This document discusses how learning and development (L&D) can become a strategic partner for talent development. It outlines three key trends shaping L&D: design thinking, learning styles and preferences, and gaming, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things. Design thinking encourages L&D to understand trainee needs and collaborate on designing experiences rather than assuming needs. Learning styles prefer social and contextual learning over individual downloads. Emerging technologies like gaming make learning fun and allow learning at one's own pace through collaboration and mobile access to information.