How to Earn Your Strategic Seat at the Table
Tue Sep 02 2025
David talks with Matthew Meyers, Global Talent and Learning Manager at Western Union, about treating learning as a business within your organization. Matthew shares his approach to getting that coveted "seat at the table"—not by waiting for an invitation, but by starting your own business and solving real problems for executive leaders.
Drawing from his experience at T-Mobile and Western Union, Matthew breaks down the mindset shift from responding to training requests to identifying gaps and delivering measurable results. He explores the challenges L&D professionals face when stepping into a more strategic role, the importance of building champions throughout the organization, and why pilots are crucial for reducing risk and proving value.
Matthew also discusses the art of influence, the power of storytelling in demonstrating impact, and how to leverage partnerships with HR business partners to understand what really keeps leaders up at night.In this episode, you'll learn:– Why L&D professionals need to think like business owners, not order-takers– How to identify and solve the problems executives actually care about– The importance of building strategic champions before launching new initiatives– How to use intake forms to shift from training requests to problem-solving– Why pilots are your best tool for reducing fear and proving concept value– How to partner with HR leaders to accelerate your business relationships
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David talks with Matthew Meyers, Global Talent and Learning Manager at Western Union, about treating learning as a business within your organization. Matthew shares his approach to getting that coveted "seat at the table"—not by waiting for an invitation, but by starting your own business and solving real problems for executive leaders. Drawing from his experience at T-Mobile and Western Union, Matthew breaks down the mindset shift from responding to training requests to identifying gaps and delivering measurable results. He explores the challenges L&D professionals face when stepping into a more strategic role, the importance of building champions throughout the organization, and why pilots are crucial for reducing risk and proving value. Matthew also discusses the art of influence, the power of storytelling in demonstrating impact, and how to leverage partnerships with HR business partners to understand what really keeps leaders up at night.In this episode, you'll learn:– Why L&D professionals need to think like business owners, not order-takers– How to identify and solve the problems executives actually care about– The importance of building strategic champions before launching new initiatives– How to use intake forms to shift from training requests to problem-solving– Why pilots are your best tool for reducing fear and proving concept value– How to partner with HR leaders to accelerate your business relationships