ECG’s Foreman Development Series is intended to provide line crew leaders and line crew foremen with tools and abilities outside the scope of the physical hands-on side of line work, concentrating on the soft skill/ mental side of leading crew members. This allows them to be more effective, efficient, and impactful while giving them an understanding of their role and responsibilities of their job within the utility.
The Foreman Development Series consists of two Modules each three days in length and four months between each Module.
Module I
• Preparing Foremen for Leadership: Learning to Lead Others
• The Transition from Employee to Foreman and the Keys to Discipline and Delegation
• Being an Effective Communicator: Serving Internal and External Customer
Module II
• Cultural Diversity
• Getting the Most Out of a Multigenerational Line-Crew
• An Employment Law Primer for Crew Leaders/Crew Foremen: What they didn’t tell you about the promotion
• Accident Investigation: Case Studies of Real Accidents
Module I
ECG Newnan Training Center
Preparing Foremen for Leadership: Learning to Lead Others
With changes in the workforce and new technology comes the need for new technical job skills as well as the skills needed to coach, motivate and inspire crew members. This course is designed to prepare new and recently promoted foreman, crew leaders, and others for the challenges of being an individual and team leader. Members will gain insight into what people respect in leaders and how to develop their own unique leadership style. The course will discuss among other topics: what management looks for in a leader, what ‘followers’ expect, the characteristics of effective leadership, the common pitfalls encountered by leaders, how to develop your own leadership tools, how to win support over resistance, and how to keep things ‘on track’ in the workplace.
The Transition from Employee to Foreman and the Keys to Discipline and Delegation
One day you’re just another member of the crew. To your fellow crewmates, you are a friend, a pal. You fish and hunt together, and the relationship is defined and comfortable. Then, you become their boss. Now everything changes…or does it? This course is designed to provide Members with an understanding of the dynamics of workplace relationships and strategies of how to better manage those and improve relationships through an effective delegation of duties, tasks, and responsibilities process. Members will gain insight into the connection between relationships and how “motivation through delegation” will assist you in reconciling both. The course focuses primarily on dealing with employees who allow changed relationships to negatively impact their performance and disrupt the work environment. Techniques of counseling, mentoring, and modifying negative behavior will be addressed and covered. In addition, the course will provide Members, through group discussions and small group activities, with a variety of alternatives, techniques, and action plans for effectively counseling employees and for handling chronic difficult situations through informal discipline.
Being an Effective Communicator: Serving Internal and External Customer
The success of a utility is based to a large extent on the people skills of its employees. The course will improve the relationships through the skills of interpersonal communication with internal and external customers. Members will gain a perspective of service excellence from the customers’ point of view when conducting business transactions both in person and via telephone. Using class discussion and interactive exercises, they develop skills for dealing with internal and external customers in a variety of recurring scenarios including technical support, answering questions, and giving information. The skills learned in this program serve to enhance the performance of all employees who interact with fellow employees and customers resulting in reduced stress, more efficient utilization of transaction time, and improved customer satisfaction.
Module II
ECG Newnan Training Center
Cultural Diversity
Members will gain an in-depth understanding of how bias and stereotype can and have negatively color their interactions in the workplace. We explain how jokes can become unsavory and turn into micro-aggression and how harmful and dangerous they can be to the recipient. At the end of this series, Members will understand that the United States is made up of a myriad of diverse and interesting cultures and that professionalism in the 21st century must involve respecting the next person’s beliefs. Members will gain knowledge of stereotypes, micro-aggressions, and how they negatively affect working conditions so we can all work towards a better future.
Session Outcomes:
• Understand what “Cultural Diversity” means
• Who you are and why you exist?
• How stereotypes come up
• Demonstrate an awareness of self-held implicit and explicit biases that may set you up to fail
• Your fears about your race’s future
• What is the narrative about religion or culture in the news?
Getting the Most Out of a Multigenerational Line-Crew
The American workforce is much more diverse today than ever before in history, with the age range of employees spanning as much as 50 years. Each generation has its own unique values and behavior which can sometimes cause misunderstanding in the workplace. While employees have many similarities, each generational background can bring differing views about communication techniques, work/life balance, and approach to work. To effectively handle these critical issues, leaders must better understand how the diversity of backgrounds shape workplace expectations. This interactive workshop will help you understand how generational traits play out in the workplace. Discover generational code breakers to help you better lead your diverse team and in turn, help the team find ways to work well together.
Session Outcomes:
• Learn what defines each of the five generations
• Explore the unique perspectives each generation brings to the topics of technology, authority, communication etiquette, work ethics, and professional development
• Discover ways to communicate with each generation—broadening your generational toolkit
• Generate and apply a list of generational “Do’s and Don’ts” to increase your ability to move smoothly between the generations
An Employment Law Primer for Crew Leaders/Crew Foremen: What they didn’t tell you about the promotion
Frontline supervisors have a lot of responsibility and often walk a difficult line between being a representative of the City/Company and just another one of the crew. The line is even thinner for new foremen and supervisors who in many cases are now in charge of folks who yesterday may have been their peers. It is not easy.
In many instances, supervisors misstep because they simply aren’t aware of the obligations various employment laws place on them. Even when they’re good at their jobs, their supervisor status puts another layer of responsibility, and they must keep in mind how to lawfully interact with their crews.
Our program won’t be another boring lecture…we’ll keep it lively while we go over the most common screw-ups and help you understand how to stay out of trouble.
Accident Investigation: Case Studies of Real Accidents
An accident is a final event in a series of unplanned events that results in an injury to an employee and/or property damage. It is often the final result of a number of surface and root causes.
This course is necessary for any Foreman or Crew Leader who may be required to investigate workplace accidents. Members will gain the information needed to effectively analyze an accident event by uncovering the cause of injury, and more importantly, the primary and contributing surface causes for the accident. Members will develop the skills needed to analyze and evaluate the true root causes. Members will also learn why the question of fault and possible discipline is often irrelevant and inappropriate when conducting an accident investigation.
This course covers how to conduct a proper investigation of a workplace accident. The course stresses proper investigative procedure and conveys an understanding of the basic skills needed by the investigator.
About the Instructors
Bruce Damrow – Continuum, Inc.
With over 35 years as an Air Force member and Chief Master Sergeant including such capstones as the establishment of 18 Airmen Leadership Schools nationwide, Bruce has instructed, lectured, taught, and wrote curriculum for four levels of Air Force Leadership schools. He delivers thought-provoking and solution-based seminars and involves audiences in proactive thinking approaches to all aspects of leadership and management.
Jon Beasley – ECG
With over 41 years of lineman experience, Jon currently serves as the VP of Training and Safety for ECG. He has actively trained lineworkers in 3 states to more than 65 cities and over 1000 students. Jon coordinates and leads utility crews on disaster response/mutual aid for ice storms, hurricanes, and tornados. Jon provides expert testimony on behalf of Participant cities related to accident investigations. A key player in the creation of the “Georgia Lineman’s Rodeo” and the “APPA Lineworker’s Rodeo Competition” serving as Master Judge. His team took top honors in the “1999 International Lineman’s Rodeo Competition.” APPA honored Jon with the “Kramer-Preston Personal Service Award” in 2006 for his continued work and support. He has served on the APPA E&O Committee as Section Chair and as Chair of the Safety Committee. Jon currently serves on the APPA Safety Manual Review Task Force, and MAWG (Mutual Aid Working Group) as well as previously serving on the APPA RP3 panel.
Kayla Curry – Organization Impact, LLC
Kayla’s industry experience spans 27+ years in both the corporate sector and non-profit market where she has worn hats such as Director of Organizational Strategy, Director of Human Resources, and Director of Staff Development. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Organizational Communication from Murray State University in Kentucky. Kayla is a DiSC trainer and Registered Corporate Coach™. She is the author of “Leadership Shorts: Practical Tips When You Are at Wit’s End”, Amazon #1 bestseller “The Complete Experience: Unlocking the Secrets of Online Reviews that Drive Customer Loyalty,” an Amazon #1 bestseller “Unstuck: 10 Proven Strategies for Breaking Through the Barriers to Small Business Growth.”
Kayla is president of Organization Impact, LLC and is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management, Association of Talent Development, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Southeast Business Forum, Donelson/Hermitage Chamber of Commerce, and the Workforce Magazine Business Intelligence Board.
Todd Stanton – Stanton Law, LLC
Todd Stanton, the founder of Stanton Law, has focused on management representation in employment matters since graduating from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2002. Starting with labor and employment boutique Fisher Phillips, he eventually moved to Powell Goldstein (later Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner), where he represented some of the largest companies in the country. A native Atlantan and Marist alum, Todd graduated from Washington & Lee University with Honors in 1995, majoring in Psychology and with a 4-year in baseball. He married Ashley in 1999 and they have two sons.
Hector Hernandez – Hector Speaks
Hector L. Hernandez is an author, former law enforcement officer, public speaker, active police K-9 instructor, and professional dog trainer. Hector’s self-developed presentations and publications are internationally used.
An internationally recognized authority on the psychology of dealing with difficult people and organizational turnaround, he has served as an advisor for more than 30 years. In doing so, he has spearheaded initiatives to create proper policies, prevent public relations issues, liability awareness, brand protection, and employee self-awareness.
In his mission to continually impact the lives of people, Mr. Hernandez has made headlines by changing organizational culture and lending his voice to disruptive companies in both private and public sectors.
Class Location
ECG TRAINING CENTER
Providing meeting space, classroom education, and a pole-yard for hands-on instruction, our training centers are strategically located to allow easy, geographical access to our students.
Newnan Training Center
381 Corinth Road
Newnan, GA 30263
Dates
Module 1 – July 11-13, 2023
Module 2 – October 31st – November 2nd, 2023
Time
8 AM – 4 PM Daily
Pricing & Registration
$3,000 – ECG Training & Safety Member
$9,000 – Non-Member
Please contact ECG Training & Safety at [email protected]
Schedule
Each Module is 3 full days from 8:00am to 4:00pm.
Lunch will be on your own each day.
Who Should Attend
Supervisors, Foremen, Crew Leaders, and Lead or Journeyman Lineworkers who will be
transitioning into a crew leader position with a minimum of 5 years experience. Preferred
completion of the ECG Groundman, Apprentice, and Advanced Lineworker certifications.
Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend, substitutions will be permitted up to one week prior to the first
class date with written notification, there will be no refunds given. Attendees must attend
each of the modules to receive a Certificate of Completion. ECG reserves the right to
reschedule or cancel any scheduled training class or to replace personnel.
*While ECG has made reasonable efforts to provide quality training services, it makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability with respect to any training for any particular purpose. Any reliance you place on such training for a particular purpose is therefore strictly at your own risk. All information and material presented herein are subject to copyrights owned by ECG and other individuals or entities. Any reproduction, retransmission, republication, or other use of all or part of any information found herein is prohibited, unless prior written permission has been granted by ECG or the appropriate copyright owner. Copyright 2010. Electric Cities of Georgia, Inc. All rights reserved.