Author Adam Grant recently posted, “Many ‘best practices’ were created for a world that no longer exists.” He’s got a point -- the world changed. As a result, utilities must update their habits. How else can they remain relevant to their workforce and customers?
The term ‘best practice’ is usually misused and tossed about with no justification at all. For example, my former coworker Carl habitually branded his favorite points as ‘best practice’ -- and most people bought it. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better term for a game of buzzword bingo!
An actual ‘best practice’ results from a rigorous comparison of practices and their value – very rarely done indeed. Carl pushed the things he was most comfortable with -- methods he liked. Our familiar ‘beloved practices’ aren’t necessarily best – particularly as things change.
As an industry, utilities have been working with paper and spreadsheets for a long time. We’re accustomed to it – it works. So why mess with it, right? Grant’s Instagram post went on to affirm “the routines that once moved you forward often become the ruts that hold you back.” So don’t be held back by the familiar workplace ruts.
Today, we have choices to get out of those familiar grooves:
Hunt down physical documents
Or
Instant access to real-time information
Copy numbers into secluded spreadsheets
Or
Centralized data with built-in analytics
Rinse-and-repeat last year’s plan
Or
Forecast what’s ahead with innovative tools
Rely on information silos
Or
Practice collaboration
Tenured employees often resist change and new methods. In contrast, the newer workforce expects to do everything on their phone. So scanning a QR code menu at a restaurant is not an irritant to them. Instead, it’s a gateway to improvements like faster ordering.
At most utilities, it used to be almost impossible to work from home. Leadership was generally against it, regardless of the job classification. In hindsight, that was very limiting. After the pandemic began, we reconsidered remote work in a new way. Productivity often rose -- satisfaction increased -- office costs decreased. Wise leaders quickly recognized that they would never return to the same familiar habits.
We cleared the hurdle of doing more things from a computer. We put digitally connected tools to greater use. Here are real examples of solid new practices from leading utilities that help address widespread issues.
Improving contractor workflows
Streamlining meter installations
Optimizing joint use pole attachments
Building a foundation for asset management
The former work environment has changed substantially. The workforce is ready for better practices -- ways of working differently and more innovative. Cleaner ways to capture essential information in real-time are within reach. Straightforward tools reveal what that data means. Social media-style apps deliver insights to everyone that needs them.