Blog Post: You Manage Equipment and Lead People...

Team Fishel is proud to announce that 12 Teammates from around the country have been selected as the inaugural class of the Jeff Keeler Leadership Academy.

The academy was created as a formal education program to accelerate the technical, managerial, and leadership development of Teammates who are high-potential candidates for leadership. These candidates were chosen by area management for the academy to learn in 18 to 24 months what it might otherwise take them years to learn on the job.

Historically Team Fishel's leaders were developed over time through on-the-job training and mentoring. However, given the challenges Team Fishel is faced with today, a decision was made to create a more formal development program. 
 
Team Fishel partnered with outside consultants from Oliver Wyman to develop the curriculum for the program. Participants are required to attend nine 2-day sessions in Columbus over a period of 18 months, with three consistent themes being carried through all sessions: growing the business, managing Customers and projects, and developing as a leader. The curriculum is co-taught by representatives from Oliver Wyman and Team Fishel's own Teammates designated as Subject Matter Experts using a variety of methods, including lectures, exercises, role plays and case discussions.

Participants will also be involved in two Action Learning Projects over the course of the program. These Action Learning Projects will each last three to six months and the participants will work in small, high-powered teams to solve a real business problem while receiving live business coaching on their leadership and management skills.

Besides the classroom sessions and action learning sessions, the third major component to the curriculum is the development of Best Practices Manuals. These manuals are being developed to capture Team Fishel's recommended processes and practices on a range of topics that have been identified by a committee of Area and Regional Managers. Not only will these manuals be used by the participants, but Team Fishel will make these manuals available to all Teammates via the Team Fishel Intranet site.

Ian Smith, General Manager of Dublink LLC and Columbus Fibernet and an academy participant, recognizes that the academy was created for the purpose of ensuring Team Fishel's success in the future. "It's reassuring to know that the leaders of Fishel today are concerned and proactive about making sure we have good qualified leaders for tomorrow," he said. "I was honored and excited when I was chosen as a participant."

So far, participants have gathered to complete the first three sessions of the program. "These sessions have brought a variety of managers and supervisors together to achieve a common goal," said Scott McKeever, a program participant and Project Manager from Chandler, Arizona. "These are very informative sessions with a lot of interaction and participation from a variety of backgrounds."