On the surface, there aren’t a lot of synergies between retail grocers and high-tech communications. Certainly technology touches both industry verticals and the general lesson plans in one segment can be transferred to another with appropriate content modifications. But in general, there aren’t a lot of common denominators.
Until you meet the family Weis, Tom and Milynda. While they labor in different industries, theirs’ is a family with two learning leaders. And in the end, both industries benefit.
Tom Weis is chief learning officer for United Supermarkets, a 90-year-old, fourth-generation, family owned chain operating 50 stories under three brands (United, Market Street and Amigos). Tom’s charged with the learning and development needs of 10,000 team members spread all over West Texas.
Milynda Weis is director of technical training for Suddenlink Communications, the sixth-largest broadband communication company in America. She’s in charge of learning for more than 5,000 employees and about 2 million subscribers in 13 states.
Both Tom and Milynda have busy jobs in busy industries. The broadband industry is largely recession-proof, with its mix of always-in-demand phone, cable and high-tech services. What’s more, Suddenlink is also rolling out a new line of business, home security, a new venture that learning has definitely contributed to.
Retail groceries may not be recession-proof, but business is holding … if only due to people eating at home more. Tom has seen his learning becoming more functional, beyond the focus on leadership development, to include more operational issues. His team is now finishing up implementation of the Cornerstone OnDemand learning management system, allowing for more store-based training.
With so much on the professional plates, how do two learning leaders co-exist?
“Fortunately we’re at the place in our lives where our children are all grown and away from home,” Milynda said. “So the only issues we have around our hours is wanting to get personal times for ourselves. And if we are both on the road, we have to get a dog-sitter.”
Tom and Milynda are pretty much close throughout the day, with offices just across the street from one another (and just over a mile from their house to boot).
But that closeness has created more opportunity than anything else. The two are on occasion able to travel to business conferences together and have even coached one another on learning issues they’ve discussed.
“We are able to share a lot of experiences and help each other think through challenges and develop strategies,” Milynda said “What’s stood out to me is that even though our industries are very different, the challenges are the same: Business, politics, financial challenges, delivery challenges. I’m surprised how little difference there is now.”
“We get on board so much quicker to what the situation is because we may have been there ourselves, or heading there,” Tom added.
While Tom and Milynda are enjoying an unusual kind of learning-enabled closeness, they haven’t always been this in sync. There were many years in their marriage when they were in separate occupations. But what’s working now is working well.
“I really like the fact that we are in the same occupation better,” Milynda said. “We communicate more frequently and we can relate to what the other person is dealing with.”
And that, in a nutshell, is what workforce education is all about.
