Naval Med Center Receives LEAD Training

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Naval Med Center Receives LEAD Training

September 11, 2009
Navy News|by Sarah Fortney


BETHESDA, Md. - Leaders at the National Naval Medical Center enhanced their management, team-building and communication skills this summer thanks to a workforce development program held at the command.
Bethesda's Human Resources Office hosted Leadership Education and Development Training (LEAD) at NNMC. The five-day training course, which the Army developed in the late 1980s, uses interactive exercises and discussions to help develop leadership, counseling and problem-solving skills, said Macey Pew, a human resource advisor at NNMC.
The training included brainstorming sessions to help better understand employees' readiness levels. Participants were also taught how to get staff input during conflicts to resolve issues, she said. It used minimal lectures and focused on practical exercises to teach leadership methods and communication styles.
About 20 NNMC staff members participated in the course, including Joint Task Force National Capital Region — Medical members, health care providers, firefighters and social workers, Pew said, and staff members from the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
The course uses a progressive approach, said Ron Jones, a human resources advisor for Navy Region Northwest and one of the LEAD facilitators. Participants don't just go from one segment to another — all of the learning material ties together and builds upon itself throughout the week.
Jones has facilitated the course for the last five years. Though it was originally Army-based, he said, the Navy adapted it in the late 1990s.
Because the training has had "overwhelmingly positive reviews," Jones said, the Navy is working to help more staff members become facilitators.
Pew and Laura Stanek, a human resources advisor at NNMC who also participated in the training, are currently working to become facilitators. They hope to lead another course at NNMC within the next year.
"It was a personal growth experience," Stanek said.
"You need to learn to know yourself before you can really connect and relate to others," said Gary Gilmour, Human Resources Office site manger.
Gilmour said LEAD was brought to NNMC as part of a workforce development initiative. Developing leadership will not only allow managers to better execute their human resources responsibilities, but also allow better retention amongst staff.
Nancy Thompson, a human resources advisor for Navy Region Northwest and a LEAD facilitator, said the training was a unique opportunity because of its hands-on approach.
Thompson, who has been a facilitator since 2005, said individuals have a better understanding of what is being taught when they are learning through experience, rather than just hearing it in a lecture.
Stanek added that there were no tables used during the course, which helped are used to. This also helped participants step out of their comfort zones and embrace new learning techniques.
"We weren't just sitting in a room listening to lectures," she said. "It was a lot of fun."
Rebecca Croyle, a Performax administrator and Navy Knowledge Online sponsor who works in Staff Education and Training at NNMC, also participated in the training. She said the course helped teach group dynamics.
Knowing how to adapt to changing group dynamics can increase both productivity and comfort in the work environment, she said.
"There are so many different populations of people trying to work together in a military [installation]," Croyle said. "In a hospital, you need to be able to work with these populations when they are most vulnerable."
While the program enhances leadership skills, Jones said, it also develops skills people already have. It is also unique because anyone can participate, regardless of the organization they are in.
"Whether you're submarine-based or working in a hospital, all Navy leaders can benefit from this training," Jones said

(Navy News)