If your L&D team feels like the corporate equivalent of a fast-food drive-thru (with requests flying in and orders delivered in record time), you’re not alone. In our recent webinar, Avoid the Order-Taker Trap: The Art of the Strategic Yes (and No), learning and performance strategist Jess Almlie, author of L&D Order Taker No More: Become a Strategic Business Partner, talked us through how to close the drive-thru window and step into a very different role: strategic business partner.
Instead of punching in whatever the business orders, whether that be a 30-minute eLearning course or a quick refresher, the session challenged us to reimagine ourselves as more of a professional equal, one who engages in collaborative conversations that solve talent challenges.
Why the “Yes to Everything” Approach Backfires
Most L&D teams lean toward yes. We want to be helpful. We want to be seen as responsive. And honestly, it feels safer to say yes than to push back.
But every yes is also an invisible no: a no to something more strategic, more impactful, or more aligned to the business. When we say yes to every order at the drive-thru window, we say a silent no to:
- Deeper problem analysis
- Strategic initiatives that move the needle
- Building credibility as consultative partners
agreed to, training won’t actually solve the problem, or the work doesn’t connect to any meaningful business outcome.
The First Pivot: Redesign Your Intake as a Filter, Not a Ticket System
Here’s a key mindset shift: intake is not about capturing orders; it’s about qualifying which requests deserve a deeper dive.
Instead of starting with learning outcomes, seat time, and subject matter experts (SMEs) (which assumes a training solution is already approved), a more strategic intake process asks:
- Does something that meets this need already exist?
- Does this connect to a strategic initiative or critical business/compliance need?
- Could this solution scale or prevent bigger problems later?
- Will saying yes here build visibility or trust in the right places?
Think of intake as your high-quality filtration system. Its job isn’t to say yes; it’s to decide whether the request deserves more oxygen and attention.
Sometimes that leads to a fast, strategic no: pointing a stakeholder to existing content, or offering light coaching so they can create their own solution while you stay focused on higher-impact work. Other times, it earns a deeper conversation and the possibility of a truly strategic yes.
Assume You Don’t Know the Problem (Yet)
Start by assuming you don’t know the real problem or the solution yet. All we truly know when someone asks for training is that they’re experiencing a pain point and they believe training might help. That’s it. From there, the role of L&D looks a lot less like an order-taker and a lot more like a diagnostic partner:
- What outcome are they actually trying to achieve?
- What’s happening in the environment (systems, incentives, expectations, feedback)?
- Is there a skills and knowledge gap that learning can realistically address?
A strategic L&D function can’t commit to a learning solution without understanding the full performance picture, so dedicate
yourself to getting a full scope of everything first.
Saying No Without Burning Bridges
This is the scary part: saying no. How can you do it in a way that doesn’t make you come off as rude or insubordinate?
A strategic no isn’t a flat refusal. It’s a considerate, informed response that says, “I’m committed to solving the right problem, not just fulfilling the request.” That might sound like:
- Highlighting misaligned incentives or clunky processes that training can’t fix
- Asking leaders to align on expectations before any learning is built
- Offering to act as a learning SME while the business area creates its own materials
- Suggesting a “circle back” date if capacity is limited or the issue isn’t yet critical
What a Strategic Yes Really Looks Like
When you do arrive at a (strategic) yes, it should feel earned.
A truly strategic yes usually means:
- The request links to strategy, critical risk, or meaningful business value
- Training or learning can actually influence the core problem
- L&D has the capacity and expertise to deliver a high-quality solution
- Stakeholders are willing to partner—providing SMEs, funding, communications, and ongoing support
In other words, you’ve moved from handing out one-off orders to co-designing a sustainable performance “menu” that supports the organization’s long-term health.
How ELB Learning Can Help You Escape the Order-Taker Trap
If you’re ready to close the drive-thru window and reposition your team as a strategic partner, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Our learning strategy services are designed to help L&D teams make this exact shift—from reactive content creators to proactive, trusted advisors.
Our experts partner with you to:
- Redesign or refine your intake process
- Build decision frameworks for strategic yeses and nos
- Align learning initiatives with business goals and performance metrics
- Coach your team in consultative conversations and stakeholder management
Whether you’re just starting to push back on the “we need a quick training” requests or you’re ready to overhaul your entire operating model, we can help you move from order-taking to tangible, measurable impact.
Watch the webinar below to dive deeper into the art of the strategic yes (and no) and see the full conversation.
If you’re ready to transform how your organization sees L&D, reach out to us to learn more about our learning strategy services and how we can support your team’s next chapter.
_______________
Disclaimer: The ideas, perspectives, and strategies shared in this article reflect the expertise of our featured speaker, Jess Almlie. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn to explore more of her insights.
