I Hate It Here S11 E9: Your L&D Strategy Is Broken and No, a Workshop Won't Fix It with Hanan Sahourieh
Mar 9, 2026
Hanan Sahourieh, learning strategist and author of Everybody Be Cool, diagnoses why L&D functions fail and offers practical roadmaps for rebuilding them. She covers how ego and power dynamics wreck learning cultures. She explains rebuilding trust, pushing back on senior leaders, avoiding people-pleasing, and focusing on application over flashy events.
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L&D Is A Symptom Not The Root Cause
- L&D problems are usually symptoms of broader cultural and leadership issues rather than isolated training failures.
- Hanan assesses communication, decision-making, measurement, and leadership first because poor systems make training a band-aid, not a solution.
Book Born From Emotional Dysregulation At Work
- Hanan wrote Everybody Be Cool after seeing emotionally dysregulated leaders repeatedly harm workplace culture.
- She turned leadership development practices like journaling and introspection into a practical book so everyone—not just selected leaders—can self-develop.
Push Back With Data Roles And A Sponsor
- Use data, clear roles, and a sponsor to push back effectively when senior leaders think they know better than learning teams.
- Bring research to conversations, define stakeholder boundaries, and enlist an advocate who can co-sign your recommendations.
