On February 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st, more than 40 Department Managers of foundation repair contractors from all across the United States and Canada attended Management Training in Omaha, NE at Foundation Supportworks® (FSI) Headquarters.

On the first morning, the attendees discussed their personal leadership styles (collected from assessments the individuals took prior to the training class), the strengths and weaknesses of those styles, and the most effective ways to lead and manage their teams based on their own behavioral tendencies.  After a great lunch, the conversation shifted to the topic of hiring and recruiting the best talent.  The class discussed the importance of having a systemized approach during the hiring process, one that incorporates multiple interviews as well as behavioral style assessments to ensure you have found the right cultural fit for your company.  Also, because the first several weeks and months for a new employee are crucial for them to be a success in their new position, part of the afternoon focused on the orientation process to help new hires get off on the right foot.  At the end of the first day, a group dinner was provided where attendees were able to unwind and network with other foundation repair companies from across the country.  The second day of training focused on the mechanics of each individual department and how to best manage the staff within those departments.  After lunch, the attendees discussed effective methods for conducting employee performance evaluations.  The final day of the training began by defining employee types and effective ways to manage top, medium, and low performing employees.  The session concluded by focusing on the importance of understanding your employees motivators to ensure that you are rewarding and recognizing them in ways that align with these motivators.

There were many discussions about real world victories and struggles that our dealers have experienced and collaborative brainstorming to better ourselves, our companies and the FSI Dealer Network.  FSI training events have a tradition of building camaraderie with its Dealer Network, and this training was no exception.