I was thinking about how we market learning the other day and had a conversation where the LnD profession was compared to a submarine.

As well as running silent and deep the LnD function is, for the most part, just going about its job undetected by the rest of the business. It deals with compliance threats to keep the business fleet safe, never acknowledged for what it does.

Equipped with sonar, the submarine LnD can see things happening well beyond the horizon. Self-powered by event evaluations, it can stay there forever, justifying its existence with highly scored happy sheets. Occasionally it pops up when there’s a need to take a breath, take on supplies and remind everyone else in the business sea that they are still there.

And then the business above drops in a depth charge. It slowly sinks and all of a sudden, the LnD submarine is struggling to manage the overflow of stuff it’s being asked to do.

Being unseen or unknown isn’t a great way to market your function.