Energy Workforce held the final 2023 Operations Leadership Program in Houston in mid-November, where participants gathered at Murphy Oil to learn tools and strategies to help develop and refine leadership skills within their roles.
Participants included Member Companies BJ Energy Solutions, DistributionNOW, Helmerich & Payne, Hunting Energy Services, Murphy Oil, Stabil Drill, Stewart & Stevenson and Superior Energy Services. The session was sponsored by strategic partners Chevron, Nextier and SLB.
The Operations Leadership Program developed by Energy Workforce’s Advisory Board and HR Committee is a two-day seminar with a one-on-one executive coaching session designed to transform managers from individual contributors into effective leaders.
The seminar kicked off with a “Getting to Know You” exercise after which the cohort spent two days exploring and analyzing practices that support development of organizational networks and culture. They applied leadership tools, such as goal setting and strategies for effective communication. Participants learned about the most common leadership styles and coaching models and identified how to recognize ideal candidates for development using tools such as the DISC assessment.
“This is the first time I have heard of the DISC assessment; it was very insightful and look forward to using it with my team. It seems like a powerful way to understand your personnel and improve communication.”
Program Participant
During the seminar, participants broke out into small groups, in order to practice the tools and models being shared, as well as role play. Groups reported what they discussed, such as what makes a great leader, how to create and build trust within your teams, how to deliver effective feedback, change management and more. The breakouts provided the participants time to put the tools into practice, all while developing relationships with people across the sector.
“The feedback model and practice were very helpful. This experience opened my eyes to the types of feedback and now I understand that people receive feedback differently.”
Program Participant
Participants discussed “living above the line,” by taking ownership, accountability and responsibility instead of blame, excuses and denial. Incorporating accountability into one’s daily routine demonstrates servant leadership and fosters engagement. Increased engagement promotes relatability, which sets the stage for providing necessary feedback to employees. This model was extremely well-received by the group.
“I really like that we were given hard copies of the different kinds of leadership tools and models. I will keep these at my desk and continue to use.”
Program Participant
Following the program, each participant will have an executive coaching session, providing an opportunity for the participants to invest time in themselves and discover ways to fill gaps, identify blind spots and build upon the other skills they already have in place.
Registration is now open for the 2024 Operations Leadership Program. For more information about Energy Workforce training programs, contact Vice President Programs & Events Peggy Helfert.
Peggy Helfert, Vice President Programs & Events, writes about the Energy Workforce’s sector-specific best practices and leadership. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
