Leading the Way in 2023: Managers Meeting

At HarbisonWalker International (HWI), all our teams understand that effective corporate governance – and sustainable business success – starts with shared goals. That’s why in January, over 150 HWI leaders convened from across the globe to collaborate, plan, and align for 2023 at HWI’s annual Managers Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa. This year’s theme highlighted two of HWI’s Cultural Beliefs, “We are Accountable; We are Tenacious,” to serve as important reminders for how the teams would tackle goal-setting.

The three-day event kicked off with presentations from numerous leaders within the organization and members of HWI’s Chairman’s Council, who recapped 2022 successes and challenges across each segment of the company.

True to this year’s theme, HWI’s managers focused on addressing industry trends and challenges and how HWI can best align to stay ahead of these issues in 2023.

Collaboration and cooperation were at the center of all activities, as stakeholders from every department utilized HBS and Lean principles to best align each of their goals and KPIs to ensure an even more successful year for HWI in 2023.

During speed collaboration sessions, attendees were encouraged to engage their fellow employees during downtime, at lunch, or in between business segment presentations.

Everyone in attendance also participated in an interactive, purpose-driven collaboration session designed to help leaders embrace collaboration among team members, across departments and functions or across locations.

HWI’s People and Organizational Effectiveness (POE) Team facilitated seven breakout sessions representing each of HWI’s functions. Managers were able to collaborate and finalize their Department Scorecards and KPIs, and see others’ goals on large poster boards to aid in visualization. The breakout sessions then regrouped so everyone could take part in a company-wide gallery walk.

Each team’s KPIs and Scorecard were made available for collaboration and discussion across functions as participants took notes, asked questions, and looked for ways to align other departments’ KPIs with their own.

HWI also took advantage of everyone’s time together to give back to the local community by donating 25 brand-new bicycles for foster children across Western Pa. to ride and enjoy.

HWI provided the bikes through Foster Love Project, a Pittsburgh-based organization that seeks to demonstrate love in action by providing goods, services, and support to kids and families experiencing foster care.

Realizing that HWI’s success is the result of our employees’ talents and dedication, the leadership team recognized the efforts of several outstanding individuals during the presentation of HWI’s second annual Values Awards.

This year’s honorees, Christina Carter, Fred Adkins, Jason West, Margaret Raughley, Russell Soriano, Stephanie Ryniak, Katie Mack, Nate Warren, Tony Brewer, and Ahmad Jahimi were all nominated by their fellow employees for exemplifying HWI Beliefs and Values every day. HWI also presented the first-ever Most Improved Plant Award to David Floyd for HWI’s GP3i plant in Fulton, Mo.

The final day commenced with goal setting, where employees discussed and solidified their individual performance goals (IPGs) with their respective managers before a final cross-functional IPG Group Collaboration.

An engaging open-forum Q&A session with the HWI Chairman’s Council wrapped up an incredibly busy but productive three days. At HWI, the Managers Meeting is valuable time spent for all participants and for HWI’s sustainable, successful future.