Helping L&D teams connect the dots as strategic business partners

The barber paradox is a logic puzzle that asks: in a town where the one barber shaves everyone who doesn’t shave themselves, who shaves the barber? The field of learning and development (L&D) may appear to pose a similar riddle: who’s helping the L&D experts to learn and develop? 

The answer to that one is more straightforward: proactive leaders who have the curiosity to connect the dots and the drive to join people together.  

Helen Marshall, chief learning officer at Thrive, a B2B all-in-one learning management system, is a shining example. As well as being responsible for talent development within Thrive itself, she’s also host of the Diary of a CLO podcast, where she shares insights from people from within L&D and beyond, including Stuart Broad, Sally Gunnell and other well-known athletes. This year, Helen was crowned Leader of the Year at the British Training Awards.

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A chance to reflect

“A lot of people who work in this field aren’t approaching L&D as strategically as they should be,” says Helen. “That’s a pain point I’ve experienced from some of our customers. My role is often that of connector, creating space for people to find connections and link with other people. I enjoy being present in the community and sharing my knowledge back into the wider L&D circles, of which Thrive and I as an individual are both an active part.”

At the beginning of 2024, Helen started on the CLO100 Learning Leaders Programme. Around six months ago, CLO100 partnered with CMI to offer leaders on the cohort the CMI Strategic Management & Leadership Practice (Level 7) qualification. 

Helen was quick to take the opportunity. 

“When the CMI course was offered, I realised it would be silly for me not to extend all the knowledge I’d been gaining through CLO100 into something more practical and tangible,” she says. “There’s value in being able to say you’re CMI Level 7 accredited. People recognise what CMI is and what it stands for.”