Supporting Your Executive Workforce

Originally in the May BPD and Merchant Magazines. 

Having been a student of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA) Executive Management Institute (EMI) 20-plus years ago, I can attest to the value of this unique course. The binder from the course I attended in 1997 – and the insight I gained – have accompanied me throughout my career and served as a reference many times since.

Many of my 20 classmates from EMI at the University of Virginia are also now senior executives at industry-leading firms. The friendships I formed with these individuals have stood the test of time, and today I consider these people not only friends, but invaluable resources that I can reach out to when I have a problem or a question. 

What I only came to fully appreciate later in my career about my EMI experience was how rare it truly was to find relevant education for emerging lumber and building materials industry executives, and for my company to be able to make a significant investment in my participation. That knowledge has made me appreciate EMI even more and commit to providing this opportunity to newer industry executives. In recent years as a NAWLA Board Member, I’ve made developing an experience that mirrors my own – but with a focus on today’s business challenges – a key area of focus during my year as NAWLA Chair.

As I’ve spoken with others across the industry, a common theme that has emerged on the topic of executive education is that while many traditional executive-level training programs excel at honing cognitive and technical skills, they rarely incorporate instruction on or application of other competencies senior professionals also truly need. These include how to collaborate and communicate and how to network with and influence others toward achieving a common objective. After seeing these ideas reinforced in a recent article from the Harvard Business Review (March-April 2019), I’ve concluded this isn’t a challenge unique to our industry.

Additionally, many business schools, for-profit universities or consultancies offer training programs that aren’t customized to the needs of an individual and their organization, or to the industry within which executives must apply their learnings. The nuances of how those businesses and people operate, share challenges and areas of opportunity, and the types of resources being managed and consumed, influence the skills needed to successfully lead those businesses through an evolving landscape.

These factors are further complicated by a lack of alignment between the objectives of individuals and their employers when it comes to executive-focused professional development. Countless studies have shown that employees say training is important and they are willing to pursue it – even in their free time – to improve job performance. However, those same individuals need to see how the opportunity supports their own career goals to truly engage in and benefit from such programs. Their employers need to recognize that this training can’t be replaced by a strong mentor, professional network or years of experience alone.

When some or all of those conditions exist, executive-level training programs do not consistently deliver the desired return on a company’s investment, which can be significant. In fact, according to that same article, half of senior leaders believe that their talent development efforts don’t adequately build critical skills and organizational capabilities. This is astounding to me when we know that effective training programs have such a vast array of potential benefits for an employer.

This void in effective executive-level training was echoed by NAWLA members in a 2019 survey focused on assessing unmet educational and professional development needs. They are seeking more training and support for those in executive management from the same organization they turn to for orienting their new hires to the forest products industry through courses such as Wood Basics.

So when NAWLA started investigating a revamped EMI course to address our member needs, we sought to address these perceived shortcomings with the delivery of a program that integrates the needs, challenges and areas of opportunity for the forest products industry throughout the course, while providing an immersive educational experience where participants can master and integrate tools for leading their organizations in a constantly evolving business environment. In light of the current circumstances brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic, this content never has had a greater relevancy.

After a thorough review process, NAWLA established a partnership this spring with the one of the world’s top-ranked business schools, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, to offer the next EMI January 31-February 5, 2021.

To help us overcome the challenges cited by my peers related to industry and individual relevancy, NAWLA has established a task force of executive-level volunteers from both the mill and the wholesaler sides of our industry. These volunteers will work closely in the coming months with the experienced instructional designers from the Kellogg School to build out the customized program that is ultimately taught by renowned educators from the school early next year.

Over the course of five days, 2021 EMI participants will explore case studies, participate in interactive lectures, share their personal stories and experiences, engage in dynamic readings, network with fellow industry executives, collaborate in small group exercises and connect the dots through guided reflections. By equipping top-performing executives to make decisions and take strategic action based upon both traditional and innovative business practices, this course will help achieve the professional development objectives of both an individual and their organization. 

To ensure that participants leave with the skills they will immediately apply upon their return to their offices, the program (and all instruction) is organized around the top themes and challenges forest product industry executives frequently encounter and coach others on: strategy (including finance, strategic alliances, and data and analytics), human capital (including talent management and development, diversity and inclusion, collaboration and compensation), innovation (including design thinking and service operations), negotiation (including decision making/problem solving, conflict resolution, influence and values) and managing change (with a special emphasis on understanding culture). 

The 2021 EMI course will be limited 35 attendees to allow for that personalized educational experience, with countless chances for participants to build and strengthen their professional network and create relationships that last their entire careers.

NAWLA recognizes that this course is a significant investment for both the executive-level participant and his or her employer. But I assure you that the short-term costs are well outweighed by the long-term benefits you will derive by sending the people who are charged with your company’s long-term successful performance. I value and have benefited from my experience with EMI more than words can express. I am confident the person(s) you select for this opportunity will return with knowledge, connections, experiences and new perspectives that your company will benefit from for decades to come.

Registration for the 2021 revamped course opened earlier this month, and the preliminary program details are currently available nawla.org. Additional details will be available in the coming months.