How often do you talk to your peers? I don’t mean the people you go to work with every day, but the people like you from other utilities serving other communities, tackling similar issues.
I’ve been working from home since the spring of 2020. It provides convenience and an extremely short commute, but it doesn’t necessarily foster communication and understanding. I email and chat with colleagues, and occasionally pick up the phone, but none of that can really replace face-to-face interaction.
So, it was really enjoyable when I had the opportunity to fly south this fall for a big industry event. I talked to so many people whose names fill my inbox but whom I almost never see in person. I stumbled across new companies and innovations that will almost certainly be featured in MSW over the coming months. More important, I experienced something no Wi-Fi connection will ever provide: feeling connected.
It continued at the airport while I was waiting to fly home. A guy who had obviously been at the same event walked over to the same gate and sat down a couple seats away. We started chatting and I found out he grew up not too far from where I live. When our connecting flight in Dallas got delayed, we got a beer together, talked about the industry and our jobs, even a possible story down the road.
Once I got home, connections from the event continued. I started getting follow-up emails and LinkedIn invitations from people I’d met. A phone call or two to discuss story opportunities.
I’m going over my notes now, looking over background information and plotting out stories that have sprung from conversations at the event. Connections made at the show will continue to expand my knowledge of the industry. They’ll find their way into my inbox, daily work and ultimately the pages of this magazine.
Maybe a big trip across the country to go to one of the major trade shows isn’t in the cards for you, but the smaller state and regional shows offer plenty too. They can connect, inform and inspire you, and that’s good for you, your utilities and your communities.
And those opportunities aren’t limited to a trade show or some other industry event. Maybe it’s casual conversations with your colleagues at neighboring utilities. Maybe it’s talking to your peers within other municipal departments. Or sitting in on webinars, welcoming product demonstrations or training opportunities. Maybe a little of it is reading this magazine and hearing stories from utility operators across the country.
It’s easy to be insulated, to confine ourselves to offices or job sites where we only see the same few people each day. But if you really want to keep growing, improving and finding ways to make your communities stronger, you need to get connected.
Enjoy this month’s issue.
