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By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Robyn Tuck, an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Western Community College, presented at the first session of the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Leader Series last Thursday at the Botetourt YMCA.
It was the first-ever Emerging Leader Series that the chamber has sponsored. The series is intended for new managers and emerging and aspiring leaders.
Tuck’s session, “Leading Teams for Growth,” focused on the skills a new leader needs to develop in order to build strong and successful work teams. Topics that the session addressed included: building strong communication skills, managing conflict, identifying team member strengths, and motivating teams.
“Since I’m the first session, I had the participants think about why they stepped into a leadership role or why they’re interested in becoming a leader,” she said.
One of the things that most people struggle with when moving into management, Tuck said, is changing their mentality from being a peer to being able to influence others.
Communication, she said, is the second biggest hurdle for new managers. She explained that they often get hung up when someone else doesn’t have the same communication style as they do. In order to overcome that obstacle, she said, new leaders should be flexible when it comes to communicating so that they’re able to meet their goals.
Tuck noted that the session included a significant amount of interaction and hands-on learning strategies.
Tuck holds an undergraduate degree in business administration and a graduate degree in organizational management. In addition to her teaching, she has worked at Carilion Clinic for the past 28 years. The majority of her time at Carilion has been spent focusing on human resources development and training.
Participants can take a single session or enroll in the entire program. Those who complete all sessions will participate in a reflective reception immediately following the final course. They will prepare a brief presentation and can invite their supervisors to attend. Full program participants will also receive a certificate of completion.
The second session, “Human Resources Skills,” will be presented on October 24 by Kathy Martin from Roanoke College.
The third session, “Influence Without Authority,” will be presented on November 14 by Jennifer Havens from Virginia Western Community College.
The fourth session, “Critical and Creative Thinking,” will be presented on December 12 by Scott Crawford from Virginia Tech.
All sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Botetourt YMCA.
