USF’s commitment to education goes beyond serving those in the traditional classroom. The Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education offers a myriad of special programs and tailored corporate training to meet the unique needs of organizations. Recently, CTPE provided a custom leadership workshop for the Materiel Readiness Division of the U.S. Special Operations Command-Central.
About the Workshop:
The U.S. Special Operations Command-Central, headquartered at the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL, works with a mission to conduct global special operations and activities to support command operations and campaigns to advance U.S. policies. Much of its work involves providing coordinated logistics oversight and support for the deployment of Special Operations Forces to support U.S. objectives overseas in wartime, contingency operations, and training exercises.
Created to enhance organizational performance through leadership, team building, and management skills, the training touched on critical leadership topics, such as supporting your team, leading with values, candor, and empathy, and building trust. The dynamic, three-hour workshop was designed for some two dozen U.S. military service members, DoD civilian employees, and contractors.
Engaging in interactive exercises provided a fertile ground for participants to cultivate crucial skills like accountability, effective communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership acumen.
“The open dialogue with the participants provided a great learning environment,” said Charles Duplechin, a chief warrant officer in the Materiel Readiness Division. “Video examples and discussions provided us with a better grasp of the curriculum. Board and graph discussions allowed us to visualize and understand better ways to navigate systematic problems in the corporate world.”
Each module also included strategies for implementing the lessons learned outside the classroom so that participants knew how to apply the concepts learned to their roles.
“The leadership training provided us with the ability to hone our service members’ skills in managing logistics, maintaining equipment, and supporting our operations,” Duplechin said. “The training also enhanced our ability to make more informed decisions that impact logistics, the supply chain, and budget allocation to our consumers across the globe.”
Custom Training with Expert Instruction:
The training was led by CTPE Instructor Shane Wentz, a seasoned professional whose
career includes stints at industry leaders such as Nike, Radial, eBay Enterprises,
and Siemens. He was also the first enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army certified as
a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and honored by the secretary of the Army for his
work helping to revamp the Army medical board process.
Wentz’s corporate experience and insights from his military service were key to the rich discussion.
This leadership workshop is one of many learning experiences for the Materiel Readiness Division. The team plans to partner with USF for additional custom professional development workshops. Future endeavors aim to augment team cohesion, interpersonal dynamics, problem-solving prowess, adaptability, and resilience.
While this workshop was held in person at SOFWERX, a non-profit innovation platform for the U.S. Special Operations Command to overcome obstacles faced by the Special Operations Forces, future sessions may be online or hybrid learning programs.
Discover how USF’s customized training programs can drive your organization forward. Contact the USF Corporate Training and Professional Education Sales Team at CTPE-SalesTeam@usf.edu for a free consultation.