EMI, MMI & PMI: Back for ’21 to Build Skills!

With COVID-19 subsiding and in-person education returning as the U.S. norm, TRSA’s three annual Management Institute (MI) programs – Executive (EMI), Professional (PMI) and Maintenance (MMI) – are following suit. These programs are back to meet the linen, uniform and facility services industry’s high demand for face-to-face peer interaction and personalized expert instruction. All three institutes are scheduled between Aug. 8-12 (all at roughly the same time in the same location) at the University of Maryland.

EMI, PMI and MMI stand out among industry events because of their emphasis on developing skills as well as knowledge of industry best practices. Thwarted in 2020 by the pandemic, they reflect TRSA member companies’ commitment to providing their executives and managers with a brief but immersive experience that accelerates their professional development. The programs’ 2021 return consolidates the programs to maximize networking benefits, as shared social functions foster experience-sharing and relationship-building among participants from the separate institutes at a time when opportunities for large-group interaction are largely unavailable.

MMI (www.trsa.org/mmi) drew more than 150 participants in the last four years of the program. It’s recognized as the industry’s only opportunity for plant-based maintenance professionals to gather with peers from other companies and laundry engineering experts to take home real-world solutions to tough tasks. Expanded interactive content and frequent networking opportunities facilitate abundant peer-to-peer information-sharing and problem solving.

In numerous sessions, the 2021 program will capitalize on the value of participant roundtable discussions, such as one for exchanging ideas and offering solutions for navigating the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, including supply-price increases and shipping issues. Another session fosters ideas for troubleshooting, preventive/predictive maintenance, safety, maintenance-department staffing, inventory/parts and equipment efficiency.

This year’s program (Aug. 9-11) focuses in-depth on assessing reliability to effectively eradicate equipment downtime, forecast costs, increase production, minimize emergencies and achieve other maintenance goals. This emphasis begins with the keynote by Christer Idhammar, whose results-oriented reliability and maintenance-management concepts built the Idhammar group of companies, which includes a U.S. operation established in 1985. He initiated these concepts as a mechanic and craftsperson, then refined them as an engineer, manager, consultant and educator.

PMI (www.trsa.org/pmi) has had more than 200 attendees in its last four iterations. In prior years, the “P” in PMI stood for “production,” indicating that individuals directly responsible for managing laundry production personnel get the most from the program.

This remains the case this August 8-12, but now the P means “professional,” as PMI’s more recent attendee lists show that managers and executives in almost all industry functions benefit greatly from this immersion in industry fundamentals by better recognizing how these issues affect their jobs. Attendees have included general managers and professionals in administration, business development, engineering, human resources, marketing, purchasing, sales, service and more.

Academic techniques used at PMI compel participants to rely on their experience and talent in contributing to class discussions. Group projects foster management creativity through envisioning everyday operations scenarios that require leadership or technical skills to address. These exercises test problem-solving, judgment and expertise. Dilemmas prompt participants to reveal and develop savvy in evaluating, comforting, coaching and disciplining employees.

The PMI agenda includes a tour of the Alsco Uniforms plant in nearby Lanham, MD. Opened in 2016, the 120,000-square-foot facility can produce 120,000 lbs. per day, using tunnels and conventional washing.

EMI (www.trsa.org/emi) drew nearly 350 participants to its most-recent four editions. This group-education setting refines participants’ skills by exposing them to emerging management techniques currently emphasized by academics and consultants and practiced by industry peers. When they return from EMI to their everyday roles, they’re better equipped to motivate and inspire co-workers and employees to streamline production, improve productivity and increase profitability.

The curriculum emphasizes development of skills for more effective leadership, communication, innovation, change management and conflict reduction. Such enrichment enhances coaching, delegating, managing resources, problem-solving and team building. Improvement follows in the attendee’s organization’s customer service, human resources management, workplace safety, legal compliance and other functions.

The 2021 EMI agenda (Aug. 8-12) again guides instructors to take advantage of the group setting to build participants’ skills in daily decision-making. They are given time to raise concerns specific to their operations and to share problems, successes and lessons learned. Use the links above to obtain early-registration discounts through June 25 for each program. Savings are $200 per attendee for MMI, $300 for PMI and $400 for EMI.