Leadership Programs Support Employee-Owner Development
Morrison-Maierle is clear: our people are key to the firm’s success, so much so that “our people” is one of the four core perspectives identified in our strategic plan. We demonstrate that belief by supporting employee-owners during each stage of their careers. But what does that look like in practice?
Each year, Morrison-Maierle hosts three professional development leadership programs. The onboarding retreat is open to all new hires, Emerging Leaders is designed for entry to mid-level employee-owners, and Leadership Alliance includes mid- to senior-level employee-owners who are new to leadership roles or are expected to be in one in the future.
The programs are tailored to best support employee-owners in different career phases, but the goals for all three are similar:
- Build strong relationships and connections within Morrison-Maierle.
- Establish a clear understanding of what success looks like at Morrison-Maierle.
- Foster cross-office and functional group connections and network building.
- Provide professional development opportunities.
- Bolster employee-owner engagement.
- Introduce and reinforce our use of Gallup’s CliftonStrengths program.
- Develop and improve leadership skills.
Professional Development in Action
To support these and other professional development opportunities, in 2023, Morrison-Maierle hired its first-ever training and development specialist, Tessa Greene. She focuses on connecting Morrison-Maierle employee-owners with resources and tools that allow them to excel in their roles.
Tessa says, “When I saw the training and development role open, I was sold. Seeing a company create a new position to develop their employee-owners and set them up for success immediately convinced me that this is something I want to be a part of and where I want to direct my professional efforts.”
Those efforts have benefited many Morrison-Maierle employee-owners like Carly Svenvold, a mechanical engineer based in our Bozeman office. Joining the inaugural Emerging Leaders class was a perfect fit for Carly. She says, “I am constantly in search of avenues to increase my involvement, deepen cross-office working connections, and create lasting positive impacts at the place where I spend most of my time.”
Professional development also motivates others to grow their careers here. Edison Elder, airport engineer from our Sheridan office, said, “I am happy with my experience and treatment at Morrison-Maierle and am interested in learning about what a long career in the company could possibly look like. Investment in this program proves that company leadership is interested in developing young employee-owners who want to see a long future with the company.”
Learn more about our career development programs“This program proves that company leadership is interested in developing young employee-owners who want to see a long future with the company.” – Ed Elder
Welcome to Employee-Ownership Meeting
In 2023, Morrison-Maierle hosted the first Welcome to Employee Ownership new hire orientation. In addition to opportunities to meet fellow new hires across different offices and market groups, this two-day event includes an overview of:
- The consulting business.
- The strategic plan and what success looks like for the company.
- Our career lattice development program and how to progress in the company.
- Company benefits and support services offered at Morrison-Maierle.
- What it means to have an employee-ownership culture and the benefits of an ESOP.
The anonymous post-event survey indicated that people valued the opportunity to make new connections. One respondent said, “I got the chance to connect with people from other offices and spent a lot of time talking to members of corporate leadership. Without the event, I wouldn’t have had the chance to do either!”
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The Emerging Leaders Method
The Emerging Leaders program was created to provide professional development opportunities to help early- to mid-level employee-owners thrive in their roles. The program includes:
- Three full-day in-person events at various Morrison-Maierle locations.
- Monthly virtual meetings discussing different leadership topics and books.
- Group research projects with presentations during an in-person meeting.
Kevin Kittleson, an airport engineer from our Missoula office, wasn’t initially sold on participating. He agreed based on the recommendation of his supervisor, Shaun Shea, but he worried that he wouldn’t get much from the experience.
After completing the curriculum, however, Kevin’s feelings are night and day. “I gained new perspectives on work and life, made friends and work resources/mentors, improved my business and networking skills, and increased my confidence working within the company.” Kevin goes on to say, “It is truly valuable to your career when you get to know people in different layers of the company from different locations.”
I gained new perspectives on work and life, made friends and work resources/mentors, improved my business and networking skills, and increased my confidence working within the company.” – Kevin Kittleson
Preparation for the Next Level
Both leadership groups are intended to arm employee-owners with the tools they need to progress to the next level in their careers. Zane Green, the Gillette and Cody Office Operations Manager, describes his initial experience with Leadership Alliance in 2021.
“I was the market group office leader at the time, and my operations manager was nearing retirement. I was leading a diverse team with employee-owners of various ages, capabilities, and geographies. This class was to assist with unifying the team to become a more functional unit.”
Zane continues to use the lessons he learned in his now-expanded role as operations manager. Based on guidance from his Leadership Alliance class, he encourages his teams to develop a group mantra based on their shared vision. He says, “If the team unifies around a slogan, I celebrate it. Having a unified team builds stronger bonds than I could hope to create alone.
Network and Skill Building
After completing the programs, many employee-owners feel empowered and perform at a higher level. Celine Saucier, senior development engineer from our Bozeman office, said, “I don’t really like talking in front of big groups. Leadership Alliance was a good way to push and build my leadership toolbox.”
Carly, Edison, and Kevin feel similarly. Carly explained that the group research project helped her to improve her communication, delegation, and time management skills in a low-stakes environment.
Edison shared that he’s been able to successfully work on projects outside of his market group or office. Kevin feels renewed support from across the company and said, “Having new connections and mentors has made it easier on me during the design phases of projects. I know who I can reach out to in different offices to gain help and insight on specific issues.”
As for new connections, Carly probably sums it up best: “We started as a group of relative strangers, and we ended the program as friends.”
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