Tim Hebert
Management Services Committee Member
A&W Electric, Inc.
As leaders, we are responsible for developing those around us to maximize their performance and prepare them for larger roles within our organizations. This facet of management presents several challenges, not the least of which is a shortage of experienced technicians. While we have mostly focused on filling technical positions, we can make a similar case for acquiring management, sales and support talent.
So, What Are We To Do?
In many cases, this challenge is the main impediment to the growth and future success of our companies. How do we attack and resolve this problem? Below are some things we are working on at our company, A&W Electric, Inc. Some of these approaches have succeeded, some have failed, and some require extra effort as we work through their execution.
Consider Yourself a Training + Development Organization
Let's face it–for years, we all thought formalized training programs were only for large companies, the military or similarly sized organizations. When smaller companies had a position to fill, they primarily looked to those organizations to provide “ready-to-go folks.” Those days are gone. More importantly, every leader, manager and front-line supervisor must incorporate the development of themselves and others as a key to achieving success in their role. Only after you truly understand that part of your success lies in developing others can you, as a leader, begin to break down old mindsets among your team members about keeping information to oneself for fear of "training the replacement."
Focus on People Who Drive Your Organization
I firmly believe that every single individual should have a development plan as part of their job description. If you are just beginning a training and development program, designing a plan for everybody can seem overwhelming. The 80/20 rule can apply here. In many organizations, there are influencers (the “20”) who set an example and encourage progress. Their enthusiasm for your program will inspire others to engage in a training culture. In many cases, these are front-line supervisors and key technical leaders. If you need to start small, those influencers are the ideal group to use in your pilot program.
At our company, we are in the early stages of creating training programs for the foremen in our electrical group. Quite often, people have developed a specific technical skill. As they grow in the organization, they rise to positions where their abilities to lead, communicate and manage are even more important than their technical skills.
Our program helps front line managers learn some of the job management, communication and motivational skills necessary to lead and grow members of our team. These skills will also help them as they continue to advance in their careers and to even higher positions (hopefully within our organization).
Develop Formal + Informal Programs
Many of us struggle with program development. On the Management Services Committee, we have members from service centers of varying sizes. The larger organizations have some incredibly thorough and formalized programs with great results, while smaller organizations may find implementing such a program to be a bit more complicated. But, if we focus on the resources at our disposal, organizations of any size can put together very effective programs.
For example, we have developed both formal and informal apprenticeship programs. Each has a combination of theory-based learning, hands-on training and demonstrations of proficiency before moving on to the next task. We break down our workgroups into small clusters of two or three people. One person in each cluster is a technical "lead," and part of this role focuses on the hands-on training and development of those in their group. We utilize EASA's Vo-Tech program, webinars and resources at easa.com for the fundamental training.
While we have had some success, there have also been challenges. Integrating training into the workday among regular production schedules and deadlines can be difficult. No one wants to tell their biggest customer that the motor and pump we are rebuilding is not on schedule because we are training. We have to balance when we can jump into training mode versus when we have to "get 'er done."
Many companies face the inevitable problem of investing training dollars into people only to have them leave. Unfortunately, this is a necessary cost of doing business in today’s world.
We have experienced some great success with these programs. We have noticed more consistent, quality work, better communication within the "clusters" and a renewed spirit of teamwork.
Most importantly, the employees who commit themselves to their development are the people who will drive your company forward. In our organization, they seized the opportunity, appreciated our investment in them and made incredible strides. I continue to be proud of our team and the progress that they make.
Employee development is a challenge, but with a plan and commitment, the gains can be immeasurable.
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