Achieving the Elusive "Trusted Advisor" Status: a Memo to Shared Services Teams

I’ve had the opportunity to build and lead internal learning and organizational development teams, and earned the latitude to shape how they supported the broader organization. Across multiple organizations and functions, I’m proud to say this has not just been about me. My teams have been on that journey as well, experiencing what it means to be trusted with people and operational challenges and to make recommendations to internal partners.

When Requests Arrive, the Decision Is Often Already Made

If the internal business comes to you with a request, it's often already too late. For example, if you work in Learning & Development (L&D) and are asked to deliver training, the problem has already been defined.

More precisely, the kind of problem has been defined and the solution selected. Training. Coaching. Communication. Enablement. Whatever label fits the approach already in mind.

At that point, no amount of elegant questioning or consulting technique is likely to change the frame. You can improve the quality of what is delivered - maybe deliver some extras - but you are no longer shaping the decision. You are executing against it. And your internal partners are unlikely to appreciate anything that feels like pushback.

Most experienced practitioners recognize this pattern. What's harder to accept is that it's not a failure of skill. It's a signal about trust and timing.

There is plenty of advice telling teams to ask better questions, be more consultative, challenge assumptions, and educate stakeholders. All of that is sound. But this is not something that can be done all at once, and certainly not in the middle of a request where time is tight and the solution has already been decided.

Why it works this way for some functions and not others

I've reflected on this often, and I believe it has a lot to do with how L&D teams (and possibly other shared services functions) traditionally operate, combined with the nature of the work.

Consider what often happens when training receives a request. The team may explain that they need to prioritize work, that they don’t know the specifics of the function, that they need a subject matter expert, and that they need help with the wording for the learning asset. Over time, internal stakeholders begin to see training as the team that makes things look good. That becomes the perceived value.

I realize this isn’t true in every case. But most people working in this space have encountered some version of this pattern at some point in their career.

Here is another way to think about it.

When you go to a doctor for help, you’re not asked what prescription or remedy you want. You’re asked about symptoms, what you’re experiencing, and other relevant context. The expectation is that the doctor will diagnose the issue and recommend an appropriate course of action.

That expectation exists because you don’t assume you understand medicine better than the clinician. You trust them to apply their expertise. In many organizations, L&D is not yet afforded that same level of trust, which is why teams are often handed solutions rather than invited to diagnose the problem.

Why a seat at the table is the wrong goal

Most teams say they want a seat at the table. What they usually mean is earlier involvement, greater influence, and fewer downstream cleanup jobs.

But a seat at the table is not something you ask for. It is something you earn and are invited into over time. It is also worth noting that not every issue is debated at a table. In many cases, decisions are made quickly, with limited deliberation. Like it or not, those moments are usually reserved for people in more senior roles. That makes “a seat at the table” an unrealistic goal for everyone, depending on where you sit.

What matters more is whether leaders believe that involving you earlier will help them think better. When that belief is there, you may find yourself pulled into a quick conversation over coffee, a Slack message, or a short Teams call. That belief does not come from credentials or frameworks. It comes from repeated experiences of usefulness at moments that matter.

Ironically, many teams stay busy delivering high-quality work and wonder why their influence does not grow. Activity gets rewarded. Trust is different.

The difference between help and trust

Being helpful is a good thing. And for teams early in their journey toward becoming trusted advisors, or operating in environments with aggressive goals, it often means choosing battles carefully and paying close attention to timing.

Trusted advisors are brought in when leaders are still sorting through trade-offs, risks, and implications. When the problem is not clean. When the answer is not obvious. When timing and constraints are not yet an issue.

Trust does not come from having the right answer every time. It comes from showing sound judgment, respecting context, and understanding the system leaders are operating within, not just the problem in front of them.

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Six Ways Trust Gets Built in Practice

Trust does not grow through positioning. In my experience, it develops through a combination of bottom-up and top-down signals.

Bottom-up signals come from execution. Showing up consistently. Getting it right. Following through. Top-down signals come from clarity of intent, objectives, and vision for how your team operates.

If you are on this journey, here are a few areas to consider.

1. Be intentional

This requires goals, like anything else. It needs to be intentional, iterative, and progressive. However intangible this may feel, writing it down matters. It allows you, your team, and your stakeholders to recognize opportunities together. It also gives people hope. Most of us simply want to do good work and have our expertise used.

These goals need to align with your organizational context. You cannot move overnight from a transactional model to an advisory one. You likely do not have the bandwidth, and requests will fill it quickly. Without care, you will simply become a bottleneck.

2. This is not about process

Request forms and processes are not the place to start. Is there a role for structure? Yes. Should you lead with it here? Probably not.

Put yourself in the shoes of the partners you want to invite into conversation. Would you want to fill out a form every time you needed advice? If your team is large and forms are necessary, consider introducing them later, once a request is clearer. Be honest about who the process serves most and whether it aligns with your objectives.

3. Act like an expert

You do not need to lead with credentials, fear-based influence, or overly clever questions. Questions like “Why this now?” or “What keeps you up at night?” can feel performative. In many cases, you should already have a sense of the answer. You are part of the same organization and probably have a few years of experience operating in similar environments.

Leading with what you already understand, and positioning your input as clarification or extension, builds trust. Acting like an expert also means not suggesting that success depends entirely on a subject matter expert or a long series of meetings. That undermines confidence.

One important caveat: not everyone on your team will be ready to operate this way immediately. That's not a capacity issue. It's a matter of time and interest. Consider experimenting with those who are motivated, investing in development, and leading by example so others can observe and opt in.

4. Meet partners where they are

In reality, this work rarely starts from a clean slate. This might mean no teams are coming to you for advice yet, only requests. Or it might mean some are, and some are not.

In the areas where they are not (yet), experiment through delivery. Deliver well. Deliver reliably. And where it makes sense, go a step further by offering something small that improves outcomes. Over time, those experiences shape how your partners engage with you. They change what you’re brought into, how you’re involved, and when it happens.

5. Know the business

Becoming a trusted advisor requires learning the business proactively, not only in response to requests. Of course, new initiatives and partnerships will require deep dives. That's normal.

But if you are steadily building understanding over time, you will arrive at requests already oriented. You will show up with context, and that consistently reinforces credibility.

6. Lead the way on setting priorities

Ask yourself this: if you truly understood the business and the teams you support, could you lead with a point of view on priorities? The answer should be - yes.

That’s where things shift. Part of your objectives may focus on operating as a responsive, expert advisory team. Another part should focus on building toward what internal partners will need next, not only responding once requests arrive.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting you ignore the large, organization-wide initiatives where everyone is aligned to the same outcome. It’s about everything else. And this doesn’t mean operating in isolation. It means leading with an initial point of view on the big best that will support your organization, then inviting input and refinement. The optional programs that build capability, support careers, and help teams thrive, often start this way. Getting upstream in this manner demonstrates strategic leadership and delivers real results.

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A final thought

Being trusted is not about being indispensable. It is about being invited. That invitation is earned quietly, over time, through judgment, restraint, and relevance. It is less about what you offer and more about when and how you show up.

Internal partners notice who helps them see around corners. Who knows when to push and when to let something go. They also notice who respects constraints, reads context well, and can work with complexity.

Over time, those signals add up. When the stakes are higher, those are the people leaders call first. And if this reflection resonates, you’re probably closer to being a trusted advisor than you think.

I’m always happy to compare notes or talk through what this looks like in practice. Feel free to reach out anytime.