Reference no: EM131720956

The 100 full-time and 50 part-time employees of the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) work to provide a range of social services targeting Asians and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County. The organization’s focus is on the needs of people in financial difficulty, with physical disabilities, or struggling with language or cultural barriers. Services include counseling, transportation, translation, and consumer education. Emergency care is provided in several different Asian languages plus English and Spanish. LTSC also has sponsored the construction or renovation of community development projects including apartments and community facilities such as child care centers. LTSC’s executive director, Bill Watanabe, says he “really loves” his work, and no wonder, given the organization’s importance to the community. Consequently, the thought of taking a sabbatical would not have occurred to him. But several years ago, Watanabe provided a professional reference to a colleague who had applied to the Durfee Foundation for a grant to fund a sabbatical. A staff member at the foundation suggested that Watanabe, too, might benefit from a sabbatical. His initial response was that he didn’t need one. After all, he wasn’t burning out. But the staff member explained that a sabbatical could help LTSC’s people learn to operate more independently. When Watanabe mentioned this to the board of directors, they encouraged him to apply. With that backing, Watanabe took a three-month sabbatical from LTSC. The first two months were devoted to travel: a tour of Israel and Egypt, a vacation in Tahiti, and a road trip with his brother-in-law. After that, Watanabe stayed put long enough to write an autobiography. Watanabe found that stepping away for a few months freshened his perspective on LTSC. When he returned, he applied his vision and renewed energy to restructure the agency through a merger of its community services center and its community development corporation, and he accelerated progress on a community organizing project. He also launched more vigorous advocacy to build a community gymnasium in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles, drawing positive attention from politicians and funding sources. While Watanabe felt personally restored during his time away, he believes the agency benefited, too.In particular, he discovered that his absence provided developmental opportunities for others at LTSC. The agency’s deputy director served as interim executive director while Watanabe was away, and two employees reporting to the deputy director shouldered the deputy’s responsibilities. One of them has since been promoted. Building on these experiences, the second tier of management at LTSC has taken more direct control of the agency’s day-to-day activities, freeing Watanabe to concentrate on broader strategy. Their greater preparation also amounts to a kind of succession planning. According to LTSC’s board chairman, “If Bill were to leave tomorrow, the organization would be in very good hands. Based on below Article please answer the following questions:

1. Imagine that LTSC has called you in as a consultant before Watanabe is to start his sabbatical. The agency has asked you to help obtain the maximum developmental benefit from the sabbatical arrangement. How would you recommend that Watanabe, the board of directors, and the second tier of management proceed?

2. Keeping in mind that an agency like LTSC would have limited funding and just a few senior managers, suggest two additional development activities that are likely to be most beneficial to the organization, and explain why you chose them.