Published Wed Aug 19, 2020
(HK) – As a new or prospective Examiner for the Florida Sterling Council, you may be wondering what this ‘examiner thing’ is all about. You may be feeling intimidated by the expectations, apprehensive about the time commitment, or questioning the value this experience could bring.
Trust me, those thoughts crossed my mind when the opportunity to attend the Examiner Leadership Development training program was first presented. Now, as I reflect on this past year and my experience as a first year Examiner, I want to share what I’ve realized to be some value-added benefits of a Sterling Examiner.
-
Expand your network.
The Examiner Corps is a group of leaders who are diverse, knowledgeable, accessible, and supportive. As a new Examiner, you are immediately welcomed into a group of professionals who are genuinely happy to connect, share experiences and help you in your performance excellence journey.
-
Refine your leadership competencies.
The Florida Sterling Council’s Examiner Leadership Development training program provides the means to take your business acumen to the next level. This includes enhancing analytical skills, developing an awareness of systems thinking and an understanding of why integrating the Sterling Management System Model is a beneficial part of being a leader.
-
Broaden your perspective.
As an Examiner, you’ll have the opportunity to participate on an assessment team where you will work closely with experienced Examiners to evaluate an organization’s application of the Sterling Criteria, engage it’s leaders and employees and provide feedback. Not only does this experience enhance your understanding of the Sterling Criteria, it offers a unique opportunity to gather best practices from other high-performance organizations.
-
Accelerate organizational excellence.
An understanding of the Sterling criteria, core values and concepts, and scoring guidelines empowers you with the resources necessary to implement Sterling practices within your own organization, to accelerate improvement efforts and focus on results. As an Examiner, you’ll be prepared to identify both your organization’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, which will help your organization achieve higher performance and strive for organizational excellence.
-
Stand out in your organization.
Your involvement in the Examiner Corps demonstrates a commitment to your personal development and your organization’s success. The unique experience gained as an Examiner will give you the confidence to engage with staff at all levels of your organization and the ability to identify and share best practices. It also provides the understanding of the critical importance for maintaining relationships with your stakeholders, customers, and workforce. The knowledge and new perspectives you gain by serving is unparalleled by any conventional leadership training because of its hands-on approach and wealth of expertise and mentoring.
I am looking forward to my continued development during this next Examiner cycle and am excited about the advantages of the new virtual format. Yes, there is still a time commitment associated with the program; however, if you were apprehensive about joining due to the travel required for training or a site visit, that can be put to rest. With the new virtual format, you’ll appreciate the comforts of participating from the location of your choice while still reaping the benefits.
I’ve submitted my registration. Have you?
###
As business development manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Hannah Kuzlo is responsible for the overall management and operation of the Regulatory Business Development section. The section is primarily responsible for optimizing business processes, providing data analytics and metrics, and supporting the District’s online ePermitting system. She oversees the planning and implementation of technology-based solutions to support needs and improve business efficiency in the Regulation division. Hannah also acts as a lead supporting the District’s continuous improvement and performance excellence initiatives.
Hannah earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of South Florida in 2007 and promptly began her career with the District as a processing specialist. Her role evolved to include permit evaluator, data analyst, and project manager prior to becoming the business development manager.
