How to Begin Moving From Reactive to Strategic

Too often, Learning and Development professionals find themselves reacting to requests, churning out courses, and struggling to prove their value. In this episode, Jess Almlie—L&D leader and author of L&D Order Taker No More—shares how L&D teams can stop spinning their wheels and start stepping into a more strategic, credible role.

Drawing from her 20+ years of experience and the insights in her new book, Jess unpacks why L&D gets stuck, how legacy thinking from stakeholders holds us back, and what it takes to shift from service provider to business partner. She introduces tools like the "Order Taker Assessment," the power of building a vision, and the role of strategic playbooks in aligning stakeholders across the business.

Jess also explores the reality of organisational politics, the importance of truly understanding your business, and the small, intentional steps that help L&D earn trust and influence over time.

For anyone who’s tired of being reactive and wants to build a more impactful L&D function—this episode offers both validation and a clear path forward.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Moving from being order takers to true business partners means saying no to low-impact requests and focusing on work that drives organisational goals.

L&D needs to get off of the content creation hamster wheel.

Navigating organizational politics, the “unwritten rules” of how work gets done, is essential, not optional.

Operate with integrity and savvy, not naivety or ego.

BEST MOMENTS

“If you stand in one place on the beach and apply gentle pressure with your foot and slowly massage the sand, eventually you create a deep indent.”

"We need to operate as if we are a part of the business, not as separate.”

“This is a mindset and cultural shift for the entire organisation about how to work with L&D.”

Jess Almlie Bio

Jess Almlie is a seasoned Learning and Development leader, consultant, speaker, and author of L&D Order Taker No More. With over two decades of experience across sectors including healthcare, education, and financial services, Jess has led enterprise learning strategies that focus on business alignment, stakeholder engagement, and measurable impact. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Learning Experience at WEX.

Drawing on her own journey from instructional designer to senior L&D executive, Jess helps practitioners diagnose the factors keeping them stuck and take deliberate steps toward becoming strategic business partners. Her work blends deep organisational insight with practical tools - like assessments, playbooks, and stakeholder mapping - to help L&D teams earn influence and deliver real value.

Jess is helping to reshape what it means to be effective in L&D today - moving beyond reactivity to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie

L&D Must Change Podcast: https://www.jessalmlie.com/podcast

Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Order-Taker-No-More-Strategic-ebook/dp/B0F83XBBCV

VALUABLE RESOURCES

L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home

ABOUT DAVID JAMES

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.

https://twitter.com/davidinlearning

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin

https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective

https://360learning.com/blog

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/