By Rachael Pfenninger, director of strategic execution, AMBA

As the average age of moldmaking professionals continues to rise, succession planning is becoming an increasingly important consideration for every business owner. These concerns – combined with the shrinking access to skilled labor – have led to significant efforts in cultivating and encouraging emerging leadership within individual organizations.

In recognition of the rising urgency of these challenges felt by many of the management teams across its membership, the AMBA – alongside its Board of Directors – has declared a commitment to developing initiatives that benefit the attraction and retention of up-and-coming leaders.

To drive these efforts, the AMBA continues to rely on its Emerging Leaders Network – a group of over 150 up-and-coming leaders at AMBA member companies that is led by a dedicated advisory board comprised of under-40 professionals in executive management roles. The advisory board drives programming for the Network as a whole, aligning its strategic initiatives with the priorities of the National Association. These leaders are responsible for guiding connection opportunities and leadership resources while ensuring that the actions of the Emerging Leaders Network continue to inspire, foster and empower the next generation of leaders in US mold manufacturing.

“In order to adequately address the skills shortage in mold manufacturing, AMBA and its members need to be intentional in how this challenge is addressed through the programs and opportunities it offers to next-generation leaders,” stated Amanda Wiriya, chair of the Emerging Leaders Advisory Board and manufacturing support manager at Wepco Plastics (Middlefield, Connecticut), 2022 AMBA Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Award winner. “With guidance and a clear path towards our objectives, our goal is to support the up-and-coming professionals in the US mold manufacturing industry so that all of our membership can continue to thrive in the decades to come.”

As the AMBA continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, its efforts in workforce development have continued to gain traction within the national community. There is no better place to see this than in the growth of individual and company-wide engagement of AMBA’s Emerging Leaders, particularly at AMBA Conference 2023.

Throughout the multi-day event, this growing network of emerging professionals consistently engaged with one another. Whether it was during the conference’s third annual pre-conference session, the returning Emerging Leaders Networking Reception, the first-time “Mentor Meetup” over Thursday’s breakfast or the Emerging Leaders panel session on the conference’s final day, attendees had more opportunities to connect with peers (and industry executives) than ever before!

In addition to this year’s conference, this group meets regularly throughout the year, both virtually and in-person settings. During March 2023, AMBA’s Emerging Leaders met with young professionals from the Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors (MAPP) and the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) during a four-part virtual series, where they heard from leadership coach Matt Lesser on strategies that would help them cultivate flourishing organizations. Later this year, Network participants will have another opportunity to meet with peers and management professionals as they run an in-person dual plant tour workshop at Westminster Tool, Inc. (Plainfield, Connecticut) and Wepco Plastics (Middlefield, Connecticut), open to all AMBA members. Additionally, virtual meeting opportunities will soon be announced for upper-level professionals, where attendees will engage in topic-specific roundtable discussions and gauge the business conditions of other mold manufacturing facilities.

To learn more about the AMBA Emerging Leaders Advisory Board and the Network’s mission, vision and purpose, visit www.amba.org. To learn more about leadership opportunities on the AMBA Emerging Leaders Network Advisory Board, email Rachael Pfenninger at [email protected]. To engage in upcoming meeting opportunities, visit
www.amba.org/Events.

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A Bird’s Eye View – Delegation, Empowerment and Growth
By Brittany Stratmann, PR and marketing manager, AMBA

The Emerging Leaders Pre-Conference Session, a half-day workshop designed for up-and-coming leaders under 40, has grown to be one of the most popular pieces of programming since it was originally featured at AMBA Conference 2018. This year’s session, led by leadership coach and author Matt Lesser, hit record-breaking attendance with over 40 participants coming together to discuss two of the most important components of leadership that build future leaders – delegation and performance optimization.

Lesser encouraged participation among all attendees by dividing them into groups of four or five and asking them to share their thoughts and experiences. His hands-on approach and open-discussion format unveiled common themes and questions quite easily, establishing a culture of trust and community. The top takeaways include:

DELEGATION

• Clear and concise communication is key to establishing trust and eliminating fear of failure and loss of control.
• Resources, tools, training and support are the responsibilities of leaders, while skills, experience, ability and attitude are responsibilities of team members – these factors should be defined, documented and frequently referenced.
• Employee development is enhanced when team members are provided with enough space and time to figure out their own way of completing tasks – this is how employees become empowered.
• Lesser’s “120% Rule” reminds leaders that performing at 120% is manageable for a season, but this level of output is not sustainable over time – effective delegation saves time and strengthens the team.

PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION

• Verbiage is important. Consider “optimizing” employees rather than “reviewing” them to support forward thinking that is rooted in positivity.
• It is difficult to effectively discuss performance improvement if an employee is focused on whether they will receive a raise; therefore, conversations regarding compensation should be separated.
• Problematic situations always should be addressed in real-time. Leaders can find the root cause of an issue by reviewing the activity of the team as it is happening, rather than analyzing the results later.
• Performance Optimization works both ways – leaders should not only be prepared to receive feedback but ask for it – this helps to promote growth and empowerment from the top down.

Learn more about Matt Lesser at www.uniquelynormal.com or by contacting him at [email protected]. More information about the AMBA Emerging Leaders Network can be found at www.amba.org/workforce-development/amba-young-professionals-network/.