L&D’s Identity Crisis: Why Supporting the Business Isn’t Enough Anymore, with Al Dea
Apr 2, 2025
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Al Dea, founder of Edge of Work and host of the Edge of Work podcast, redefines the role of Learning and Development (L&D) within organizations. He argues that L&D shouldn't just be a support function but rather a strategic partner in business transformation. Al emphasizes the importance of embedding learning into business strategies, leveraging skills data, and adopting agile methodologies. He addresses the identity crisis L&D faces and encourages leaders to shift their focus from merely delivering training to solving pressing business challenges.
L&D is evolving from a support function to a strategic partner, focusing on solving real business problems rather than simply delivering training.
The integration of skills data into business strategies enables L&D to align learning initiatives with organizational goals and drive transformation.
Top-down support from leadership is crucial in fostering a skills-based culture and ensuring effective resource allocation for L&D initiatives.
Deep dives
Evolving Roles of L&D in Organizations
Learning and Development (L&D) is transitioning from being viewed primarily as a support function to taking on a more proactive role as a problem solver within organizations. Many companies recognize the importance of linking learning to business transformation, seeing it as essential to achieving strategic objectives. For instance, organizations like Salesforce emphasize learning because it directly supports customer adoption of their products, demonstrating a clear connection between learning initiatives and business outcomes. This shift in perception allows L&D leaders to gain a metaphorical 'seat at the table', influencing high-level decisions and contributing to overall company success.
Challenges in Gaining Influence and Relevance
Despite the evolving role, many L&D functions continue to struggle with gaining influence within their organizations, often perceived as 'order-takers' rather than strategic partners. This challenge can stem from a lack of understanding about the core business problems or an inability to address those problems with suitable learning solutions. Tapping into external feedback from leaders about their skill needs can help L&D departments develop the business acumen necessary to address actual challenges. To bridge this gap, L&D professionals should focus on understanding the context of their organization and the pains that leaders face, allowing them to better align their initiatives with organizational goals.
The Importance of Skills in Learning Strategy
The conversation around skills is increasingly central to L&D strategies as organizations aim to adopt skills-based hiring and develop their talent pools. Companies must look beyond merely assigning skills to job roles; a more innovative approach includes identifying specific tasks and competencies needed for organizational success. This shift helps organizations tap into the true potential of their workforce, allowing for greater adaptability and efficiency. Moreover, understanding that skills serve as a common language across departments can facilitate collaboration and enhance overall productivity within a company.
Future of L&D: Rethinking Organizational Mindsets
As organizations embrace the future, L&D must challenge traditional mindsets and rethink how they define talent and skills. Developing a more systemic approach that incorporates data and innovative practices—such as agile project management—can enhance the efficacy of L&D initiatives. Initially, change may be uncomfortable, particularly for HR teams accustomed to established processes; however, a willingness to innovate and adapt is crucial for long-term success. Addressing both individual skills and broader organizational structures will be essential for L&D to remain relevant and drive meaningful change.
Paving the Way for Comprehensive Skill Transformation
Organizations successfully pursuing skills-based strategies often initiate their transformation efforts from the top down, with executive leadership promoting a culture centered on skill development. Acknowledging that building a skills framework is a journey allows for more effective planning and resource allocation. For example, AstraZeneca's approach, which began with leadership support for a skills initiative, highlights the necessity of sustained commitment from the top. Embracing this mindset not only fosters a learning culture but also provides the patience needed to navigate through the complexities and challenges that arise during the transformation process.
Many L&D teams still see themselves as a support function—creating learning programs, responding to training requests, and advocating for development. But in a rapidly changing business landscape, is that enough?
In this episode, Al Dea, founder of Edge of Work, challenges the traditional identity of L&D and makes the case for a more strategic role—one that positions learning as a core driver of business transformation, not just an enabler of it.
We dive into the recurring struggle for L&D to "get a seat at the table" and why that framing might be holding teams back. Instead of waiting for an invitation, L&D leaders must shift their focus from delivering learning to solving real business problems.
Al shares insights on how forward-thinking organizations are embedding learning into business strategy, leveraging skills data, and embracing new ways of working—such as agile methodologies and systems thinking—to drive real impact.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
(00:00) L&D’s Identity Crisis
(05:10) Why L&D struggles for influence and how to fix it
(12:40) The shift from support function to strategic problem-solver
(20:50) The role of skills data in transforming L&D
(32:00) Challenges and mindset shifts needed for L&D leaders
(42:41) Final thoughts and why Al Dea does this work
