Many L&D teams are under pressure to deliver business impact—but are held back by disorganisation, unclear positioning, and a lack of strategic focus. In this episode, Guus van Deelen, author of Organising L&D for Results, shares a practical approach for transforming how L&D functions operate from the inside out. Drawing on his experience and research, Guus explores why traditional L&D structures fall short, how organisational context shapes what “good” looks like, and why it’s time for L&D to get closer to the business. He introduces key tools like the L&D Quick Scan and the five L&D ‘chessboards’ that help leaders navigate complexity, make conscious trade-offs, and align their teams for real impact. Guus unpacks the value of structured experimentation, the trade-offs of reporting lines, and how L&D can move from a reactive service to a proactive, credible partner in driving performance. For L&D professionals looking to bring clarity, structure, and business relevance to their function, this episode is a timely and actionable guide. 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 ·  Don´t let day to day tasks stop you from spending time ensuring your L&D department is working optimally. ·  Stop serving the person who shouts loudest. ·  Automate your admin and processes, if you don´t the business will replace you. ·  Truly immerse yourself in the business. ·  L&D Quick Scan is effective and free to download. BEST MOMENTS “Making sure an L&D department is set up for success is very fundamental to everything you want to do .” “An L&D department is never done; it's more about keeping things moving and constantly improving.” “It's not about talking with a manager. It's about going out there, listen, smell, feel. What´s the root cause?” Guus van DeelenGuus van Deelen is a seasoned L&D leader, consultant, speaker, and author of Organising L&D for Results (original Dutch: Leren organiseren). He began his career leading L&D teams at major multinational organisations such as FrieslandCampina, ProRail and SHV, gaining deep insights into the complexities and “messiness” of internal L&D operations. For the past six years, Guus has been operating as an independent consultant, working with over 100 L&D departments across sectors including government, retail, industry, and financial services. He guides organisations through the (re)positioning of their L&D functions—helping teams define governance, structure, and strategy to drive measurable business impact. His first book offers a robust model and actionable methods, including the L&D Quick Scan and the five strategic “chessboards”, that L&D leaders can use to build teams that are credible, aligned, and structured for scale . https://www.linkedin.com/in/guusvandeelen/details/experience Organising L&D for Results book: https://www.amazon.com/Organizing-results-Managing-Learning-Maximum/dp/9462724407 L&D QuickScan and more: https://guusvandeelen.nl/en/downloads   RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 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