We've all heard it at one time or another—promote from within if possible. And it makes sense especially in a warehouse or distribution center.

"A skilled supervisor who has already worked at filling orders knows the processes and tasks of a warehouse, including how a job can be done most effectively and what problems can occur," says Diane Lowman, vice president of human resources at Standard Corporation and the company's former operations manager.

The problem is too few companies have any program—formal or informal—in place to take that knowledge base to the next level. But it doesn't have to be that way.

As Lowman and others know, there are many ways to recognize and properly train future supervisors and managers. The key is to regularly evaluate people for their leadership qualities, assess their strengths and weaknesses and refine their managerial skills.

Job one in developing a warehouse associate into a supervisor or manager is to identify the leaders in the group. And in some cases that doesn't take long. Certain employees' potential to supervise a facility can be identified soon after that person joins the company, agree distribution center managers.

According to John Davidson, general manager of three facilities for Standard Corporation (800-331-1226), "training begins upon hiring by thinking of individuals as having the potential to progress and observing that potential."

Self-identification of future managers is part of the process too. Jill Egnew, who began as a salesperson and is now the distribution center director at The Container Store (888-CONTAIN), says key characteristics of prospective supervisors and managers include self-motivation and a desire to move up in the organization. A willingness to accept direction is important too, she adds. Associates who interact well with customers and workers, volunteer frequently for special projects and present ideas and solutions should also be added to the list of potential managers.

"Supervisors must constantly observe how well his or her associates take control, manage their time, communicate with customers and fellow workers and solve problems," says Gene Gagnon, president of Gene Gagnon Consulting (763-551-9748).

Technical skills from using wireless terminals to interfacing with the warehouse management system are essential just to work on the floor of many warehouses today. To move up the ladder, however, people must push their technical skills to the next level. This includes developing a competency in how all systems and functions in a warehouse fit together. And not only should workers understand the relationships between components when the system is running well, they must know what needs to be done when there are problems.

An effective way to gage and develop someone's leadership and problem solving skills is to establish a team of warehouse associates who meet regularly to discuss service failures and think of corrective actions. Standard Corporation often draws its future supervisors from a Quality Improvement Team, says Michael Cato, who speaks from personal experience. He began his career at the company as a temporary associate, led a QI team and eventually advanced to general manager of the Atlanta, Ga. facility.

Many warehouses and distribution centers also hold regular meetings among the supervisors and managers to discuss the individuals exhibiting these leadership skills. Other companies use annual performance reviews to identify leaders.

Once a worker has been identified as a potential supervisor or manager, a company should assess and hone his or her technical, communication, interpersonal and managerial skills.

Some companies use a formalized assessment tool to gage a person's analytical, verbal, numerical, behavioral and occupational skills. Profiles International Inc. (254-751-1644), for example, produces customized online tests that measure a candidate's job qualities against a set of ideal attributes. For instance, a warehouse could develop a report that rates decisiveness, numeric reasoning and problem solving potential as highly important attributes. Candidates then complete a survey that calculates their level of proficiency in each area.

As part of its training program, TMSi (904-321-0507), a logistics provider, uses a Succession Planning Roadmap, which identifies the core competencies of job positions in a warehouse and distribution center. A candidate for warehouse supervisor or operations manager would examine the list of attributes and note those he or she needs to attain. TMSi then develops a training program involving video conferencing, mentoring and metrics for measuring progress.

"We measure the gap between the observed and desired practices and then provide curriculum that will close the gap between the two," says Ken Therrien, regional human resources manager for TMSi.

Whether there is a structured or informal training plan in place, warehouses and distribution centers can use a variety of tactics to develop supervisory and managerial skills.

On-the-job training with a mentor is an effective way to ensure a worker is familiar with all equipment and procedures, including understanding workflow and productivity standards. A mentor should observe the worker performing each job function on the warehouse floor and then give feedback.

Alternatively, classroom training is necessary to address the company's philosophy, vacation policy and benefits packages, and help supervisors and managers answer associate's questions regarding such issues. In this setting, a human resources department or other personnel can fully explain the nature of the company's business and its customers.

At Standard Corporation, associates identified as potential leaders attend Standard University. This extensive leadership training program is conducted twice a year by the human resources department as well as the chief executive officer, company managers and university professors. Employees who attend the program learn about the company's business, customers, competitors and core workplace competencies.

Another training tactic is to present case histories and role-playing situations and then discuss the most appropriate solutions. For example, a manager could present the problem of absenteeism on a shift and ask how a supervisor should manage that labor shortage and still maintain daily production rates.

Whatever training methods are employed, those being trained should be involved in developing their own action plan and setting personal milestones.

As Cato states, "All in all, the success of an individual's training is up to that person. If associates want to do more, they should establish a goal and accomplish it by asking questions and taking advantage of all learning opportunities."