Developing a New Generation of Leaders with Discover the Leader in Utilities (DLIU)

This presentation is targeted toward leaders faced with impending shortages in their workforce leadership due to a gap in knowledge and lack of sufficiently prepared, experienced, or confident future leaders qualified for promotion. Why focus on identifying and recruiting experienced leaders in a tight labor market, when your best future leaders likely are within your current team? Shift your organization's focus, efforts, and resources to help your current workforce master the leadership competencies that align with your values and strategic goals. The results will be a workforce that feels valued, challenged, useful, and confident in a future within your organization. At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to — 1.Understand how the labor shortage impacts leadership positions, not just skilled technical workers. 2.Assess their organization's leadership potential in the current workforce. 3.Apply aspects of this presentation to your potential leaders. Like so many utilities throughout the nation, Pinellas County Utilities (PCU) is feeling the impact of the industry-wide labor shortage. With a workforce of 428 FTEs, PCU averages about 12 percent vacancies. Twenty-five percent of our workforce has more than 20 years' tenure with the County, and nearly 10 percent have more than 30 years with the County. Of the remaining workforce, 47 percent have less than five years' experience working at PCU, and about 12 percent of our new employees leave in the first three years. The future looks bleak as many — including senior and executive leaders — retire from PCU, and the institutional knowledge, practical skills, and experience walk out the door with them. Our workforce has passion, drive, and a desire to learn, but are lean on practical experience. Because of this skills and knowledge gap, leaders often were hired from outside the organization, rather than being promoted from within. This resulted in workforce tension and low morale, as evidenced by a 2019 biennial Employee Voice Survey which revealed that only 51 percent believe PCU provides opportunities for a career path. PCU then committed to growing leaders rather than hiring them. The executive leadership team identified 21 competencies desired in future PCU leaders. Working with Human Resources' Organizational & Talent Development (OTD), we aligned these competencies with the Korn Ferry Competency Framework to better quantify the skills needed for mastery. Some of the competencies identified are: - Instills Trust - Ensures Accountability - Presentation Skills - Executive Presence - Managing Meeting (In-person and online) DLIU evolved as a 3-tier career development and leadership program: - Explorers — This track is for those interested in finding out what being a supervisor is all about. It is an eight-month introductory program designed to broaden understanding of a leadership role and expose participants to career possibilities. - Navigators — Designed for those currently working in a supervisory role, or for those who have previous leadership experience and are interested in progressing further into management. It dives deeper into the same topics as Explorers and addresses additional competencies. This track is 18 months. - The Fearless program is for current manager or senior leader interested in future executive leadership. This 22-month program is intensive and covers the same topics as Explorers and Navigators from a strategic perspective and touches on additional competencies. All tiers include leadership book clubs, ride-alongs and site visits to learn more about PCU, involvement with industry-related organizations and events, engagement in the interview process, and attendance at meetings of the Pinellas County Employee Advisory Council and the Unified Personnel Board. In addition, every participant in the program is assigned a coach, and the Navigator and Fearless participant are coaching fellow participants, and being coached. Fearless participants also work on PCU projects, give presentations, and participate in the budget process. OTD staff developed curricula for each identified competency, including pre- and post-class assignments, case studies, and support materials. The OTD team presents most of the coursework in a classroom environment with no more than 20 participants per tier. External consultants and guest speakers provide specialized presentations on specific competency development. The first year we had 87 applicants for 45 slots. When the course began, we had expanded to 55 slots. The Explorers, Navigators, and Fearless participants all began their journey in October 2020. Thirteen Explorers graduated from the program in March 2021. Eighteen Explorers are enrolled in Cohort 2, which began June 2021. Ten DLIU program participants have been promoted since the program began October 2020.