Your Change Management Strategy Needs L&D [Guest Post]

In today’s business and technology landscape, organizational change is constant. People’s organic resistance to change is also constant. In fact, 49% of Learning and Development (L&D) teams identify resistance to change as a top challenge, according to research from the Brandon Hall Group™ 2025 State of Learning report. This statistic underscores a critical truth: successful change management requires more than executive mandates and new technology. It demands a strategic partnership with L&D to build genuine change readiness across the organization.

Litmos understands this. Their guide to creating a learning blueprint helps organizations build adaptable L&D at scale by walking you through the L&D planning process. You can download it here.

The most successful transformation initiatives recognize L&D as a strategic enabler, not just a support function. In fact, a comprehensive analysis of Brandon Hall Group™ HCM Excellence Award-winning case studies shows that nearly all successful business transformation programs involve executive sponsorship working directly with learning teams.

Organizations Need L&D Input for Change Readiness Assessments and Frameworks

Change readiness isn’t just about willingness; it’s about capability. Leaders who bring L&D to the table early in change planning gain critical insights that shape more effective transformation strategies. L&D professionals bring expertise in conducting skills gap analyses and training needs assessments that reveal not just what needs to change, but what capabilities must be developed to make change stick.

This collaborative approach ensures that change management frameworks incorporate learning strategies from the outset. Rather than treating training as an afterthought, successful organizations integrate training strategies for change management into their transformation roadmaps. The data bears this out: programs that created role-based, customized learning paths (94% of successful transformations) saw dramatically better outcomes than one-size-fits-all approaches.

To Future-Proof the Workforce, Leaders Need to Foster a Culture of Continuous Learning

The most striking finding from recent transformation data is that 81% of successful programs achieved fundamental cultural transformation, often exceeding initial expectations. This isn’t accidental. These organizations recognized that building change readiness means creating a workforce that views adaptation as opportunity rather than threat.

L&D plays a pivotal role in this cultural shift by establishing continuous learning ecosystems. As workplace dynamics shift toward “the great flattening,” traditional hierarchies give way to more collaborative, skill-based structures. L&D teams facilitate this transition through peer-to-peer learning programs, mentoring initiatives, and coaching frameworks that make learning a daily practice rather than an episodic event.

The case study data also shows that organizations implementing change champion networks create sustainable support structures that extend well beyond formal training periods. These champions, typically one champion per 200-250 employees, trained by L&D professionals, become local advocates who reinforce new behaviors and provide ongoing support during critical transition periods.

L&D Is Adept At Gathering Critical Employee Feedback

Perhaps one of L&D’s most undervalued contributions to change readiness is their expertise in creating and managing feedback loops. Successful transformation programs consistently show that organizations collecting feedback at multiple touchpoints achieve satisfaction scores exceeding 85%.

L&D professionals understand that feedback mechanisms drive psychological safety during times of change. They know how to create safe spaces for honest input, how to synthesize diverse perspectives, and most importantly, how to translate feedback into actionable improvements that demonstrate the organization is listening.

This feedback expertise proves invaluable during transformation. Before changes launch, L&D can assess readiness and identify potential resistance points. During implementation, they monitor adoption and adjust approaches in real-time. After rollout, they measure not just completion rates but behavioral change and business impact ensuring that transformation delivers genuine value.

The Path Forward

The evidence is clear: organizations that position L&D as a strategic partner in change readiness achieve remarkable results. In one case study, programs with integrated L&D strategies delivered 50% reductions in onboarding time, 26-50% acceleration in case resolution, and employee engagement increases of up to 73%—proof that L&D involvement drives measurable business impact across every critical metric.

The question isn’t whether L&D should be involved in change readiness; it’s whether organizations can afford to attempt transformation without them. In today’s environment of constant change, L&D’s expertise in creating adaptive, learning-oriented cultures has become essential for organizational survival and success.

Ready to position L&D as your strategic change partner? Download the latest Litmos guide on building an L&D blueprint to navigate organizational change and discover how to create a learning strategy that transforms change from a challenge into a competitive advantage. Leaders who embrace this approach don’t just manage change—they harness it to drive their organizations forward.