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Transform Your L&D Team Into Your Organization’s Strategic Business Partner
Most L&D pros dream of the day when stakeholders will stop viewing them as mere order takers and consider them critical, strategic partners in shaping the future of their organization. But how do you get there? In this book, veteran talent development leader Jess Almlie introduces her formula for becoming the valued strategic business partner (SBP) that leaders in the C-suite and elsewhere in an organization need and want.
Partnering effectively with stakeholders requires a new mindset and behavior, a keen understanding of the business, a willingness to collaborate, and targeted tools. Almlie provides detailed guidance on how to succeed in each of these areas and invites you to start by taking an in-depth assessment of your strengths and gaps in working as an SBP. She shares her own wins and failures along with wisdom from three dozen other L&D pros who work in small, midsize, and large organizations across a wide variety of industries.
This step-by-step guide will help current and aspiring L&D leaders understand business basics, create a playbook for team collaboration, work productively with stakeholders, and teach others to work in harmony with L&D. The final chapter offers practical advice for those who need to take small steps toward becoming SBPs in organizations resistant to change.
This book includes questionnaires, worksheets, and other tools that will help L&D leaders understand business terminology and needs, see a stakeholder’s point of view, and develop strategies for creating effective partnerships and measuring impact. You’ll be able to create a plan for developing and advocating for a team of L&D professionals who all work as strategic business partners.
“Jess has a deep understanding of the state of L&D and a compelling vision for where we need to go. Her no-nonsense strategy is grounded in real stories. Follow the advice on these pages and take your department to the partnership level.”
—Rance Greene, Founder, School of Story Design
“This book couldn’t be more timely. The L&D role is evolving rapidly, and Jess captures one of the most crucial transitions we’re facing with authenticity and clarity. Every L&D professional should see this as a guide to the future—one where simply taking orders is no longer enough, and becoming a true business partner is essential for our role’s survival.”
—Lavinia Mehedintu, Co-Founder and Learning Architect, Offbeat
“Jess Almlie constantly challenges L&D professionals to focus on producing real business results. This book provides a clear road map for learning leaders who feel stuck in an ‘order taker’ role.”
—Christopher Adams, PhD, Principal Consultant, Performance Change Strategies
“This book is a practical guide for L&D professionals striving to do more, help more, and provide greater value to the people they support. It will empower you to break free from legacy practices, change the way people think about L&D, and become an integral partner within your business.”
—JD Dillon, CLO, Axonify; Founder, LearnGeek
“L&D Order Taker No More! is an empowering guide for L&D professionals who want to elevate their role from service providers to strategic business partners. Jess offers practical insights and tools that complement the work of building a strong, capable L&D team poised to drive business impact. This book is a must-read for those ready to shift perspectives and deliver real value to their organizations.”
—Robyn A. Defelice, PhD, Learning Intrapreneur and Strategist, RADLearning
“Like an MBA program tailored specifically for L&D professionals, this book delivers practical frameworks that help you prioritize initiatives and manage limited resources. It’s the only book I’ve encountered offering a playbook for both becoming a strategic business partner and also building strong relationships with other strategic partners in your organization—exactly what learning leaders need to maximize their impact.”
—Alaina Szlachta, PhD, Measurement Architect, By Design Development Solutions
Jess Almlie is a learning and performance strategist with 30 years of experience across multiple industries. Her company, Almlie Consulting, helps L&D leaders and teams in large and small organizations work more strategically, intentionally, and with measurable impact. Jess challenges and empowers L&D professionals to shift the way they think and serve as strategic business partners. She is a sought-after speaker and consultant, hosts a podcast, L&D Must Change, shares ideas in a LinkedIn newsletter, and is active in local, national, and international talent development communities.
Preface
Introduction: Order Takers No More!
Part 1. Stuck
Chapter 1. How We Got Here
Chapter 2. Why We Stay Stuck
Chapter 3. What a Strategic Business Partner Looks Like
Part 2. Foundations
Chapter 4. Understand the Business First
Chapter 5. Build Your Internal and External L&D Playbooks
Chapter 6. Determine Your Key Stakeholders
Part 3. Daily Practice
Chapter 7. Partner With Your Key Stakeholders
Chapter 8. Create Your Learning Strategy
Chapter 9. Master the Strategic Yes and No
Chapter 10. Measure to Make Decisions
Chapter 11. Develop a Team of SBPs
Chapter 12. Find the Opportunity in Every Order
Conclusion: Become a Strategic Business Partner