ONE ENERGY FEED

In a few weeks, I will celebrate my 11-year anniversary at One Energy. As I look back at the last decade, I find myself thinking a lot about the early days. These are the times I like to refer to as our “Garage Band” days, before we “made it big.” After all, our first office did have a garage door on it. In thinking about these times, I have found myself reflecting on what it was like entering the workforce over a decade ago. Then, I imagine what it would be like to start a career now. A lot has changed in a decade, particularly with access to information. The sheer amount of knowledge available to us at every turn has changed how the workplace functions. An exponential increase in access to information has fundamentally shifted how the current workforce approaches problem-solving in their industries.

I’ve noticed, when presented with a problem to solve, our first instinct is now to find someone who has solved it before. With social media, online forums, and an endless supply of information, it is becoming increasingly difficult to think for ourselves. We are less likely to dive into the weeds on a topic and more likely to find a resource to point to. We want the answers at the back of the textbook without reading the textbook itself. On a lot of levels, this makes sense – why waste time reinventing the wheel? It is much more efficient to go straight to the answer, than it is to show your work. But critical thinking is paramount to innovative companies. And, as a company whose motto includes “never settle for industry standard” and “challenge everything,” One Energy encourages, and expects, its employees to dig deeper.

When I first started at One Energy, I was one of only a few employees, and I was the only one with an education in Atmospheric Science. I was immediately tasked with developing our wind resource assessment process – from scratch. With no one at the company to turn to for guidance, I spent months reading scientific papers, reaching out to university professors, attending conferences, meeting industry peers, deriving equations, and analyzing endless data. The result was a methodology specifically applicable to Wind for Industry projects. But I do wonder: would I be able to repeat the same process if I were starting my career today? Would I have been able to create a methodology that was best for One Energy and not be tempted to settle for “Prudent Wind Industry Practice?” Now, in an age where you can Google the answer to any common question, has the ability to solve unique problems become more difficult?

It is far easier to settle for a simple (similar) solution, than to think critically and research ideas to help solve your unique, complex problem. When our work requires innovation, we must focus our research on theories that help us arrive at conclusions that work best for our specific application, rather than similar solutions that almost (but don’t quite) fit. If we don’t, we can end up forcing ourselves into a box instead of thinking outside of it.

If I settled for “industry standard” when creating our wind resource methodology, our result wouldn’t have been the best representation of our Wind for Industry projects. Sure, it would have been close. But it would have worked better for the utility-scale, grid-connected projects it was intended for, rather than our unique, behind-the-meter projects. To innovate, we must use the abundance of information we have access to as a tool for growth instead of a shortcut. By using past science as a starting point instead of a conclusion, we can keep advancing the standard of “industry standard,” and inventing the next big thing. This isn’t just a challenge for those entering the workforce – it’s also a challenge for those of us who have been around a while. The advancement of current industries, and the creation of new ones, depends on it.

Jessica Grosso is the Head of Project Planning and Technology at One Energy.

Learn more about Jessica and the One Energy team.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to go from college intern to full-time engineer? Find out what it takes in this episode of #Climbtothetop with One Energy project engineer Erica Johnson.

Hear why Erica describes her Climb to the Top as a “rollercoaster,” as she explains what it is like to be a woman in engineering, what makes One Energy a unique place to work, and why she is excited for the future. Erica recounts how visiting The Ohio State University was love at first sight and offers great advice for those who are interested in a career in energy!

YouTube channel to keep up with the climb!

This series can also be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

As a lawyer, I have noticed a phenomenon. People tend to assume you’re right and what you say holds special weight. Even if I am just brainstorming on possible downside scenarios, people assume what I am saying is gospel and that the path forward is doomed. On the other hand, if I say everything is a-okay, few people push back.

If you have noticed yourself doing this with a lawyer, or doctor, or any professional for that matter, please, for the sake of your company or yourself, stop. Sure, lawyers have special training, but lawyers aren’t, by virtue of being a lawyer, special or right. And you are doing yourself and your company a disservice if you treat them that way.

I will never forget my first orientation meeting at law school. A Dean walked into the room of new law students, and she said: “Look around you. At the end of law school, some of these people you will trust with your life. Others you will not trust to watch your dog for a weekend.”

After closely working with lawyers for about a decade, I can honestly say, she was absolutely right, which is terrifying.

Lawyers are meant to protect your legal rights. In some circumstances they are protecting your freedom, in other circumstances, they are protecting your livelihood. The idea that some of them are mediocre at best, and just plain terrible at worst, is a thought that shouldn’t make a person feel warm and fuzzy. But it’s the truth. All lawyers are not created equal. Just because someone graduated from law school and passed the bar, does not mean they are a great lawyer. Most law school classes don’t teach the law of the state or jurisdiction that a person practices law in, and most law school classes don’t pertain to the area of law someone practices. Not only that, the bar exam is a standardized test. It can’t possibly capture the complexities of the real world or all of the skills it takes to be a great lawyer.

So, what does that mean for you?

It means that, like with everything else in life, you can make better decisions on behalf of yourself or your company if you do your homework and are scrutinizing. When you are hiring a lawyer, don’t just pick the only lawyer you happen to know. Dig deeper. Research their firm’s website. Find references. Interview them (they shouldn’t charge you to do this). Familiarize yourself with the issues, and then try to get your potential lawyer to demonstrate that he or she understands them far better. Once you are working with a lawyer, make sure that you continue to scrutinize. And if you ever start to get a hint that you aren’t getting the legal advice you should be, don’t hesitate to say goodbye.

Lawyers have credentials, yes. But that does not mean that they are special, or that they are always right. Always question, always scrutinize, and always look for the lawyer who you “trust with your life.” Because there are lawyers out there who you should. And they are absolutely the person you want on your side when it is all on the line.

Katie Treadway is the Head of Regulatory Affairs at One Energy.

Learn more about Katie and the One Energy team.