Running L&D Like a Business with Tracie Cantu

In this episode of The Learning & Development Podcast, David James is joined by Tracie Cantu to discuss her book Running L&D Like a Business. Tracie shares the L&D leadership experience that shaped her perspective and what compelled her to write the book.

They explore what it truly means to run L&D like a business and why this mindset is so often missing, before diving into the Learning Operations Business Model and its four core components, and the three buckets of the Learning Operations Blueprint. Tracie unpacks the important distinction between the "customer" and the "consumer" of learning, explains what good governance looks like without it becoming bureaucracy, and makes the case for prioritising people and process before technology.

Tracie also shares her advocacy for a go-to-market strategy for internal learning initiatives and closes with practical advice for listeners on where and how to begin applying these frameworks in their own organisations.

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Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership.

It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model

KEY TAKEAWAYS

L&D’s challenge isn’t talent or effort, it´s a weak operating model - regardless of the industry.  Treating L&D as a business function is what fixes this problem.

Every initiative must tie clearly to helping the organisation make money, save money or reduce risk, while still delivering a fit‑for‑purpose learner experience.  

High‑impact programmes are launched, not just built apply go‑to‑market thinking, marketing assets and find champions to demonstrate the benefits so that your great work doesn’t become shelfware.  

BEST MOMENTS

"Our job is to help them make money, save money, and reduce risk - if we´re not, then it´s not aligned to the business goals."