Picture this: You've just delivered a program that saved your company $3 million. You're buzzing with excitement, ready to share the win with leadership. But your manager pulls you aside and says, "Great work, but keep this quiet. If finance hears about this, they'll cut our budget and expect us to deliver savings like this every quarter."
Sound familiar? You work your ass off, deliver real business impact, then get told to hide in the shadows. Meanwhile, that marketing campaign that "increased brand awareness" gets celebrated company-wide, even though no one can prove it drove a single sale.
This is the reality most L&D professionals face. We create transformational value, but we're terrible at making it visible. We wait for invitations to meetings we should be leading. We ask for permission to solve problems we already know how to fix.
Above is the recording from Dr. Keith Keating's fireside chat with L&D Shakers, where he unpacked insights from his new book "Hidden Value." Below are my key takeaways to help you stop hiding your impact and start controlling your narrative.
Why most L&D professionals stay trapped as order takers
Keith shared a brutal truth: We wait for clarity instead of creating it. When AI emerged, how many of us spent months paralyzed by fear instead of diving in to explore how it could make us more valuable? When stakeholders complain about business challenges, how often do we say "that's not a learning problem" instead of "here's how we can help solve that"?
The shift from order taker to strategic business partner isn't about getting better at what you already do. It's about fundamentally changing how you show up.
Your reality check: Stop waiting for the perfect moment, the right invitation, or leadership buy-in. Keith didn't ask permission to rebrand his team from "learning and development" to "talent development." He just did it. When someone introduced him as "Keith from training," he politely corrected them: "I'm Keith from talent development."
✅ What works: Control your narrative through small, consistent actions
✅ What works: Proactively insert your perspective into business discussions
✅ What works: Use research and external data to support your viewpoints
❌ What doesn't: Waiting for leadership to recognize your value
❌ What doesn't: Asking permission to solve obvious problems
❌ What doesn't: Limiting yourself to "learning solutions only"
The four P's framework reveals value hiding in plain sight
Keith breaks hidden value into four categories: People, Programs, Processes, and Partnerships. Most L&D teams obsess over basic program metrics (completion rates, satisfaction scores) while completely missing where the real value lives.
People value isn't about training numbers. It's about the confidence someone gained to apply for a leadership role, the retention of a high performer who was about to quit, or the improved team dynamics after a difficult conversation workshop.
Program value goes beyond completions to actual business impact. Did your leadership program help a team hit their quarterly target? Did your customer service training increase satisfaction scores? These outcomes matter more than how many people showed up.
Process value shows up in reduced onboarding time, fewer errors requiring rework, or streamlined access to tools and information. One team I worked with cut new hire ramp time by three weeks. That meant senior account managers could hand off accounts earlier, generating four additional weeks of revenue per new hire.
Partnership value is where Keith spends 50% of his time, and it has nothing to do with learning. He listens to stakeholders complain about business challenges, then connects them with others facing similar issues or shares relevant research. He's become the go-to connector across business units.
Here's how to audit your hidden value right now:
→ People audit: Who got promoted after your programs? Who stayed because of your interventions? Who gained confidence to take on bigger challenges?
→ Program audit: Which initiatives directly contributed to business outcomes? What targets were hit because of capability development?
→ Process audit: What inefficiencies did you eliminate? How much time did you save? What errors did you prevent?
→ Partnership audit: Which business units do you regularly collaborate with? What insights do you provide beyond learning solutions?
Build your own table instead of begging for a seat
The traditional advice is "get a seat at the table." Keith flips this: "Build your own table and invite others to sit with you." This isn't just motivational fluff—it's a complete strategic reframe.
When you're trying to get invited to someone else's meeting, you're giving them all the power. You're positioning yourself as someone who needs permission to have a voice. But when you create your own forums, you control the agenda, the participants, and the outcomes.
Keith's "Speak with Impact" program is a perfect example. Instead of asking permission to create a leadership development program, he quietly ran it for six people. Those six told their friends. Soon he had a 200-person waitlist and executives asking when they could get their teams enrolled.
Your move: Identify one problem you know you can solve. Start small with a handful of willing participants. Let the results speak for themselves. Don't announce it company-wide—let organic demand build through word of mouth.
This approach works because you're demonstrating value before asking for investment. You're proving demand exists before seeking approval. Most importantly, you're controlling the narrative from day one.
Friends of learning communities create unstoppable advocacy
Most L&D teams spend enormous energy trying to convince skeptics while completely ignoring their biggest fans. Keith flips this by creating "learning communities" of people who already appreciate L&D's value.
Here's his exact framework: Have each team member identify five "friends of learning"—people who already support what you do. Your leader sends one email inviting them to join a quarterly virtual call. That's it. No budget required, no approval needed.
The magic happens in how you structure these calls:
- First 3-4 minutes → Share what you launched last quarter (because your emails went to spam)
- Next 5 minutes → Preview what's coming next quarter
- Remaining time → Listen and learn
Ask these questions to uncover goldmine insights:
- What was your best learning experience at this organization?
- What do you need that we're not currently offering?
- What's your biggest work challenge right now? (Not learning-related—just business challenges)
The data you collect becomes ammunition for proactive stakeholder conversations. You can approach business leaders with insights like: "I've been talking with frontline workers in your division. Three themes emerged that I thought you should know about..."
You've just positioned yourself as someone who has their finger on the pulse of the business, not someone waiting for orders.
Why your brand promise matters more than your ROI calculations
Every function has a brand whether they manage it or not. Keith's brutal question: "What do people say about you when you're not there?" That conversation happening in hallways and Slack channels—that's your brand.
If the perception is that you're slow, reactive, or just "the training people," that becomes your reality regardless of your actual impact. Keith's team brand promise at BDO is simple: "We help people grow so the organization can grow."
But here's what most people miss: your brand isn't defined by your intentions. It's defined by your impact. You can have the most beautiful mission statement in the world, but if stakeholders experience you as an order-taking training department, that's your brand.
The solution isn't better marketing—it's consistent delivery of visible, measurable value. Every interaction either reinforces or contradicts your brand promise.
Your brand audit: Survey five stakeholders about their perception of your team.
Ask:
- When you think of our team, what three words come to mind?
- What's one thing we do really well?
- What's one thing we could improve?
- How would you describe us to a new colleague?
Don't make this formal or scary. Frame it as "helping us serve you better." The answers will tell you everything you need to know about your current brand.
Context is king: Why copying success stories fails
Keith emphasized something most conference speakers won't admit: context matters more than tactics. That brilliant learning community strategy that worked at BDO might flop at your company because of cultural differences, leadership dynamics, or organizational maturity.
The temptation is to copy successful case studies verbatim. Keith pushes back on this Instagram-worthy success story culture. He still gets treated like an order taker despite his doctorate, published books, and proven track record. Why? Because every new stakeholder, new project, or new company resets expectations.
This reality is liberating once you accept it. You stop looking for the perfect strategy and start experimenting with what works in your specific context. You recognize that building influence is ongoing work, not a one-time achievement.
Your approach: Take Keith's frameworks and adapt them to your culture. Start with small experiments. Measure what resonates with your stakeholders. Adjust based on feedback, not because it worked for someone else.
The goal isn't to become Keith Keating. It's to become the most effective version of yourself in your specific environment.
The compound effect of small narrative shifts
The most powerful moment in Keith's session wasn't about grand strategy—it was about micro-corrections. When introduced as "Keith from training," he stayed seated until the room noticed, then said, "I guess we're waiting for Keith from training, but that's not me. I'm Keith from talent development."
These tiny moments compound over time. Each correction shifts perception slightly. Each proactive insight positions you as a business thinker. Each partnership conversation demonstrates your value beyond learning solutions.
You don't need to revolutionize your entire approach overnight. You need to consistently show up differently than people expect. Eventually, the new narrative becomes the default narrative.
Your daily practice:
- In your next stakeholder meeting, share one business insight unrelated to learning
- When someone asks about "training," respond with how you're "developing capability"
- Proactively schedule 15 minutes with one business partner to understand their challenges
- Add one non-learning skill to your LinkedIn headline
- Connect two colleagues who are facing similar challenges
Remember Keith's final words: "Learning changes lives." That's not corporate speak—it's the reason you chose this profession. But changing lives requires more than great content and engaging delivery. It requires influence, partnership, and strategic thinking.
The hidden value was never really hidden. You just needed permission to reveal it.
And you don't need anyone's permission but your own.
Common questions on how L&D can prove business impact
Q: What if my CEO still sees us as just training after I try these strategies?
A: Persistence beats perfection here. Senior leaders have years of conditioning about what L&D does. One corrected introduction won't flip their mental model overnight.
The key is consistent evidence over time. Document every business insight you provide, every cross-departmental connection you make, every process improvement you identify. Keep a "value evidence file" and reference it in quarterly reviews.
More importantly, stop trying to convince your CEO directly. Focus on their direct reports—the people who brief them. When you become indispensable to a department head, they'll start describing you differently in leadership meetings. "Our talent development partner helped us identify why customer retention was dropping" carries more weight than your own self-advocacy.
Timeline reality check: Expect 12-18 months for genuine perception shifts at the C-level. But you'll see stakeholder behavior changes in 3-6 months if you're consistent.
Q: How do you handle stakeholders who actively resist L&D involvement in business discussions?
A: First, diagnose the resistance type. Is it past trauma from bad L&D experiences? Territorial protection of their domain? Genuine belief that learning can't solve business problems?
For trauma-based resistance, acknowledge it directly: "I know training hasn't always delivered what you needed. Let me show you how we're approaching this differently." Then prove it with small wins before asking for bigger opportunities.
For territorial stakeholders, use the "consultant approach." Instead of inserting yourself into their area, ask for their expertise in yours: "You know customer behavior better than anyone. Could you spend 15 minutes helping me understand what's driving the retention challenges so we can design better support for your team?"
For genuine skeptics, bring external validation. Share case studies from their industry peers, reference research from sources they respect, or connect them with other business leaders who've seen L&D drive measurable outcomes.
The nuclear option: Work around them temporarily. Build relationships with their team members directly. When their people start requesting your help and seeing results, the resistant stakeholder becomes the outlier.
Q: What specific language do you use when 'translating' L&D work for finance teams?
A: Stop using L&D language entirely when talking to finance. Here's the translation framework:
- Instead of "improved employee engagement" → "reduced voluntary turnover costs by $X per retained employee"
- Instead of "leadership development" → "increased span of control efficiency, reducing management overhead by Y%"
- Instead of "skills training" → "decreased error rates, saving $X in rework and customer service recovery"
Use their vocabulary: ROI, cost avoidance, efficiency gains, risk mitigation, revenue protection. Never lead with "learning outcomes"—lead with business outcomes that learning enabled.
Most importantly, ask finance how they measure value in other departments. What metrics do they use for marketing ROI? How do they justify IT infrastructure investments? Mirror their evaluation frameworks instead of creating your own.
Example script: "This capability development initiative prevented an estimated $200K in customer churn based on our retention analysis. The investment was $50K, delivering a 4:1 return using the same methodology we use for customer acquisition campaigns."
Q: How do you balance being proactive without seeming pushy or overstepping?
A: The difference between proactive and pushy is permission and timing. Always ask before inserting yourself: "I've been thinking about the challenge you mentioned with new hire productivity. Would it be helpful if I did some research on how other teams have tackled similar issues?"
Use the "breadcrumb strategy." Drop one insight or connection, then wait to see if they engage before offering more. If they respond positively, you have implicit permission to continue. If they don't engage, back off and try again in a few weeks.
Create natural invitation opportunities. When you hear about business challenges in meetings, follow up via email: "That customer experience issue you mentioned got me thinking. I came across some research that might be relevant. Would you like me to send it over?" You're offering value, not demanding attention.
Set boundaries for yourself: Limit proactive outreach to once per month per stakeholder unless they respond positively. If someone consistently ignores your attempts to add value, redirect that energy to more receptive partners.
Q: Does this approach work in heavily regulated industries where compliance training dominates?
A: Compliance training is actually your secret weapon, not your limitation. You have guaranteed access to every employee, mandatory engagement from leadership, and direct connection to business risk management.
Reframe compliance as risk mitigation and operational efficiency. Instead of "we completed 500 compliance training modules," say "we reduced regulatory risk exposure across 500 employees while identifying three process gaps that could have cost us $2M in penalties."
Use compliance training as a Trojan horse for broader capability development. Build leadership principles into harassment prevention training. Include communication skills in your safety protocols. Embed change management concepts into regulatory updates.
Most importantly, use your compliance data to identify business problems before they escalate. Which departments have the highest training completion delays? Where do you see repeated knowledge gaps? This intelligence makes you invaluable to operations leaders.
The pharmaceutical L&D leader who transformed her role didn't abandon compliance—she became the compliance intelligence expert who could predict operational risks before they materialized. That's strategic business partnership.
