Leadership development—enhanced by Everything DiSC®—that builds bench strength and creates cultural alignment
OUR PARTNER
Builders FirstSource
Builders FirstSource (formerly ProBuild) is the nation’s largest supplier of structural building products, components, and services for new residential construction, repair, and remodeling.
THE NEED
In 2008, ProBuild was growing rapidly through the acquisition of a number of small lumber yards that had been family-owned for generations. It quickly needed consistent leadership development to deepen its bench strength with team members of all levels of experience and expertise. In 2015, ProBuild was acquired by Builders FirstSource. And by 2020, Builders FirstSource was ready to expand on the existing program with next-level leadership skill-building.
Where we began
To help ProBuild, and later Builders FirstSource, create a cohesive leadership culture, we consulted with them to understand:
The variety of local lumberyard best practices, workflows, and cultures
Current leadership knowledge and skill set and where additional skill-building could be helpful
The current organizational culture and the desired culture
After a lot of information-gathering and great conversations, we agreed that a custom leadership development solution would offer foundational leadership concepts and skill-building while helping shape the organization’s cultural vision.
Where we ended up
The leadership program was designed as a cohort model with a mix of on-site workshops and accountability touchpoints.
Still being delivered today, the BUILD program includes:
A series of experiential hands-on workshops
Custom content—like evaluating the links between customer satisfaction, employee productivity, and profit—tailored to team member workflow
Robust prework and post-work assignments with accountability partner work
Self-assessments for a variety of leadership skills and traits
With the pilot program success, we delivered a train-the-trainer program to prepare in-house facilitators to deliver 40 weeks of training the first year. The BUILD program continues to be offered multiple times a year.
Our continuing partnership over the years has also included:
Customizing the BFS Learning Center
Rolling out a performance management program
Developing a variety of elearning courses with translations available (e.g., a Code of Conduct course, a customer service course, Lacey Act training, lead-based paint training, and PPE training)
Providing the Everything DiSC® product suite
Rebranding and updating learning materials as needed
Big wins
The initial program launched with 800 frontline leaders...
The initial launch had a 100% learner satisfaction rate.
On a scale of 1-10, participants’ self-reported skill ratings rose from an average of 4 to an average of 9.
Participants stated on an average of 4.6 out of 5 that they could immediately apply to their jobs what they learned throughout the course.
Builder's FirstSource has now trained thousands of leaders...and counting.
What Builders FirstSource has to say
“With EPI’s expert team partnering with us, we rolled our BUILD Leadership out at the height of the Great Recession. Our leaders gained skills that gave them confidence, which was reflected in every aspect of our business. As the Great Recession improved, so did our Leaders and our overall culture. We came out of that time with strong leaders. They were well prepared to handle the new challenges of a new economy. Investing in your leaders and your people during challenging times shows a belief in their future and your company’s future. THAT is one of the best ways to keep your top talent and survive and thrive!
People love BUILD and view it as an honor to attend. I love it! It is a testament to you and your team. You are truly the best designers I have ever met.”
– Jet Haggerty, Learning and Performance Manager
“This is hands down the best learning experience I have ever had in all my years and I am very grateful that I had a chance to participate. I was able to turn a troubled employee's bad attitude around and reengage him into a productive worker simply by understanding my DiSC profile and his and then speaking to him and challenging him in a way that made sense, and it clicked almost immediately.”
– Leadership participant
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