Foster Strategic Relationships

Have you done your homework to understand your industry, organization, and business line leaders' needs? Doing so will make you—and the rest of the talent development team—indispensable.

In "Become a Trusted Partner to Drive Performance," Danielle Wallace offers guidance on how to consult with intent.

Assess the need. Work with stakeholders early and often to understand business challenges and determine what success looks like.

Understand the problem. Don't settle for surface-level concerns. Gather data via surveys, interviews, or workforce analytics. That will enable you to solve the real business challenge and gain credibility in the process.

Present findings. Share what you've learned with business leaders, using methods and a language with which they can connect.

Develop and implement solutions. Co-create initiatives with stakeholders to address the problem. That may mean initiating a pilot project or redirecting the conversation to better understand the issue. Your goal is to ensure relevance and buy-in from leadership.

Evaluate the results. Use metrics that matter to the stakeholder, such as a reduction in system errors or quicker time to productivity.

School yourself in what the company values, how the external environment shapes business concerns, and industry best practices. Realize that it will be an ongoing effort as training methods, technology, and the regulatory environment evolve.

These tips were adapted from the October 2025 issue of TD at Work. Learn more at td.org/TDatWork.