L&D Order Taker No More!: Become a Strategic Business Partner
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.

1147057618
L&D Order Taker No More!: Become a Strategic Business Partner
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.

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L&D Order Taker No More!: Become a Strategic Business Partner

L&D Order Taker No More!: Become a Strategic Business Partner

by Jess Almlie
L&D Order Taker No More!: Become a Strategic Business Partner

L&D Order Taker No More!: Become a Strategic Business Partner

by Jess Almlie

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$42.99 
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Overview

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.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781960231260
Publisher: Association for Talent Development
Publication date: 09/02/2025
Pages: 336
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

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

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