Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - February 3, 2006
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for the FaxAlert ArchiveFebruary 3, 2006
Knowledge Transfer,
Succession Planning Highlight NACWA Conference
The transfer of institutional knowledge and planning for succession as many clean water agencies face the retirement of many senior staff were highlights of NACWA’s 2006 Winter Conference this week in Palm Desert, California. Improving Knowledge Management in Today’s Utility served as the theme as more than 200 people attended the conference that also highlighted the changing demographics of the U.S. population.“Knowledge transfer is the invisible lifeblood not only of everything you’ve done, but of what you’ll do in the future,” according to keynote speaker David Stillman, who along with Lynne Lancaster, cofounded BridgeWorks, a firm that helps organizations manage transition. He pointed out that the baby boomer generation is comprised of about 80 million people, many of whom are approaching retirement age. They will be followed by the Generation X portion of the population, which is only about 46 million strong. This means organizations, including clean water agencies, have a smaller workforce pool from which to draw in order to replace their retiring staff.
Savvy managers should encourage dialogue with employees who may be contemplating retirement to ensure a more efficient transition, Stillman and Lancaster said. Frequently, however, they may encounter resistance from employees who may fear they are being disloyal if they discuss their retirement plans or may be concerned that such a discussion would put them on a retirement “fast track.”
Utilities Need to Adapt to Graying, Browning Population
James Johnson, distinguished professor of management at the Water and Wastewater Leadership Center of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, focused not just on the “graying” of the population, but the “browning” as well, a description he said of the increasingly diverse clientele and pool of workers from which to draw. “The key to success exists at the intersection of the browning and graying of America,” he said. Johnson’s research shows that no group of people will be in the majority compared to the 1900s when whites made up the bulk of the population. He also encouraged utility managers to broaden the range of places they look to seek out talented employees.Several sessions focused on how to capture and retain the knowledge needed to maintain the efficient operation of wastewater utilities. Seeking out and hiring new staff should not be about “cloning.” Rather, employee turnover should be viewed as an opportunity to “shake things up” and bring in new ideas that may bring about more efficient and innovative ways to operate.
Clean water agencies should also develop ways to harness “undocumented knowledge,” a reference to situations where a certain employee, for example, has an unconventional but workable way to fix a certain piece of equipment. Many utility managers relate stories of the employee they rely on to fix an aging piece of equipment because “Jim is the only one who knows how to do it.” These facility managers should either replace that piece of equipment or write down the process, however unconventional, for repairing it.
NACWA Committees Discuss Options for SSOs, Other Topics
The conference also featured its usual array of committee meetings with their busy agendas. The Facility and Collection System Committee and Legal Affairs Committee both had lively discussions on possible next steps for addressing sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) now that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appears on the verge of finalizing the peak wet weather flow guidance, based on a negotiated agreement between NACWA and NRDC. The Pretreatment and Hazardous Waste Committee discussed implementation of the Pretreatment Streamlining Rule and new consumer products that contain potential. More details on the committee meetings will be provided in a Member Update to be issued soon.