ROSEMONT, Ill. — Synergy Solution Group’s 2024 Field Supervisors Forum, held in March in Rosemont, Illinois, drew 82 members looking to enhance their leadership and team-management skills.
Synergy Solution Group is an association of professionals in the commercial HVAC industry.
The forum kicked off with attendees dividing into small groups to discuss the challenges they face in their roles, interactions with people, and client management. This session highlighted the commonality of issues across different organizations.
“It’s refreshing to see that my organization’s issues are not exclusive to just us,” said Brian Puff of Soefker Services. “We all face the same issues.”
A highlight of the event was the Zoom Challenge, in which participants were split into three groups and tasked with sequencing pictures in the correct order without viewing each other’s images. This exercise underscored the leadership skills needed to overcome such challenges, emphasizing the importance of seeing the bigger picture, effective communication, and collaborative problem-solving.
“It really showed the difficulties of being given a task with a large group of people, and gave us an opportunity to come up with ways to solve the puzzle,” said Austin Sauble of CSE.
The forum also featured discussions on transitioning from being a doer to a leader, delegating tasks, and inspiring team growth. Participants shared strategies for building trust, training team members effectively, and ensuring customer confidence.
In the afternoon, leadership development expert Steve Thomas delivered a presentation on leadership, offering advice on self-improvement and future planning.
“Steve provided lots of information on being better for your team and company. There’s a lot to focus on with the future and self-improvement,” said Colin Burns of JM Brennan.
On the second day, Synergy’s managing partner, Jim Bartolotta, initiated a role-playing exercise, addressing real-world challenges such as dealing with a technician’s departure for better pay and managing upset customers.
Timothy Donovan (Cox Engineering) appreciated the exercise, saying, “It was interesting to hear how the other leaders handled the ‘real life’ situations.”
Discussions also covered the financial impact supervisors have on their companies, with emphasis on labor hours, callbacks, and managing overtime. Bartolotta’s demonstration illuminated the cost factors included in the hourly service rate, giving a comprehensive view of business financials.
“It was nice to see the big picture looking from the outside in on how the financials are distributed in an organization,” said Jose Lopez of Atomatic.
The forum further explored a supervisor’s role in recruitment, the onboarding process, and in making new hires feel welcomed.
The event featured a panel discussion during which Synergy members shared their training strategies. Max Arriaga (Phoenix) talked about fostering team leadership and continuous learning, Lou Coghe (Cooper Oates) highlighted career progression and training for junior technicians, and Bill Callahan (JM Brennan) outlined a holistic training program encompassing both practical skills and financial literacy.
Other sessions focused on maintaining team engagement, recognizing disengagement signs, and addressing them. The forum concluded with participants committing to actionable insights for implementation back home.
