Meghann Hurt, site manager for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Legacy Management, recently graduated from the DOE Leadership Development Program.
This six-month program is designed to develop the leadership and management skills of its participants by fostering innovative practices and promoting transparency and accountability, according to an April 13 news release. Through her completion of this program, Hurt has gained valuable knowledge and experience that will enable her to continue effectively managing the Department's site.
“It’s important to me that I bring the best version of myself to work every day, and that requires being open to learning, appreciating my strengths and taking opportunities to better myself in areas that I may not be as strong in,” Hurt said in the release. “It’s also a good reminder that we’re all capable of being leaders, and we frequently find ourselves in a leadership position and not even realize it. Being a leader does not mean being the boss.”
The Legacy Management office encourages personal and professional growth in employees, Hurt added, according to the release.
“LM recognizes that their employees are top notch," she said in the release. "And while our primary focus is on the mission, LM understands that with supporting the individual comes a higher chance of employee retention. People like working at LM.”
Hurt serves as site manager for five Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action sites and five Nevada Offsites, the news release said.
The leadership program concludes with participants forming groups presenting an Action Learning Project, around an idea that could help DOE improve, the release reported. Hurt's groups focused on team building.
“Each of us, more times than we could count, were put on teams that were just ‘product-driven’ with little thought as to how we can improve our ability to work together,” Hurt said in the release. “We focused our project on Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Disbanding.”
The team proposed a tool kit for team building, according to the release. She said, even though the teams remain fairly consistent at LM, they still experience the Tuckman's stages.
“These tools would include templates for meetings, setting SMART goals, articles about the different steps as well as team-building activities, collaborating with a specific outcome in mind,” Hurt noted in the release.
She reported having tools easily accessible, it would help the teams not only remain focused on their tasks, but feel more like a cohesive team, the release reported. She added, increasing understanding of the team development stages will help people realize their experiences and feelings throughout the phases are completely normal.
“There are a lot of carryovers in terms of the leadership skills you can bring to the office as well as at home,” Hurt said in the release. “I believe that who you are as a person and how you carry yourself directly translates into what kind of coworker, supervisor, manager, mentor, etc., you are at work. I’m excited to continue to learn and grow both professionally and personally.”
