Preparing frontline supervisors for the important role of leading crews and executing high-quality work

For frontline supervisors to carry out their responsibilities successfully, they must have a unique combination of skills and competencies. They require a high level of technical expertise and hands-on experience to execute the work and train others effectively. Employees often advance through a range of technical training to develop skills and expertise in tasks such as construction, maintenance, or repairs. At the same time, supervisors need leadership and management skills, which need to be applied in a job site or field setting that most managers in a public sector organization do not typically operate in. 

In high-performing organizations, staff learn their technical tasks in a programmatic way, acquiring certifications, experience, and skills over time, typically under an experienced and seasoned mentor. However, what is often missing for these frontline supervisors is training on supervisory skills. Even in organizations that do offer supervisory training, it is usually generic and not specific to job site leaders in the field.  

A common issue for our clients across the country is that due to a lack of frontline supervisory training, there are often inconsistencies in how frontline staff are managed, coached, and held accountable. Frontline supervisors in the field perform their work under unique circumstances, often under pressure from schedules, customer expectations, or emergency conditions. Supervisors who are competent, dedicated, and experienced are typically focused on just “getting things done,” and these soft skills around management and leadership are often ignored or de-prioritized.  

To lead in the construction-maintenance field successfully, efficiently, and safely requires that frontline supervisors have the leadership skills necessary for success while fully understanding the scope of their responsibilities, authority, and accountability in a consistent way. To prepare frontline supervisors for their role and create more consistency in how staff are managed, organizations need to build an in-house training program focused on supervising staff in the field. A training program for this type of leadership position should include five key elements:  

• Clear standards – Establish clear training expectations for new and veteran frontline supervisors. Set specific standards about how or what to train on, such as equipment, site setup, technology, and safety procedures.  
• Focus on safety – Set clear expectations regarding a culture of safety and performance of work according to established and required safety practices. 
• Effective leadership – Develop a curriculum specific to effective field supervisor leadership, including topics such as situational leadership, work planning, communication, building and motivating strong teams, coaching, and conflict resolution. 
• Efficient work execution – Train supervisors on best practices and efficiency standards for the use of equipment, coordination of resources, and assignment of the number of workers who should respond to different types of jobs. 
• Performance expectations – Establish specific performance appraisal metrics tied to expectations as established in the required supervisory training program. This should also include expectations on how they train other staff, what is expected of frontline supervisors in terms of training their crews, as well as how they should help crew members advance through their career ladders. 

During Steve Drew’s time at the City of Greensboro, North Carolina, they established a training program using these principles to support frontline supervisors in the Water Resources Department. The WaterMARK Leadership Academy was developed as a collaborative effort with all levels of supervision in the utility. While developing front-line leadership, technical, and supervisory skills were central to the program, the team recognized that fostering a positive organizational culture was essential for the program’s success. The goal of the training program was to develop leadership behaviors that demonstrate a culture of respect for City policies, core values, and one another in the Water Resources Department. Participants consisted of all supervisors and managers in the Department. The training consisted of two components: interactive classroom work and team-based project work. 

Project teams were established to help broaden the skills of program participants; each team tackled a department-wide challenge, allowing participants to work on new skills and incorporate best practices. Teams worked on challenges such as a departmental code of conduct, communicating key information, and policy changes. The classroom sessions were designed to train supervisors and managers on topics developed based upon discussions with all program participants, crew leaders, frontline supervisors, and managers. Importantly, the WaterMARK Leadership Academy was an iterative process, allowing the Water Resources Department to continuously identify departmental challenges and provide the necessary skill development, both “hard” and “soft,” to address those challenges and improve leadership behaviors.  

Building a successful front-line supervisory training program for crew chiefs and their supervisors should be a collaborative effort, as demonstrated in the WaterMARK Leadership Academy project. It is an opportunity to build mutual respect for everyone’s experience and knowledge and to bring together front-line staff with senior managers and engineers, creating an opportunity to develop positive, productive relationships between people who might never have had a chance to engage over the course of their careers. As a team, developing an in-house supervisory training program tailored to the organization’s specific needs fosters a sense of ownership and creates a platform for sharing, capturing, and preserving institutional knowledge. Once established, it may also be appropriate to consider identifying and designating certain supervisors as trainers, with additional expectations and a salary incentive.  

At Raftelis, we also provide leadership development, performance improvement, and innovation training specific for the unique needs of local governments and utilities. The Raftelis Performance Academy provides training opportunities for all career stages, including first-time managers and frontline supervisors.  

And, if you’re interested in discussing this topic further, reach out to Steve Drew at sdrew@raftelis.com or Ben Kittelson at bkittelson@raftelis.com.