Your L&D Strategy Needs a Scrap List
Your strategy is only as strong as what you don't include.
With Q4 just around the corner, many L&D teams are beginning to draft strategies, goals, and directives for the year ahead. But just as important as deciding what to do is deciding what not to do. That’s where a scrap list comes in.
What’s a Scrap List?
A scrap list is a collection of great L&D ideas you intentionally will not pursue this year. It’s not a trash pile. It’s a strategic decision-making tool. Think of it as a “not now” or “save for later” list that helps keep your strategy focused, realistic, and aligned.
Strategy Means Saying No
Working as a true strategic business partner means working strategically, in partnership with the business. To work strategically, we need to create and follow a business aligned strategy for our L&D function. This strategy becomes our roadmap. It dictates how we will play our part in advancing and achieving the biggest organizational goals and how we will balance immediate needs with long-term vision. Most importantly, it guides decisions about our work.
Most L&D leaders love the idea of building strategy. What’s more fun than a room full of whiteboards, sticky notes, and a flood of innovative ideas? But strategy isn’t just about creativity, it’s about tradeoffs. For every “yes,” there should be multiple “no’s.” And often, those no’s aren’t to bad ideas, but to good ideas that don’t fit right now.
That’s why a scrap list is essential.
The scrap list separates your strategic yes from your strategic no and ensures your choices about what work to pursue are intentional and realistic.
What Belongs on the Scrap List?
Here are five ways to decide whether an idea should make your strategy, or land on your scrap list:
Business Alignment: Does the idea directly support one or more business goals? If not, move it to the scrap list.
Impact: Which ideas will deliver the biggest organizational impact? Rank them and consider scrapping the lowest-impact options (at least for now).
Capacity & Expertise: Can your current team realistically execute it? If not, scrap it or prepare to negotiate for resources.
Resource Needs: Will it require additional software, staffing, or funding you can’t secure? Scrap it.
Partnership Potential: Do you have the sponsorship, SMEs, or leadership support to make it happen? If not, it may need to wait.
Scrap Lists Are Wins, Not Failures
An effective strategy is realistic, not aspirational. Overloaded strategies lead to burnout, frustration, and abandoned plans. A strong scrap list, on the other hand, proves you’re making disciplined, intentional choices. And remember, you don’t need to throw away your scrap list, just set it aside for future reference.
If your scrap list is full of great ideas, that’s a sign you’re doing it right. You’ve brainstormed broadly, prioritized wisely, and set your team up for success.
So this year, embrace the scrap list. Say yes to the best, and scrap the rest... for now.
