In previous posts, I mentioned that the Leading Change Design Team met for a couple times last year to discuss and develop the program(s) going forward for the this year. It was immediately apparent to the team that the initiatives from the preceding year were on target as far as general goals and execution. However, two “problem areas” were identified :

First, the Leading Edge Forum attendees had no formal post-event tasking to utilize the skills and knowledge they had gained. Second, there is still a healthy percentage of the manager workforce that has not had exposure to the necessary “soft skills” to have a fully effective discussion as was envisioned with the Spirit of Performance.

It was clear to the design team that the skills needed were the very same skills that had been delivered at the Leading Edge Forum. The solution was clear: fill the void of post-event tasking for the Leading Edge Forum attendees. Participants should take their knowledge and skills back to the remaining managerial workforce and better prepare them to have meaningful conversations with their workforce, peers and managers. The idea of Leading Edge 2.0 was born.

The Leading Edge 2.0 initiative is an integrated program that contains two distinct parts. The first is the Leading Edge Forum and the second is Making the Connection . When combined and executed the result will be a fully developed and integrated initiative that will insert knowledge, skills, and vision directly into the ATO culture. Executed aggressively and conscientiously, the Leading Edge 2.0 will modify our climate and change behaviors, resulting in a new culture – a culture of performance, collaboration, and leadership. In short, it fosters a culture which lives One-ATO.

Next: The Leading Edge Forum