The catalyst – the Chief of Staff who builds the organization’s development capacity
Making things happen is an important part of the Chief of Staff role. But the long-term value comes when the organization becomes better at acting without every question having to go through the same person. As a catalyst, the Chief of Staff helps the leadership transform recurring problems into learning, stronger working practices, and organizational capabilities that endure over time.
From problem solvers to enablers
In the attached article’s Chief of Staff Operating System, three roles interact: the sensor detects signals, The integrator creates context and the catalyst builds development capacity. The catalyst’s core question is: How can we strengthen the system instead of solving a single problem? This means a shift from securing every delivery ourselves to developing the organization’s way of leading, collaborating, and implementing decisions. The role still involves results, but also the ability that remains when the immediate response is over. A loosely asked question is valuable. An improved approach can prevent the same question from needing to be addressed again.
When helpfulness creates personal dependencies
A Chief of Staff can be the one who clarifies ambiguities, brings functions together, and drives issues over the finish line. This is useful, especially under pressure. The problem arises when the organization starts relying on this effort as its normal way of working. Then relationships, contexts, and decision paths are gathered into one person. The catalyst therefore needs to distinguish between temporary relief and lasting improvement. Sometimes a barrier needs to be removed immediately. After that, the question needs to be asked: What made the intervention necessary? The answer may point to unclear mandates, insufficient handovers, or priorities competing for the same resources. These are the conditions that need to be developed.
Make recurring obstacles into development issues
The catalyst does not start by introducing a new model. The starting point is a concrete pattern that the organization needs to understand and change. If the same type of decision recurs without being implemented, the development issue may be about responsibility and follow-up. If initiatives constantly compete, it may be about shared prioritization. The work becomes more accurate when the problem is formulated together with those affected. What happens in practice? Where does the obstacle arise? What capacity is lacking? In this way, attention is shifted from individual events to working conditions and structures, without losing sight of the concrete problem.
Develop the management's way of working
A key area is the working method of the management team. The catalyst can help the group clarify which issues require joint decision-making, what documentation is needed and how decisions are communicated. A meeting is not successful simply because the agenda has been completed. It also needs to be clear what has been decided, who is responsible and when the issue is followed up. The task is not to take over the management’s responsibility, but to create the conditions for better joint work. Goal conflicts also need to be addressed: what should be prioritized when everything cannot be implemented simultaneously?
Building learning in implementation
A learning loop connects action, feedback, and adjustment. For the catalyst, this means that changes are not considered complete once a new approach has been presented. The organization needs to examine whether it works in everyday life. A practical approach is to identify an obstacle, test a change on a small scale, and monitor what happens. Did the division of responsibilities become clearer? Did waiting time between decisions and action decrease? Did new difficulties arise? The results are used to adjust the approach before it is spread further. The learning needs to be simple enough to become part of the business, not a separate project on the side.
An example: deliveries that get stuck
Assume that several strategic initiatives are delayed as work moves from one function to another. The sensor detects the pattern. The integrator It examines the relationships between priorities, resources, and decision paths. The catalyst then helps the relevant functions test a clearer handover: shared expectations, a designated recipient, and an agreed-upon path for unresolved issues. After a trial period, the approach is followed up. The goal is not for the Chief of Staff to continue coordinating every handover. The goal is for the functions themselves to be able to handle them. The example shows how an operational disruption can become the starting point for more lasting organizational improvement.
Mandate, participation and clear ownership
Catalytic work requires a clear mandate, but also respect for existing responsibilities. The Chief of Staff can initiate, facilitate, and keep the development together without becoming the permanent owner of every process. It needs to be clear who decides on the change, who manages the process, and who needs to be involved. Participation is important because those who use the structure also need to be able to influence its design. Transparency about purpose and responsibility reduces the risk of informal parallel governance. Trust is built when the role helps the organization succeed on its own terms, rather than adding an additional layer of coordination on top.
Measure the remaining ability
The value of the catalyst is not primarily reflected in the number of meetings, initiatives, or resolved issues. More relevant indicators are the reduction in recurring obstacles, the clearer ownership of decisions, and the functioning of collaboration without constant mediation. The follow-up needs to be adapted to the evolving capabilities and compared with the baseline. Reduced involvement from the Chief of Staff is positive only when the work still functions. The goal is therefore not to withdraw as quickly as possible, but to hand over a sustainable working method. This is where the central paradox of the role lies: the Chief of Staff can create greater long-term value by making the organization less dependent on its own efforts.
Reflection question: What problems do we solve time and again – and what organizational capabilities do we need to build to prevent them from recurring?
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