November 2010 - Central Florida Chapter Associated Builders and ...

The
Williams
TEAM
awards
As the inspiration to start a training
a “learner” himself, Bob Lipscomb,
president of Williams Company, got
program from a book he was reading. The book,
“First, Break All the Rules: What the World's
Greatest Managers Do Differently” is based on
in-depth interviews by the Gallup Organization
of over 80,000 managers in 400 companies.
In reading the book, Lipscomb learned that
without satisfying an employee’s basic needs
first, a manager can never expect an employee
to give stellar performance. These basic needs
are: knowing what is expected of the employee
at work and giving him/her the equipment and
support to do the work right. “It is critical to
make sure everyone has the tools they need,”
said Lipscomb. “Then, they need to know how
to use those tools.”
From there, the Williams “Knowledge College”
was born.
To get the Knowledge College kicked off, Cheryl
Ranier was selected as the training coordinator.
The program requires that each employee
complete 32 training hours each year, and a
training budget is set based on a percentage
of payroll.
The training runs the gamut based on each
particular person’s needs and interests. Training
hours have been earned for attending
a conference in Seattle, trade association
training sessions, tuition reimbursement for
someone seeking their bachelor or master’s
degree and more. There is currently no maximum
amount for each person, and although
the training budget has been affected by the
current economic slowdown, it has also given
the team at Williams the opportunity to get
30 BUILDING CENTRAL FLORIDA NOVEMBER 2010
As one of only five companies to receive a Five-star T.E.A.M
award, Williams Company in Orlando isn’t just riding out
this storm. Through effective management and leadership’s
committee to the entire team, this company is taking the bull by
the horns. Through training and education, employees continue
to sharpen their skills to be the best of the best in their industry.
5 STAR TEAM AWARD WINNER
Company
creative by utilizing subs and vendors for lunch
‘n learns and having internal team members
with specializations teach classes.
Ranier tracks training material and efforts on
a monthly basis and sends updates quarterly
to keep employees on track. Quarterly reports
that document the progress of training efforts
for each individual are completed, and the
completion of training goals is a factor during
performance evaluations conducted by
management. The training credits are tracked
by Ranier in an Access database, and the company
Intranet site is utilized for distribution of
training material.
Special incentives such as gift cards given to
the employee with the most training hours or
a trip with family for the first three employees
to receive the LEED AP designation are also
available to keep employees motivated and
excited about their training.
Another successful program was the launch of
the annual “Training Camp,” where the office
was set up like a campus, and several classes
ranging in a variety of topics were offered
throughout the day. “The Power of Thanks,”
“Williams Company History” and “Scheduling,”
were just some of the topics covered. The
Training Camp was held during a traditionally
slow time for the company and gave employees
the opportunity to fulfill their training requirements
before the end of the year.
According the Lipscomb, the training program
has helped Williams in two ways: On the technical
side, it has helped the team get the most
pertinent and current technical education, and
on the soft side, it has helped with skills such
By Kati Trisler
Energy Air, Inc.
as understanding customer relations, time
management and organization.
Williams has received numerous TEAM
awards, and Lipscomb feels the true benefit
comes from the employees realizing the company
is at the forefront of the industry and all
the hard work is paying off. “We want this to
be a special place where people say, ‘Wow,
what a great company that’s really interested
in my betterment,” said Lipscomb. “If they
don’t stay, they’ve at least taken some valuable
stuff with them.”
The biggest challenges in managing and maintaining
the training program according to
Lipscomb and Ranier are keeping people interested
and getting the field employees to take
time out of their schedules to come into the
office for training.
If a company is only able to do the basics, safety
should be a mandatory training effort and
then customer service, said Lipscomb. “We’re
in the service business,” he said. “All you really
have is the level of service you provide. Hold
employees accountable.”
When asked what advice he would give fellow
ABC members considering a training program,
Lipscomb said, “Determine what you are trying
to accomplish. Determine your training goals,
and you must have full support of management.
Think to yourself, “What do we need to get
better at?” he said. Lipscomb also stressed the
importance of having management’s support.
“It must come from the top that it’s important
to your culture,” he said. “You can’t fake it.”