Ep. 33: From Helpful to Strategic in L&D with Jess Almlie

<p>In this episode of the Learning+ Podcast, Jess Almlie joins Vidya for a thoughtful conversation about what it really takes for L&amp;D to move from being a service function to a strategic partner. Together, they explore how well-intentioned habits can limit L&amp;D’s influence, why saying “yes” isn’t always a problem, how small behavioral shifts change stakeholder relationships, and why self-reported data may be more valuable than we give it credit for. It’s an honest, practical conversation for anyone trying to create real performance impact through learning.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with Jess</strong></p><p><br></p><p>LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie/ </p><p>Website: https://www.jessalmlie.com/ </p><p>Podcast (L&amp;D Must Change): https://www.jessalmlie.com/podcast </p><p>Book (L&amp;D Order Taker No More): https://www.jessalmlie.com/book </p><p><br></p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Jess&#39; Podcast Episode with Chris Taylor (Actionable): https://www.jessalmlie.com/podcast/designing-and-measuring-on-purpose </p><p>2025 Actionable Insights Report: https://pages.actionable.co/insights-impact </p><p>Book (Measurement Demystified by David Vance and Peggy Parskey): https://www.amazon.com/Measurement-Demystified-Creating-Analytics-Reporting/dp/1950496899/ </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with Learnnovators</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Website: https://learnnovators.com/</p><p>LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/learnnovators/</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with Vidya</strong></p><p><br></p><p>LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srividyakumar/ </p><p><br></p>