# Engineering Culture/Climate team strives to develop servant leaders in a morale-first environment

/ Published Sept. 14, 2022
Richmond, Va., 
Organizational leaders across a number of industries would probably agree that success is measured by more than numbers, which is why the Engineering “V” Directorate at Defense Logistics Agency Aviation in Richmond, Virginia, launched a Climate and Culture team in 2021 to focus efforts on improving teams through communications, recruitment and retention, professional development, and leadership engagement.

Alyssa Davis, a procurement technician within the directorate’s Industrial Plant Equipment Services Division, shared some of the motivation for the creation of this team.

“During the past two-plus years of this pandemic, it’s been hard for everyone, whether at home, on the job or working from home for your job,” Davis said.

“More and more we hear that the pandemic has revealed toxic workplaces; it is rare to find people who truly enjoy their working environment. We didn’t want that to happen within the “V” Directorate, so we are striving to make it the best it can be.”

Floyd Moore, who became the director of DLA Aviation’s Engineering Directorate in 2020, is the brainchild behind the team.

Early in his tenure, Moore hosted small group and individual sessions for employees to voice their concerns, and he identified areas of improvement for the directorate. The information shared during those sessions prompted Moore to create a Climate and Culture team comprised of volunteers from each division.

Davis said the initial six members of the team looked outside the federal government into private industries such as Deloitte U.S. (an audit, consulting, advisory and tax services company) and Campbell Soups to create a unique process for helping employees have a voice and develop a climate and culture in which they want to work.

The team has grown to 46 people, which Davis calls a testament to the number of employees who want to help make a difference and have a voice in the climate and culture of the Directorate.

The volunteers lead six focus groups that meet every month to develop events and opportunities that help create a healthy, safe and successful workplace environment.

These events include a bimonthly Leadership Forum focused on professional development for supervisors. Davis said leaders and supervisors attend a one- to two-hour session and the response has been favorable. The most recent forum was led by a guest speaker from DLA Land and Maritime.

The timing of the team's creation is critical; the Defense Acquisition University is undergoing an extreme overhaul, including transitioning from 17 career fields to six functional areas, Davis explained.

“This initiative will streamline certifications, reduce required training, expand job-relevant training and credentials, and focus on lifelong learning. The challenge is trying to understand the complexities of DAU’s vision,” Jeffrey Miovech, supervisory chemist and team lead for the professional development for non-supervisors, said.

This overhaul made DAU professor Carl Nolte’s presentation all the more relevant.

Miovech said Nolte presented a succinct and clear explanation of a “murky topic.”

“Without his overview of the transition, members of our directorate whose career fields are affected by this massive overhaul would be lost. Additionally, Mr. Nolte facilitated a healthy question-and-answer session and made himself available to our team members for any follow-up questions and discussion,” he said.

Virtual workshops focusing on professional development for non-supervisors attracted more than 150 participants, who learned from DLA Training and DAU about the opportunities provided to the workforce.

"These are just two of the highlights of the many events and programs this team has accomplished. There are many other exciting things that will be unveiled in the next few months,” Davis said.

“We wanted a safe and healthy work environment for people to not just work in but be able to grow and succeed professionally and be inspired to help mentor others to do the same."

The Engineering Directorate’s Professional Development for Supervisors Climate and Culture team is headed by Brodie Whitehead, supervisory engineer, Fred Tramontin, general engineer, and Dan Oros, supervisory chemical engineer. Over the past year, the team has focused on developing critical skill sets for first line supervisors. One such way is through providing program briefs to the V director during bimonthly all-supervisors forums.

In this setting, first line supervisors have shared their respective missions with colleagues, and in turn their fellow supervisors have gained a better understanding of not only the commonalities, but also differences among V’s 29 branches.

“Mr. Moore and V Directorate’s Deputy Director Taylor Frazier have been very complimentary of the sessions and have expressed a better understanding and appreciation of V’s diverse missions in supporting the DLA’s strategic lines of efforts and Aviation’s strategic goals," Davis said.

A leader spotlight is also featured during the sessions, allowing managers and directors to share their personal leadership experiences and recount some of the difficult decisions or situations they have encountered, and how they addressed them.

Through this program, the supervisory team is developing a collegial spirit, Davis said, which will help move the organization toward a servant-leadership model of management.

“Our hope is that, in the short term, people can grow professionally throughout the organization and beyond into other directorates,” she said.

“Our long-term goal is to make sure climate and culture are at the forefront of Aviation –not just within the Engineering Directorate—and to help other teams realize that climate and culture are the heartbeat of their organization.” Davis said.

Davis said the team hopes what is accomplished with Engineering Directorate leadership will become a permanent fixture in the agency to help mold great leaders who can in turn mentor others toward excellence and professional success.