Boutwell shares HR lessons with MCC leadership development group, E.L.C.
Amy Boutwell knows what it takes to build a strong team.
And at the latest session of Meridian Community College’s Eagles Leadership Convocation (E.L.C.), she shared that knowledge MCCers taking part in this yearlong leadership program.
Boutwell, a Meridian native and MCC alumna, serves as vice president of human resources for the East Division of Rexel USA, one of the world’s largest electrical distribution companies, employing more than 26,000 people. Now in her 30th year in the field, Boutwell spoke about hiring the right people, handling performance issues, and leading teams.
“It’s a hard job to lead others,” Boutwell said. “But it’s important work. When you lead well, it makes the whole workplace better.”
One of her points: hiring for cultural fit is often more important than hiring for skill.
“You can teach someone the technical side of the job,” she said. “But you can’t teach someone how to be a better teammate. A bad fit can destroy a team.”
She encouraged the group to think differently when hiring, including looking at candidates from outside the industry. Boutwell also gave an overview of employment law basics and shared tools for setting clear expectations and writing improvement plans when things don’t go as expected.
E.L.C. class member Crystal Webster, who is director of student accounts, said she gained valuable takeaways from Boutwell’s talk, including being on top of potential employee issues.
“Amy's presentation was important for me as supervisor because it emphasized the importance of verbal and written communication. If there's a problem or issue that you need to address with an employee, don't hesitate to meet with them and discuss it. Make sure you document it. If you're conducting an employee evaluation, just be honest and provide the necessary feedback to them.”
Webster explained that Boutwell shared with the class: “Don't wait until the problem has gotten worse; give honest feedback when doing employee performance reviews or evaluations. You're not being fair to yourself or the employee if you don't. Be sure to document everything. You're not only documenting for legal reasons, but you're also doing it to track progress, and you'll have the information to aid in making objective decisions.”
E.L.C. is a professional development program designed to help MCC employees grow their leadership and management skills. It includes monthly sessions with expert speakers and ends with a team project presented to the College’s President’s Cabinet.
This year’s ELC participants are Darren Bane, director of workforce development; Jaterra Hurst, women's basketball assistant coach; William Davidson, associate dean for institutional research; Casey Holladay, director of social media and events specialist; Phyllis Holladay, Eagles Scholars Program coordinator and mathematics instructor; Matthew Milner, director of videography and sports information; Jim Price, director of facilities management; Flora Sumrall, Business Office Management Technology Program and Accounting Technology Program coordinator and instructor; Crystal Webster, director of student accounts; and Marion Whiting, director of housing and student activities. MCC President Dr. Tom Huebner and Dr. Leia Hill, vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the MCC Foundation, are facilitators for E.L.C. Jaycee Butler, executive assistant to the vice president for institutional advancement and MCC Foundation office coordinator, is the assistant for the program. The program is led by Dr. Leia Agnew Hill, vice president for advancement and executive director of the MCC Foundation, and MCC President Dr. Tom Huebner, with Jaycee Butler, Lifetime Quest and Foundation events coordinator, serving as program assistant.
To learn more about the Eagle Leadership Convocation, visit meridiancc.edu/elc.