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Background

Nearly seven years ago, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics was looking for a partner to offer on-site training for their employees nationally. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics was interested in providing professional development opportunities for leaders at multiple levels. Their top priorities were to provide training for their supervisors, mid-level managers and functional leaders. It was essential to Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics learning and development professionals that the training focused on identified competencies that drive success for each of these groups.

THE SOLUTION 

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics wanted to establish a strong partnership with a provider that understood the organization’s needs and objectives. The Center for Corporate and Professional Development at �鶹��ý offered the development of a seamless, strategic training plan focused on the skills development needs identified by the organization for each leadership level. 

To kick off the initiative and raise awareness of the offerings, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics University (PPLU) was formed and they held a national orientation in Orlando, Florida, that included human resource representatives from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics locations across the country. This event enabled learning and development leaders to better understand the needs of the company’s employees throughout the United States and to promote the new opportunities for learning and professional development.

THE RESULTS 

From here, Kent State and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics professionals worked together to develop training for frontline leaders and supervisors. Supervision Essentials Levels I and II each include two days of training delivered by Kent State facilitator Scott Tackett. Core competencies that this training addresses include:

• Coaching and Developing Others,
• Motivating,
• Discipline and
• Interpersonal Communication, among others.

Kent State also customized a two-level management development initiative called High-Performance Management that successfully meets the needs of
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics mid-level leaders. Level I consists of customized training focusing on the competencies of influence, Emotional Intelligence, coaching, team communication and accountability.

This three-day Kent State training is facilitated by Dr. K. Kay Potetz and Deborah Easton. Level II consists of tailored training focusing on managing conflict and coaching effective performance for all generations. Kent State facilitators Deborah Easton and Ned Parks deliver the High-Performance Management Level II program. Overall, both of these development programs assist managers to excel within their roles.

For the more senior leaders, including Plant Managers, Market Managers and other functional leaders, Kent State tailored the six-day Certificate in Leadership Excellence for Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. This training focuses on developing leaders’ competencies in areas including:

• Emotional Intelligence,
• Organizational Leadership,
• Building Trust,
• Coaching,
• Accountability and
• Influence.

Moving forward

Today, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Kent State’s Center for Corporate and Professional Development continue to flourish their long-standing partnership. With new, innovative programs, the partners’ most recent initiative is the Operations Development Program that includes experiential learning approaches including business simulations, mentoring and coaching.

ABOUT Saint-gobain performance plastics

Saint-Gobain Corporation is a Paris-based multinational corporation with more than 350 years of engineered materials expertise. Saint-Gobain transforms raw materials into advanced products. It is one of the top 100 largest industrial companies in the world with $43.2 billion in sales, 193,000 employees in 64 countries.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, part of the Innovative Materials sector, is a recognized leader in advanced polymer technology. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, with more than 6,000 employees, is present in 22 countries and operates 57 manufacturing sites. As a leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance plastics, the company has an impressive portfolio of products and services that is unmatched in the industry.

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