Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), the liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site, is investing in its supervisors through intensive leadership development workshops.

SRMC has graduated its first class of 23 supervisors from the inaugural SRMC First Line Manager (FLM) Workshop. All of SRMC’s approximately 170 first line managers will participate in this workshop in the months ahead.

The three-day workshop, facilitated by a leadership development company and sponsored by the SRMC executive team, seeks to further develop the soft skills, such as problem-solving and interpersonal skills, needed to be an effective first line manager.

Optimizing team performance, using delegation, and mastering crucial conversations are just some of the competencies taught in the workshop. Teams also solve a practical exercise and provide a briefing to the SRMC executive team.

First line managers are responsible for critical day-to-day operations; worker safety and productivity; and support of company objectives, goals, and plans.

SRMC President and Program Manager Dave Olson said that these supervisors lead SRMC’s frontline workers, and they represent the first level of management. He considers this position the “managerial glue” within the company.

“I am personally grateful and thankful to our SRMC first line managers who do the heavy lifting in management of the critical work our company is doing to retrieve, treat, and dispose of high-level waste,” Olson said. “Having been a first line manager in the past, I understand how difficult this job can be and how reliant the company is on this role. The goal of our FLM Workshop is to set our supervisors up for success, because SRMC will be successful only if our first line managers are successful.”

Tranious Anderson, a first line manager at the Saltstone Production Facility, said the workshop has strengthened his management toolbox.

“SRMC’s First Line Manager Workshop has broadened my view of leadership,” Anderson said. “I now view and value the behavioral and psychological aspects of managing instead of just a production-based style.”

SRMC comprises parent company BWX Technologies, Inc. with partners Amentum and Fluor. Its team brings the capabilities necessary to accelerate cleanup at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site through safe nuclear operations, optimized and integrated mission execution, and strong corporate governance.