How to build an L&D Function

If L&D teams are going to drive results—it must do more than run training.

Too often, people start by designing a curriculum or buying an LMS. But that’s putting the cart before the horse. You need to build a system first—one that’s grounded in business needs and how people actually work. Once that foundation is in place, then you can start sourcing the right tools and content to support it. Not the other way around.

Why listen to me?

As of the time of writing this, I’ve built two L&D teams from scratch. In one case, I started alone and grew the team to over 90 people—delivering real value to the organisation along the way. I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and what actually moves the needle when you’re trying to build a learning function that matters.

My approach: The People–Content–Tools Framework

My system is built on a simple triangular framework: People, Content, and Tools. It always starts with people because without them, your L&D function has no value. Content is just material and Tools are enablers. But people—their needs, their performance, their growth—that’s where the real impact begins.

When you build with that in mind, everything else becomes clearer, more practical, and far more effective.

My guiding philosophy:

1. Stay Close to the Business Leaders: Build real relationships with leaders. Understand their goals. Solve real problems. Get clear on who approves what—so things don’t get stuck.

2. Make Learning Easy to Access Anytime, Anywhere: If people can’t find it, they won’t use it. Choose the right platform. Keep it updated. Make it seamless.

3. Give People the Right Content at the Right Time: Don’t overload people. Focus on the skills that matter now—and next. Blend internal expertise with trusted external content.

4. Build Simple Repeatable Learning Processes: Have clear steps for delivery training programs. Use templates, tools, and systems that scale—even as the company grows.

5. Protect the Business with Compliance Training: Run your compliance training programs well and on time. It protects the business—and builds trust with regulators.

6. Partner with the Right People: You don’t have to build everything in-house. Work with experts, vendors, and content creators who help you move faster and smarter.

Building an L&D function isn’t about chasing trends or ticking boxes. It’s about creating a system that helps people grow and helps the business win. Start with the work, keep it simple, focus on performance—and let everything else flow from there. When you do that, the tools, the content, and the results will fall into place.

#LearningMerchant — I help founders and business leaders turn learning into better team performance.