effective leadership

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Danielle Antos, Greater Reading Chamber

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recently read a SmartBrief.com blog regarding the skills gap for new Managers and Leaders. We hear so much about the skills gap in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, but the same shortage exists with future managers and supervisors for most any industry. The same underlying theme remains throughout—growing the future leaders of an organization should be top priority for management.

Excerpt from SmartBrief.com blog: In this volatile and ever-changing environment, new managers matter. They’re on the front lines with your workforce, your customers, your competitors, and your markets. They have tremendous potential, and some of them will become your organization’s future executives. It’s easy to simply rely on your new managers to take care of the management basics—assigning workloads, supervising others, approving vacation requests, managing budgets, and conducting performance reviews—but there is another role that they can, and should, step into: the role of leader. New managers—with their enthusiasm, energy, and fresh ideas—can be positioned to become effective as leaders if they’re properly developed from the beginning. Forward-looking executives are recognizing that developing new leaders is vital in order to keep up with the pace of change in the business world, and to address the leadership skills gap emerging as boomers retire. Simply put, having new leaders manage teams without first having them develop a leadership mindset is a missed opportunity for your organization, and could hinder your growth over time.

Many companies in Berks have looked to the Chamber for help in developing their current employees for future leadership roles. We recognize the needs of our members and strive to answer their call for relevant training programs. YES—the Chamber offers Supervisory Training! Our Supervisory Training Modules teach the leadership and communication skills 20  COMMERCE QUARTERLY   FALL 2015

needed by all supervisors and managers to help their companies achieve their goals and create a motivating and satisfying work environment. The Chamber is pleased to announce that the curriculum for the Supervisory Training Modules has been re-vamped to improve the flow and enhance the materials to make sure your employees are getting the most out of their training experience. The NEW Module I—Principles of Supervision launches on September 30. Once enrolled, employees will embark on a journey of developing skills they don’t currently practice or refining the skills they already have. Previously, our three module series were stand-alone; meaning that students could take the courses in any order. Our new series will be sequential learning, so we recommend that all students take the modules in order. We will offer the existing Modules II and III through spring 2016 allowing currently-enrolled students to finish up the classes they need to gain their certificate. See chart for scheduled roll out. By the spring of 2016, new curriculum for all the modules will be in place and the transition will be complete. As an added benefit to the program, pre and post evaluations will also help gauge the student’s progress throughout the modules—making results measurable for students and their managers.