- Strategy feels reactive, not deliberate. Things move fast, but rarely in a coherent direction.
- There’s a heavy focus on “innovation,” but the fundamentals of running a reliable utility often get deprioritized.
- Decision-making culture is highly political. Teams are often pitted against one another, and major decisions can feel driven more by internal positioning than by what’s best for the business.
- Executive culture is extremely disconnected from employees. Many staff, including people in management, have literally never met their executives. For a small regional utility, that’s extremely unusual.