Facilities and Engineering Employees Learning Leadership Skills

Facilities and Engineering Employees Learning Leadership Skills

RICE NEWS
May 13, 1999

With numerous new buildings slated for construction on campus, the department of Facilities and Engineering (F&E) has embarked on a leadership training program for all personnel.

Between March 25 to April 15, the Consulting and Entertainment Organization (CEO), a consulting firm specializing in leadership training, led four one-day training sessions to teach skills in leadership and communications to Facilities and Engineering’s 42 project managers, supervisors and lead custodians. Training for other personnel will follow.

A detailed assessment of organizational climate and leadership style was initially completed with feedback from 50 employees, said Jim Riley, project manager for the F&E leadership program. Following the assessment of the work climate and leadership styles facilities and engineering upper management, a program was established to teach specific leadership skills.

All facilities and engineering personnel will receive some leadership training, Riley said. The purpose of the training is to develop skills that will improve communications and productivity while also increasing job satisfaction.

The leadership program is part of an overall training initiative for the department. Eusebio Franco, manager of custodial and grounds, heads up overall training for F&E.

“We are creating a learning environment to help us grow and better serve the mission of the university,” Franco said. “These are very exciting times for F&E and Rice University.”

New buildings currently scheduled for or already under construction include south college, Martel College, the graduate apartments, a baseball stadium and the humanities building.

“We saw that we needed to tap into the skills, abilities and intelligence of everyone in the organization,” Riley said.

While managers and others have learned some leadership skills over time, many people in F&E have not had the opportunity to learn leadership skills in their jobs. This leadership program will provide that opportunity.