L&D isn’t just about courses and compliance. In a world of constant change, it can be a powerful driver of growth and resilience. Jennie Marshall explores five ways learning teams can move from support function to strategic partner and earn the credibility they need to impact people, outcomes and organisations.
For years, learning and development has wrestled with a perception problem. It’s often been seen as the department that organises training sessions, rolls out compliance modules, and occasionally delivers a leadership programme. Useful? Sure. But essential? Not always.
What shifts the narrative from “training provider” to “business partner”?
And that’s the trap. When L&D is viewed as a cost centre — a necessary but non-strategic function — it’s often the first to feel the pinch when budgets tighten. Yet, in today’s volatile, fast-changing world, the organisations that thrive are the ones that treat learning not as a nice-to-have, but as a strategic lever for growth, resilience, and innovation.
What actually gives L&D teams a seat at the strategy table? What shifts the narrative from “training provider” to “business partner”? Let’s explore five key factors that make the difference.
1. Metrics that speak the language of business
Let’s be honest: attendance rates and post-course satisfaction surveys (the infamous “happy sheets”) don’t cut it anymore. They tell us who showed up and who enjoyed the biscuits — not whether the learning made a difference.
To be seen as strategic, L&D needs to link its activity directly to business outcomes. That means moving from “how many people completed the course” to:
- How did this programme reduce attrition in a high-turnover department?
- How did upskilling managers lead to improved team performance metrics?
- What impact did leadership development have on succession pipelines?
This shift requires courage and capability. It means designing learning with outcomes in mind, tracking performance before and after interventions, and collaborating with HR, finance, and operations to gather meaningful data.
One L&D leader I spoke to recently shared how their team helped reduce customer complaints by 22% through a targeted communication skills programme for frontline staff. That’s the kind of result that gets noticed and earns credibility with the C-suite.
If you want a seat at the strategy table, talk in numbers that matter: productivity, retention, engagement, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, growth.
2. A vision aligned with the future of the business
L&D cannot operate in isolation. The most effective teams are plugged directly into the organisation’s strategic priorities. They ask:
- Where is the business going?
- What skills will we need in 12, 24, 36 months to get there?
- How do we start building them today?
This is where L&D becomes proactive rather than reactive. It’s not about chasing every new learning trend or platform. It’s about scanning the horizon, spotting the capabilities that matter, and aligning development with the future — not just today’s pain points.
For example, if your organisation is moving into new markets, what cultural intelligence or language skills will be needed? If automation is on the rise, how are you preparing teams to work alongside AI tools?
Strategic L&D teams don’t just respond to requests. They anticipate needs, shape workforce capabilities, and help leaders navigate change.
3. The courage to challenge, not just deliver
Too many L&D functions operate as order-takers. A manager requests training, and the team delivers it. Job done. But strategic L&D teams go further. They ask: What problem are we trying to solve? They push back on quick fixes. They propose alternative solutions — coaching, job shadowing, mentoring, workflow learning — when “just put them on a course” won’t cut it.
I attended a webinar last week that explored this beautifully. The speaker described the shift from provider to partner as “the moment L&D stops being a service and starts being a strategy.” That resonated deeply.
It takes confidence to challenge assumptions. To say, “Actually, training might not be the answer here.” But when L&D teams do that, when they diagnose before they prescribe, they earn trust. They become advisors, not just facilitators. And that’s when the real impact begins.
4. Demonstrating ROI, not just activity
This is the make-or-break point. L&D earns its seat at the table by proving that learning isn’t just an event — it’s a driver of business value. When you can show that a leadership programme increased internal promotions by 15%, or that a customer service intervention boosted satisfaction scores by 10 points, L&D stops being a cost. It becomes an investment.
This requires robust evaluation frameworks. Not just Kirkpatrick Level 1 (“Did you enjoy the course?”), but deeper analysis:
- Level 3: Are people applying what they learned?
- Level 4: Is it driving measurable business results?
Some organisations are now using learning analytics platforms to track behaviour change, performance improvements, and even revenue impact. It’s not easy — but it’s powerful. And it’s exactly what senior leaders want to see.
5. Building a culture of continuous learning
Finally, strategic L&D isn’t just about programmes and platforms. It’s about culture.
In a world where skills become obsolete faster than ever, the ability to learn continuously, flexibly, and at speed is a competitive advantage. Organisations that embed learning into the flow of work, encourage curiosity, and reward development are the ones that adapt and thrive.
This means creating environments where learning is part of the everyday. Where people share knowledge, experiment, reflect, and grow. Where development isn’t a one-off event, but a mindset.
L&D plays a crucial role here, not just by delivering content, but by shaping behaviours, nudging habits, and modelling what good learning looks like. Think about how you’re enabling peer learning, supporting managers to coach, and making learning visible across the organisation. These cultural shifts are subtle but transformative.
The role of L&D in the new world of work
The pace of change isn’t slowing. AI is reshaping industries. Hybrid work is redefining collaboration. Employees expect development to be a core part of their career experience — not a bolt-on.
In this context, L&D has never had a bigger opportunity. But it requires boldness: the willingness to measure differently, to align more closely with strategy, and to make the case that learning fuels resilience, adaptability, and growth.
When L&D shows up in that way, the seat at the strategy table isn’t something to be begged for. It’s something that becomes impossible to ignore.
Jennie Marshall is the Founder of Wren Learning Consultancy
