Why Training Should Come Last, Not First

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Most L&D teams have this completely backwards.

They start with training. A manager asks for a leadership course, so they build it. A compliance policy changes, so they create something new. Someone says, “We need a workshop,” and before you know it, the learning team is sprinting to deliver.

But then… nothing changes.

No shift in performance. No visible business results. The work gets done, sure, but L&D remains the first team on the chopping block when budgets shrink.

And we’re left wondering: Why don’t they take learning seriously?

Here’s the hard truth: business leaders don’t care about training. They care about results.

If we want to shift from being order-takers to strategic partners, we need to stop leading with learning.

We need to start with strategy.

In this post, I’ll walk you through a new way of working—one that makes L&D indispensable. It’s called the L&D Satellite View, and it’s the same method I teach in my Alignment Roadmap course. If you’ve ever felt like your work isn’t taken seriously, this is how to align learning with business strategy.

If you missed Episode 1 in this series, it’s all about why L&D must become a strategic business function. This post builds directly on that.

The cycle that keeps L&D stuck

It’s not that L&D teams don’t want to be strategic. Most of us deeply care about driving impact. But the way we’re currently working keeps us reactive.

A leader requests training. We ask a few clarifying questions, but it’s clear: they want a course, and they want it now.

So, being helpful and high-performing, we build it.

We deliver it.

And then… nothing shifts.

Because we skipped the most important question: Was training even the right solution?

Here’s the shift we need to make:

Training should be the last thing we do, not the first.

If we don’t start with a clear understanding of the business problem, the strategy behind it, and what’s actually needed to solve it, we’re just throwing content at symptoms.

That’s where the L&D Satellite View comes in.

The L&D Satellite View: a better way to align learning with business strategy

Instead of starting with training requests, we need to zoom out—way out—and then zoom in again.

The Satellite View is how you understand the broader environment, the people you serve, your industry shifts, and your company’s real goals. And only then—once all that’s clear—do you start designing training.

Let’s break it down.

1. Look at Global and Macro Trends

Start by looking at what’s happening outside your organization.

How is the world of work changing? Think AI, automation, hybrid models, economic uncertainty, generational shifts. These trends directly impact what people need to learn—and how they need to learn it.

If we’re not paying attention to these trends, we’re making learning decisions in a vacuum.

Some questions to ask:

• What technologies are changing how people do their jobs?
• What new skills are becoming essential?
• Which roles are becoming obsolete?

Learning teams that stay stuck in yesterday’s skills won’t prepare their organizations for tomorrow’s needs.

2. Consider What Employees Actually Want

Learning only works when people engage with it. So let’s stop designing training that checks a box and start creating experiences people actually want.

Employees today want meaningful development. They want flexibility. They want career progression—not just compliance slides.

Ask yourself:

• Are people engaging with what we offer—or avoiding it?
• Do they see learning as valuable—or a waste of time?
• Are our programs helping them grow—or just filling up their calendar?

If you’re not designing around what people value, you won’t see results—no matter how polished your program is.

3. Pay Attention to Industry Shifts

Most L&D teams don’t spend nearly enough time tracking what’s changing in their industry—and it shows.

Industries evolve quickly. Roles that mattered five years ago are disappearing. New priorities are taking their place.

For example:

• In financial services, the focus has shifted from compliance and customer service to cybersecurity, AI literacy, and digital client experiences.
• In retail, it’s no longer just about frontline sales and store leadership. Now it’s logistics, data analysis, and digital customer journeys.

If you’re not tracking how your industry is evolving, your learning strategy will always lag behind.

Ask:

• What roles in our space are changing—or disappearing?
• What new capabilities are becoming mission-critical?
• What are our competitors doing to build future skills?

Companies that prepare now will win. The rest? They’ll be playing catch-up when it’s too late.

4. Align with Your Company’s Real Priorities

Now it’s time to zoom in on your organization.

Here’s the thing: your company doesn’t care about training. They care about performance, about growth. They care about results.

If your learning strategy isn’t directly tied to the business strategy, it’s just noise.

Forget what’s on the company values page. Find out what leadership is actually focused on. Is it revenue? Retention? Innovation? Expansion? Digital transformation?

Then, map your entire L&D strategy to those goals.

For example:

• If the business wants to grow revenue, L&D should focus on sales enablement, customer success, and leadership acceleration.
• If retention is the issue, invest in career pathing, manager effectiveness, and internal mobility.
• If innovation is key, lead the charge on digital fluency, AI skills, and cross-functional capability building.

Everything you create should answer one simple question: How does this help the business achieve its goals?

If it doesn’t… it’s not strategic.

5. Finally, Design the Right Solution to Align Learning with Business Strategy

Once you’ve done all of the above, now you can look at learning solutions.

But this time, you’re not guessing. You’re solving.

You know exactly what’s needed, who it’s for, and how it connects to real outcomes.

You’re asking:

• What’s currently working—and what isn’t?
• What skills are missing?
• What needs to be designed to actually drive impact?

This is where L&D moves from order-taker to business enabler.

And that changes everything.

Real Example: Tactical vs. Strategic L&D

Let’s look at two real companies, both of which I’ve worked in.

Company A had a very typical L&D team. They delivered high-quality content, responded to every request, and ran programs non-stop.

But none of it was linked to business priorities. They couldn’t show ROI. And when the business needed to make cuts?

L&D was first on the list.

Company B, on the other hand, used this strategic alignment approach. They started with company goals, then reverse-engineered everything they built. Leadership saw L&D as essential, because it was driving revenue, retention, and readiness. Because it could align learning with business strategy.

Guess who got laid off?
(I’ll let you figure it out.)

Want to Make This Shift? Start Here.

I created a course that walks you through this exact process, the one I use with clients and teach in workshops.

🎯 It’s called the L&D Alignment Roadmap, and it’s on Udemy.

You’ll learn how to:

• Analyze business strategy
• Connect learning to real outcomes
• Build leadership buy-in
• Prove L&D’s impact

And it’s under $100.

👉 Click here to check it out and start leading with strategy, not just training.

What’s Next?

Now that you know how to align learning with strategy, the next challenge is proving it’s working.

That’s what we’ll cover in Episode 3: how to measure and demonstrate the business impact of L&D—so your work isn’t just seen as valuable… it’s seen as essential.

Make sure you subscribe, turn on notifications, and drop a comment:

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to aligning L&D with strategy? I’d love to hear from you.

Final Thought

If your company fully understood the impact of learning, how would that change your role?

Would you still be waiting for training requests—or would you be leading conversations in the boardroom?

That’s the shift we’re making.

And this is how it starts.

P.S. I’ve created a “L&D Impact Checklist” that you can download here.