Tapping the Talent Pipeline: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders in Your Organization

ABBREVIATED ABSTRACT Utilities across the country face many similar issues aging infrastructure, tight budgets, legacy technology systems and processes, staff that are stretched thin, and customers, taxpayers, and ratepayers that demand innovation and accountability. These challenges are compounded by rising retirements among utility leadership and operations positions, and a shrinking pool of qualified applicants and talent to fill open positions. We often hear that the way to address this is to 'do succession planning' or 'focus on workforce development,' but many of our organizations lack concrete tools and action steps to achieve these objectives. During this session, participants will learn from two very different organizations that are actively working to address these workforce challenges, hear how they are using three key workforce development strategies to develop and retain their existing talent, and explore how participants can put these tactics to work in their own organizations. ABSTRACT Monroe Ohio is a small but growing city of 15,500 residents with agricultural roots and an emerging industrial base. In the last 20 years, the population of Monroe has more than doubled and the city has invested heavily in expanding utility infrastructure to meet growing demands. At the same time, Monroe's utility-focused staffing has stayed low and relatively steady, with a total of six dedicated utility staff positions in 2023 compared to five in 2000. Managing this rapid growth with limited staff is no small feat, but the dedicated team in Monroe has risen to the challenge in all aspects of their work. Situated strategically between Dayton and Cincinnati, Monroe's location offers unique advantages to its residents, but fosters intense competition for experienced utility professionals. Recognizing the importance of nurturing internal talent, Monroe has focused its efforts on internal succession planning and workforce development. Over the last several years, leadership has been relentless in identifying and cultivating promising young professionals, providing talented staff with opportunities to stretch their abilities, enhance their technical skills, and nurture their leadership potential. This concerted effort will ensure that the organization has a dynamic and capable leadership team ready to steer the utility forward into a thriving future. Two hours south on highway I-71, Louisville Water serves nearly one million people with a service area of over 1,000 square miles. Louisville Water's workforce is made up of more than 400 employees, many of whom stay with the company until retirement. Beginning with their 2019-2025 Strategic Business Plan, Louisville Water reinvented its approach to workforce development, starting with reframing the way it viewed its workforce. Just as its physical infrastructure requires ongoing investment and maintenance, Louisville Water believes that its people intrastructure deserves the same level of investment and attention. Starting with extensive new employee onboarding and new leader orientation programs, Louisville Water is reinventing the way it invests in and develops its staff to ensure their long-term success in the organization. Louisville Water is currently rolling out an all-employee development curriculum, 'Professional Unity,' that will develop organization-wide competency in areas like accountability, crucial conversations, personal performance, and generational alignment. Moving forward, the organization plans to continue to introduce new topics through this program, starting with skill-based leadership role training. This initiative aims to cultivate a cohesive and motivated workforce, drive higher employee satisfaction, increase productivity and improve business outcomes. While the scale of Monroe and Louisville Water's efforts are dramatically different, the concepts at their core, and many of the tools that they have employed are fundamentally the same. This session will explore three key strategies employed by both Monroe and Louisville Water that have been successful in transforming their talent into high performing leaders and managers. These include: Invest in Training and Developing Your Workforce Despite the Risk That People May Take Their New Skills Elsewhere Never Stop Succession Planning Start Building Your Bench Before You Need One Provide Opportunities for High-Potential Staff to Stretch and Grow Session attendees will be provided with a set of workforce development resources to put these strategies into action in their own organizations.