Emerging Leaders – Pilot launches with five staff participants

At the heart of the School’s new Emerging Leaders Program is a commitment to recognizing future staff leaders, providing opportunities for leadership skill development and creating internal networking opportunities.

The program was established as a result of the feedback from the We Speak survey. Staff raised their voice on the need for career development and opportunities for advancement. Through the leadership of Betty Holme, and after months of planning and consultation, this new Program was the response. It’s a major step in providing for staff leadership competency development and succession planning.

The five participants for the Program Pilot include:

  • Mellonie Carnahan, Finance and Human Resources Coordinator, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
  • Patricia Morris, Database Coordinator, Information Systems
  • Sarah O’Flanagan, Program Coordinator, Psychiatry
  • Mary Ann Pollman-Mudryj, Research Development Officer, Research
  • Kelsey Klages, Postgraduate Education Coordinator, Family Medicine

As part of their application process, the five participants completed a leadership assessment tool created to identify leadership competencies that may need to be developed. From the assessment, they created a development plan outlining how they are going to develop these competencies – through courses or community involvement.

The thorough application forms were reviewed by a committee representing programs and departments across the wide spectrum of areas at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry.

During the Program, participants will complete a number of courses. They will receive mentoring from their sponsor and coaching from the instructional trainer. At the end of the program, candidates will prepare a stretch assignment to demonstrate they have mastered the competencies outlined in their development plan.

As this is a Pilot for the Program, feedback will be collected throughout the process. If it proves to be successful, the next intake will be in November 2017 for a January 2018 start.