Succession planning is all too often centered around “what happens if the leader gets hit by a bus” and too narrowly focused on the most senior leaders in an organization. In fact, getting “hit by a bus” is replacement, not succession, and it’s the “single points of human failure” that are most likely to derail an organization in the event that individual unexpectedly left. After an eight-month endeavor with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Catalyzer will share implementation steps with Agency leaders for a plan that comprehensively considers talent and unique development tracks that, together, inform future succession and more effective performance management. The effort is a collaboration with the Agency’s senior leadership and involves Ellen Houlihan, Guy Hatch, and Stephen Ingalls from Catalyzer.

As Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said not too long ago, “the pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.” That change is accelerating is irrefutable. How we respond and deal with it effectively is the real question. This discussion explores examples from the group regarding change in their organizations, introduces multiple well-known models for leading/managing change (Dannemiller, Kotter, and Lewin), and then explores each individual’s readiness for change and how that readiness might be enhanced. Stephen Ingalls, our President/CEO, leads this discussion for the Management Academy-12 cohort.

There are four hurdles that stand in the way of a leader making decisions. They include (1) lack of clarity around roles/responsibilities (is it my decision?), (2) incomplete or absent delegation (is it really my decision?), (3) individual indecisiveness, and (4) the culture surrounding what happens when poor decisions are made. This session explores these hurdles, outlining remedies for each. Stephen Ingalls, our President/CEO, leads this discussion for the Management Academy-12 cohort.