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.
Take your L&D to the next level
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."
"Build it and they will come. That is bulls**t. They will not come....because we are not marketing it."
"We should be anchoring every training we have to that high customer value."
Tracie Cantu Bio
Tracie Cantu, MHRM, CPTD is a recognised expert in learning operations and technology with more than two decades of experience leading and transforming enterprise L&D functions. Her career spans aviation, government, retail, and tech, including senior roles such as Director of Learning Technology at Whole Foods Market (Amazon), Head of Learning Ecosystems at Meta, and L&D leadership at Atlassian. Today she serves as CEO and Chief Learning Strategist at Your CLO, where she partners with CHROs, COOs, and senior L&D leaders to modernise learning operations, optimise technology ecosystems, and implement scalable processes that drive measurable business impact. A sought-after international speaker, Tracie regularly presents at major industry events including ATD and Learning Technologies UK. She is the author of Running L&D Like a Business
https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciemcantu/
https://www.yourclo.net/
Running L&D Like a Business Book - https://www.yourclo.net/running-l-d-like-a-business
VALUABLE RESOURCES
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home
ABOUT THE HOST
David James
David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.
As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.
CONTACT METHOD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidinlearning
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin
L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective
Blog: https://360learning.com/blog
L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
