Cultivating the Consulting Mindset: The Skills Needed for an Effective Learning and Development Strategy

In many organizations, learning and development professionals are expected to solve performance challenges.

But unlike consultants brought in from outside the organization, L&D professionals often start with a slight disadvantage: the solution has often already been decided.

A manager might request a training program to improve consulting skills, customer service, or productivity. On the surface, the problem appears clear. But according to learning leader Ilona Ovas, PAC member with the new Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Learning Design at The Chang School, that first diagnosis is often wrong. Ilona has dedicated most of her career to the L&D space across various industries, including finance, where she is currently the Head of Enterprise Strategic Learning at the Bank of Montreal.

This is where the consulting mindset becomes essential.

Rather than jumping directly into course design, strategic L&D professionals step back and investigate the problem the way a consultant would: by gathering evidence, asking probing questions, and identifying root causes.

Sometimes the issue turns out to be a skills gap. But just as often, the problem lies elsewhere in the system.

“In a way, we’re detectives,” Ilona explains. “The performance gap is the symptom. Our job is to find the real cause.”

As organizations demand greater impact of learning programs on business outcomes, this investigative approach is becoming a core capability for modern L&D professionals.

What Is a Consulting Mindset in L&D?

A consulting mindset means moving beyond simply delivering training programs.

Instead of starting with the solution, strategic learning professionals start with the problem.

That shift involves moving:

• From solution provider → performance advisor
• From responding to training requests → conducting root-cause analysis
• From producing learning content → aligning learning with business outcomes

At its core, consulting requires curiosity and the ability to challenge assumptions – respectfully.

“People often come to us asking for a training program because they’ve already decided that’s the solution,” says Ilona. “But our role is to step back and ask: Is a lack of knowledge or skills actually the issue?”

Sometimes the answer is yes. But often, the real challenge lies somewhere else.

Skill 1: Diagnosing Root Causes – Not Just Symptoms

One of the most important consulting skills is the ability to distinguish between a symptom and the real problem.

For example, Ilona recalls a request for training to improve consulting skills among a professional services team. Managers believed employees were struggling to analyze client situations effectively. But a deeper investigation revealed something unexpected.

Multiple consultants had attended the same client meeting and reviewed the same information – yet each arrived at different conclusions. Leaders assumed this was a skills issue.

In reality, the problem was knowledge management.

Each consultant was relying on their own area of expertise to interpret the information. By creating a structured template that prompted consultants to evaluate client issues across multiple areas – technology, processes, and people – the team was able to standardize analysis and improve decision-making.

“The solution wasn’t developing cognitive skills for analysis,” Ilona says. “It was providing the right framework so they could think through the problem more effectively and systematically with the use of a structured template.”

This kind of root-cause thinking is central to performance consulting. With that in mind, L&D professionals must determine whether a performance issue stems from:

• A skills or knowledge gap
• A process problem
• Unclear roles or expectations
• Technology limitations
• Leadership or management practices

Only the first category can be successfully addressed by training.

Skill 2: Understanding What Should Be Included in a Needs Assessment

Once the root cause of the problem has been identified, it’s crucial that the needs assessment stage isn’t rushed. Needs assessment is often treated as a formality – a quick step before designing a program. But when approached strategically, it becomes a powerful diagnostic tool.

“Before designing any learning solution, we need to understand why the problem exists,” Ilona explains. “Training only addresses lack of knowledge or skill – and that’s a relatively small percentage of performance issues.”

A strong needs assessment typically includes:

• Reviewing performance and business data
• Observing workflows
• Interviewing partners, high-performing employees and regular performers
• Identifying inconsistencies or gaps in processes and performance outcomes
• Asking probing questions about expectations and outcomes.

However, often the findings reveal that training isn’t the answer at all, or not the only solution needed.

In one case, an IT department requested customer service training for help-desk staff after receiving complaints from internal users. But a deeper analysis revealed the real issue: employees didn’t understand the process and criteria for when to escalate technical problems.

“They weren’t being rude or unhelpful,” says Ilona. “They simply didn’t understand the process – because it hadn’t been clearly defined and communicated.”

Instead of launching a training program, the organization focused on clarifying escalation procedures. Once those expectations were communicated, many of the issues disappeared.

Skill 3: How to Influence Partners by Speaking Their Language

For L&D teams to influence organizational decisions, they must learn to speak the language of business leaders and other influential partners. That means linking learning initiatives to business outcomes, not just educational objectives.

Strategic L&D professionals ask questions like:

• What business problem are we solving?
• How does this affect productivity, quality, or risk?
• What outcomes will demonstrate success?

“When we reframe the conversation around business impact, it changes how leaders see learning and L&D,” Ovas says.

Measuring that impact can be challenging. While some programs, like sales training, can typically be tied directly to performance metrics, many learning outcomes develop gradually and are influenced by multiple factors.

Instead of focusing only on strict return-on-investment calculations, organizations are increasingly recognizing the value of qualitative indicators, including:

• Improved client relationships
• More innovative problem-solving
• Stronger collaboration

Higher employee engagement and retention

These outcomes may be harder to quantify, but they often translate into long-term business value.

“If clients start seeing you as a trusted advisor, that relationship will eventually translate into revenue,” Ilona says. “But the impact starts with how people work and interact.”

These kinds of shifts don’t happen by accident. They are the result of intentionally developing the skills and mindset needed to influence how work gets done across an organization.

How Strategic Learning Design Builds These Capabilities

Developing a consulting mindset doesn’t happen automatically. It requires practice in analyzing problems, communicating with partners, and aligning solutions with organizational priorities.

Programs such as Strategic Learning Design (SLD) help professionals build these capabilities through:

• Performance consulting frameworks
• Root-cause analysis tools
• Case-based learning and simulations
• Data-informed decision-making
• Exercises that connect learning initiatives to business strategy

Participants learn how to move beyond designing courses and toward influencing organizational performance.

The result is a broader professional role – one that allows L&D professionals to contribute to strategy discussions, advise leaders, and shape how organizations develop talent.

The Future of L&D: Strategic Advisors, Not Order Takers

As workplaces become more complex – shaped by hybrid work, rapid technological change, and evolving skills demands – the need for strategic learning professionals continues to grow.

Organizations don’t just need training programs. They need professionals who can diagnose performance challenges, help leaders identify the most appropriate response, and help teams adapt to changing conditions. In other words, they need strategic advisors.

Technical expertise will always matter. But the future of the L&D profession lies at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and communication.

Professionals who cultivate a consulting mindset don’t just deliver training – they earn a seat at the table and help shape workplaces of the future.