The Water Leadership Institute (WLI) developed a three-part webcast series on Overcoming Today's Workforce Challenges and Preparing for the Future.
Webcast 3: The Importance of Filling the Knowledge Gap, Collaborative Decision Making, and Culture & Advocacy
- Filling the Gap: Workforce Knowledge Gap
- Stronger Together: Collaborative –Decision-Making
- It’s More than a Job: Culture and Advocacy
Registration Free of Cost
For questions, please email WLI@wef.org
You can earn 1.5 General Contact Hours by attending this webcast or watching the recording in the WEF Learning Center after the live date.
Learn more about the remaining Webcasts in the WLI Overcoming Today's Workforce Challenges and Preparing for the Future Webcast Series at www.wef.org/WorkforceChallenges
- 2:00 p.m. ET Filling the Gap: Workforce Knowledge Gap
Companies need to take active steps to minimize and mitigate the knowledge gap. Presented in this webinar is the importance and need for mentorship in the water and wastewater industry and how that can be used to close the knowledge gap. This presentation will identify the knowledge gaps that exist in today's workforce and the magnitude of these gaps. It will also communicate the added value of mentorship to the industry and provide actionable steps on how employees and management can prioritize mentorship in the workplace.
Developed and Delivered by: Annelise Howell, Jacobs; Joy Crutchfield, GHD Inc; Ole Espeland, Mt. Baker Ski Area Inc.; Taylor Evans, Imagine H2O; Yaolin Fennell, AlexRenew; Yonas Hagos, HDR
- 2:30 p.m. ET Stronger Together: Collaborative –Decision-Making
Collaboration doesn’t need to be a slog – differing parties don’t have to be adversarial. But it takes embracing conflict, organizing communication and knowledge, and setting boundaries to make it work well. This presentation will detail specific methods that can help your team build consensus quickly and efficiently. Key items included is defining a problem clearly from the outset, identifying when unilateral decisions won’t work, defining guidelines for participation, checking ego at the door, facilitating collaboration among resistant parties
Developed and Delivered by: Amber Williams, WSSC Water; Anahita Esmaeilian, HDR Inc.; Courtney Dantone, Kiewit; James Howard, Anne Arundel County DPW; Nicole Conner, Kennedy Jenks; Robbie Venis, AECOM Canada
- 3:00 p.m. ET It’s More than a Job: Culture and Advocacy
Workplace disturbances and paradigm shifts accelerated by the COVID 19 pandemic continue to ripple and magnify throughout worldwide businesses and the water sector is no exception. Positive organizational culture and employee led advocacy are necessary to motivate the workforce towards organizational commitment. We will explore some of the ways to improve trust and create a positive workplace culture.
Developed and Delivered by: Jack Denby, Hampton Roads Sanitation District; Jennifer Sabater, WEF; Jessica Bullock, Reeves Young, LLC; Kimberly Scherber, MSA Professional Services; Sadra Heidary-Monfared, Capital Region District (CRD); Susan McDonald, WSSC Water
This series was developed as part of the final project for the Water Leadership Institute (WLI) 2023 and will take place throughout August 2023. The WLI 2023 consists of 54 participants from around the US, Canada, and Botswana.
