Trusted Learning Advisor for Teams -
Harness Thinking
& Behavioral Diversity

Absolutely. While the program isn’t about facilitation techniques per se, it’s very relevant for facilitators. The FocusU FACETS framework (developed by our very own founder and lead facilitator for this program, Arun Rao) is a powerful workshop design tool that can help them sharpen how they structure learning experiences. Beyond design, facilitators often need to go deeper than surface-level requests — understanding real business goals and learner challenges so their sessions land with stronger relevance. This program also strengthens their ability to contextualize learning for different audiences, keep delivery engaging, and connect facilitation outcomes to impact measures. In other words, it equips facilitators to not just run workshops, but to make them matter more within the organization.

We aren’t restricting participants by industry. In fact, part of the value comes from cross-industry exposure — seeing how peers in different contexts solve similar challenges. That said, we expect the majority of participants to be L&D professionals from various corporate setups, so the conversations will stay relevant.

While the core content is the same for all participants, we’ve built in plenty of scope for contextualization: pre-program survey (so the facilitator can weave in common challenges), structured Q&A, and peer discussions where people apply concepts to their own contexts. Participants will also work on their own live stakeholder challenges during the sessions, so it won’t be abstract theory.

The FocusU Trusted Learning Advisor Program builds on 15 years of experience designing and delivering customised interventions for over 800 clients across industries and geographies, including several Brandon Hall award-winning interventions. We spend most of our time with L&D teams across organizations and deeply understand their on-ground struggles and realities, some of which may be more pronounced in Indian contexts, which is what has shaped this offering. To enhance the value even further, we will also have an L&D expert guest facilitator alongside Arun, so participants get both the benefit of our internal experience and an external L&D veteran perspective. This workshop — thoughtfully designed alongside our expert partner — is our way of giving back to the community by addressing common challenges we repeatedly hear from them.

FocusU’s specialty lies in development of behavioural skills like influencing stakeholders, building trust and credibility with stakeholders, handling difficult stakeholders, building business acumen, etc. Based on our experience, these are the very skills that turn L&D professionals into ‘trusted learning advisors’ within their ecosystems beyond their existing knowledge and abilities as learning professionals. These are also the very skills we observe our L&D stakeholders facing challenges with most of all.

The program will be led by Arun Rao, co-founder of FocusU. Arun has 15+ years of experience facilitating senior leadership programs across industries and geographies, and is the creator of the FACETS framework for impactful workshop design. He has worked with organizations like Asian Paints, Pepsico, HP, and the British Council, and is known for blending practical business insight with experiential learning.

We will also have a special guest to co-facilitate the session - the guest is a veteran in the L&D industry in India and will share nuanced insights about the industry in India, and answer questions for our learners.

We’re finalizing the venue and will share details shortly. We’ll ensure participants have ample advance notice to plan logistics.

Our TLA program learners are added to a growing community of L&D professionals where we share resources, answer questions, share our challenges, etc. In this way, the TLA program becomes an avenue for continuous growth and practical troubleshooting by other members of the community. Further, the program design itself includes extensive application opportunities so learners feel comfortable applying learnings at work, and a comprehensive workbook that serves as a ready-to-use reference guide and “cheat sheet” for use after the program. The workbook is also used during the program to begin applying learnings such that learners have personalized relevant and contextual stakeholder and business notes and insights available for later reference.

At FocusU, we have, through our experiences with our L&D stakeholders, observed 4 avenues through which trust and credibility can be enhanced to influence decision making, even within the constraints of the system. This program addresses the 4 disciplines needed to become a TLA:

1. Understanding Stakeholders: Deep-diving into realistic stakeholder personas and practicing a simple yet powerful tool to empathise with their core needs, drivers, and pressures so that you can frame your conversations based on what matters most to them, thereby enhancing trust and influence.

2. Understanding Business: Studying a framework which helps to understand and visualise your business, and clearly view how organizational goals and priorities link to learning and development. This perspective and visual allow for more proactive approaches and meaningful conversations with stakeholders, and build you as a credible partner.

3. Understanding Consultative Approach: Familiarising yourself with a step-by-step process for consultation, and applying tools for deeper conversations which illuminate real performance challenges and blockers that need targeting. Learn to not take requests at face value and build credibility through insightful questioning.

4. Understanding Learning Science: Discussing common challenges in designing for impact based on real constraints, and identifying workarounds based on best practices. Learning from peer experiences. Building the ability to use learning science principles and evidence-based methods to design for the impact stakeholders care about and measure and demonstrate results builds credibility, trust, and influence.

Scenario-based role plays and group case study discussions are used for application and help learn from peers across industries. Discuss nuances and troubleshoot based on real-life constraints and challenges.

In short: we’ll move participants from “order takers” to trusted advisors.

The TLA program goes beyond design frameworks to tackle the biggest challenge that we’ve learned L&D professionals face on ground — earning trust & credibility and influencing decision-making with business stakeholders. Through experiential activities, application-focused role plays and case studies, practical tools, reflective, contextualised discussions, and an exhaustive reference guide to take back to work, it equips participants to understand stakeholders and what they care about, how to reframe discussions to make them see value, dig deeper skillfully to make them feel understood, align learning with business strategy, and demonstrate measurable impact - helping them be seen as true strategic partners.

Because the group size is limited, we offer more in-depth discussions and Q&A opportunities for focused challenges, and our experienced lead facilitator and L&D expert guide learners through specific challenges and provide nuances and valuable insights, offering a degree of flexibility and personalization.

Our past TLA learners have found great value in the case study method which allows them to deep dive into realistic and relatable stakeholder personas and role play conversations with feedback from peers and the SME, as well as in the growing community of ‘Performance Consultants’ that we provide access to as part of this program.

Yes. All participants will receive a digitally sharable certificate of completion via email after the program. This can be showcased on professional platforms like LinkedIn or included in internal talent development records.

This program was built as a 2-day in-person session because it covers behavioural skills involving communication, probing, handling difficult personas, etc. We believe that in order to gain true value from a session such as this, a focus on application was crucial - which meant it couldn’t be rushed. The in-person approach also allows for facilitator and peer observation and feedback which enhances the experience and value.