Many business leaders believe that strong, authentic relationships are key to succeeding. However, most business development and sales reps’ success is measured by the number or the value of deals they close. This drives them to take a transactional approach to building relationships, which diminishes the authenticity of the relationships. While your business may experience success in the short-term, in…
As part of the Infrastructure Law signed months ago by President Biden, the Department of Energy just announced details around their program to provide $13 billion in grants for projects that support utility T&D grid resilience (so called Grid Resilience Innovative Partnership, or GRIP). The program also includes funding for transmission projects to increase capacity and reliability. DOE released additional information…
Offering equity in a company can be attractive to candidates and employers alike. When an employer provides equity to an employee or candidate for employment, they are giving you some ownership in the company. Private companies including startups, as well as public companies, can provide equity. The most common methods of equity are: Stock Options: You give employees the opportunity to…
We asked our clients for input on what skills and topics they wished they had been taught in school, and what overlooked subjects would help today’s students enter the workforce. We heard a lot of great ideas and hope educational administrators take note! If you are a young person, here are the top skills executives we spoke to believe students…
Odds are, you have probably been terminated, downsized, fired, laid-off, furloughed, or managed out of the business at some point in your career. If you haven’t experienced this, consider yourself lucky. When you are released, many times you can look back and notice that signals were being provided to you. You just have to be cognizant of the signals. If you have received…
As utilities grapple with the graying workforce and thus, utilizing contractors and other 3rd parties for utility services, one challenge is how to ensure contractor quality. Every utility wants their contractors to perform work as if they were an employee of the utility, right? The easiest way to ensure quality is through smart contracting strategies to maximize the value your utility…
Due to several drivers, including favorable economics and environmental benefits, utilities, businesses, consumers, and state and local governments are all focused on renewable energy – especially solar power. This is a major macro trend that should continue for decades to come. Renewable energy consumption in 2019 grew for the 4th year in a row to a record 11% of total…
There is an enlightening question I like to ask my clients’ executives: “If I gave you $10M to start your own company, who from your current team would you take with you?” If their answer isn’t “every single one of them” that illuminates a likely need to upgrade. Even when things are going well and the team is humming, it…
Working as a recruiter in the utility space, and as a former utility employee, I’ve noticed a lot of changes in the industry over 30 years. It seems the utility industry is changing more rapidly than ever before. I wanted to write down some of the key trends I am seeing in the hope that it helps you stay ahead…
I was just recently reminded of an invaluable anecdote that I read. The story goes like this: Several airport workers were painting new lines on the tarmac. At one point, an employee knocked over a can of red paint. To cover up his mistake he painted the spilled paint into a nice smooth circle. Nobody was the wiser. Year after year when…
