FORT WORTH, Texas – Understanding the critical role supervisors play in the careers of their staff and employees, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District held a Supervisor University training class for more than 100 district employees at the district headquarters, Feb. 27-28, 2024.
Fort Worth District deputy commander, Lt. Col. Joshua Haynes, kicked off the event with a leadership brief, followed by keynote speaker, Sam Zakhem, the HQ USACE branch chief for Performance Management and Data Analytics in Military Programs.
The Supervisor University training is a creative and innovative training initiative to enhance both leadership and supervisor roles. The training focused on the soft skills that leaders need to possess. Included in the training were self-assessment classes such as Knowing Oneself, Listening and Speaking Skills, The Secrets of Effective Teams/Conflict Management and Relevance of Leadership Training.
It is well-known that quality leadership, from top to bottom, is a vital component of maintaining a vibrant and effective workforce.
“I think we have good supervisors in the district that are very knowledgeable in their fields,” said Mitch Mosler, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District training coordinator and workforce development specialist. “Most are good at taking care of their personnel but still need valuable tools to make them more successful in their leadership role.”
At first glance, one might think that leaders and supervisors are synonymous; however, there are some subtle and distinct differences between the two. Not all supervisors are good leaders, not from lack of effort, but they may not have the tools, training, or experience needed to be effective in their current role.
Leaders tend to concentrate more on the resources and goals of their team or organization.
“I really wanted to focus on the leadership aspect in this training session as most civilian supervisors don’t get the leadership training that I, and most veterans, received coming up through the military,” said Mosler.
With a curriculum focused on building soft skills, Zakhem was a natural choice to bring to the front of the class.
During the pandemic, he created over 15 leadership development modules on his initiative, to on-board remote branch employees and keep them connected. His training courses were so successful, he is now sought out USACE-wide, and beyond, to deliver his classes.
“I’ve been doing these sessions for four years now, reaching around 25,000 students in total attendance,” said Zakhem. “Four years ago, the pandemic triggered unplanned and massive changes in where and how we live and work. I found that over the years, we tended to focus, almost exclusively, on technical skills and processes and that’s not enough in a fast-changing and volatile world.”
Aside from the training presented to the Fort Worth District, Zakhem has also delivered sessions to the USACE Professional Women Network, the HQ Small Business Office, Omaha District Contracting office, the Transatlantic Middle East District and Baltimore District Leadership Development Programs.
Other federal agencies such as the Defense Logistics Agency and FEMA-Puerto Rico have come to Zakham for training as well.
“I thought the instructor presented the material in a very understandable way,” said Gerard Henry, Fort Worth District deputy chief of Contracting. “He was able to translate leadership concepts that we learned as military officers into the civilian perspective. The course helped me to expand my thought processes and put things into perspective when it comes to managing, training, and mentoring my personnel.”
The Civilian Personnel Advisory Center provided other classes during the Fort Worth District’s Supervisor University training which centered on personnel issues such as avoiding management-created problems, addressing misconduct issues, probationary periods and grievances and appeals.
“It is my intent to offer this course at least two times a year, with our next training scheduled in October,” Mosler said. “A survey goes out to the supervisors to inquire on which subjects they consider most valuable, and I reach out to the appropriate trainers and resources for that training need.”
Other programs and initiatives the district offers to train and develop its employees include Prospect courses, the Leadership Development program, and the Mentorship program.