (LinkedIn Learning, 2024). Yet many teams struggle with knowing where to start. You know the symptoms: courses stuck in endless review cycles, SMEs providing feedback too late, and data scattered across multiple systems.

I recently worked with a global organization that discovered their onboarding modules were consistently delayed because HR and compliance reviewed the same content separately. Nobody had questioned this redundancy until we mapped it visually. As Brandon Burtner, Robinhood’s learning operations program partner, puts it, “Training is not our product. Results are our product.“

Step 1: Surface the inefficiencies

The journey begins with honest assessment. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, successful teams start by identifying their most painful bottlenecks through a structured audit examining three key categories.

• People inefficiencies show up as role confusion or unclear decision-making authority. One pharmaceutical company found their compliance training underwent frequent rework because multiple people assumed ownership.
• Process inefficiencies include redundant approvals or missing documentation. These are easiest to spot but require genuine collaboration to resolve.
• Technology inefficiencies happen when tools don’t integrate, forcing teams into manual data entry. With the healthcare LMS market projected to reach $7.85 billion by 2029, organizations recognize that technology should enable operations, not hinder them.

Step 2: Map the current state with SIPOC

Once teams identify inefficiencies, creating visual clarity through SIPOC mapping becomes essential. SIPOC stands for Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers. This tool provides a comprehensive overview of a process and its stakeholders.

What I love about SIPOC is its simplicity. By documenting who provides inputs, how work flows, and who receives outputs, teams gain immediate visibility into dependencies and bottlenecks. When mapping a course development process, teams typically discover that training requests come from multiple sources with wildly inconsistent information.

Step 3: Clarify roles with RACI mapping

The RACI matrix has been transformative for L&D operations. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. This framework clarifies roles and responsibilities for each training stage.

The real magic happens when teams realize how many tasks have multiple “Accountable” parties. At a global technology company, we discovered that both the L&D director and the compliance manager believed they had final approval authority. Each was waiting for the other to sign off, causing weeks of delays. By clarifying that compliance was “Consulted” while L&D was “Accountable,” they cut approval time by 35%.

Step 4: Dig deep with root cause analysis

Surface-level fixes rarely create lasting change. The framework includes systematic root cause analysis using the “5 Whys” technique. This approach keeps asking “why” until you uncover the real underlying cause.

The 5 Whys in action

A healthcare organization found onboarding courses were always delayed. When we asked why, we learned SMEs frequently submitted feedback after deadlines.

Digging deeper revealed they received requests without clear timelines. Another why uncovered that no standardized intake form existed. The process had not been formally documented because L&D and HR had never actually aligned on responsibilities.

The root cause wasn’t lazy SMEs. It was the absence of basic process documentation. This insight led to creating standardized intake forms that reduced delays by 40%.

Step 5: Design the future state

With clear understanding of inefficiencies, teams can design their optimized future state. This isn’t about perfection but about making pragmatic improvements that deliver measurable results.

Research shows organizations with strong learning cultures are 92% more likely to innovate. I focus future state design on three principles:

• Choose automation over manual work wherever possible.
• Implement parallel processing over sequential reviews. Why wait for one department to finish before another starts?
• Ensure clear ownership for every task. One person is accountable; no confusion, no delays.

One organization transformed their process by automating intake forms, combining SME and compliance reviews into joint sessions, and establishing automated notifications. These changes reduced launch time from six weeks to three.

Step 6: Create your 30-60-90 day roadmap

Sustainable change requires phased implementation. I’ve found successful teams structure improvements across three horizons.

• In the first 30 days, focus on quick wins requiring minimal effort but delivering immediate impact. Think standardized templates or documented processes. These early victories build momentum for larger changes.
• During days 31 to 60, roll out substantial process improvements like new workflows or tool integrations. You’ll need to train team members and gather feedback.
• By day 90, measure and optimize. Evaluate outcomes against baseline metrics and plan continuous improvement. Teams typically see significant improvements by this point.

Measuring success

Organizations are moving beyond vanity metrics to focus on business impact. Track three categories:

• Efficiency metrics include turnaround time and approval cycles.
• Quality metrics encompass stakeholder satisfaction and compliance scores.
• Business impact metrics are time-to-productivity for new hires and actual cost savings.

One logistics company saw course approval decrease 50%, rework drop from 25% to 10%, and satisfaction increase to 90% within 90 days.

Critical success factors

Through implementing this framework, I’ve identified factors that consistently determine success.

• Executive sponsorship overcomes organizational inertia.
• Starting small builds momentum. Pick one process and nail it.
• Early stakeholder involvement ensures buy-in because people doing the work have the best insights.
• Documentation ensures consistency and enables continuous improvement.
• Relentless communication keeps everyone aligned.

The path forward

With 40% of workers worried about job stability due to AI, and 77% expecting employer help preparing for the future—including up- or reskilling, mapping out career pathways, learning AI and other essential skills—L&D teams must evolve from order-takers to strategic partners. This evolution requires operational excellence as its foundation.

The framework isn’t just about making operations run smoother. It’s about freeing talented professionals to focus on what matters: developing people and driving business results. When approvals happen in days rather than weeks, when stakeholders know expectations, and data flows seamlessly, L&D can finally operate strategically.

Take action

Ready to transform your L&D operations? Start with these steps:

• First, identify your biggest pain point. What single inefficiency would save the most time if resolved?
• Next, map one process using SIPOC. Choose your most problematic workflow. The visual clarity alone will reveal improvement opportunities.
• Finally, clarify roles for that process. Create a RACI matrix where ownership is unclear. You’ll be amazed at how much confusion this eliminates.

Remember, operational excellence is built through systematic improvement, one process at a time. With the right framework and commitment, any L&D team can transform chaos into clarity.

References

• LinkedIn Learning. (2024). 2024 Workplace Learning Report.
• Deel. (2024). 9 Learning and Development Trends to Future-Proof Your Workforce.
• Docebo. (2025). Four Predictions for L&D Success in 2024. 

Image credit: narvo vexar

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At the Learning Leadership Conference in October, Jess’ significant contributions to the learning and performance improvement industry were honored with the Guild Master Award. Following the ceremony, Jess shared her reflections and vision for the future of L&D leadership. 

Contributing her expertise to the community 

“I’ve been in the learning and talent development field in some way, shape, or form for 30 years,” Jess began. Based in the Phoenix area, she brings decades of professional experience to her current projects, which include the L&D Must Change podcast (she recorded a live episode at the conference). Jess also recently published her book L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner with her formula to transform your L&D team into a critical partner in shaping the future of your organization.  

Her vision for industry growth 

“I’m very, very passionate about the learning and development community continuing to move forward and continuing to elevate our profession,” Jess said. She elaborated that collaboration across the L&D community is essential to get the industry where it needs to be. “One person can’t make that change happen,” Jess emphasized. “All of the changes that are happening in our world and the changes that need to happen in our community won’t happen if we aren’t all playing a part.” 

What’s next for Jess 

You can see her speaking virtually or in person at many events this year. “I’m almost on a tour right now,” Jess said with a smile. She’ll also be continuing the L&D Must Change podcast with valuable conversations for the learning & performance improvement community. Throughout it all, her mission remains clear: to inspire practitioners to embrace change and take practical steps toward a more connected, empowered learning profession. 

See the full interview:

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The experience of modern professionals underscores this change. Consider the L&D specialist who transitions to a sales role, or the classroom teacher moving to instructional design. They quickly realize that while some abilities are directly transferable (like presentation skills), success depends on rapidly acquiring new ones. They need to upskill in areas like performance consulting, business acumen, and even contract negotiation, skills rarely listed as requirements in their previous jobs.

The Skills Ontology: Seeing the Workforce Differently

This is where the concept of skills matching takes center stage. It’s the process of aligning an individual’s specific, measurable abilities with the requirements of a task or project, irrespective of their formal job title. AI-powered tools are now assisting this by creating skills ontologies: dynamic maps that show the relationships between seemingly unrelated skills. This allows companies to look beyond keywords and realize that a web designer’s problem-solving and project management skills might make them a perfect fit for a short-term, high-impact marketing initiative.

For the organization, the advantages are profound:

1. Workers can move freely to meet shifting business demands (think of the rapid reskilling that occurred during the pandemic).
2. When employees feel their full range of skills are utilized and see continuous pathways for growth, engagement and retention naturally improve.
3. Training shifts from generic, annual compliance to granular, practice-focused initiatives that close specific skill gaps.

L&D’s Essential Strategic Pivot

For L&D practitioners, this shift is a mandate for transformation. The focus must move from knowledge transfer to performance consulting, helping the business define what skills are critical, where they exist, and how to develop them.

Here are the immediate strategic priorities:

Define and Audit: L&D must lead the effort to precisely define both hard and soft skills (like clarifying what “collaboration” actually entails for a given role) and conduct internal skills audits to get an accurate view of in-house talent.

Support Self-Directed Growth: Instead of pushing pre-packaged courses, L&D needs to empower employees to identify their own durable skills (like creativity and critical thinking) and navigate internal talent marketplaces to find projects that facilitate learning by doing.

Harness AI with Caution: AI is indispensable for data analysis, identifying skill deficits, and creating personalized learning paths. However, L&D must remember that high-value “soft” skills still require human interaction, coaching, and social learning to develop.

The future of work is not about filling nine-to-five slots; it’s about orchestrating flexible, highly skilled teams to tackle evolving business challenges. Embracing this skills-first mindset is the difference between organizational stagnation and sustained, adaptable success.

To explore the practical steps L&D must take to lead this skills revolution, read the new eBook: Skills Matching: What Is L&D’s Role?

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The modern workplace has changed forever. Traditional job titles and static descriptions are no longer sufficient to meet the dynamic needs of business. The future of work is not defined by roles, but by agile, transferable skills. 

Is your L&D strategy equipped to navigate this skills-first revolution?

This eBook provides the definitive guide for practitioners to move beyond outdated models and become the strategic driver of workforce adaptability and growth. The shift is happening right now to the broader challenge of identifying durable skills for jobs that don’t exist yet. 

This eBook is your roadmap for seizing this opportunity, providing L&D with the strategies to: 

• Identify and develop the skills your organization will need tomorrow, not just today. 

• Get clear, actionable definitions for key concepts: Skills Mobility, Skill Stacking, Hard vs. Soft Skills, and Durable Skills. 

• Discover how L&D can leverage skills audits and AI-powered skills ontologies to align internal talent with critical business needs. 

What You Will Learn Inside 

1. Focus on application-based learning over theory to address individual needs and skill gaps. 

2. Conduct skills audits and use a mix of formal, informal, and AI-driven inference from HR data to pinpoint existing strengths and deficits. 

3. Teach employees to articulate their own skills, build better profiles, and navigate internal talent marketplaces. 

4. Intentionally build foundational skills (like collaboration and problem-solving) into all instructional design. 

5. Use AI for predictive analytics and personalized learning, but maintain human interaction for critical “soft” skill development. 

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