As we gear up the number of unit-based teams across Kaiser Permanente, good workers are often just tapped on the shoulder and nominated to co-lead a UBT. Often, that means a learning experience for both managers and labor leads.

As an experienced manager who has had time to develop leadership skills along the way, I think we could do more to train and prepare our co-leads for their new leadership roles. I've found that most management co-leads feel confident in their abilities to lead a UBT—even if it isn't always clear what will be asked of them. But managers and other labor partners don't always think about how to help new labor partners succeed. I'd like my labor partners to have equal footing, because that raises the performance of the whole team.

Short of a formal training program, I try to help my leads to be full partners—from business understanding to running meetings to feeling empowered in their voice. Some things I've found helpful include:

• Ensuring that my partners feel like an equal partner in the team and stress that their opinions and thoughts are welcomed and valued.
• Prepare them for what can be expected in the role of labor lead—that they are the go-to person for fellow union workers.
• Since they represent the voice of their fellow union workers, I stress the importance of bringing labor's concerns or opinions to the UBT's management and physician leaders.
• If it appears that a labor lead is reluctant to raise concerns or share opinions in the team, I start by asking them lots of questions to tease out their thoughts. As that happens more and more, often people get comfortable in their voice.
• If they're unfamiliar with presenting in front of a group, I start by suggesting smaller, manageable tasks and ones that focus on the labor perspective, their area of expertise.
• Encourage other ways of holding productive communications and accomplishing goals beyond face-to-face meetings, such as phone, quick huddles, email or face-to-face meetings.

In the end, if it were up to me, I would create a mentorship program with fellow labor co-leads so that if a labor partner is having a difficult situation, they can learn what others have done to resolve those challenges or provide suggestions and resources.

The kinds of leadership skills I've described will only empower a labor partner. And that's what I want.

While they teach me things in the process, my perspective will often differ from my labor co-lead's, and the kinds of leadership skills I've described will only empower a labor partner. And that's what I want—a strong partner.