Technology
Learning and development (L&D) professionals have long struggled to be recognized as strategic business partners. Too often, L&D is seen as a support function rather than a driver of business performance. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), there is an opportunity to change that perception – but only if learning leaders learn to leverage AI effectively.
However, AI alone isn’t enough. Stakeholder management, communication and influence remain critical. Learning leaders must identify their L&D champions, collaborate with them to amplify their voice and strategically align with divisions where early wins can showcase impact.
Focus groups, curiosity-driven exploration and root cause analysis are still essential for success. These human-centered activities not only strengthen AI’s effectiveness but also feed valuable context into generative AI prompting, ensuring more relevant and actionable insights.
The key to making AI work for L&D isn’t just in automating tasks or content creation; it lies in mastering the art of AI prompting. When used effectively, AI can personalize learning journeys, provide real-time insights and create adaptive learning environments that enhance employee engagement. By leveraging AI to analyze how employees interact with training materials, identify pain points and recommend targeted improvements, L&D professionals can craft more impactful learning strategies.
However, AI is only as effective as the prompts it receives. The ability to structure and refine AI- generated insights can elevate L&D’s strategic value and secure a permanent seat at the table.
This article explores how learning leaders can transform themselves and their L&D strategies by effectively using generative AI prompting.
One fun thing about AI is its ability to wordsmith and generate beautifully phrased sentences, but elegant language alone won’t drive business outcomes or deliver measurable value. It’s crucial to focus AI efforts on generating actionable insights that align with real business needs, rather than just impressive-sounding content.
The most valuable AI skill for L&D professionals isn’t coding or automation — it’s the ability to ask the right questions. Prompting is the key to unlocking AI’s potential in crafting learning strategies, aligning with business goals and influencing senior leadership.
AI doesn’t replace expertise; rather, it enhances strategic thinking and decision-making. With the right prompts, AI can help L&D leaders:
Analyze business challenges and uncover skill gaps.
Generate data-driven insights to support learning initiatives.
Craft compelling narratives that resonate with executives.
Develop targeted learning strategies that align with company priorities.
Here are some examples of effective AI prompting for L&D:
Understanding business needs: “Analyze HRIS data, GPTW insights, needs assessment results and external industry data to identify key workforce capability gaps affecting revenue growth.”
Designing an L&D strategy: “Generate a talent development plan aligned with organizational goals, by parsing large amounts of unrelated data together to discover and highlight tailored gaps or needs.”
Creating a persuasive business case: “Develop an executive summary that demonstrates the learning value and impact outcomes of investing in leadership development based on current business challenges.”
By learning to structure prompts effectively, L&D professionals can use AI as a thinking partner, accelerating their ability to drive impact and influence.
Generative AI has the capability to intake multiple different pieces of digital media to support its insight generation. By analyzing business goals, priorities, competitor insights and financial data, AI can deepen learning strategy insight and help tell a compelling story about how learning enables business transformation. The more relevant data sources AI is given, the more precise and actionable its recommendations will be.
AI prompting isn’t just about generating content; it’s about structuring an intelligent dialogue to refine and develop a high-impact learning strategy.
Here’s how to make AI work for you:
AI outputs are only as good as the inputs provided. Instead of generic prompts, learning leaders should ask specific, contextualized questions that align with business challenges. Additionally, AI- generated responses can sometimes produce hallucinations — inaccurate or misleading information — so it is essential to bring in your expertise and maintain a curious mindset to validate outputs before acting on them.
AI outputs are only as good as the inputs provided. Instead of generic prompts, learning leaders should ask specific, contextualized questions that align with business challenges.
Rather than positioning L&D as a separate function, use AI to integrate learning initiatives with strategic priorities. Prompts like “how can leadership training be designed to support our company’s digital transformation strategy?” help ensure learning initiatives are relevant to the business.
AI-generated outputs should be treated as a starting point, not a final solution. Use follow-up prompts to refine insights “Adjust this learning strategy to incorporate more data-driven decisionmaking and measurable KPIs.”
AI can help craft the right language to communicate learning value to senior leadership: “Create a concise argument on how investing in continuous learning improves retention and drives competitive advantage.”
By following these steps, L&D leaders can ensure they’re using AI strategically, rather than just tactically.
Consider a learning leader in the life sciences industry who needs to shift the perception of L&D from a cost center to a business enabler. Using AI prompting, they:
Identify key talent gaps by asking AI to analyze workforce trends and HR data.
Align learning initiatives with company goals by generating AI-driven insights on skill development.
Build a compelling business case using AI-generated summaries and data-backed recommendations.
Present AI-driven insights in executive-ready language, securing leadership buy-in.
Address in-demand skills for omni-channel engagement by using AI to identify key competencies needed for sales and marketing teams to effectively engage with healthcare professionals across multiple digital and traditional touchpoints.
Enhance brand management capabilities by leveraging AI to assess knowledge gaps in product positioning, regulatory requirements and competitive landscapes then designing targeted upskilling initiatives for brand managers.
The result? A seat at the table, stronger leadership support and a learning strategy directly tied to business success.
Generative AI is revolutionizing the L&D field, but its true power lies in how learning leaders use it to elevate their own strategic value. However, AI cannot replace the humanistic skills that build credibility and influence.
To secure a seat at the table, L&D professionals must:
Develop AI prompting skills to generate impactful insights.
Use AI as a strategic partner, not just a content creator.
Align learning initiatives with business priorities using AI-driven data.
Communicate learning value in executive-ready language.
Engage with stakeholders, leverage focus groups and stay curious to uncover real business challenges, all of which feed valuable input into generative AI models.
By blending AI capabilities with human expertise, L&D professionals can position themselves as indispensable strategic partners.
How will you use AI prompting to transform your approach to L&D and elevate its role in your organization? Start experimenting today and take your first step toward a more strategic, AI- powered future.
Iain Boomer is a global learning strategist and life sciences veteran. Email Iain at iboomer@gmail.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/iboomer.
