Construction management and engineering services company Haskell has many employees currently in a leadership role, as well as those who aspire to take on such a role. The company wanted to create a comprehensive program for those in management to allow them to become effective, strategic leaders.
In 2010, Haskell began offering an intensive three-part Management Series, with one part completed each year over three years. Taught by certified-business coach and author Chip Scholz, the Management Series is one of Haskell’s most successful and long-running programs. Each phase of the program includes nine sessions each year and requires significant out-of-class work, team projects, and presentations.
Program Details
Despite the time commitment, the Management Series has become a coveted, high-demand series because of its effectiveness and ability to teach management skills that can be applied to everyday situations.
The first in the series teaches participants how leadership influences others and develops self-awareness and self-leadership. This phase aims to foster personal awareness through group learning, field work, and one-on-one coaching. Other topics addressed include creating a personal direction, improving decision-making, and focusing on results.
The second part of the Management Series builds on skills learned in the first session while teaching new leadership skills. It teaches participants how to think strategically before acting. Other course topics include delivering and accepting difficult feedback, motivating others, and peer coaching.
The final phase of the series focuses on the application of the learned principles from the first two sessions. It also involves a high-level of questioning and peer-to-peer learning to test the skills learned. Here, current and future Haskell leaders meet outside of the workplace and conduct seven in-person meetings. This session also reinforces the skills of coaching team members, peer-to-peer problem solving, and how to achieve complete communication.
This session, like the previous two, also facilitates networking and teamwork among employees from all of Haskell’s offices.
Results
Haskell’s first graduating class was in 2013. Overall, some 81 employees have participated in the series as of 2014.
Nearly 89 percent of participants said the course was effective. Employees who participated in the series said it assisted them with goal setting, prioritization, and how to establish a healthy work-life balance. Participants also said they thought the course was motivational and improved coaching skills to allow them to become better managers.
Many of those who took the course applied the skills they learned to advance in the company. Nearly 30 percent of overall participants in the series were promoted during or after the program’s completion. Forty-three percent were promoted into a supervisory level during or after completion of the series.
