Join us as Ericca Ross, MOD, leads a powerful session on Mapping the Hidden Politics That Stall L&D Initiatives.

Every stalled initiative has (at least) two challenges: the technical work itself, and the informal political landscape that surrounds it. Learning and talent development professionals are experts at the technical side—yet it’s often the political dynamics that determine whether a project gains traction, hits resistance, or quietly disappears.

In this  interactive session, participants will explore how perceptions, informal influence, and hidden stakeholder motives shape the success—or failure—of organizational initiatives. Through a guided simulation, attendees will dissect a fictional case to identify political bottlenecks, surface unspoken agendas, and map the influence “currencies” people trade in (such as safety, control, credibility, or tradition).

Participants will leave with a practical diagnostic tool for understanding informal power dynamics, along with a fresh lens for navigating complex organizational environments with clarity and confidence

Why you should attend:

Diagnose the hidden drivers of resistance: Examine how informal influence, perception gaps, and unspoken stakeholder motives impact decision-making and project execution.

Analyze stakeholder "currencies": Utilize a guided simulation to identify distinct influence currencies (such as safety, control, or tradition) and map how they shape political bottlenecks.

Apply a political mapping framework: Use a structured diagnostic tool to surface invisible power dynamics and select the appropriate influence strategy for stalled initiatives.

Ericca Ross, MOD, is an organizational development strategist and founder of Ross Collaborative. She specializes in building leadership capability, redesigning talent systems, and helping organizations navigate the informal political dynamics that make or break strategy execution.

She believes that every organization has two systems: the one on paper and the one people actually live inside. Her work bridges the two.

With 15+ years of experience in corporate and nonprofit environments, Ericca brings a practical, human-centered approach to learning and organizational change. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Organization Development & Change at BGSU, where her research explores the role of influence and perceptions in organizational performance.