TLB #45🧠 Why high-performing L&D teams stand out (And how to become one)
A bi-weekly inside scoop on all the hottest events, juicy discussions, and oh-so-many other exciting things happening in our dynamic L&D community. 🧡
Hello Shaker,
Here’s all that you’ll experience in today’s issue:
💡Learning Bites: Why high-performing L&D teams stand out (And how to become one)
🗓️ Community Calendar: Be part of local hub meet-ups happening in your city and Thought Lab on Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of L&D
🖌️ Community Creations: Coaching for L&D – 8th Edition is here!
🔖 Resource Reel: A collection of resources on workplace trends, influencing culture, retrospectives, leadership programs and many more.
Learning Bites 💡
Happy New Year, Shakers! 🥳 I’m excited to be back in your inbox. I hope you had time to rest, reset, and maybe even reflect on what’s ahead. 💕 Speaking of looking ahead……let’s talk about setting a powerful vision for your L&D team this year.
Ever wondered what separates high-performing teams from just… regular ones? 🤔 It’s not just skill, tools, or even experience. It’s something deeper—a shared vision.
Without a clear team vision, teams wander. They work hard, but not necessarily in the right direction. Google's manager research found that having a compelling vision is crucial—it keeps everyone focused and moving forward.
“A team without a clear vision is like a ship without a compass—drifting aimlessly, unsure of where it's headed.”
Now, as we flip the calendar to a new year 📆 (and for many companies, a new fiscal year), it’s the perfect time to step back, take a deep breath, and define what’s next for your L&D team. How will you contribute to your organization’s success this year? How can you shift from being seen as an “order taker” to a true strategic partner?
This is where setting a team vision comes in. Let’s talk about why most L&D teams struggle without one and how you can build yours with some fun and engaging exercises.
What happens when L&D teams lack a clear vision?
In an ordinary L&D team, the manager acts as the navigator—the one reading the map and plotting the course. But in high-performing teams, everyone is reading the map, adjusting the sails, and deciding the direction together.
Common struggles of L&D teams without a vision:
❌ Seen as order takers – Only executing requests from leadership instead of shaping strategy.
❌ No clear identity – Team members have different ideas about what success looks like.
❌ Lack of alignment – Efforts are scattered, making it hard to prove impact.
❌ Low engagement – Without a purpose, team members feel like they’re just checking boxes.
On the flip side, when an L&D team has a shared vision, it becomes a guiding light. It clarifies why you exist, what impact you want to create, and how you’ll work together to make it happen.
Visioning exercises to set your team up for success
Time to roll up those sleeves! These exercises will help your team define, refine, and align around a shared vision. Pick one (or a few) that resonate with your team’s style.
🔮 Future Thinking
1️⃣ Futurespective – Travel to the future and look back. 👀
Ask the team: Imagine we completely FAILED to achieve our goals. What went wrong?
Then ask: "Imagine we SUCCEEDED beyond our wildest dreams. What did we do right?
Use the responses to identify what to avoid and what to focus on.
2️⃣ Future Self – Personal growth meets team vision. 📜
Each team member writes or draws a version of their "future self" after a successful year.
Have them describe what skills they’ve built, what projects they’re proud of, and how they’ve contributed to the team’s impact.
Discuss as a group: How can we make these future versions a reality?
3️⃣ Best Day Ever – Design your dream workday. 🏆
Ask your team member: What would an ideal day at work look like?
Encourage creativity! Maybe it’s more collaboration and more innovation.
Identify common themes and use them to shape team priorities.
🎨 Creative & Playful
1️⃣ Storyboarding – Sketch the team’s future. 🖼
Provide blank sheets and markers.
Ask the team to visually map out where you are now, where you want to be, and key milestones along the way. You can also think of some specific questions that you would like your team to reflect upon.
Use 1-2-4 and all structure to share and discuss common themes that .
2️⃣ Visioning Tree – Rooted in strengths, reaching for goals. 🌳
Draw a tree on a large sheet.
Label parts as follows:
🌥 Clouds = Your dream vision
🍃 Leaves = What you hope to create
🌳 Trunk = Team’s strengths and resources
🌱 Roots = Individual strengths each member brings
Reflect: What’s missing? What needs to grow?
3️⃣ The Movie Trailer – Turn your vision into a story. 🎭
Imagine your team’s work being turned into an inspiring movie.
What would the title be? Who are the main characters? What’s the story? What’s the plot?
🚀 Action-Oriented
1️⃣ Reverse Engineering Success – Break it down. 🛤
Start with a big-picture goal (e.g., "We want to be seen as strategic partners in the org.")
Work backwards to identify the steps needed to get there.
Assign actionable tasks to different team members.
📌 The "Hell Yes!" Test – Prioritize with confidence.
1️⃣ List out all potential team goals.
2️⃣ Ask: “Does this make us say HELL YES! or just ‘meh’?”
3️⃣ Keep the HELL YES priorities, and drop the rest. This helps focus on what truly matters.
🎯 Success Criteria Mapping – Define what "winning" looks like.
1️⃣ Ask: “What would make us say ‘we absolutely nailed it this year’?”
2️⃣ Get specific—measurable, tangible outcomes.
3️⃣ Align these criteria with your vision to create accountability.
Bringing it all together
Crafting a team vision isn’t just a one-time exercise—it’s an ongoing conversation. Once you define it, make it visible (put it on a Miro board, a slide, or even a fun video). More importantly, live it—use it to guide decisions, priorities, and team culture.
A strong L&D team vision does more than just align efforts—it transforms the way you work, the impact you create, and how others see your team.
So, take that step. Grab a whiteboard, set up a Miro board, or just start a conversation. Because when your team is clear on where you’re going, the journey becomes a whole lot more exciting. 🚀
If you made it this far—you rock! 🎉
Coming Up Next
Community Calendar 🗓️
New year, new opportunities! We’ve got some incredible events lined up to help you learn, connect, and grow with the L&D Shakers community. 🔥
Community Creations 🖌️
Coaching for L&D – 8th Edition is here!
Our incredible community of coaches is back, ready to help you unlock new insights, tackle challenges, and experience the true impact of coaching. 🙌 Whether you're looking for clarity, growth, or just a fresh perspective, this is your chance!
How does it work?
🌍 26 amazing coaches – Each with unique skills and approaches, ready to support you.
➡️ Pick your coach – Browse the list on Notion and book your session.
✅ Secure your spot – Fill out the intake form you receive after booking.
📅 Have your session – Gain insights, clarity, and actionable takeaways.
✨ Give back – Show your appreciation by donating to Save the Children.
A huge shoutout to all the coaches making this possible! 💙
Cool Stuff You Don’t Wanna Miss Out
Resource Reel 🔖
9 trends that will shape work in 2025 and beyond- Gartner’s latest research reveals three major challenges for leaders: workforce readiness, evolving management roles, and emerging talent risks. Their nine predictions cover AI, retention, collaboration, and more—helping you stay ahead of the curve.
Influencing culture – A skills-based approach- This article breaks down a practical, no-nonsense approach to influencing culture—by connecting the Perspective-taking skill to successful business outcomes, rather than relying on traditional value-based initiatives.
Tell, Show, Do, Review: An essential learning blueprint- How often it happen that you miss the ‘do’ and ‘review’ stage while designing your learning experiences? This article takes you through each stage along with examples so that you design experiences in the way learners learn.
48 Questions to ask in retrospectives- Tired of the same old retrospectives? Spice things up with these questions to think beyond the obvious and generate innovative ideas.
Why leadership-development programs fail- Many companies struggle to develop great leaders because they fall into four common traps—generic training, lack of real-world application, ignoring behavioural shifts, and poor tracking. Avoid these pitfalls with insights from this classic.
How to make your team’s work more visible- Helping your team members get the recognition they deserve isn’t just good for them—it’s a game-changer for you as a leader. It proves you know how to develop talent and build a strong team and this is what precisely the articles cover.
Facilitation reading list- If you are deciding on your reading list for 2025 and if facilitation as a topic is on your list to explore, then worry not. This document has got you covered.
〜See you soon
Till then, keep spicing up your learning! 🧠🧂
Sejaal