Leadership development program built for operating teams
Our leadership development program is a multi-phase system: diagnose how leaders actually work, design roles and measures, train supervisors and new managers, then coach and sustain. Training alone fades; the program ties skills to Execution Performance Management.
Program vs one-off training
Who it’s for: supervisors, team leads, and new managers, along with the plant, operations, HR, and project leaders who sponsor the work.
A workshop teaches a skill. A program changes the conditions under which people use it. If expectations are vague, decision rights unclear, and nobody reviews behavior, even excellent training fades within weeks.
Our program starts by understanding how your operation actually runs, then builds the roles, measures, and coaching that make the new behavior the easy one. For more on how performance and the constraint line up, see how to align performance to the constraint.
Four phases: diagnostic, design, implementation, sustainment
- Diagnostic & assessmentWeeks 1–4Map how the operation really works and baseline current behaviors and metrics.
- Design & planningWeeks 5–8Define decision rights, winning behaviors, and the performance scorecard.
- ImplementationMonths 3–6Training, coaching, and the performance system go live on the floor.
- Evaluation & sustainmentMonths 7–12Re-measure against baseline, report results, and embed reinforcement.
Timelines are typical and adjusted to your operation.
Tracks: supervisors and new managers
Supervisor track
- Role of the supervisor and leading peers
- Coaching, feedback, and accountability
- Decision rights and escalation
- Performance management on the floor
New manager track
- From top performer to leader of others
- Delegation and expectation setting
- Coaching with TIPS²™
- Building a team that owns results
What makes it different: EPM and decision rights
Two things set the program apart. Execution Performance Management gives leaders a few outcome measures and diagnostic indicators with a regular review rhythm. Decision rights are documented, so supervisors know what to decide and when to escalate.
Manufacturing proof
Each engagement required some form of Execution Performance Management. Results from Mark Woeppel’s engagements, as published at mfgresilience.com/results.
Start with a diagnostic
The first step is a short diagnostic conversation about where decisions stall and where supervisors are doing the work. From there we can recommend a program, a targeted workshop, or organizational design work.
Mark’s books describe the thinking behind the program; see the books.
Frequently asked questions
How is a program different from training?
Training is an event. A program diagnoses how leaders actually work, designs the roles, decision rights and measures they need, delivers the training, and then coaches and re-measures so the change holds.
How long does a program take?
A typical program runs about twelve months: diagnostic in weeks 1–4, design in weeks 5–8, implementation in months 3–6, and evaluation and sustainment in months 7–12.
Who should participate?
Supervisors, team leads, and new managers, along with plant managers, HR, and project leads who sponsor the work.
Can we start smaller?
Yes. Many clients begin with a Shared Understanding Workshop or a single skills workshop and expand as results appear.
Book a diagnostic conversation
Talk through supervisor training, new manager training, or a leadership development program for your operation.