When You Have to Take the Order, Find the Opportunity

You may not always have the option to push back on training requests, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck in order-taking mode forever. 

Join Jess Almlie, Talent Development and Performance Strategist and author of the book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner as we dive into the continuum that is Strategic business partnership. We'll examine the small shifts made within each training request that can gradually move you and your team closer to the strategic end. You’ll learn how to reframe the work you’re already doing by uncovering overlooked opportunities hiding in plain sight.

We’ll focus on how to spot and activate practical shifts that can elevate your impact without needing to say no or challenge the request upfront. Each opportunity you take is a step toward greater credibility, alignment, and influence as a strategic business partner. Through partner discussions, group brainstorms, and rapid-fire idea sharing, you’ll leave with fresh perspective and ready-to-apply tactics. This session is for L&TD professionals who want to go beyond delivering training and start advancing strategic value, one request at a time. 

You'll learn how to:

Reframe training “orders” as opportunities to move closer to working as a strategic business partner.

Apply simple strategies to shift stakeholder perceptions of L&TD without changing the ask, setting you up for future success.

Use practical, low-barrier tactics to increase business alignment and demonstrate strategic thinking while still fulfilling training requests.

Your Speaker, Jess Almlie

Jess Almlie is an award-winning Learning & Talent Development strategist, consultant, and speaker who helps organizations unlock the full strategic potential of L&TD. A former Vice President of Learning with three decades of experience, Jess partners with organizations to align learning with business strategy, close performance gaps, and lead change through people.

She is the founder of Almlie Consulting, host of the podcast L&D Must Change, and author of L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner (ATD Press). Recognized as the 2025 Learning Guild Master for her outstanding contributions to the L&D profession, Jess is known for turning insight into action and helping L&D professionals shift from reactive order takers to influential business partners.