Rock Products is the aggregates industry's leading source for market analysis and technology solutions, delivering critical content focusing on aggregates-processing equipment; operational efficiencies; management best practices; comprehensive market
Issue link: https://rock.epubxp.com/i/142549
Item Number 5: I have the skills needed to deal with conficts which arise at work. Conflicts which arise in the workplace usually create awk‐ ward or uncomfortable situations. When managers are not prepared to deal with conflicts they are usually resolved in‐ adequately or ignored. Prior to participating in the training those involved believed they had some of the skills required to deal with conflicts in their place of work. Before the train‐ ing they rated this item at 4.8. Data from the post‐training survey indicated participants increased their knowledge in dealing with conflict as the average rating was raised to 5.4. Item Number 6: I have the information I need to effectively coach my team members. Coaching to improve performance is a much needed man‐ agement skill and is a tool used to help improve perform‐ ance, which promotes positive attitudes in the work place. Helping employees improve the way they work or perform tasks, in turn, benefits the company and assist it in achiev‐ ing its goals. Prior to being involved in this training session respondents indicated they might have about average skills in this area (pre‐survey rating of 4.5). Following the train‐ ing, the post‐survey average rating of 6.1 indicates partici‐ pants gained a significant amount of information on how to coach their team to be more efficient and effective in their job performance. terms of tons produced, cubic yards sold or some other sim‐ ple metric. Prior to training most participants believed they had an adequate knowledge of the financial aspects of the business. The pre‐survey average rating was 4.4. However, as a result of this program, participants discovered there was a great deal more involved in the financial aspects than they were aware of. The post‐survey data showed a slight in‐ crease in the rating after training to an average of 4.7. Item Number 10: Building a strong team is something I have the ability to do. When employees assigned to a plant or project work to‐ gether as a team it seems tasks get completed in a more effi‐ cient manner. A manager who has the skills to build and encourage team work is an asset to most companies. When asked if they had the skills to develop a team, participants rated themselves at 5.1 or above average on the pre‐training survey. Following the training session, participants indicated they had gained new information on team building skills. The average post‐survey rating on this item was 5.7. Item Number 7: Effectively managing time is something I know how to do. Establishing priorities, organizing duties, allocating time and delegating tasks are all part of managing or operating in a more efficient manner. Typically field level managers receive very little information or training in any of these areas. When asked how they would rate their skill level in time management, the participants indicated they have a basic understanding when they rated it an average of 4.6. The av‐ erage rating of 5.7 after the training would indicate they gained a substantial amount of information on becoming more efficient in managing their operation and team. Item Number 8: I have the information I need to help my team cope with change. It seems change in the workplace has become routine. How‐ ever, change can be quite unsettling and an anxiety produc‐ ing experience for most employees. Helping employees understand change and work through the anxiety which ac‐ companies it is a skill managers must learn in order to help their team through it. This is the one item on the pre‐survey where participants felt they lacked the skills to help their team members understand and cope with change. The aver‐ age rating prior to being involved in the training was 3.8. The average rating of 4.8 following training would support the position that participants gained a good deal of new in‐ formation about dealing with change from the training. Item Number 9: I have a good grasp of the fnancial aspects of my job. Field‐level managers are expected to achieve maximum pro‐ duction while keeping costs at a minimum. Yet many do not understand what it takes to make a profit; they think of it in www.rockproducts.com ROCKproducts • JULY 2013 13